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12VPN Review and Discount Code

September 3rd, 2011 Posted in 12VPN, Discounts, Reviews

Sep, 03 2011

12VPN is one of my all time favorite VPN services, and I still use it, even though I've tried over ten different VPN services over the years. Below, I've written a bit about how VPNs work, and specifics about the 12VPN service. If you want to skip to the good stuff and get the discount, here's the link for a 10% discount on all products. It will take you right to the shopping cart. That means if you want to explore the site, you can go to http://12vpn.com to check things out, and then get the 10% DISCOUNT by clicking the discount link and going to the checkout area.

Remember that you must click the 10% DISCOUNT link to get credit from the discount code.

US Only VPN service $79 USD – 10% =

$71 USD / Year
SAVE $8 USD
$6 / month

World VPN service $119 USD – 10% =

$107 USD / Year
SAVE $12 USD
$ 9 / month

***The Windows, Mac and Linux packages all include support for iPhone, iPad, Android and Symbian.

Virtual Private Networks

VPNs do two things. 1. They hide your IP address and allow you to access websites with an IP address different from your own. 2. They protect this connection from outsiders. When you surf the Internet, an IP address unique to your computer is attached to all your traffic. This means that if they want to, any site you surf can see where you are in the world. Along with cookies and other data associated with your computer, they can learn a lot about what sites you surf, and how you spend your time on the Internet. Some people consider this an invasion of privacy. Changing your IP address can prevent this by making you anonymous on the Internet.

When you type a URL into your browser, your IP is making a request to visit their IP. When firewalls get involved, a couple things can happen. 1. The best case scenario is that the request is accepted and you go to the website. 2. Your firewall doesn't allow you to surf the site. This may happen when you try to get on Facebook at work, or Youtube from your school computer. It happens all the time in China because of The Great Firewall. 3. The site you request blocks you because of your IP. Maybe you're coming from a region where a lot of spam originates. Or maybe you're trying to access Hulu / Netflix from outside The USA. Either way, sites can block you based on your IP address. Of course, changing your IP with a VPN can get around this.

12vpn secure browsing When you connect to a VPN, your data is first encrypted and tunneled to the VPN server. The VPN server then acts as a middle man, erasing any traces of your IP address from the request, assigning you a new IP address (from the region of the VPN server), and then connecting you to the site. It's like sending an anonymous package to someone. Instead of your address on the box, its the address of the delivery company. No one knows who you really are. You are essentially "going around" the firewall.

So what's encryption and tunneling? Ok, I'll be the first to admit that details of just how my Internet traffic and IP address are "encrypted" and "tunneled" is a bit cryptic to me. But someone once explained it to me like this, and I think it makes sense.

If you imagine the sending a package scenario for a moment. Now lets say you're worried about who might see you sending this anonymous package. Maybe they see you putting the package in your mailbox or the catch the delivery truck en route. There's potential that they might see the original package, learn where you live, and be able to find you and steal your stuff. So a VPN wraps the pack securely, and puts it is an armored car to make the delivery. This way, if anyone does see the armored car, they can't get inside. If the were some how able to see inside the car, they still wouldn't know what's in the package.

Cool right?

12VPN Review

Like I said above, 12VPN is a pretty cool service. It's already very cheap, and with the discount, it's even cheaper. You simply can't find a quality VPN service for a better price out there. Remember that I've tried many over the years – I know what I'm talking about. For SSL/OpenVPN needed in China, some companies are charging upwards of 10 USD a month for limited server locations and bandwidth caps. For PPTP or L2TP (if you're not in China, the price is pretty standard)

In a nutshell, these are the standard things that 12VPN has to offer

Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android Supported
Email Support Team
7 day money back guarantee
PPTP, L2TP, SSL/OpenVPN protocols
Multiple Server Locations in The US and The UK, and around the world
Free Updates

More importantly through, these things make 12VPN BETTER

Cool stuff

Super easy installation (no previous experience needed)
Free Viscosity License for Mac and Windows users ($9 USD value)
Free Server Switching
Friendly Support Team
Unlimited Bandwidth
US Only Plan is only $6 / month (with discount)

***Stuff for the nerds

Allows P2P
Support for lesser known platforms including Symbian S60, DD-WRT, pfSense, Tomato and others
Military grade encryption (see site for details)
L2TP with IPSec, Cisco, IKEv2 VPN protocols available

excellent customer service Easy installation (under two minutes) and a friendly support team make 12VPN a great choice for newbies. High-tech badass encryption and fast connection speeds make it suitable for an anonymous surfer on a mission. It might not seem like much, but I think the thing that seals the deal for me with 12VPN is the attitude of the support team. No matter what service you choose, you're likely to run into some sort of issue, and will need to contact the support team. A friendly and "ready to help" attitude makes a world of difference when you're frustrated and ready to throw your computer out the window. Everyone likes to write "quick and friendly support team" on their site, and hope people just believe it. 12VPN actually puts it into practice.

Here's the links for the 10% DISCOUNT again. For details about pricing, scroll back to the top of the page. If you're purchasing a VPN for something other than Mac, Linux, or Windows, choose any of the above and contact the support team with your details. All of the above packages come with support for all available platforms.

Check out their site to for more details

12VPN official site http://12vpn.com

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Web Based Proxy in China

August 28th, 2011 Posted in Unblock Facebook

Aug, 28 2011

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Not 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.

The 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.

Web 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.

That 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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I'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.

Unlike 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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Access Facebook in China on iPhone

July 7th, 2011 Posted in Access Facebook, Android, iPad, iPhone, Securitales

Jul, 07 2011

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So something very important has come to my attention recently. I wrote quite a bit in the past couple months about how L2TP and PPTP VPN protocols were blocked in China, and users with iPhones, iPads, and other mobile devices were pretty much screwed. It was my understanding that without PPTP and L2TP VPN, you simply could not access Facebook in China on iPhone.

However, I was contacted by Securitales a few days ago, and I learned about something called a Web-Based Service. I though most of these had been blocked, and I also though that the paid ones weren't worth the money when compared to paid VPN services.

What I didn't realize is that you could use a service like Securitales to access Facebook in China on iPhone and iPad.

This is very cool.

I was also very surprised that Securitales was pretty fast too. Much faster that I expected.

Here's how Securitales works, and how to access Facebook in China on iPhone, iPad, and other mobile devices or smart phones like Android or Nokia.

So instead of having to download anything like with a VPN, they'll send you a link to your email inbox, and you can use the password and username they give you to get started. Later, you could bookmark this page for quicker signing in. I've got a trial account (if you click the link, the free trial is right under the sign up form) with a link in the email they sent me that I usually sign in with – but it's the same. This is also great because in the case that China ever does block the Securitales site, you'll still be able to access your account through your email.

Then a kind of Navigation bar thing pops up in your browser, and you type the sites you want to surf into the secure browser.

It's because web-based and not a L2TP or PPTP VPN that you can use your iPhone to access Facebook and other sites in China. As long as it can surf the net, it can access the Securitales sites or your email inbox, and you'll be able to unblock sites.

I was also able to access Youtube and stream video at about the same speed as my VPN, which surprised me the most.

One of the disadvantages is that you can't access the Netflix and Hulu with this service, but not everyone needs to and to be honest, you can get most of that stuff on Youku, Tudou PPS, or Feixing for free anyway (for users in China).

For Mac, Windows, and Linux users, I'd still suggest the VPN. It's a bit more convenient to be able to sign in and forget about the VPN running in the background. I frequently forget to type the URL I want to go to into the Securitales browser instead of my Firefox browser, which means I've got to back up and try again – this may just be because I'm a new user and not used to it yet.

But definitely users who wand to access Facebook in China on iPhone, for iPhone users who frequently stream video from Youtube, or for iPhone users who just want to for get about this whole Internet censorship thing and surf free Internet, Securitales is a pretty awesome service.

Securitales Website

Oh, and I almost forgot, there's a FREE TRIAL. You can't beat that with a stick. (the free trial link is right under the sign up form)

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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 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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Unblock Facebook in China

Tunneling Through the Great Firewall

12VPN Review and Discount Code

Web Based Proxy in China

Access Facebook in China on iPad

Access Facebook in China on iPhone

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