FaceTime/Skype/Messenger blocked
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Dubai
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You need a VPN with the OpenVPN protocol . The logo above is the OpenVPN protocol symbol
Conventional non SSL VPN's are vulnerable to detection and blocking at the initial connection handshake time, they are still using http://{IP} addresses and are therefore visible. OpenVPN protocol uses https:// at the initial handshake time before the anonymous tunnel of data is established, the same protocol the banking industry uses and therefore cannot be blocked without screwing up all the banks and financial institutions as well. For $100 a year it's well worth it.
For Apple ipad and/or iphone you download an App while you're in an IP neutral country (cos you still need to get to the App or website in the first place and they will have blocked it for sure), download the VPN providers OVPN file and away you go. Nothing else comes close to an OpenVPN
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Houston
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April 2019 the Problem Continues / Any Solutions?
Hi All,
I am resurrecting this VPN thread because my VPN connections ONLY are being actively blocked and throttled by Etisalat in Al-Safa area. I am at my wits' end and want to see if anybody has any recent advice to share?
Here are my detailed description to illuminate the problem. I use Speedtest.Net to check the bandwidth on my connections. The baseline / non-throttled connection on Etisalat is rated at 100Mb down / 25Mb up and checks out at those speeds usually with 106 down and 28 up.
HOWEVER, whenever I connect using two well known, highly rated, paid VPN providers (one starts with "e" another with "w") they will connect with a fairly reasonable ping of 150ms but the speed is ALWAYS reliably capped by Etisalat at 1.0Mb down and about 0.7Mb up. So from 100Mb connection I am only getting <1.0Mb speed on VPN.
I have had very good and detailed tech support from both providers, and both are telling me that the majority of their Etisalat customers are getting full speed. Indeed when I use either provider at a public Wifi such as the mall, airport, or even at a friend's house (outside the neighborhood), I get something like 50Mb down / 25Mb up on all the VPN servers. I only get the deep throttling on my home network.
Even more mysterious, and to support my proposal that I am being individually targeted or that my neighborhood is being targeted, one night a week I've had an hour or two of full speed VPN service at home, presumably because whatever blocking tech the Telecom was using was off / or down for maintenance.
So I know two things, 1/ both of my VPN providers are functioning normally, and are accessible thorough many Wifi points here in Dubai and
2/ They are both being deeply throttled at my home, or in my neighborhood.
So does anybody have any advice to get them to lift the blockage against your home network? I just recently cancelled and removed my old Elife number and waited a few days and got a new number, new box, new router but it is still fully blocked / deeply throttled at home.
At least I hope to raise awareness amongst the few of us who are still on this forum. Any advice would be appreciated.
I am resurrecting this VPN thread because my VPN connections ONLY are being actively blocked and throttled by Etisalat in Al-Safa area. I am at my wits' end and want to see if anybody has any recent advice to share?
Here are my detailed description to illuminate the problem. I use Speedtest.Net to check the bandwidth on my connections. The baseline / non-throttled connection on Etisalat is rated at 100Mb down / 25Mb up and checks out at those speeds usually with 106 down and 28 up.
HOWEVER, whenever I connect using two well known, highly rated, paid VPN providers (one starts with "e" another with "w") they will connect with a fairly reasonable ping of 150ms but the speed is ALWAYS reliably capped by Etisalat at 1.0Mb down and about 0.7Mb up. So from 100Mb connection I am only getting <1.0Mb speed on VPN.
I have had very good and detailed tech support from both providers, and both are telling me that the majority of their Etisalat customers are getting full speed. Indeed when I use either provider at a public Wifi such as the mall, airport, or even at a friend's house (outside the neighborhood), I get something like 50Mb down / 25Mb up on all the VPN servers. I only get the deep throttling on my home network.
Even more mysterious, and to support my proposal that I am being individually targeted or that my neighborhood is being targeted, one night a week I've had an hour or two of full speed VPN service at home, presumably because whatever blocking tech the Telecom was using was off / or down for maintenance.
So I know two things, 1/ both of my VPN providers are functioning normally, and are accessible thorough many Wifi points here in Dubai and
2/ They are both being deeply throttled at my home, or in my neighborhood.
So does anybody have any advice to get them to lift the blockage against your home network? I just recently cancelled and removed my old Elife number and waited a few days and got a new number, new box, new router but it is still fully blocked / deeply throttled at home.
At least I hope to raise awareness amongst the few of us who are still on this forum. Any advice would be appreciated.
Do not post the fix on the forum. Next time you go flying ask ya buddy .
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Houston
Age: 51
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I’ll take PM if there is an advice
Obviously I’m not expecting a publicly posted fix. I just want to know if anybody else has the same issue and has been able to definitively isolate it to active blocking by the telecom companies as I have.
Ill gladly accept any advice or even commiseration in strictest confidence by private message. As much as I would like to fix the problem I’d really like to know if others have the same issue and get a gauge as to how widespread or isolated it is.
Thanks a a lot on advance.
Ill gladly accept any advice or even commiseration in strictest confidence by private message. As much as I would like to fix the problem I’d really like to know if others have the same issue and get a gauge as to how widespread or isolated it is.
Thanks a a lot on advance.
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Join Date: May 2006
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Just to update, as I said in my original post I’ve been online for several hours with both VPN providers and in spite of great support on their end and multiple manual configurations on my end neither provider could provide a solution that reliably surmounts what I must conclude is active targeted throttling by Etisalat
Join Date: May 2006
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However in my case the <1Mb throttling is across all servers, all providers, so hopping doesn’t help. It may be of interest to note that a few hours every other day I’m able to connect with full speed, presumably when their blocking tech is down for maintenance.
Join Date: May 2006
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: Houston
Age: 51
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This seems to be the case on my side. Although as I said above there does seem to be times when the locking tech is temporarily turned off at my place, perhaps when maintenance is done on their equipment
