202) China's Great Firewall: transpassing it

Two ways of avoiding blockades

1) With Strong VPN: http://www.strongvpn.com/

Why have a VPN account?
* Security for Hotspot Wireless Access Users
* Home Internet Users - Cable and DSL providers are well known for not filtering their network from exploits!
* International Internet Users - Governments would like to prevent users from enjoying the Internet, with a USA IP there are no controls!
* Easy online ordering when you travel - Many order forms on the Internet will automatically block certain countries from even ordering.
* Bypass ISP Blocking for VOIP Applications like Skype
* Full anonymity by hiding your real IP.
* Unlike a proxy, you get secured connection for all programs you are using, (e.g ICQ, Email, FTP, News and anything that uses a Internet Connection)
* American Based Unique Personal Fixed USA & Euro IP's
* Anonymous Internet Surfing
* Bypass geographical blocks from certain websites
* Protection against your ISP

Why use StrongVPN.com for your VPN Services?
* American based company, established 1995
* 24x7 Quality Support (Support Desk / Live Help / Skype / Phones)
* Quality Network ensures your vpn service will be fast wherever you are in the world
* You can trust us! Don't buy a VPN account from a company that is not established.
* Check our review page for the latest reviews from users all over the world using their VPN accounts.

With our VPN Services we guarantee:
* 99% service up time
* Complete anonymity
* High speed connection
* No bandwidth limitation 1 Gbit/s Connection
* 24x7x365 Live Help, Skype, Help Desk, and Phone Support by quality technicians

What is it?
* VPN accounts are a 128-bit encrypted tunnel between your computer and one of our servers.

2) With Witopia.Net: http://www.witopia.net/welcome.php

Why do I need a personal VPN?
You desire extra security from online bad guys and identity thieves.

We’ll cover more specific applications below, but in general, a VPN is a method of protecting your online identity and data en route. Firewalls protect your data on your computer and anti-virus software protects you from viruses, but only a VPN provides security and privacy once your data leaves your computer.

You don’t want your ISP or network owner to be able to monitor or control your online activities.
You call it “your” Internet connection but it really isn’t. You rent access to the Internet under, often rather ominous, terms and conditions from an ISP, or you gain access through some other means under terms you aren’t even privy to.

Often there is no evil intent, but there have been many cases, even in the United States, where individual privacy and access to the free Internet have been blatantly and willfully disregarded.

We believe it is every law-abiding individual’s right to secure their data and protect their privacy online. Businesses wouldn’t think of sending data without VPN encryption to protect their interests. What’s good enough for them is good enough for you.
You want to hide your IP address so you can protect your identity and location.

Your Internet Service Provider (ISP), or network owner, issues you something called an IP address. This is a unique identifier, sort of like a phone number.

Not only can it be quite easy to match up an IP address with its owner, it also typically reveals your location and other information about you. Every single website you visit using this IP address is recorded by the website owner, your ISP, and others with the knowledge to do so. This information may be kept for years.

Want to test your IP address? Just click here.

WiTopia’s VPN service prevents this identification by issuing you an anonymous “stealth” IP address. When the VPN is active, your online privacy is assured, your location is cloaked, and you may now surf the web in complete anonymity.

You don’t want Google, Yahoo, and other Internet search engines recording every search you perform.
Just like your ISP, search engines record every search you do and tie it to your IP address. These searches can be stored indefinitely. With WiTopia VPN service, only our IP address will be captured, not yours.

You use Wi-Fi Hotspots.
Although most don’t realize it, Wi-Fi Hotspots, whether paid or free, are horrifically insecure. You are literally broadcasting all of your data “in the clear” with typically no security whatsoever. This can include your e-mail, IM messages, web searches, and any other data sent or received over the wireless network.

It is shockingly easy for anyone to “sniff” and capture your data without your knowledge. Due to the ease of the crime, and the fact Wi-Fi Hotspots are typically frequented by folks with a little change in their pocket, a Wi-Fi Hotspot is a tantalizing place for bad guys to lurk.

One common tactic is something called the “evil twin” attack where the evildoer sets up a laptop as a seemingly legitimate Wi-Fi Hotspot. You connect to the Internet through “FREE Airport Wi-Fi” — or anything the bad guy wishes to name it — and although all seems fine you are actually sending all of your data through a hacker’s laptop.

Honestly, we’re not sure how often this happens, and it may even be pretty rare. Nevertheless, with data crimes, it usually only takes once to cause some pretty serious havoc in your life.

With WiTopia VPN service you could even connect through the hacker’s laptop and all they would be able to capture is a lot of encrypted gibberish they will never be able to crack.

You have a company-issued VPN but don’t wish to use it for personal business.
When you use your employer’s VPN, typically all your online activity is tracked by default. Also, using your employer’s bandwidth and IP addresses for personal business is likely to be a violation of your company’s policies.

You use the Internet at hotels or other shared hospitality or public networks.
The dangers from connecting over public networks are not limited to wireless. For example, when you connect to the Internet from a hotel room, even over a wired connection, your data stream can be captured by any other user of that network. How well do you know the guy in room 503, really? Worse, public Internet connections (hotels, RV parks, Internet cafes, and the like) usually don’t have the same security in place you would have in an office or even at home.

You live in, or are visiting, a country that blocks Skype or other VoIP services.
WiTopia’s VPN service should easily unblock VoIP services, such as Skype, in countries that block them. If you need to unblock Vonage, or any service that utilizes hardware, we would recommend our CloakBox™ product.

You live in, or are visiting, a country that engages in Internet censorship or monitoring of content.
Beyond blocked services, more and more countries are engaging in Internet censorship or monitoring Internet users. WiTopia’s VPN services will ensure full, anonymous, and uncensored access to the Internet from wherever you are.

You wish to encrypt your VoIP traffic.
pullquoteEven if your VoIP service isn’t blocked, it is very easy to monitor and “sniff” VoIP data traffic. Often, it’s far less secure than a normal POTS, PSTN, or “landline” connection. If you want to ensure that your VoIP calls are encrypted from your location, we would highly recommend our personalVPN™ service for pc-based VoIP, or our CloakBox™ product if your VoIP service requires an ATA or other external hardware.

You want to use a service or application that requires a US or UK IP address.
A nice side benefit of using WiTopia VPN services is that you can enjoy the use of a US or UK IP address wherever you may be. Essentially, you will enjoy the same Internet as someone in the US or the UK. We cannot guarantee the performance of every application, though, as some website owners may block the use of anonymizing services. If you encounter an issue, please feel free to contact us.

You simply desire extra privacy and security and want to round out your firewall and anti-virus protection for a complete security solution.
Businesses have used VPNs for years to protect their data and employees. With personal computers and smart phones becoming ever more powerful and the volume of personal data and Internet services growing by the day, it’s time for everyone to enjoy the protection a personal VPN service can provide.