Dropbox in China

[Stosskraft]

Hello all, I am now in china for one month and I just found out that dropbox is blocked here. I have installed, but it cannot connect to the servers, so cannot sync with my work pc (that runs through a proxy or my phone).

I have found this on the net: http://eastasiastudent.net/china/dropbox-no-vpn/

Question is I have not idea how to do what is he is saying.

Could someone guide me please?

Thank you

[SteveRiley]

Step-by-step.

1. Press [Alt]+[F2] and enter kdesudo kate /etc/hosts

2. Enter your computer's password if you're prompted to

3. Move the cursor to the blank line after the line that starts with 127.0.1.1

4. Press [Enter], then copy/paste the following:

# Dropbox servers
174.36.30.73 www.dropbox.com
174.36.30.71 www.dropbox.com

5. Press [Ctrl]+Q and then click the Save selected button

6. Test DropBox

7. If it doesn't work, then the Great Firewall has gained a bit of smarts. A possible workaround is to repeat the procedure, this time deleting the lines you added before and using these instead:

# Dropbox servers
2921602633 www.dropbox.com
2921602631 www.dropbox.com

(That's the decimal notation of the IP addresses -- sometimes a useful trick.

[Stosskraft]

Thanks for the advice. I tried both solutions but no luck. The first one just froze the dropbox window and closed its self and the second one said you are not connected to the internet.

Any other ideas? besides leave China heheheh

[SteveRiley]

Wait a while. One thing that seems to be true about the Great Firewall is that it's somewhat nebulous and unpredictable. Stuff will work one day, cease the next, then resume again later.

James Fallows, one of my favorite authors and commentators, is a long-time observer of China's development. He writes a lot about Chinese Internet policies and issues. I'd encourage anyone interested in this to follow him at http://www.theatlantic.com/james-fallows/.

[Stosskraft]

Hello again, I am wondering if there is a way to set up a proxy or something so I can use normal .com websites? for example if I type www.google.com I automatically get send to the HK google in chinese? How does this happen? How come I cannot go where I want?

Even trying to download the new skype, I get re directed to the chinese site and I refuse to put any Chinese stuff on my computer...ever.. why am I not going to the sites I want? Is another browser better to use while I am here?

Anyway around this? Only here for one more month!

[SteveRiley]

Welcome to the wonderful restriction colloquiallly known as "the Great Firewall." All of China's Internet providers route through national proxies that block specific terms, redirect certain sites, and do various other kinds of nastiness.

As an example, if you're outside China and perform an image search for "Tiananmen," you'll see photos of the confrontation in the square. If you're inside China and do the same thing, you'll see photos of trees and tourists, but no tanks.

Getting around the Great Firewall is something of a college hobby. For many folks, one of several public VPN services works, but usually only for a time. It gets blocked, another one rises to take its place, and you have to find it again. Unfortunately, your options for unfettered and uncensored Internet access in China are slim to none.

[FezMiester]

http://www.theatlantic.com/james-fallows/ Ok his new book on Chinese internet practices looks good if you want to read about it.

however if you want to work on the problem..
these sites.. (work? can anyone testify to this working or just being a huge time drain?

http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/howto-...striction.html --- seems promising.

http://souptonuts.sourceforge.net/sshtips.htm This looks like a great in depth explanation. Now can someone tell me where I can download the package and be done with it? ?? haha

http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/slides...hina_/?image=2 -- well. that looks basic enough. find a proxy, use an incoded channel / tunnel and have the proxy server seek your web sites...
- Now who is annoyed by pop up adds?
LoL

Yo,
Fez

[Stosskraft]

hey guys I found the best solution to the problem. I moved back to Vietnam No problems with most sites just facebook but all the Vietnamese are on it anyway

Thanks for the links, interesting reading.

[FezMiester]

stosskraft, I was considering going Vietnam, however I think I'll land in China in the next month.

If anyone else finds or can add more practical / ongoing solutions to 'THE GREAT FIREWALL', I'm interested!!

;z)