Notice: VPNs Are Not for Fun
These two notices, posted to Google+ last week, inform employees at a business center in the Shandong capital of new measures to ensure that virtual private networks (VPNs) are used for work purposes only. VPNs allow users to connect to the Internet outside of China’s Great Firewall. Without access to the free Internet, it would be near impossible for most international organizations to do business in China. But because they have “abused their privilege,” these employees will now have to let technical staff know whenever they need access.
Warning
Recently, it has been discovered that at night in some rooms, staff have been privately logging on to prohibited websites (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc.). Upon discovering such activity, the violator’s Internet access will be directly cut off and the police will be notified. In cooperation with police policy of Internet access through real-name registration, starting today, we will begin the trial implementation of PPPoE* real-name registration for Internet access.
Jinan Zhi Jia Rui He Business Center
Jinan City Internet Monitoring Team
2012-11-19
* PPPoE: Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet
Warning
In order to eliminate access to prohibited websites through use of VPN software by internal staff, starting today, the VPN function will now be disabled. For those who must use a VPN to access the Internet, after preparing your file, go to D1 (88885681) and ask a technician to help set up your connection.
Jinan Zhi Jia Rui He Business Center
Jinan City Internet Monitoring Team
2012-11-19
Read more about the travails of VPNs, Google, and the free Internet in China from CDT.
Via CDT Chinese. Translation by Little Bluegill.
VPNs & Proxies
VPNs and proxies can be used as tools to get around the Great Firewall of China. This means that by using these tools one can access any website when in China, regardless of whether it’s blocked or not. Naturally, many of these tools are themselves blocked. Here’s an overview of some major VPN and proxies and whether they’re accessible in China. If the main website of the tool is blocked, it may be difficult to sign up for the service. However, the service itself may still be working.
Showing 1 to 64 of 64 matching URLs.
| URL | Tested Since | Alexa Traffic Rank (Global) |
Blocked* | Restricted** |
|---|
| URL | Tested Since | Alexa Traffic Rank (Global) |
Blocked* | Restricted** |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| https://code.google.com/p/goagent | Dec 17, 2012 | 1 | 0% | 0% |
| https://itunes.apple.com/app/opendoor/id5438080… | Dec 17, 2012 | 50 | 0% | 0% |
| https://s3.amazonaws.com/0ubz-2q11-gi9y/en.html | Dec 15, 2012 | 146 | 0% | 0% |
| https://1.hidemyass.com | Jan 10, 2013 | 855 | 0% | 0% |
| https://hidemyass.com | Jan 19, 2013 | 863 | 0% | 0% |
| www.hidemyass.com | Mar 19, 2011 | 863 | 100% | 0% |
| hotspotshield.com | Feb 26, 2011 | 7 302 | 100% | 0% |
| https://www.torproject.org | Mar 27, 2011 | 13 194 | 100% | 0% |
| www.torproject.org | Feb 25, 2011 | 14 804 | 100% | 0% |
| cyberghostvpn.com | Jul 22, 2011 | 35 080 | 100% | 0% |
| https://btguard.com | Dec 15, 2012 | 35 477 | 0% | 0% |
| https://www.ipredator.se | Jul 21, 2012 | 35 582 | 100% | 0% |
| https://cyberghostvpn.com | Mar 23, 2011 | 39 998 | 100% | 0% |
| www.dongtaiwang.com/loc/download.php | Dec 15, 2012 | 40 758 | 100% | 0% |
| https://www.strongvpn.com | Dec 15, 2012 | 43 793 | 100% | 0% |
| www.strongvpn.com | Mar 10, 2011 | 44 169 | 100% | 0% |
| https://www.purevpn.com | Mar 25, 2012 | 77 395 | 0% | 0% |
| www.purevpn.com | Mar 22, 2011 | 77 395 | 100% | 0% |
| https://www.goldenfrog.com | Mar 23, 2011 | 78 748 | 0% | 0% |
| https://www.privateinternetaccess.com | Dec 15, 2012 | 90 085 | 100% | 0% |
| https://www.overplay.net | Mar 23, 2011 | 108 830 | 100% | 0% |
| https://ultrasurf.us | Dec 17, 2012 | 109 571 | 0% | 0% |
| www.overplay.net | Aug 02, 2011 | 112 771 | 100% | 0% |
| https://torrentprivacy.com | Dec 15, 2012 | 119 231 | 0% | 0% |
| https://www.tunnelbear.com | Mar 10, 2013 | 137 816 | 100% | 0% |
| https://www.kepard.com | Mar 10, 2013 | 137 849 | 100% | 0% |
| https://www.astrill.com | Mar 23, 2011 | 137 870 | 0% | 0% |
| www.astrill.com | Apr 05, 2011 | 145 402 | 0% | 0% |
| www.ibvpn.com | Mar 10, 2011 | 149 866 | 100% | 0% |
| www.hideipvpn.com | Mar 04, 2011 | 157 695 | 100% | 0% |
| www.witopia.net | Mar 12, 2011 | 181 283 | 100% | 0% |
| https://www.witopia.net | Mar 25, 2012 | 203 843 | 0% | 0% |
| https://www.ipvanish.com | Dec 15, 2012 | 205 797 | 0% | 0% |
| www.ffvpn.com | Aug 30, 2012 | 228 417 | 0% | 0% |
| www.vpnoneclick.com | Dec 17, 2012 | 230 318 | 100% | 0% |
| www.vpn4all.com | Mar 04, 2011 | 234 651 | 100% | 0% |
| https://www.grjsq.biz | Dec 26, 2012 | 244 718 | 0% | 0% |
| https://www.vpnreactor.com | Dec 15, 2012 | 249 779 | 0% | 0% |
| www.expressvpn.com | May 23, 2011 | 288 613 | 100% | 0% |
| www.puffinbrowser.com | Apr 19, 2012 | 310 032 | 100% | 0% |
| https://vpnreactor.com | Mar 10, 2011 | 315 839 | 100% | 0% |
| https://airvpn.org | Mar 23, 2011 | 321 963 | 100% | 0% |
| https://www.vpntunnel.com | Dec 15, 2012 | 337 021 | 0% | 0% |
| https://faceless.me | Dec 15, 2012 | 338 542 | 100% | 0% |
| www.itshidden.eu | Dec 15, 2012 | 492 033 | 0% | 0% |
| torvpn.com | Mar 08, 2011 | 562 130 | 100% | 0% |
| www.vpnvip.com | May 19, 2011 | 639 311 | 100% | 0% |
| https://mullvad.net | Dec 15, 2012 | 661 566 | 100% | 0% |
| https://www.vpnvip.com | Dec 17, 2012 | 702 242 | 100% | 0% |
| www.vpncloud.me | Dec 19, 2012 | 714 047 | 0% | 0% |
| https://www.privatvpn.se | Dec 15, 2012 | 790 987 | 0% | 0% |
| https://www.torservers.net | Mar 23, 2011 | 802 574 | 0% | 0% |
| https://www.blackvpn.com | Dec 15, 2012 | 802 724 | 100% | 0% |
| https://puffstore.com | Dec 15, 2012 | 0% | 0% | |
| thefreevpn.com | Mar 25, 2011 | 100% | 0% | |
| www.swissvpn.net | Mar 19, 2011 | 100% | 0% | |
| psiphon.ca | May 04, 2011 | 0% | 0% | |
| psiphon3.com | Nov 08, 2012 | 0% | 0% | |
| www.vpnfire.com | Dec 17, 2012 | 100% | 0% | |
| https://privacy.io | Dec 15, 2012 | 0% | 0% | |
| www.ultrareach.com | Feb 18, 2011 | 0% | 0% | |
| https://killwall.com | Dec 19, 2012 | 0% | 0% | |
| https://ivacy.com | Dec 15, 2012 | 0% | 0% | |
| www.yourprivatevpn.com | Feb 14, 2012 | 100% | 0% |