VPN needed for Offshore workers

[Ric_ROV]

VPN, Anonymizers, Proxy Servers?

Introduction:

In this article, I thought that I would explain about a subject which I have come to find important to my time in the ROV industry offshore in sunny Africa.

As we all know during our time offshore, communication to loved ones is our life line especially when we are doing long trips with limited access to the telephones onboard Semi rigs or vessels.

After spending much time on the internet during recent standby period, I have spent some time researching alternative ways to communicate with my loved ones, due to the fact our onboard client still deems 10 minute phone calls home per week acceptable in this day and age!

Having a reasonably fast internet connection, but with Skype and other VOIP websites blocked by our onboard clients strict filters, I was struggling to find a way of bypassing these filters to use these services.

After spending several hours researching the subject further and trying to find the best way to use these VOIP services here are my findings.

What are Anonymizers?

Anonymizers are online services that eliminate the trail of information that you leave behind, whilst surfing, so that your online activities cannot be traced back to you. Web Anonymizers are special web sites that let you access other web sites while making it impossible for them to have any information about you.

Anonymizers are a useful tool to ensure that identifying information is not transferred during online interactions in which no personal information need be revealed. Anonymizers are web-based services or downloadable programs that keep your Internet browsing anonymous. Anonymizers are Internet tools developed by the private sector to strip out personal information in order to protect user privacy.

Proxy Anonymizers

In computer networks, a proxy server is a server (a computer system or an application program) which services the requests of its clients by forwarding requests to other servers.

Using a proxy anonymizer is the most common method of anonymous surfing.

A number of free proxy anonymizers use proxy servers from free, open, proxy lists. Many of these lists do indicate whether a proxy is anonymous or not, but sometimes they are not accurate or up-to-date. You will need to be aware that everything you do via these free proxies can be logged and used by the proxy administrators for their own interests and uses. Another problem is that malicious hackers (crackers) and spammers set up proxies in the free proxy lists and can use this source to integrate your computer or collect your personnel information to later send unsolicited emails to you.

To anonymize ALL your connections, you will need to use an https proxy anonymizer — commercial or free proxy anonymizers that use SSH or SSL encryption between the proxy server, website and your computer. Inevitably, by using commercial or free proxy anonymizers, you will have to expect a certain slowdown in your connection speeds. When using an http proxy anonymizer– http is a standard, unsecured connection — your IP will not be visible.

VPN Anonymizers:

A VPN anonymizer is a technology that establishes a private or secure network connection within a public network, such as the Internet.

VPN or what are commonly known as VPN (Virtual Private Network) tunnels, are frequently used by corporations and government bodies, to allow remote workers to make secure internet connections to the office network. VPN is currently the most advanced form of anonymity and data security for use on the Internet. VPN users often have dynamic IP addresses and can have a different IP address with every connection that they make. The main difference between an SSL or SSH encrypted tunnel proxy and VPN (Virtual Private Network) tunnelling, is that VPN doesn’t use a proxy and anonymizes and encrypts all activities. Both SSL and SSH encryption can be used with VPN as well as proxy servers.

Conclusion:

Most web-proxy services or anonymizers are not free, but many do offer partial service for free or a free trial period, which might work for you depending on what type of firewall your office uses.

One of the most common uses for anonymizers is to unblock myspace, or unblock sites which are deemed unsuitable for viewer ship by local ISP (Internet Service Providers) or your employer. In my case the main purpose was to unblock VOIP services so I could call home to my loved ones on a regular basis.

After carrying out several tests on free proxy anonymizers versus paid VPN providers, I would recommend staying clear of the free proxy providers due to the dangers of using them and the generally poor data transfer speed and opt to pay for a strong VPN provider that will ensure quick and reliable performance.

One of the best VPN providers to give you this is http://www.yousab.com which has a good messenger service built into a strong VPN platform and also enables you to carry out VOIP calls to your contacts which is of a high quality.

This is some of the info that I have pulled from this company’s website

Benefits of using a VPN:

1. You are signing up to a secure network of like minded people who are enjoying total anonymity while online.

2. Provides personnel VPN Messenger VOIP service utilizing multiple VPN encrypted tunnels, ensuring your online identity is 100percent secure.

3. Unblocks all your favorite websites, which are deemed, unsuited for viewership by your Employer, Internet Service Provider or country Government!

4. Software interface similar to MSN or Yahoo messenger programs, which is set up to run silently in the background and does not slow down your Internet connection.

5. Clear PC to PC VOIP calls that is more reliable and better quality than Skype.

6. Total security solution when connecting using a WIFI connection.

7. Prepaid card facility that allows to you purchase credit to use the service for as low as 3 USD, minimizing the risk versus a yearly or monthly payment subscription.

8. No more using unsecure proxy websites to unblock Myspace or gambling websites.

I hope that you will find this article of some interest to you if you are in the same position as me presently offshore. In fact there are allot of guys that I have worked with in the Middle East and China that will find this article very helpful, due to the very strict policy’s of the Government viewership of content online.

http://www.yousab.com is aSecure VPLAN Messenger & VOIP Social, Administrated, Business Community that enables users to access & interact with their social and business peers, through a totally secure downloadable VPLAN software.

PS If your having problems downloading this software click on this link, which gives you full instruction of how to use the software. http://www.yousab.com/YouSAB_Messenger_User_Manual.pdf 😀
PPS If these links dont work try the following URLS
http://www.vpnmessenger.com
http://www.vpnmessenger.net
http://www.vpnmessenger.org

[James McLauchlan]

Quite a bit to absorb there, but great research and well presented….. :tup:

I’m sure the info will prove handy to a good few people offshore.
best regards
James Mc

[Ray Shields]

Yup, always handy offshore when you find they dont even allow you access to Hotmail, Gmail etc.

I can also recommend KProxy https://www.kproxy.com/

Note it begins HTTPS not HTTP. S for secure, which is how you get round the we blocking, because you set up a secure connection to Kproxy, and KProxy then goes off to the site you want. You will usually get a security certificate warning when you first connect, never had any problems saying yes.

[brad]

Try gotomypc.com

[digitellus]

Great post, thank you for sharing this

[Anonymous]

Another tool worth mentioning is "Net Transport" (also called NetXfer) Used to record audio/video streams to HD if I-net is to slow to listen/watch.

[Anonymous]

Don’t use "World Secure Network"

I have been dealing with them for a week now, and I still can’t login to their network. I received 2 responses from their tech support:

1. Use OpenVPN (with a bunch of russian characters that I can not replicate)

2. Try now!

So the russian mob probably has all my info, Im in the process of trying to get a refund, glad I used Paypal, and not my credit card.

[i need help]

How is the sound quality on internet phones such as with Skype? I was looking at getting Skype unlimited but i was wondering how the Skype service is and how is the sound quality of internet phones?

[grassyscones]

How is the sound quality on internet phones such as with Skype? I was looking at getting Skype unlimited but i was wondering how the Skype service is and how is the sound quality of internet phones?

Its seem to demand a fair bit of bandwidth. Ive been using it offshore for the last couple of weeks and its seems to be very poor quality when the connection is being used by a few people. If you an have a good connection the qualitys quite good. Another proxy i use is

https://ssl2.ovh.net/~jpaime/secure/

[Robert Black]

Is the widdle rufty tufty sailor homesick? Awwww. Well done Ric_ROV. A great way to suck up all the bandwidth, ensuring no-one else on your vessel can download their emails while you VOIP your missus.

[shetlander1950]

This really sucks up the bandwidth ans really F++++s up getting the daily reports through in time,

[Herman]

Desperate times demand desperate measures.

[Woodchopper]

AH….. So Ric_ROV is the bandwidth thief!!!! 😡

[Author]

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