Search the Community

A question: can states block access to AirVPN? OK, I know states like Iran and China do just this, but I am referring to other states - I ask because I recently travelled overseas, happily anticipating I would be able to secure my connections in hotels, airports, etc via the VPN, as I had successfully done on other occasions. However, in this case, weird stuff happened. Firstly, I would try to connect to an AirVPN server, but no connection would be established. Nothing would happen. I then tried changing servers, then also went to different protocols, and different ports. I tried all sorts of different variations on these. Occasionally, randomly, one would work (for example, reading the threads here, I noticed someone recommending TCP port 80 for iOS connection problems - I tried it and it worked). However, after shutting the iPad, the connection would usually be lost, and I would be unable to connect to that self same server, with the self same protocol and port, even though it had worked only hours before! This was very frustrating. I thought perhaps there was some issue in Spain, blocking access to VPNs generally or to AirVPN (although the behaviour on the iPad did not suggest some kind of blanket ban). But later on, I experienced the same issue in Singapore's Changi airport. I was able to establish VPN connections while overseas only with great difficulty, and it drove me nuts. Now I am back home, and the VPN is functioning beautifully, as usual. So I am completely at a loss as to what could have been happening when I was overseas. What could be the cause of this? Any thoughts would be appreciated. I should probably add that in Spain, VPN connection in hotels seemed to work better, but I definitely experienced trouble when trying to operate the iPad in state run internet cafes (these are run by the local government in very rural areas where internet access is difficult -they are a state run service designed to help rural people to have internet access). I can imagine that there might have been some kind of block being imposed by the state in this case, and I'm wondering, if that's the case, whether there is any way around it. I don't welcome any state authority snooping on my affairs, boring as these are. I hope all this makes sense! Any comments appreciated.