Unblock Facebook in China

Tunneling Through the Great Firewall

Web Based Proxy in China

August 28th, 2011 Posted in Unblock Facebook
Aug, 28 2011
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web based proxy in chinaNot many people actually know what web based proxies are – and to tell you the truth, until recently, I couldn't tell you what one was either. However, with recent updates to the way The Great Firewall censors our Internet activity here, web based proxies in China have become extremely important to unblocking sites.

Why?

Well, if you own an iPhone, iPad, or Android device, you already know that you can't install a virtual private network on it.  These tablet computers and smart phones usually require that you install a PPTP or L2TP VPN.  But these protocols were blocked in China in March 2011.

This is where the web based proxy in China come in.

proxy for iphone and ipadThe key is the "web based" part.  It's just what it sounds like.  You unblock sites in China by first connecting to a web site with a secure browser.  There is nothing installed on your computer, and this website can be accessed from anywhere that can browse the Internet. Your Mac or PC, your work or school computer, and most importantly, your phone or tablet computer.

Have you ever noticed that when you purchase stuff online, a little lock appears next to the URL you're currently on?  And next to that there's no longer an http:// prefix, but an https://. This is the URL prefix for secure or private connections. Connection that you need permission to access.

proxy for android tabletWeb based proxies in China make use of this private connection, and you'll notice that the blocked URL you type into the secure browser will always be preceded by the https://

So, aside from the versatility of proxies, why else would you want them as opposed to a VPN?

Well, seeing as there's no installation necessary, you can access them easily and without a trace.  When your boss is out of the office, you can open the secure link from your email and check out what's happening on Facebook.  If you've got a few minutes before class and have nothing to do, you can open up the web based proxy browser and watch a Youtube video.

When you're done, close the browser, and no one will notice a difference.

And a web based proxy in China is usually cheaper than a VPN is going to cost you. Securitales, the web based proxy I use in China is only $6 a month.  And I'll let you in on a secret (really, I don't mention this in all of my posts), if you sign up for the FREE TRIAL first, and then sign up for the paid service when the free trial is over, you get a 25% discount.

securitales in chinaThat means for an entire year of service, you pay on $54.

You can check it out at www.securitales.com

You can unblock any site in China, and there's nothing to lose by taking advantage of the free trial.

 

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Access Facebook in China on iPad

July 7th, 2011 Posted in Access Facebook, China, iPad, Reviews, Securitales, Web Based Service
Jul, 07 2011
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ipad in chinaI've got to write a follow up article on some of the recent posts I've been making, because I suddenly became aware a few days ago that it's still possible to access Facebook in China on iPad.  I know, I know, after all my posts talking about how L2TP and PPTP VPNs were blocked because of the stuff that was going on in Egypt, and after all the stuff I wrote about how mobile devices like iPad couldn't access blocked sites without jailbreaking the iPad and messing up your warranty, I've got to go back and change what I said.  It is completely possible to access Facebook in China on iPad – all you need is a web based service to help you bypass Internet censorship.

I got an email from a company called Securitales the other day.  I had seen their advertisements around, and to be honest, they never really caught my eye.  I didn't really know what they were, but I was happy with my VPN, so I didn't look into it so much.

However, when they contacted me about featuring them on the site, it came to my attention that their service was a bit different from other services I had tried.  They're a web based service.  This is now the second time I've used this term – and it's exactly what it sounds like.  It's called a web based service because their method of unblocking sites in China does not involve downloading or installing anything on your computer.  It is accessible through any device that can connect to the Internet because there are no changes made to the device that you're using. It's just like accessing a website, or using a special browser window.  This is why you can even access Facebook in China on iPad.

facebook in chinaUnlike PPTP and L2TP VPN protocols which are blocked and don't work in most of China, Securitales will send you a secure link to your inbox, which means you can access their secure browser anywhere, anytime, even if their site is blocked.  They've even got a FREE TRIAL, (if you click the link, the free trial option is right below the sign-up form) which is amazing these days – most VPNs don't even offer that.  Once you access the link, type in your username and password, and type the URL of the blocked site into the secure browser area.  You'll notice that it's using HTTPS, not HTTP.

I was pleasantly surprised at the speed of Securitales.  Like I said, I had seen their service advertised around before and didn't think much of it.  But don't let their lack of flash and strange name (sounds like the name of a Pixar/Disney movie doesn't it?) fool you.  They're pretty much on par with most VPN companies.

A disadvantage of using a web based service is that you've got to type the URL you want to visit into the designated area in order for the site to be unblocked. I'm still getting used to it and I frequently switch back to my normal browser only to be blocked from the site, and then I've got to go back and retype the URL. Not a big deal, but slightly inconvenient.  For users that want to access Facebook in China on iPad however, you haven't really got a choice, and something is better than nothing.  This is probably just one of those things that you get used to.

Securitales will also work on your iPhone and Android devices.  In a nutshell, for mobile users in China, its a very cool service to have.

 Securitales Website

Remember, they've got a FREE TRIAL

 

 

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Hide My Ass in China

June 23rd, 2011 Posted in 12VPN, Astrill, Hide My Ass, iVPN, Reviews, Updates
Jun, 23 2011
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hide my ass in reviewHide My Ass in China

Hide my Ass is a really cool service. They're not expensive, and their VPN is very user friendly. They've got a clean design to their site which makes it easy to navigate. One thing I hate about VPN sites like Black Logic and Secure VPN is that it's hard to find out what's going on in there. How much is the VPN? Can I use it on my Mac? Is it compatible with Windows 7? Should I use PPTP or L2TP on my iPhone? There are so many questions for a new user, especially for someone who hasn't used a VPN before.

This is why Hide My Ass is cool. It's up there with my favorites (12vpn, Astrill, and iVPN) as far as user compatibility goes.

One big problem though – they're blocked.

Ok, not all the time, but a lot of the time. They've got the SSL/OpenVPN needed by users in China, but you can't get to it if the site is blocked.

What would I suggest?

I think Hide My Ass is a cool VPN service.  If you're planning on coming to China, get your VPN set up with them before you go. If you're hear and on the off-chance they're not blocked for a while, you can check them out. Hide My Ass won't do you wrong.

But if HMA continues to be blocked, there are lots of other services featured at the site that aren't blocked – Astrill, 12vpn, iVPN

 

Hide My Ass Official Site

 

 

or check out or VyprVPN Review

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