When using the Internet in China, access to some international websites and services will be restricted. This is a reality that many netizens are well aware of.
The current state of network access
Many commonly used websites in the world cannot be opened directly in China, such as Google, Facebook, YouTube and some overseas news media. This situation is not accidental, but stems from a specific set of network management mechanisms. This mechanism will dynamically adjust the block list according to the situation, causing users to try to connect at different times and locations, and the results may be completely different.
Sometimes, users try multiple methods, but are unable to connect successfully. Such an unstable access experience brings practical troubles to those who need to obtain international information or contact overseas. Whether they are business people, international students, or researchers, this may affect their work and study efficiency.
The rise of circumvention tools
In order to break through access restrictions, many users choose to use virtual private network services. Virtual private networks use encrypted channels to forward user data to overseas servers, thus evading local network controls. Although Chinese law does not clearly define personal use of virtual private networks as a criminal offense, the government has always implemented rectification measures against unapproved virtual private network services.
There are a large number of virtual private network providers in the market. These providers claim to be able to achieve stable work in China. However, the actual situation is much more complicated. Many services will be identified and blocked, causing connections to be interrupted. Users often need to repeatedly try different service providers and server nodes in order to find a temporarily usable solution.
Choose a server strategy
If you decide to use a virtual private network, the choice of geographical location when connecting to the server is very particular. First, give priority to servers in Asia, such as nodes in Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan or Taiwan, which generally provide lower latency and more stable connections. Secondly, you can also consider servers on the West Coast of the United States.
For server nodes located far away from China, such as those in Europe or the East Coast of the United States, latency is generally high and connections are more prone to interruptions. Some virtual private network service providers will specifically optimize servers for Chinese lines, and such nodes are usually more reliable choices.
Escalation of technical confrontation
Network managers use technologies such as deep packet inspection to identify and block virtual private network traffic. In response, some virtual private network service providers have developed more covert protocols, such as disguising virtual private network traffic as ordinary HTTPS encrypted traffic and using TCP port 443. This obfuscation technology makes it difficult to identify traffic characteristics.
Strong encryption algorithms such as AES – 256-bit, and RSA – 4096-bit key exchange are now widely used to ensure the security of data during transmission. This is a non-stop technical competition, and both sides of the game are constantly updating the methods they use.
Importance of DNS settings
In addition to the virtual private network itself, the relevant settings of the domain name resolution system are also very critical. It is recommended not to use DNS automatically assigned by your Internet service provider, as these servers are likely to be interfered with and return incorrect IP addresses, or may not be resolved at all. This will result in the website still being unable to open even if the virtual private network connection is successful.
Users need to manually change the DNS to the server recommended by the virtual private network service provider, or use an international public DNS service, such as the one provided by Google or Cloudflare. Changing DNS is a simple but often overlooked step, but it can significantly improve access success rates.
Alternatives and Risks
In addition to paid VPNs, there are also free access tools like dark web browsers. However, Tor network speeds are often slow, suitable only for browsing text web pages, and its nodes may also be blocked. The use of any unauthorized tool is uncertain and the connection may fail at any time.
It is crucial that users bear the risks associated with using the tools themselves and ensure that they are not used for any illegal activity. Network conditions continue to change, and what works today may not work tomorrow.
What are the most serious inconveniences you encountered when using international Internet services and how were they solved? I hope to share your own experiences and opinions in the comment area. If you find the article helpful, please like it and support it.
