Email when travelling – account locked down

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Viewing 12 posts - 31 through 42 (of 42 total)

  • peter19
    Participant

    Ardmarnoch, good suggestion and have mentioned this before on the forum with the use of a VPN solution for several benefits.

    One thing to note is you would need a static IP address from your ISP to make sure your IP doesn’t change as this will just be a complete annoyance. Alternatively, you can use a dyndns solution (routers support this) where you would connect to a static name instead of an IP address. There can be a cost associated with it though depending what you use.

    WillieWelsh, another good solution and cost is small for a bit of your own identity.


    Ardmarnoch
    Participant

    Good point Peter. Yes, you can use a DDNS solution, many of which are free – however again lower cost routers many not support your DDNS provider. The DrayTek will support any provider.

    As you say a static IP is a much easier and cleaner soution. Unfortunately BT does not offer static IPs to domestic customers, however its wholly owned subsidiary “Plusnet” does offer a static IP for a one off £5 charge, or you could try “Origin Broadband” who have outstanding customer service, and charge £1 a month for a static IP


    K1ngston
    Participant

    Agree with all the posters on 365 very robust and well worth the money, as for free ISP I use the Mac’s own system which is also very robust!

    The reason for most of the failings of email accounts on the various platforms is the scourge of being hacked and the companies protecting themselves under the guise of “protecting you”

    There are stringent rules in place about “terrorist activity” money laundering etc that come out of the US, so its the companies making sure they are protecting themselves when new IPs are seen on an account or “abnormal usage”

    From someone who had their BT email hacked some years ago and the mayhem and misery it caused me I dont mind having to re log into any account time to time, and like us all I spend my time on the road!

    And Martyn, “its good to talk”…..


    IanFromHKG
    Participant

    Very interesting discussion. I use gmail – which was great until Senior Offspring went to Shanghai for three months at the back end of last year because at that time the Great Firewall of China didn’t allow any Google services. I was told last night by one of my Chinese colleagues (although I haven’t checked this) that those restrictions have now been lifted.

    There are so many ways around all these restrictions – using VPNs or proxy servers, blah blah blah… it makes me wonder why any of these restrictions are imposed.

    As it is, though, I think it is fair to say that I do appreciate Google notifying me each time there is an “unusual” log-in to my account. This happens if I use a hotel wifi network operating through a proxy server, or a different browser, or a number of other situations. I think that’s fine. I would be annoyed if they locked me out – but probably not as annoyed as I would be if someone else hacked into my account, nicked all my information and started racking up bills on my credit cards.

    At the end of the day, protection comes at a price. The key is to have an easy way to resolve problems arising as a result. Save when in China, I have (perhaps luckily) had no problems with my gmail accounts. Long may that continue!


    WillieWelsh
    Participant

    FWIW I forgot to mention above, when I was locked out of gmail and my credentials failed the check I was at home in North Queensferry using a PC I use almost every day when I’m at home so there was nothing untoward for Google to even imagine was going on.

    Ardmarnoch & Peter19, this all sounds fascinating but you are way beyond me. Any chance of putting it all in layman’s terms or pointing me in the right direction for more info. It sounds like a good solution but I have no idea where to start.


    Ardmarnoch
    Participant

    Hi WillieWelsh. If this all sounds a bit stange to you, I would not attempt it yourself. The process is simple and quick – IF you know how.
    Perhaps find your local one man business, give him details or a copy of the above conversations and he or she should be able to configure it very quickly for you. It will require:
    1. You buying a high performance VPN router (e.g. DrayTek) for your home.
    2. You IT person configuring the router with your ISP settings and the VPN – 20 or 30 minutes
    3. Configuring the VPN connection on your laptop/phone/tablet ( 5 or 10 minutes each)
    4. Showing you how to connect – 2 minutes.
    Then you will get so much more out technology!


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    Ardmarnoch – 16/06/2016 16:09 BST

    For the benefit of other posters, I’ve been using Plusnet for over a year now, with a TP Link Archer AC750 wireless router (the Plusnet option is not, in my view, good enough for serious work.

    I paid the one off fee for the static IP.

    For several years, I’ve been using a VPN provider, named StreamVia, which costs me about £34 per year for UK VPN access (paid in 2 x 6 monthly tranches).

    I use this setup home and away and find it stable and effective (one can test for leaking, as you will be aware).

    I have my own domain, which is hosted by iNet Solutions in Leeds, been with them for 10 years+ and they give fab service.


    peter19
    Participant

    WillieWelsh,

    Sorry for the delay although i think its been answered now by the guys here.

    Although there are plenty home solutions (servers, routers, nas boxes etc) i would just recommend paying for a VPN service like FDOS_UK has mentioned.

    It’s low cost and they do the job good. A couple of points i would look out for while choosing.

    1. A static IP address will cost slightly more but worth it ( means you will also show from the same IP while connecting from anywhere in the world so your mail wont get blocked )
    2. Choose your country service (you get US/UK etc..thinking about TV i player etc)
    3. its handy to have one that supports more than one connection (phone, laptop, iPad etc)
    4. get one that doesn’t log your traffic
    5. get one that doesn’t restrict you on bandwidth (speed of connection) and how much you use it (watching TV for example would be high usage)

    You can see some of the providers by googling “UK VPN providers”. once you purchase one it will give you instructions how to set up a VPN on your PC, Phone or tablet. Once you do this you would connect to a wireless network or cable as normal, connect to your VPN connection and then browse normally from here. If you were to google “what is my ip” it will always show the same IP.

    Hope this helps.


    WillieWelsh
    Participant

    Ardmarnoch & Peter19,

    Belatedly thank you for your help, I’ll get someone to look at this for me.

    I found a Drayteck router on ebay for not too much money compared to the new price so that’s on the way here and all should be sorted out in the next couple of weeks.


    DavidGordon10
    Participant

    Happened to me yet again, such a complete pain. When they write “we detect unusually high levels of activity on your account” why can’t they get it into their stupid heads that this may mean we have a lot of work to do? Which might be usual for us?

    It should be possible to get an email system that works without failure.


    DavidGordon10
    Participant

    Incidentallly, the other day in the China Southern lounge in Guangzhou, the great firewall of China seemed to be up again. That is a bit if a negative when making the choice of airline to the far East or to Australasia – no way of checking the email en route.

    Skype and WhatsApp worked fine.


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    My firms domain uses an Office 365 account.

    Would never consider using Gmail/outlook domain account for business email. Jut ask Hilary…. 🙂

Viewing 12 posts - 31 through 42 (of 42 total)
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