As I rode here on top of the forum: any topics about VPN/Proxy are banned. Raising the red flag of the Computer Act.

Can you explain me why you guys send emails with sponsored adds offering VPN services?

Did you read my pinned topic on Proxies, VPNs ? You will see those topics are not banned except when it falls under the following forum rule: 9) Not to discuss proxies or other methods of bypassing government blocking of websites.

In other words, if you are attempting to bypass government blocks using these methods, that discussion is not allowed. I use Strong VPN for a variety of other reasons.

I use Strong VPN for a variety of other reasons.

What are your reasons?

Do you route all of your traffic to the VPN or just some of it?

I use Strong VPN for a variety of other reasons.

What are your reasons?

Do you route all of your traffic to the VPN or just some of it?

I only route on an as need basis as it slows down general network access as it has to route to the VPN server in the US. Probably one of the main uses I have for it is being an IT manager at a university and an Admin of TV is as a diagnostic tool. An example, a while ago members were having problems accessing the Rolling Stones website. Did a little testing and saw I couldn't access it normally but with the US VPN connection I could. It was not on the MICT block so further digging verified the site itself was doing geoip blocking.

Another one, access to certain parts of the US social security site, only could do it via VPN. More recently, a researcher at work no longer could access a secure research site in Australia. Ran a variety of tests using 4 different versions of Linux and SSH and no luck. Fired up my virtual machine Linux and also couldn't connect though the debugging access shows a connection was made but the encryption handshake wasn't getting back. Turned on VPN and had immediate access. This told me it was at the university or local gateway level and probably a routing issue.

Many more similar to the above. There are some 'grey' area uses that I do such as accessing US TV shows to see what current series are about but not that often.

Sometimes it is impossible to get even a Thai web address.... No idea why, but just this site for months it is almost impossible to get Agoda.com or co.th, and have tried on different PC's. laptops, Browsers, O.S. systems = same 'No data received' or website down may have moved, timed out and so on...

yet change VPN or use a Proxy, can get agoda.co.th, or .com or co.UK instantly 1st time...

Another problem website is this one ThaiVisa, often cannot get, mostly just wait a few hours, but if I need to look at something now change = get instantly 1st time...

Tywais: Thanks for giving reasons to use VPN. I might have to create some kind of VPN or tunneling for the moment to overcome weird network problems I'm having. It's an extra work so all motivational factors are important

Tywais: Thanks for giving reasons to use VPN. I might have to create some kind of VPN or tunneling for the moment to overcome weird network problems I'm having. It's an extra work so all motivational factors are important

There are free vpns available but for reliability and the probability that the company will be around a long time, hard to beat Strong VPN for the price.

Tywais: Thanks for giving reasons to use VPN. I might have to create some kind of VPN or tunneling for the moment to overcome weird network problems I'm having. It's an extra work so all motivational factors are important

There are free vpns available but for reliability and the probability that the company will be around a long time, hard to beat Strong VPN for the price.

My connection issues will hopefully be resolved within next few days.. or weeks. First quick and dirty fix and if the problem continues, then I'll check the Strong VPN. Prices seemed to start from USD75 per year.

I have an EC2 micro instance in Singapore. For some reason my ADSL line blocks everything else than ports 80 and 53 (dns).

Quick and easy solution was to setup sshd on the EC2 server to answer to port 53 and use sshuttle http://teohm.github.io/blog/2012/04/01/using-sshuttle-in-daily-work/ to tunnel the traffic there.

Now I have to figure out how to avoid http traffic to go through the tunnel as I do have to pay for the EC2 traffic. This might be possible by setting up an transparent proxy to local server and make the changes to the browser proxy configuration.

Every problem is an learning opportunity

Tywais: Thanks for giving reasons to use VPN. I might have to create some kind of VPN or tunneling for the moment to overcome weird network problems I'm having. It's an extra work so all motivational factors are important

There are free vpns available but for reliability and the probability that the company will be around a long time, hard to beat Strong VPN for the price.

My connection issues will hopefully be resolved within next few days.. or weeks. First quick and dirty fix and if the problem continues, then I'll check the Strong VPN. Prices seemed to start from USD75 per year.

I have an EC2 micro instance in Singapore. For some reason my ADSL line blocks everything else than ports 80 and 53 (dns).

Quick and easy solution was to setup sshd on the EC2 server to answer to port 53 and use sshuttle http://teohm.github.io/blog/2012/04/01/using-sshuttle-in-daily-work/ to tunnel the traffic there.

Now I have to figure out how to avoid http traffic to go through the tunnel as I do have to pay for the EC2 traffic. This might be possible by setting up an transparent proxy to local server and make the changes to the browser proxy configuration.

Every problem is an learning opportunity

Have you tried another ADSL modem/router? If I was you that's where I would be concentrating.

Do you mean that only inbound ports are blocked?

Have you tried another ADSL modem/router? If I was you that's where I would be concentrating.

Do you mean that only inbound ports are blocked?

I have not yet tried another modem. TOT will send their technician to test with new moden.. but that might take an while. I still can not understand how the modem could cause this as only some ports are allowed to go through.

All incoming traffic is ok, I can ssh to my home server from the internet. But I can not ssh from my home network to the internet. More explanation on this topic. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/638237-http-80-and-dns-53-works-nothing-else-tot-adsl/

sshutle together with squid3 turned out to be a valid, temporary fix for the problem. Now my laptop's traffic is routed through EC2 server with the exception of HTTP traffic, which is going through transparent proxy on the home server. This solution does not help the other devices, but at least I can use google's services and facebook on my laptop. Other devices can use DTAC connection with thethering.

I will like to try to use a VPN/Proxy, mainly to watch streaming TV.

Anybody have a link of how to setup and use a basic proxy?

Have you tried another ADSL modem/router? If I was you that's where I would be concentrating.

Do you mean that only inbound ports are blocked?

I have not yet tried another modem. TOT will send their technician to test with new moden.. but that might take an while. I still can not understand how the modem could cause this as only some ports are allowed to go through.

All incoming traffic is ok, I can ssh to my home server from the internet. But I can not ssh from my home network to the internet. More explanation on this topic. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/638237-http-80-and-dns-53-works-nothing-else-tot-adsl/

sshutle together with squid3 turned out to be a valid, temporary fix for the problem. Now my laptop's traffic is routed through EC2 server with the exception of HTTP traffic, which is going through transparent proxy on the home server. This solution does not help the other devices, but at least I can use google's services and facebook on my laptop. Other devices can use DTAC connection with thethering.

Just seems to me that the router is the most likely culprit. I say that because as far as I know the local DSLAM is not capable of port blocking because it doesn't function as a router at the TCP/IP layer. Therefore the fault would have to be further upstream which would affect a large number of subscribers that one would imagine would all be complaining.

If you have another (non-ADSL) router on hand, you could try putting your Billion ADSL modem/router into bridge mode which disables the router function so that it only acts as an ADSL modem. In my opinion that is a much better solution anyway especially if the phone line is not optimal.

*Face-palm* Google "How does google adwords know what advertisements i like"

I will like to try to use a VPN/Proxy, mainly to watch streaming TV.

Anybody have a link of how to setup and use a basic proxy?

I can help you for a fee

Just seems to me that the router is the most likely culprit. I say that because as far as I know the local DSLAM is not capable of port blocking because it doesn't function as a router at the TCP/IP layer. Therefore the fault would have to be further upstream which would affect a large number of subscribers that one would imagine would all be complaining.

If you have another (non-ADSL) router on hand, you could try putting your Billion ADSL modem/router into bridge mode which disables the router function so that it only acts as an ADSL modem. In my opinion that is a much better solution anyway especially if the phone line is not optimal.

Thanks for the advice. I have another router and will try out that setup.

The funny part of this is that now the connection is fully working. I left the house for an while and after an hour or so I started to get emails from my server. Now the connection has been working well for the past 2 hours. There were no changes to the setup on my part. I'm puzzled. It's also possible that TOT changed something as I send them error report earlier.

Maybe the problem is within the router, still I can not understand why some ports would be working an most not. I would guess that it's all or nothing. Maybe the routed had a chance to cool down or some buffers got time to purge during the inactivity.

I'll monitor the situation for some time. If the problem comes back I'll try to put the the Billion to 'Half bridge' mode, deactivate all not needed services, like NAT etc and let another router to take care of those tasks.

Thanks for the idea and help.

For the original subject of VPN. Airvpn.org was recommended by one friend who have a long history on the internet business.