By Steve Endow

I recently returned from a month-long trip (June/July 2016), with three weeks spent in China and one in Singapore.

During my time in China, I journeyed over 2,000 km, visiting four cities and staying in a variety of accommodations. Throughout my travels, I aimed to manage my Canada-hosted email, access my usual US websites, make calls to the US and Australia, and connect to my Los Angeles office network.

Aware of China’s Great Firewall and its reputation for restricting internet access, I expected challenges with remote work. In preparation, I subscribed to three VPN services claiming to function within China. Although I tested them in the US, their actual effectiveness in China remained uncertain.

With limited ways to predict the realities of remote work in China, I informed clients and colleagues about potential internet limitations and possible delays in email responses. Setting realistic expectations for both yourself and your customers is crucial, assuming limited connectivity.

My experience taught me valuable lessons about working remotely in China, presenting various hurdles and frustrations. I’m sharing my insights in hopes of assisting others facing similar circumstances.

Here’s a breakdown of the topics I’ll discuss:

1. Pre-Travel Preparations
2. Navigating Connectivity While Traveling
3. VPN Experiences
4. Successes and Failures: What Worked and What Didn’t
5. Workarounds and Solutions
6. Post-Travel Actions

Before Embarking on Your Trip

VPN Service: A Necessity

I’ll dedicate a separate post to the VPN services I employed and their effectiveness, but here’s a concise overview.

Prior to departing for China, subscribing to a minimum of two VPN services is advisable. Installation, configuration, and thorough testing on all your devices are essential. Thankfully, these services are budget-friendly and readily available, with numerous options. My experience suggests the specific provider isn’t critical. While they appear to function technically, maintaining very low expectations is key.

Those familiar with the era of 56k modems might recall the arduous process of connecting to ISPs, involving multiple redial attempts and frequent disconnections. Using VPNs in China evokes a similar experience, marked by frustration, wasted time, and hindered productivity.

In essence, anticipate limitations in accessing online and internet-dependent resources. Expect delays in accessing foreign internet services and don’t assume daily connectivity, even for tasks like checking emails.

If connecting to a corporate, work, or customer VPN is necessary, testing dual VPN connections is vital. This involves connecting to your VPN service to bypass China’s restrictions, followed by connecting to your corporate/client VPN. However, this dual tunnel setup might encounter compatibility issues, potentially working outside but not within China. Being prepared for such scenarios is crucial.

I successfully used OpenVPN over a VPN service on my iPhone and iPad to connect to my office network. However, using OpenVPN on my Windows laptop to connect through the VPN service proved unsuccessful within China, possibly due to corporate VPN client compatibility issues.

Upon reaching Singapore, the VPN services regained stability. Although still slow and occasionally unreliable, their performance significantly improved compared to China.

Mobile Numbers and Two-Factor Authentication: A Potential Obstacle

This aspect, relevant to any international travel and amplified in China, caught me off guard.

On my third day, I needed to initiate a wire transfer. Connecting to a VPN service and accessing the Bank of America website went smoothly. However, upon submission, I realized the need for a one-time passcode, a detail I had overlooked. Bank of America mandates a text message passcode for wire transfers, a feature that can’t be disabled. My account was configured to send passcodes to my US mobile number, and I hadn’t activated international roaming, nor did I intend to.

Adding a new mobile number to my Bank of America account proved futile, as authorization required a passcode sent to my primary mobile number. Moreover, the new number had to be US-based, which I lacked access to in China.

My solution involved contacting Bank of America customer support, verifying my identity, and having them completely remove my mobile number from my account. Subsequently, I enlisted my sister in the US to add her cell number to my account, requiring coordination to relay the confirmation code upon submitting the wire transfer request. A rather comical situation.

Therefore, before traveling, consider any website, service, or login relying on mobile text messages for two-factor authentication. If you anticipate needing them, ensure international roaming is activated on your phone, verifying its functionality and text message reception in China (best of luck confirming this beforehand). Alternatively, set up a virtual phone number capable of receiving text messages (highly recommended). Even with roaming, establishing a virtual phone number as a backup and linking it to your accounts provides an extra layer of security.

Virtual Phone Numbers and Text Messages: A Backup Plan

The necessity of receiving text messages in China hadn’t crossed my mind, a significant oversight in my planning.

Upon discovering this need, I investigated Google Voice’s text message capabilities. My research and forum discussions indicated its limitations. Google Voice, it seemed, couldn’t receive text messages from websites. Apparently, neither could Skype.

Virtual phone services akin to Google Voice offer virtual numbers and app-based calling. Some even purport to receive text messages. Time constraints allowed me to test only one: KeepSolid Phones. In my limited trial, the KeepSolid Phones iPhone app failed to receive a text message from a website, leading me to abandon further exploration.

To my surprise, a solution emerged unexpectedly. My office relies on Vonage Business for VoIP phone service. I remembered having a Vonage Business Essentials iPhone app as part of this service. Through this app, I discovered the ability to send and receive standard SMS text messages using my office phone number.

I also made a few calls using the Vonage Business Essentials app, mostly successful without needing a VPN. However, calls with the VPN were choppy and unreliable due to slow speeds.

International calls from the app, specifically to Chinese numbers, weren’t possible. Whether this was an app restriction or an account limitation remains unclear. Instead, I used Skype for calls to Chinese numbers, which generally worked well.

SIM Cards: Local Options

While prepaid SIM cards are available in China, my lack of experience with them limits my input.

Shanghai’s airport had vending machines dispensing these cards, but the variety based on region and plan type was overwhelming. Clarifying setup and activation requirements for foreigners is advisable.

If purchasing from a retail store, bringing a local for translation and potential contact information/ID provision is recommended. Current requirements for foreigners acquiring SIM cards are best clarified beforehand.

If using a China SIM card, confirming your phone’s compatibility with Chinese mobile frequencies is essential. Similar to the US, carriers might utilize different frequencies, impacting compatibility.

Unlocking your phone before traveling to China is crucial. With AT&T, this necessitates owning your phone outright without contracts or outstanding payments, unlocking it through their website.

My wife used an extra SIM card from her relatives’ mobile account, and her unlocked US AT&T iPhone 5S worked seamlessly with their Chinese carrier, believed to be China Telecom. I successfully accessed AT&T’s unlock website via VPN while in China to unlock my wife’s phone. While possible to do this in China, I recommend doing it beforehand.

Singapore’s SingTel offered a $30 prepaid SIM card with a 10-day validity and 14GB of data. I’m unsure about the included voice minutes.

Staying Connected While Traveling

Public WiFi: Availability and Limitations

For layovers in Chinese airports, consider a Boingo Wireless hotspot account. Available in most such airports, I found their service reliable in main terminal areas, with occasional connection issues and weak signals in some boarding areas. Priced at $9.95 per month, it’s a worthwhile investment, cancellable upon your return.

Choose a simple username and password when registering with Boingo, as you’ll need them frequently. On my iPhone, copying and pasting the password from my password manager proved impossible.

Free WiFi claims were common in Chinese businesses and malls, but most required a Chinese mobile number for receiving text message passcodes, hindering access for those without local numbers.

Singapore was similar, with WiFi availability often accompanied by registration requirements. Starbucks, for instance, mandated creating an account with a social media company for access.

Security: Mitigating Risks

Connecting to public WiFi while traveling raised security concerns. While acknowledging the risks, I had limited alternatives.

Beyond standard precautions like anti-malware software and cautious browsing, I took additional steps:

1. Regularly clearing web browser cache, cookies, and history on all devices
2. Resetting network settings on my iPhone and iPad
3. Frequent shutdowns and restarts of my iPhone and iPad

This article offers helpful tips for securing iPhones while traveling:

https://blog.filippo.io/securing-a-travel-iphone/

While implementing all the steps isn’t mandatory, incorporating as many as possible enhances security.

Navigating VPNs

I’ll delve deeper into VPNs in a separate post, but as mentioned, their reliability in China is unpredictable, akin to rolling the dice and hoping for the best.

Next Post: https://dynamicsgpland.blogspot.com/2016/07/using-vpn-service-while-working-in-china.html

Over three weeks, I consistently tested three different VPN services, connecting to various residential, private, and public WiFi networks across four cities.

In conclusion: Success is inconsistent. Expect a 50% success rate, at best, to avoid disappointment.

VPNs functioned reasonably well on my iPhone and iPad but struggled on my Surface Pro 4 running Windows 10, with painfully slow connection speeds.

The constant struggle to connect to VPNs and access foreign websites in China was incredibly frustrating. Time spent troubleshooting and establishing connections often exceeded actual usage time.

One day, despite 12 hours of effort, I couldn’t establish a VPN connection using three different services across two different WiFi networks. Ironically, these same residential private networks worked flawlessly with the VPN services a week prior. This particular day, despite numerous attempts across multiple devices, nothing worked. Retrieving emails or accessing websites was impossible.

My ability to connect to VPNs seemed to decrease over time. Initially, connections were relatively quick and easy. However, during the last few days, establishing connections felt nearly impossible.

This leads me to believe that the Chinese firewall might be tracking device MAC addresses, flagging those associated with VPN usage. After three weeks, my devices seemingly ended up on a blacklist, hindering connectivity. The inconsistencies suggest potential ISP-level blocking rather than a centralized national system. Nonetheless, connecting became undeniably more challenging towards the end of my trip.

If this is the case, software for spoofing MAC addresses on Windows and Android might offer a solution. I’m assuming this isn’t possible on iOS without jailbreaking. Alternatively, using multiple devices sequentially and switching when one encounters issues could be a workaround. While impractical, it’s a potential solution for extended stays in China.

What Worked and What Didn’t: A Summary

Here’s a list of tested services and websites in China. Singapore posed no significant access issues.

Functioned Without VPN:

• Skype iPhone app (messaging and calls)
• Vonage Business Essentials iPhone app

Didn’t Function Without VPN:

• Nearly all major US websites and online services
• Google
• Gmail
• Hosted Exchange
• Twitter
• Yahoo Mail
• YouTube
• OpenVPN to my office network

Intermittent Functionality Without VPN:

• iPhone Telegram notifications (oddly, retrieving messages required a VPN)
• iPhone WeChat notifications (strange, as WeChat is widely used in China)
• iMessage
• Kindle book downloads

Workarounds and Solutions

For blocked websites or searches, Baidu.com (baidu.com) served as a viable alternative to Google.

Searches on Baidu sometimes led to equivalent websites, providing access to needed information. For instance, I found an exchange rate website through Baidu when Google and VPN access were unavailable.

Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, no reliable workarounds, hacks, or tricks for consistent VPN connections or VPN-less access to US websites emerged.

Post-Travel Actions: Prioritizing Security

Having used my devices on numerous WiFi networks in China and Singapore, I’m assuming potential compromises.

Now back, I’m resetting passwords for all accessed websites, services, and accounts. While tedious, it’s a necessary precaution.

iPhones and iPads will undergo complete resets and fresh setups, forgoing backups. With photos and videos backed up via iCloud and Eye-Fi, I’ll wipe the devices and reinstall apps. Not ideal, but a manageable task.

My Surface Pro 4 presents a bigger challenge. Windows’ wipe and reconfiguration process is cumbersome. Despite limited use and VPN struggles on Windows, my Chrome browser experienced hijacking, redirecting nytimes.com traffic to facebook.com. DNS lookup was unaffected, as confirmed through command-line ping.

Clearing Chrome’s cache, history, and other data resolved the issue. However, this highlighted potential system compromises. A complete wipe and reinstallation seem inevitable.

That encapsulates my experience with staying connected during my three weeks in China. A friend traveling simultaneously encountered similar VPN challenges, offering reassurance.

Remote work in China, beyond basic tasks, seems incredibly difficult. Given the multitude of business travelers to China, I wonder if there are any well-kept secrets for staying connected or if they face similar frustrations.

If you’ve traveled to China recently (2016 onward), I’m curious to hear about your experiences and any tips for remote productivity.

Steve Endow is a Microsoft MVP for Dynamics GP and a Dynamics GP Certified IT Professional in Los Angeles.  He is the owner of Precipio Services, which provides Dynamics GP integrations, customizations, and automation solutions.

You can also find him onGoogle+andTwitter

http://www.precipioservices.com