New 1 Gbit/s server available (AU)

[Staff 10014]

UPDATE: SERVER WITHDRAWN https://airvpn.org/topic/21685-new-1-gbits-server-available-au/?do=findComment&comment=57099

 

Hello!

We're very glad to inform you that a new 1 Gbit/s server located in Australia is available: Crux.

The AirVPN client will show automatically the new server, while if you use the OpenVPN client you can generate all the files to access them through our configuration/certificates/key generator (menu "Client Area"->"Config generator").

The server accepts connections on ports 53, 80, 443, 2018 UDP and TCP.

Just like every other Air server, Crux supports OpenVPN over SSL and OpenVPN over SSH.

As usual no traffic limits, no logs, no discrimination on protocols and hardened security against various attacks with separate entry and exit-IP addresses.

 

Do not hesitate to contact us for any information or issue.

Kind regards and datalove
AirVPN Team

[LZ1 673]

Hello!

 

That would be AirVPNs first Australian server, no?!

[CultureVulture 30]

Did a double take - rubbed my eyes - looked again - did another double take - checked to see if I had really read "Australia" and not "Austria" - pinched myself to see if I was dreaming....

But no- post does seem to say there is now a server in AUSTRALIA!!!!

Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!!! :-D

[greenclaydog 6]

So, recently i looked up which sites have been blocked in Australia, none of these appear to be blocked on Crux; which is amazing, since now Australian users can access a free unblocked web without leaving the continent.

 

How are these sites accessible on Crux? Was the block simply implemented on the ISP level and thus is not applicable to VPN servers such as Crux?

[PWolverine 8]

So, recently i looked up which sites have been blocked in Australia, none of these appear to be blocked on Crux; which is amazing, since now Australian users can access a free unblocked web without leaving the continent.

 

How are these sites accessible on Crux? Was the block simply implemented on the ISP level and thus is not applicable to VPN servers such as Crux?

 

It was never blocked for me locally, its only blocked ona  DNS level with your ISP.  If you use any other DNS provider (Google etc) your already around the blocks.   Those blocks were totally useless.   I've had Getflix to get US netflix/Hulu and never had any issue accessing any of those blocked sites.

 

But loving the new Australian server, so much faster then connecting to Canada or the USA.

[serenacat 83]

 

There is a long forum here re the ISP blocking websites laws https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=2591386

A bit of current status is this article http://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/01/30/australia_to_review_effectiveness_of_isps_copyrightdefending_website_blocks

There seems to be a pattern where the sponsors and lobbyists of the pollies and the party backroom puppet masters do a deal about something. The pollies get assistance with drafting the new "rule of law" via their best connected senior government department bureaucrats, who get any technical details from their "IT experts" who are only there because they reliably spend the ever upward IT budget on new systems that never really work after double time and triple cost, supplied by large US and Indian "integrated solution providers". So to an expert the new law is a contradictory and uncertain mess, and legal scope and enforcement is kicked down the road, and any relevant staff have already had redundancy. And the techos keep quiet about how to make things actually work, wink, wink, and laugh at the big shots spewing sh*t from "bum steers". And the ISPs sell bandwidth and data quotas for a living, and the retail chains sell huge displays and sound systems and comfy couches for enjoying whatever you want to find on the Internet.

[bepebe 0]

Very happy this, thank you ever so much!

[sir_trackmenot 4]

We're very glad to inform you that a new 1 Gbit/s server located in Australia is available: Crux.

How does this work with metadata retention in AU? Is your carrier not required to log every inbound and outbound packet?

There is concern that correlation over a large number of such logs could unmask users.

[Staff 10014]

 

We're very glad to inform you that a new 1 Gbit/s server located in Australia is available: Crux.

How does this work with metadata retention in AU? Is your carrier not required to log every inbound and outbound packet?

There is concern that correlation over a large number of such logs could unmask users.

 

We based our decision on the Australia Attorney General's Department answers to FAQ about Data Retention in Australia. In particular, please see the answers to the frequently asked questions 1.4, 1.5 and 1.7.

 

Relevant answers:

 

Depending on the type of service offered, service providers may not be required to retain all of the six categories.

 

[...]

 

For example, if a service provider offers a wholesale service only, it is only required to retain the categories of data in the data set that are relevant to the provision of that wholesale service.

 

[...]

 

The data retention obligations do not require internet access service providers to keep data pertaining to the destination of a communication for internet access services.

 

Kind regards

[greenclaydog 6]

 

 

We're very glad to inform you that a new 1 Gbit/s server located in Australia is available: Crux.

How does this work with metadata retention in AU? Is your carrier not required to log every inbound and outbound packet?

There is concern that correlation over a large number of such logs could unmask users.

We based our decision on the Australia Attorney General's Department answers to FAQ about Data Retention in Australia. In particular, please see the answers to the frequently asked questions 1.4, 1.5 and 1.7.

 

Relevant answers:

 

Depending on the type of service offered, service providers may not be required to retain all of the six categories.

 

[...]

 

For example, if a service provider offers a wholesale service only, it is only required to retain the categories of data in the data set that are relevant to the provision of that wholesale service.

 

[...]

 

The data retention obligations do not require internet access service providers to keep data pertaining to the destination of a communication for internet access services.

 

Kind regards

So, the real question is: what are you required to log by this legislation?

 

Packets?

Timestamps?

Metadata?

 

Surely you wouldn't get away with logging absolutely nothing right?

[Staff 10014]

Surely you wouldn't get away with logging absolutely nothing right?

 

The matter was related to the datacenter in the first inquiry, this is a shift of argument, ok.

 

Can you please cite any piece of the law that would enforce any type of logging to a foreign company NOT providing telecommunication direct connectivity services and/or content delivery services, that can't access the servers, lines and machinery and that can't guarantee any data integrity and reliability due to unmonitored (by the foreign company) access to machinery, lines and external routers? If you can find this piece, then we will need a new legal advisor for Australia, so please feel free to answer as soon as possible.

 

Kind regards

[serenacat 83]

The website blocking and the metadata retention are happening from different "vested interests" and court decisions/old media vs "national/state security" interests and under different federal laws.

The metadata retention situation is rather obscured, the FAQ cited by "staff" seems to back off from earlier scope, but the local ISPs have demanded compensation for the costs of retention and network inefficiency and responses to federal agency requests for data, and things are moving between the too hard baskets of the seat warmers.

So I think (but not really sure) that if AirVPN are expected to retain or supply any information they should demand details of where to send the invoices and how long for payment for costs incurred.

Capitalism can be confusing.

[randomly 5]

hrm very interesting, will be curious to see how much use this server gets and whether it remains stable in both speed and latency

[greenclaydog 6]

 

Surely you wouldn't get away with logging absolutely nothing right?

 

The matter was related to the datacenter in the first inquiry, this is a shift of argument, ok.

 

Can you please cite any piece of the law that would enforce any type of logging to a foreign company NOT providing telecommunication direct connectivity services and/or content delivery services, that can't access the servers, lines and machinery and that can't guarantee any data integrity and reliability due to unmonitored (by the foreign company) access to machinery, lines and external routers? If you can find this piece, then we will need a new legal advisor for Australia, so please feel free to answer as soon as possible.

 

Kind regards

 

Well, i never outright considered that you had a team of legal advisers to support you in such matters overseas. Good to know

 

I was not attempting to say that the legal situation meant that you were recording data, i was simply trying to ask if you had to log any kind of data more than your other servers because of the legal situation.

 

My hope is that this new server in Australia is just as safe as your other servers and no additional logging or recording is implemented to comply with data retention or other such legislation, i hope you are able to confirm that for us.

[greenclaydog 6]

hrm very interesting, will be curious to see how much use this server gets and whether it remains stable in both speed and latency

 

It's taking a while to gain adoption, most servers AirVPN adds take time to see usage stabilize.

 

So far it's about 100mbit and 16 or so users, i would expect that to climb fairly soon as this server is the fastest one from any provider i have seen so far in Australia.

[randomly 5]

yeah currently pages aren't loading and latency is all over the place so I hope it settles

[greenclaydog 6]

yeah currently pages aren't loading and latency is all over the place so I hope it settles

 

Pages are loading slowly for me as well, i just assumed that was normal considering it's on the other side of the world for me. Once i loaded downloads i was able to pull about 30+ mbits. I can only assume speeds are even better in Australia. 

[randomly 5]

lol it was probably you causing the lag

[Just a Fred 7]

With all due respect I think it is a bad choice for an Australian to use any VPN with an exit node in Australia

​

​My understanding is that a VPN connection is encrypted between my computer and the exit node (by AirVPN's outstanding strong encryption)

​

​After the exit node the connection is outside the VPN tunnel - in this case on the open Internet in Australia

​

Australia is a member of the 5 Eyes and the NSA has a full take on the only two cables out of Australia [Perth and Sydney(?)]

​

​Thus the NSA has a full take on the low strength encryption transmission which may only be protected by SSL, TLS, etc - which were compromised long ago

​

​There is a further problem: late evening Crux had 16 users - not the world's hardest problem to sort out who is who, particularly if you can read their emails

​

​

​I believe that a more robust solution for non time critical applications (torrents, email) is to use an exit node in a less exposed jurisdiction:

 

First: eliminate any 5 or 11 Eyes countries or those known to share data with the "wrong" spooks (Singapore, Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, +++)

 

Then, evaluate the remainder - my list is:

- Hong Kong: it's highly likely that the Mainland Chinese government has a full take but they have no interest in me - I believe, without evidence, that they will have removed the American / Australian access provided by, for example, Telstra agreements with PCCW

- Switzerland: robust privacy laws and a cultural affinity with providing privacy for money

​- the Baltic states: a long way from Australian interest and control (below the radar)

​- the Balkans: Czech and Romania are a long way away and resemble the Wild West (and have a surprising number of TOR relays)

- Ukraine: the actual Wild West - where examining transiting emails is likely a VERY low priority - the USA and the Russians have bigger fish to fry there

​

​

​For browsing; use TOR with AirVPN

​Netflix or other geo-blocked content: you must use an exit node in the relevant location

​Streaming content which is not geo-blocked: AirVPN can't provide the consistency for a 320k audio stream, thus use a dedicated computer without a VPN

​

​

Whilst an Australian exit node may have a lower latency, I'm not convinced that it's any faster for content hosted outside Australia (primarily Stasiland [the USA])

 

​In my view using a local exit node defeats the purpose of using a VPN

​

​Over

​

​

​

​

​

[greenclaydog 6]

With all due respect I think it is a bad choice for an Australian to use any VPN with an exit node in Australia

​

​My understanding is that a VPN connection is encrypted between my computer and the exit node (by AirVPN's outstanding strong encryption)

​

​After the exit node the connection is outside the VPN tunnel - in this case on the open Internet in Australia

​

Australia is a member of the 5 Eyes and the NSA has a full take on the only two cables out of Australia [Perth and Sydney(?)]

​

​Thus the NSA has a full take on the low strength encryption transmission which may only be protected by SSL, TLS, etc - which were compromised long ago

​

​There is a further problem: late evening Crux had 16 users - not the world's hardest problem to sort out who is who, particularly if you can read their emails

​

​

​I believe that a more robust solution for non time critical applications (torrents, email) is to use an exit node in a less exposed jurisdiction:

 

First: eliminate any 5 or 11 Eyes countries or those known to share data with the "wrong" spooks (Singapore, Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, +++)

 

Then, evaluate the remainder - my list is:

- Hong Kong: it's highly likely that the Mainland Chinese government has a full take but they have no interest in me - I believe, without evidence, that they will have removed the American / Australian access provided by, for example, Telstra agreements with PCCW

- Switzerland: robust privacy laws and a cultural affinity with providing privacy for money

​- the Baltic states: a long way from Australian interest and control (below the radar)

​- the Balkans: Czech and Romania are a long way away and resemble the Wild West (and have a surprising number of TOR relays)

- Ukraine: the actual Wild West - where examining transiting emails is likely a VERY low priority - the USA and the Russians have bigger fish to fry there

​

​

​For browsing; use TOR with AirVPN

​Netflix or other geo-blocked content: you must use an exit node in the relevant location

​Streaming content which is not geo-blocked: AirVPN can't provide the consistency for a 320k audio stream, thus use a dedicated computer without a VPN

​

​

Whilst an Australian exit node may have a lower latency, I'm not convinced that it's any faster for content hosted outside Australia (primarily Stasiland [the USA])

 

​In my view using a local exit node defeats the purpose of using a VPN

​

​Over

​

​

​

​

​

 

Not in Australia, but this reasons such as this is why i won't personally be using Crux. I am happy for those in Australia, but for North America, Europe is far more friendlier to privacy with better speeds and far better latency by comparison.

 

Mostly, i think this server is to help those in Australia achieve better speeds without a high concern for privacy and security. It's not what i use a VPN for, but some people are simple folks that just want to get around the network admin with good speeds and circumvent blocks and monitoring from the local ISP, these individuals likely are not concerned with government monitoring, or are willing to cope with it for the better performance. 

[randomly 5]

valid points to some degree but it makes watching content only available in AU much easier

[greenclaydog 6]

Australians have been waiting for this for a long time, I am happy that Staff was finally able to make it happen.

 

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[Littlemexican 18]

server closed?

[Zaroad 26]

server closed?

 

Seems that it was dropping out packages for a day on an average of 90%

[flat4 79]

Way to go Air, I heard that internet is very expensive in that country.