Accessing the world from China?

[CWuestefeld]

I just read that China has cut off access to Gmail, Google.com, etc. And I'm leaving in 10 days for a two-week vacation there. I'm looking for a good way to stay in touch with that damned firewall in the way. I need a way to VPN, or at least proxy, my way through that.

Of course there are loads of public services, like Hamachi or more general VPNs. But I'm assuming that as the Chinese government learns of these "leaks", they get blocked as well. So my expectation is that to ensure that I'll have a way out, I've got to implement it myself.

Aside from accessing mail and anything else I need through my notebook, another requirement adding complexity is that I be able to use the tunnel to access Google Voice using my Android phone (through the GrooveIP app, which allows it to be used as pure VoIP).

Can any of you suggest a good strategy for doing this?

My first guess was to set up a VPN using my dd-wrt router. I'm pretty sure this is possible, but the documentation is far from clear (to the degree that it exists at all), both in the creation of the VPN itself, and in its usage. Also, I'm not sure that I'd be able to use it with my Android phone.

Maybe it would be easier to set up an application of some sort (whether a VPN or just a proxy server) on my desktop computer, and set up my router to pass the traffic through to that computer.

[Renegade]

If you can read Chinese, probably check out Chinese blogs for the answer. I'm sure they've already solved that problem 100x over.

Or TOR? Simple solution there.

As for router solutions - I have no idea. I'm sure someone here knows more than me about that.

[skwire]

My first guess was to set up a VPN using my dd-wrt router.

-CWuestefeld (November 10, 2012, 09:16 AM)

Yes...

Also, I'm not sure that I'd be able to use it with my Android phone.

-CWuestefeld (November 10, 2012, 09:16 AM)

...and yes, you can.  You can also use it with any computer/laptop.  It's easier than you think and I can help you with this.

[CWuestefeld]

It's easier than you think and I can help you with this.

-skwire (November 10, 2012, 11:55 AM)

Can you get me started in the right direction? The best I can find in the docs is this article in their wiki. Unfortunately, I can't see how the list of options relates in the slightest to what I actually see in the router's configuration GUI.

If I could figure out how to configure the router itself, I assume that the process of setting up OpenVPN on my notebook is straightforward. But I don't see any mention of it for Android. The best I can find is this app in the Play store. Is that the right way to address it for Android?

[CWuestefeld]

I think I've worked out part of my problem. I believe that my dd-wrt build does not include OpenVPN. And I'm not sure that I *can* install a different build, either, it being somewhat wimpy router hardware.

So it looks like I'll need something running on my desktop.

[skwire]

Apologies for leaving you hanging.  Which router do you have?

[x16wda]

I would guess Logmein and Gotomypc type services might be "moderated".  But you could download a trial of ScreenConnect and run your own private service on your PC, that would last 30 days.  It's good stuff too, last time my company trialed it we were happy except that it didn't support remote printing.  Wide OS support (http://help.screenco...t.com/INFO-0008.ashx) so you ought to have enough flexibility there.  (Cheap too, from a corporate point of view - we would have saved money switching from 100 seats with the Big Guys to an unlimited in-house solution.)