Using foreign VPN servers screwup gmail/Facebook?

[magnumpi 4]

We all know there are certain sites out there that love to track you. In addition they love to provide you "extra security" by making sure no bad guys get into your account.

I know for example if Gmail sees a foreign IP log into your account, it may think its a bad guy and give you a warning. They do track the timing of these things to so that if you are traveling its smart enough to know that you don't travel between the US and China at the speed of light, but if there's 12 hour diff, you're OK. I've seen this traveling myself.

Is it going to be problematic for someone to use Gmail at home over a AirVPN foreign server and then once they leave home and use Gmail over a cellphone which uses the local carrier? Are there other sites with these kind of smarts that will be problematic to use? Like Facebook? Would love to use my cell over VPN. Does this just protect all the data streams (wifi, 3g, 4g, etc.) and not the voice?

I assume to do so would mean I could have one device my router and then a plus one for each mobile device that leaves that router's presence. Or can I route everything thru the home router somehow?

[Jinsong 5]

Yeah, Gmail and Facebook are a no-go - unless you don't mind the inconvenience of having to answer a bunch of security questions every time to verify that it's really you logging in.

More importantly though, you definitely want to avoid logging into most banking/financial sites over VPN - especially PayPal. They're all too quick to limit your account if they don't "like" your IP address for whatever reason. Same goes for e-commerce sites when using a credit card. Some payment processors are overly strict, and will decline you if the address, phone number, and IP address geo-location don't seem to match up.

Not sure about the cell phone, but I assume if your mobile device is using some sort of voice-over-IP implementation only, then everything would be encrypted.

[Staff 10331]

Hello!

We're not aware about particular issues with GMail and Facebook (just register the exit-IP of our servers as authorized on your accounts) but surely PayPal will block transactions, and eventually suspend momentarily the account. if you use your account from behind a VPN, a proxy or TOR.

Kind regards

[magnumpi 4]

Good to know guys. I didn't even think about banking stuff, but makes sense. Would it be enough to use an exit server in the same country as I am, even if the server location is fairly far away.

What do people do who have their router setup for VPN? I was thinking to import/export router settings or keep a second router, not blocked, but then I guess I may need a third to act as a splitter? Do I have to worry about hardware bottlenecks with all the splitting? Presumably best to do with ethernet cable?

[YLwpLUbcf77U 32]

Strange.

I've never had an issue with Gmail, Paypal, etc. when using AirVPN (using NL and LU servers) and I'm a USA citizen living abroad in Asia.

Knock on wood.

[mattmuc 0]

Hello!

 

We're not aware about particular issues with GMail and Facebook (just register the exit-IP of our servers as authorized on your accounts) 

How to do that? First time I was using AIRVPN on my mac I immediately got 2 emails from Gmail that they discovered a suspicious access to my account, where hey stated that the location of my (VPN) IP was "unknown".

 

on my my I solved it "dirty" shutting down my Mail client and closing gmail in the browser. But that can't be the only option?

And how to solve it on an iPad? I dont want to delete my Gmail Account every time I use the VPN there...

[Staff 10331]

Hello,

 

there is a GMail option to disable that warning and allow any IP address, and even an option to authorize certain IP addresses (so you could put there the exit-IP addresses of the VPN servers you connect to). Please consult the GMail guides at your convenience. Once you have authorized an IP address, it will be authorized regardless of the device you use to access the mail server.

 

Kind regards

[Royee 11]

Had the same issues myself sadly,  Its best to disconnect VPN and then use the problematic sites.

 

I would also love to hear an answer to magnumpi question,   if a router with tomatoe firmware and connected to VPN,  I hope there is an off button or use ISPS IP mode ?

[trekkie.forever 6]

If you have 2 factor authentication setup with Gmail, they are much more forgiving on which IP you log on from as the 2nd factor includes a much higher possibility that you are who you say you are

[Finalreminder 1]

Hi

 

I saw this via Google search as I was having the same annoying problem.I looked into Trekkie Forevers post and he's correct.

I use PIA VPN rather than AirVPN but the following won't make any difference.

Go to your Google security settings and set up two-step.

After you've done that, go back to Security Settings/Two Step Verification/Manage your Application Specific Passwords.

At the bottom of the screen set up Thunderbird and then generate a password.

You then use this new password in place of your normal password.

Thunderbird will then have no problems accessing mail through whatever VPN you use.

 

NOTE: I had to do this with my Android Gmail app too. Seems that 2-step is very paranoid about what can access your email.

That's a good thing, but it also involves a bit of messing about at the start.

 

HTH