Airvpn software went down, got a warning

[iditarod656 0]

Airvpn software connection went down, and I got a warning letter from my ISP.

 

Thank you so much, I thought this software was rock solid?

 

How could this happen, when I can't even get an internet connection

unless connected to an airvpn server?

[zhang888 1066]

Did you enable network lock? This feature is there to prevent issues exactly like that.

[LZ1 673]

Hello !

 

Welcome to AirVPN.

 

Merely using the VPN shouldn't warrant a letter from your ISP. However you can check my guide if you're new to this VPN stuff.

 

If you used the feature called "Network Lock", as zhang hinted at, then that's why you don't have an internet connection, if you can't connect to an AirVPN server. Because it shuts it off, for protection sake.

You don't have to use Network Lock though, but for maximum security, it is recommended. You should also check that your browser isn't "leaking", on www.ipleak.net.

[iditarod656 0]

I did not use network lock.  The problem is not getting a connection,

it's being exposed.

 

You know, this is the second time it's happened, and this is the second vpn it's happened with.

Getting a letter from my ISP provider is serious, I'm not going to mess around anymore with

something that is not rock solid.

[zhang888 1066]

If you did not use network lock (a unique feature that not many providers offer) then when your VPN

connection drops, your OS will send traffic over your regular interface.

 

This will happen with any VPN, this is the way networking works.

To prevent it, you have to enable network lock.

[LZ1 673]

Alright, well if you work with us, I think we can help you. I know it sucks when things don't work out.

 

Questions:

• Are you getting actual letters in your mailbox for simply using a VPN, from your ISP? Maybe your ISP is more oppressive than usual.
• Which platform are you on? Windows 7? Windows 10? Mac OSX?
• If you're using the AirVPN software client called "Eddie", could you please open it and go to the "logs" tab and paste your logs here? (In spoiler tags, ideally)

 

AirVPN is one of the best VPNs out there right now, I dare say. So if it doesn't work with AirVPN, I wouldn't be so hopeful about it working with other ones.

 

You can go to www.ipleak.net and see your IP addresses. It's useful for checking if a VPN is working correctly.

 

Damn, zhang you speed demon!

[OpenSourcerer 1441]

A CyanogenMod developer would say this exactly:

 

I am not responsible for bricked devices, dead SD cards, thermonuclear war, or you getting fired because the alarm app failed. Please do some research if you have any concerns about features included in this ROM before flashing it! YOU are choosing to make these modifications, and if you point the finger at me for messing up your device, I will laugh at you.

 

You are responsible for the software you run on your computer. You are also responsible for doing some research on how certain software works and what you need to care about when running it (Network Lock, for instance).

You are also responsible for downloading licensed, copyrighted content. It's definitely not like "VPN on, issues off".

 

If you combine both responsibilities, the true error appears - it was sitting a couple of centimeters in front of the monitor. I'm sorry, but I am going to be that mean. You fully deserve the outcome of this situation.

[flat4 79]

Why don't do post a picture of this letter I like to see one.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

[OpenSourcerer 1441]

Good idea! I could post the one I got in December 2012.

 

(Sent via Tapatalk - this generally means I'm not sitting in front of my PC)

[flat4 79]

Good idea! I could post the one I got in December 2012.

 

(Sent via Tapatalk - this generally means I'm not sitting in front of my PC)

Do it

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

[altae 22]

Yep, blacken everything personal and upload it please

 

@OP: You're probably upset because you got a (maybe) threatening letter from your ISP. What's more you probably chose to pay for a VPN service exactly for this reason. Learning that your protective measures have not worked like they should have is disappointing, I can understand your anger. Nonetheless I have to second what has already been said. Use network lock and you can avoid such difficulties. Network lock writes some rules into the firewall that block all traffic as soon as the VPN tunnel is disconnected. But it only works if you use the built in Windows firewall or iptables (under Linux). If you use a third party firewall you have to write your own rules. Your fault is not having read the faqs provided by AirVPN because these problems are very well documented.

 

@giganerd: It could not hurt to be a bit less harsh and a bit more polite, even under the anonymity of the www. It's totally understandable for someone to get upset if he/ she receives a warning letter from the ISP. No matter what the OPs fault might be, a forum is primarily to help each other out, not to condemn. I assume you're neither a judge nor the almighty himself so who are you to decide who deserves what? Sorry but I just had to express the feelings I had while reading your post.

 

Or like the French saying: C'est le ton qui fait la musique.

[OpenSourcerer 1441]

@giganerd: It could not hurt to be a bit less harsh and a bit more polite, even under the anonymity of the www. It's totally understandable for someone to get upset if he/ she receives a warning letter from the ISP. No matter what the OPs fault might be, a forum is primarily to help each other out, not to condemn. I assume you're neither a judge nor the almighty himself so who are you to decide who deserves what? Sorry but I just had to express the feelings I had while reading your post.

 

Thank you for your note to which I don't really know how to answer..

But I'll say this. When I got a love letter without knowing of VPNs, I pretty much knew that I deserved it. I was upset, but in the end I knew I deserved it.

Even you name OP to be the one responsible for what happened:

 

Your fault is not having read the faqs provided by AirVPN because these problems are very well documented.

 

I merely convey my opinion, as I always do when posting something in these forums. Besides, the user indirectly signified he's not going to use AirVPN, so I'd say, trying to help him is a lost cause.

[foxmulder 43]

I don't know from which country you are, but unless you are from Germany (Where you'll have to pay a hefty fine when getting a "love letter"), you probably don't have to fear further consequences with that letter you received. You got a warning, and normally that's about it. Next time you'll simply have to be more careful and wary when doing things that could possibly draw the attention of the copyright trolls on you.

 

Enable network lock and bind your p2p - client to the VPN IP, if it's p2p of what we're talking about here...

 

Regards 

 

Fox

[Guest]

 

Good idea! I could post the one I got in December 2012.

 

(Sent via Tapatalk - this generally means I'm not sitting in front of my PC)

Do it

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

 

I'd like to see how one looks as well

[OpenSourcerer 1441]

I don't know from which country you are, but unless you are from Germany (Where you'll have to pay a hefty fine when getting a "love letter"), you probably don't have to fear further consequences with that letter you received. You got a warning, and normally that's about it.

 

I can elaborate on that, in the hope it's interesting to know.

 

Spoken for movies, in Germany there are companies holding the licensing rights for all or a selection of movies of a certain film studio "on german soil". I think that's how it is in other countries as well. They also hold the rights for german synchronization of those movies. These companies are working with a bunch of law offices, well known names when it comes to file sharing, who in turn work with (in my opinion) doubtful tech companies (names you'd never hear in the wild ) which have nothing better to do than crawling through torrent sites and using DHT crawlers to find german IP addresses actively participating in sharing movies of the film studios mentioned above. When they find one, they note down every piece of information that could make the file sharer in question to confess. They ask the law office to ask the ISPs for customer information (since it's a matter of piracy, they usually cooperate). The law firm gets the information and sends out cease and desist letters to hundreds of houses a day. They just reuse the same template. The letter basically says this: You pay a fixed fine and send over a declaration to cease and desist and you're out; if you don't, you get sued.

 

Now in Germany, sending these letters the way they do it is a legal grey area. They are compared to spam because they're sent out rapidly with a money request in order to scare people into paying and threatening them with legal consequences if they don't. They normally append a pre-written declaration to cease and desist so you can just sign it and "all is well". Truth is, it's written in legal language and phrases your immediate loss in any case to come. Whatever is written in this letter with your signature on it, it has legal validity while the fine has no validity at all. So in Germany, you usually write a modified dec to cease and desist, saying only that you're not going to ever touch a BitTorrent client again in the future or something like that (in legal terms, of course). You don't pay the fine, they're in no position to be able to require any form of payment without a lawsuit.

 

After that, one can only hope they overlook your case and don't decide to act. There's a statutory period of limitations, three years, in which they can "reactivate" the case and decide to file a lawsuit if they so desire. Given the fact they sent out hundreds of letters a day, therefore generating hundreds of cases a day, it's not that bad. With every lawsuit there are costs and the law office can't pay for a hundred lawsuits a day, so they more or less cherry-pick where they think they've got the highest chance of winning, or whatever name sounds funniest, I don't know.

 

Today, it's not so easy for them anymore because now there's a court decision basically saying it's a shady business and the german legislation does not like it. I think they already found a way to circumvent this, so beware, Germans.

[LZ1 673]

Danke for the explanation!

[OpenSourcerer 1441]

They did not forget me. That's because "my" law firm ceased to exist and another one inherited all the cases of the old company. They checked all the cases and two months before the period reached three years they decided to again ask for a payment.

 

They make use of a legal technicality by which you can artificially extend the period by threatening you with launching a court collection procedure. Doing so will extend the period by six months and will guarantee the obligee that something will happen; it's enough time to either make you pay even more or sue you the hard way, more or less.

 

In my case, I can use my time much more reasonably on doing other, more important things, so I'm not going to defend myself against them. Payment is due, but hey, it's far less than with the old company.

Still not the best way but one with less obstacles.