VPN vs Cloud Computers for connecting to home from Thailand

[fdsa]

4 hours ago, tontotoronto said:

This is the one and only mobile device app I have tried that successfully circumvents GPS based geo-location & blocking from my bank and other US and international sites I frequent. It's cheap too, a couple of bucks per month. There is a PC, OSX option as well.

wait, but if you enable the developer tools then the bank app will detect it and might refuse to open.

[WaveHunter]

On 2/12/2023 at 9:58 AM, KhunHeineken said:

Please report back the results, with some speed tests also.  Get your sister to speed test, and then you speed test off the dongle and let us know how it goes.  Of course, you need to know what speed your sister is paying for. 

 

Remember, you must buy a home proxy dongle, and a companion dongle.  You can't just buy the home proxy dongle to put at your sister's place and access it through their app, because the app is hosted in another country.  You need the two dongles to make that 13,000 km ethernet cable. 

 

Home proxy dongle at your sister's house. Companion dongle at you house in Thailand.  Don't mix these up. 

 

These dongles are nothing super special.  You could buy two small travel routers and configure them to do what these dongles do, as others have mentioned, but these come pre configured, so no IT guy needed.  They are plug and play. 

 

Just on the point of VPN's.  I went to the trouble and expense of finding a VPN provider that offered a dedicated IP address in my home country.  That's an IP address on there server only used by me, so it couldn't be blacklisted.  Foxtel didn't work on that dedicated IP address.  Only the dongles worked on android. 

 

Like I said, I don't know exactly how they do it, but they work well for me, and I think you will have the same experience, but like another member said, you may have a problem not related to geo blocking.  I suggested it may be the way you are using 2 Step authentication.  I would suggest when you are signing in to these platforms, make sure your computer and your phone (for 2 Step authentication) are both connected to the dongle's WiFi, which is your sister's network, and turn off location services and GPS in your phone.  I think using a US sim card for an OTP would be better because it does not rely on location services, and any other way Google tracks a phone. 

 

Good Luck. 

I was just on the Always Home website and they haven't updated their instructions (or their YouTube channel) in 5 years, and their instructions are pretty confusing.  Your description was much better. 

 

Still, there are still a couple of things that are a little hazy to me, and unfortunately they offer only email technical support which usually takes a long time for a response, so I hope you don't mind me asking you.

 

In the video they show how to set up both dongles and they actually plugged BOTH dongles into the home router.  They said it was to test them, but I'm wondering if this is also necessary in order to "pair" them before the companion dongle can be used remotely.

 

They don't mention the need to pair them anywhere on their website, and you didn't mention the need to do that either but I just wanted to be sure before having my sister ship the companion dongle to me.

 

The other thing that was confusing regards the hotspot and password written on the companion dongle.  When I plug in the companion dongle to my router here in Thailand will it automatically be detected by my computer and prompt me to enter the hotspot name and password, or do I have to activate it some other way?

 

Also, what happens if the power goes out at my sister's house...does the dongle just reset itself automatically when the power returns?

 

Sorry to ask these questions but the Always Home website is very basic and they offer no technical support except by email.

 

 

 

[KhunHeineken]

3 hours ago, WaveHunter said:

I was just on the Always Home website and they haven't updated their instructions (or their YouTube channel) in 5 years, and their instructions are pretty confusing.  Your description was much better. 

 

Still, there are still a couple of things that are a little hazy to me, and unfortunately they offer only email technical support which usually takes a long time for a response, so I hope you don't mind me asking you.

 

In the video they show how to set up both dongles and they actually plugged BOTH dongles into the home router.  They said it was to test them, but I'm wondering if this is also necessary in order to "pair" them before the companion dongle can be used remotely.

 

They don't mention the need to pair them anywhere on their website, and you didn't mention the need to do that either but I just wanted to be sure before having my sister ship the companion dongle to me.

 

The other thing that was confusing regards the hotspot and password written on the companion dongle.  When I plug in the companion dongle to my router here in Thailand will it automatically be detected by my computer and prompt me to enter the hotspot name and password, or do I have to activate it some other way?

 

Also, what happens if the power goes out at my sister's house...does the dongle just reset itself automatically when the power returns?

 

Sorry to ask these questions but the Always Home website is very basic and they offer no technical support except by email.

 

 

 

I've actually found their sales and support quite responsive.  Remember, they are on a different time zone. 

 

When I got mine, I was anxious to test them, so plugged them both into my network.  They worked, but of course this is totally useless as you get the same IP address regardless.  This was not for pairing.  Your sister could move out of her house to another house, with another IP address, plug the home proxy dongle in, and it still works for you in Thailand. 

 

Like I said, these dongles don't do anything people have been setting up for years, with different hardware.  I could buy a small travel router with VPN capability (I have posted a link to some previously) you could buy the same travel router.  I set up the VPN, email you the config' file, you enter it into your router, and you have the same as what these dongles do.  These dongles come as a pair, already configured for you. 

 

I then took the companion dongle to a relative's house and done a proper test and they worked well.

 

I then traveled with the companion dongle to Thailand, and I have posted the results previously.

 

The dongles maintain their configuration and settings after a power outage.  I actually have my router and home proxy dongle plugged into a UPS in my home country, so can still connect for a while, despite a power outage. 

 

After you plug it in (flip up the little antenna or screw it on) it will give out a WiFi signal that is on a sticker on the bottom.  On your laptop, when you search for a WiFi signal, you will have many to chose from.  Your own, your neighbor's, Kiss Bar, Love U Bar, Big Boom Bar etc etc.  Chose the dongle's WiFi and enter the password, also on the bottom of the dongle.  You are now connected to your sister's network. 

 

I suggest you you change the SSID and Password to something more easily identifiable and easy to remember.  On the first connection, select "automatically connect" or whatever it is on your router.  That's it.

 

When I just need fast local Thai internet, I unplug the companion dongle from power and just let it sit next to the router.  When I need the IP address from my home country, I plug in the companion dongle and power it up and connect to it and job done. 

 

[KhunHeineken]

On 2/14/2023 at 8:00 AM, tontotoronto said:

This is the one and only mobile device app I have tried that successfully circumvents GPS based geo-location & blocking from my bank and other US and international sites I frequent. It's cheap too, a couple of bucks per month. There is a PC, OSX option as well.

What's the name of the app?

[KhunHeineken]

Bumped for the benefit of an OP on another thread.