3 Attachment(s)
My Search for a working VPN & a PureVPN/Strongswan Review - BBOS10 on a Passport
Hello All!
This thread will talk mainly about my story trying to get VPN to work on my BBOS10. Trying to get VPN to work is a living hell, especially if you are a regular non-corporate user like myself. Why do I need VPN? So I can enjoy all the US deals, I have a shipment forwarding company in the states and I have a physical address there as well, with VPN I can do the following:
1- Get deals and prices local only to the US, even though I am 12,000 miles away
2- Evade taxes, because I am not a resident or a citizen of the states or Canada. I can simply ask Amazon or other companies to either remove taxes when I give them evidence, or simply email authorities and get the amount refunded to my credit card (Just like when buying from the UK because I have a postal address there too!). 100% legal no gimmicks involved.
3- I can watch all the shows on Netflix in the states, UK, Scandinavian countries, whatever my heart desires. Some shows are available on one region and not the other. One example is like my favorite show Justified, I can watch it on Netherlands Netflix but its not available yet on the US one, Only when using VPN this is easily down by jumping servers.
4- Evade blocked websites, I am living in Kuwait, and all though its a free democratic country, sometimes things can get personal, and I can afford to leave cookie crumbs behind, let alone risk it.
5- Internet Radio and audio (Spotify for example). I can listen all day to all the music I want to listen to, and never worry about spotify or pandora not being supported in my region, super fast. DATA is very cheap in Kuwait, for 35 USD I can get 300GB worth of LTE (super fast 50mbps minimum speeds) data, more than I ever want, compare that to the US 30 bucks for 1 GB ?!?! So Im not scared about using my LTE connection for Netflix, watching shows, downloading torrents, heck even full games from steam!
There is alot more things, however I do hope that the previous 5 points do answer your question of "Why do you need VPN anyways?!" because I do, and without it my life is crap.
I was a Z10 owner, then a Q10 owner, before being fed up and jumped onto a Note 3 (did a wonderful job with torrents, VPN and netflix). Finally I just gave up on the Note 3, and went back to my beloved Blackberry, its a very complicated relationship, I just love Blackberries dont ask me why.
I got myself a new Blackberry Passport and I am on a search to finding the best VPN provider strictly supporting BBOS 10.3, no workaround involved, straight to the setup menu. Here is what I found:
StrongSwan VPN - Do it yourself VPN (Rating 3/5)
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This is simply wonderful, I had 1 free year of ultra fast VPN setup on Amazon cloud not shared by anyone but myself. Setting it up was not easy, I am an BSc. IT graduate and I assure you it will take a full day of testing and getting things right. However there is one guide (look it up in my post history) that did a wonderful job of making the steps a breeze.
Pros:
1- Fast VPN
2- No bandwith restriction (More you use, the more you pay)
3- One year free from Amazon (Forget about USD 50 - 100 subscriptions)
Cons:
1- Can take minimum 2-5 hours to setup up. If you miss 1 step or do it the wrong way, GOOD LUCK troubleshooting! You have to be very careful to not miss or jump steps in the guide, it is very precise.
2- Entire hours of work will go into deploying 1 server, located in the USA, forget about the process involved to set up European servers, say like UK/British one to watch BBC region locked shows.
3- Scalable costs. You might not even know it, but going deep and deploying many modules/tools on Amazon's cloud can put your bill in the hundreds, or not thousands.
PureVPN (Rating 2/5) - As of 20/11/204
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I came across the service while searching through thearchives on the crackberry forum. There was even posts as recent as 17th of November 2014 talking about the service, heck even recommending it!
I went ahead and bought the service subscription, they gave me a 3.99 USD per month deal and that was not so expensive. However It has been 3 days, and 25+ correspondence emails with their support team and I cant get the service to work
The Time Line:
1- I ask them for a guide, they send me an old guide dating to pre 10.2 BBOS where we had to access Certs folder. I SPENT AN ENTIRE DAY searching for the certs folder just to find out the OMG, post 10.2 BBOS did not have a Certs folder, all you have to do is take their security certificate and paste it into your memory card, you can even email it to your self, then just click on import certificate.
2- Using their guide I found out they only had 3 servers for IKEV2, which is the only protocol currently available to consumers like you and me, beside IPsec. I heard good things about Microsoft's IKEV2, but its hard to find services. Another VPN provider by the name of Witopia (IIRC) has it? and its supported by blackberry. When I first contacted their live support they informed me that IKEV2 is available on almost all the servers, yet if you search through their documentations you find:
- 3 servers are available, one in the US, one in Canada and one in Romania
- Their server list shows UK/British IKEV2 is available but GOOD LUCK finding the server name
- There is no certificate available for you to download from your dashboard, you have to contact their support to have them email it to you!
Anyways, I accepted my fate, I am doomed to have only 3 servers. NOW I decided to follow their guide and try to connect to their servers, none of them work. Apparently the Certificate given to me has an expiry date of 12/11/2014, and their support keep explaining that the certificate never expires even though double clicking on it shows an expiry date. Connecting gives me an error "Invalid Certificate". So I ditch the certificate and follow a post on crackberry where a user successfully connected using the Addtrust external CA certificate, I tried doing that, I keep getting "Time out" Error. Eventually after 15-20 tries I got a connection to which it dropped by itself 10 minutes later.
Forget about connecting to their other 2 servers, Canada and Romania, its almost impossible to get things right.
Pros:
1- Cheap/moderate pricing through their last minute deal option
2- Very nice looking website and guide, they did a great job I have to admit
3- Nice client login interface and renew/purchase of things was easy
4- Provided me with a refund very quickly, took only 2 hours, but strict policy
Cons:
1- 3 servers available here for blackberryhttp://www.purevpn.com/config/blackberry/
2- US server worked once for me out of 40 times I tried connecting, two other servers are not working for me
3- Their support is terrible, you send them an essay of questions and you get 1 line answer, and this 1 line comes after waiting close to a full day for them to come back to you.
4- Their live support will tell you to send them an email, dont even bother asking them any question.
5- I've asked them 3 questions, and never have I gotten an answer from that.
EDIT: PureVPN was very fast to refund me the amount I paid to them, I was on my 3rd day and under 50mb, so I was covered by their refund policy. Please if you have any issues with them make sure you donot exceed 50mb usage or 3 days, otherwise you will not see your money. Thanks PureVPN for that.
12VPN (Rating 4.5/5) - As of 23/11/2014
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Guys if there is one advice I would give to you, go for this provider. I did an extensive search and they have been around for years and they know what they are doing. Do keep in mind that they are exepnsive, but for the goodies you get (Autoproxy, Nat-firewall, SmartDNS) it is WELL worth it.
On PureVPN for example they make you pay for the extras, which can reach a total cost of around 60-70 USD. With 12VPN you can use discount codes (Im not going to post anything for integrity purposes), you easily reach that price, even lower!
They have an UPDATED guide, how do I know? Look at this photo
Attachment 316420
They simply crossed the way you import your certificate (on old release 10.1.x.x) and updated you with the new way to do so. It took me 2min flat to import the certificated (which wasn't expired by the way) to my phone and to setup a New York server configuration as well.
You get a great choice of 25-30 servers to choose from, I picked my favorite server location and set them up quickly
Attachment 316422
This way I can jump between servers instantly, it takes 1-2 seconds to connect to the server you want. I simply enjoy the collection of shows available on Netflix Nederlands (Holland) and their stand up comedies too.
Attachment 316423
Yet I like to watch the movie selection on US Netflix as well. I do my shopping all in the states because I can get my taxes easily, and pay lower than what the US folks pay for :)
Pros:
1- Easy to setup, very nice and informative guide (Up to date with current BBOS)
2- Many servers to choose from, all continents, world wide, and more are added periodically
3- Excellent support (Email, Knowledgebase etc..)
4- Amazing refund policy, 14 days (once every 12 months though!)
5- They support Blackberry, so thumbs up for them
6- In case you hated IKEV2 (which I love by the way) you can chose their Ipsec option!
7- They are headquartered in Hong Kong, no NSA/FBI sniffing bullcrap over there, ask Snowden!. They clearly state they donot log your activities. Lets hope it stays that way.
Cons:
1- More expensive than PureVPN and couple others
2- No live support option, only email communication available. They do have a number you can call though.
3- Very simple dashboard (though others might find this a plus)
Totally recommend it folks, if there was a choice, go for this one.
Witopia VPN (Rated 3/5) - As of 24/11/2014
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I have much respect for this service provider. It is one of the longest standing VPN services, with easily a decade of experience. They admittedly support BBOS 10, They run more than 50 servers spanning the globe, from the states to the far east. Unlike the other IKEV2 providers, this player goes in with a Cisco IPsec configuration (Supported by BB YAY!), which is very simple, and takes you 2 minutes to setup
There was some problems with their Chinese client base, back in 2010-2012 where Witopia was blocked by the PRC, their websites and anything searched with their name off the Internet. They tried to find a workaround and a solution and eventually gave up replying to their clients through live chat or email, let alone financially reimburse them. I have read the stories all around the forums (especially shanghai expat forums) and even though I didn't read about their current status over there, I find their history somewhat off-putting.
Just like a majority of the VPN services supporting Blackberry, they have 3 packages. Their prices range from 49.99 USD/PA for the basic setup, to 250+ USD for the cloakbox service & hardware. Their basic vpn setup is not that expensive compared to other services reviewed and only lacks OpenVPN (which we have no use for as Blackberry owners anyways).
Unfortunately they RARELY (very rarely) ever give out adjustment/discount codes, in fact they haven't given out any in the past couple of years. They believe their prices are fairly adjusted and no discounts are needed. I always search for the discounts, I got $5 off PureVPN and $30 off 12VPN (just google the codes!) and Its fun trying to bargain for something.
Speed is an issue also, they keep saying that speed has nothing to do with them, but compared to other services I found their speed to be subpar compared to the others. For example being in Kuwait I compared speeds on servers located at the US (New York), UK (London) and Europe (Portugal, Lisbon) between Witopia and other 2 VPN providers. They were on average 20-45% slower in ever location mentioned, worst being Lisbon being 43% of the actual speed when not connected to a VPN. Perhaps that has something to do with me being in Kuwait? Who knows.
Give the service a try, they have a great 30 day unconditional refund policy, the best refund policy I came across. Consider that policy a trail to using their service, compared to PureVPN's 3 day policy, this is a great addition. If you find Witopia's IPsec suiting you, stick to it, if not, just ask for your money back. That simple.
Pros:
1- Moderately priced (Not cheap nor expensive)
2- Supports IPsec (Alternative to IKEV2)
3- Close to 50 servers to chose from, pick your favorites, and jump around when needed.
4- Live Support (24/7/365) which is great!
5- Blackberry Support - stated in their own words (Thumbs up!)
6- Been there for decades, will remain there for more (I hope).
7- Superb refund policy (Unconditional 30 days, you just have to ask for it)
Cons:
1- Some mixed reviews from different countries
2- Your country might have blocked Witopia for good and continue to do so (China for example)
3- Speed (Dont expect Lightning speed VPN, seriously)
4- No discounts/adjustment codes/coupons you name it, price you see is what you pay.
VPN Reactor
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Upcoming review - wait for it
List of Servers for BlackBerry
Sure, you may use any of the SSTP servers with BlackBerry too. Moreover, in the light of this reported issue, we have assigned our Development Department to rework on all tutorials and such information which will be there in near future. Also, we are glad to inform you all that we have added our Support Center which is support(dot)purevpn(dot)com having answers of all your questions. If you still have any question, our 24/7 live chat is there to assist you.
Actually we don't like our customers :(
We love them :)
Best Regards,
Q. Nauman M.
Manager Customer Service & Support
PureVPN
hahah try to ask your money back you won�t get a cent back
Ok read this from down upstairs, at Hide My *** you won�t getting robbed and they have stable trustful servers with lower speed but purevpn speed is due tu their ip routing without trustful geo location changes. this means you can step into the internet trap pure like the name says, no money back only if you get mad JUST LIKE ME NOW!!
you should really start reading customer mails and reviews, I do not accept any cent to stay with you, I will move in 10 minutes to the next important page and start to post there but I have now that much of unique reviews I guess I will be very fast and I guess I setup also some macros to do it automated do not think you are offshore and god I am out of mind and secure ;)
On 10.12.2014 22:49, PureVPN Support wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Please check the points and suggestions below:-
> 1. You purchased 4 annual accounts then ask them to merge to a single account having 20 multi logins
> 2. I confirmed you that 20 multi logins are allowed on your sigle account on 29th Nov 2014
> 3. Regarding Germany location you will be assisted and shown wit proof that there is no such issue, if you need
>
> Anyhow, keeping in view that you never used 3 accounts we may refund you in full for 3 annual accounts and 50% refund of the 4th account. You do not qualify for refund though having 39 GB usage as listed below but in order to get it you need to remove the reviews you just did. We may also paste these as a comment but we will not. We broken our policy to allow you on exceptional basis and to make it work for you i.e. 20 multi logins
> If you need the 100% refund of the 4th account too then you need to have a remote session with us after which your case will be reviewed.
>
> PROTOCOLS NUMBER OF TIMES USED BANDWIDTH
> PPTP 105 28,717,444,507 bytes (27,387.09 MB)
> OPENVPN-UDP 1 43,741 bytes (0.04 MB)
> L2TP 34 12,286,450,336 bytes (11,717.27 MB)
> Total Bandwidth
> 41,003,938,584 bytes (39,104.40 MB)
>
> Best Regards,
> Q. Nauman M.
> Manager Customer Service & Support
> PureVPN
>
> ***** We apologize for the delay, might caused in replying your email. We are experiencing an excessive load, unexpectedly, due to customer interest in the services. Our 24/7 live chat is available to assist you on immediate basis.*****
>
> On Thu, Dec 11, 2014 at 2:37 AM, My Email wrote:
>
> I told you I won�t invest any minute in comunication with you because you are too lazy to read my issued mails to the support and their answers and that I got ignored totaly you ****ed me arround enough I won�t stop until I get my money back because I am a real person and can proce it you know what I�ll start to post now also screenshots online screenshots to prove it even more. just save my time and yours and the time your webmasters and supports investet in advertising your crapy semi vpn and return my money I will not stop it and this is my last mail bye bye
>
>
> On 10.12.2014 22:33, PureVPN Support wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> Please contact us via live chat and ask for the Manager, I will assist you and clear the confusion / misunderstanding we have.
>>
>> Best Regards,
>> Q. Nauman M.
>> Manager Customer Service & Support
>> PureVPN
>>
>> ***** We apologize for the delay, might caused in replying your email. We are experiencing an excessive load, unexpectedly, due to customer interest in the services. Our 24/7 live chat is available to assist you on immediate basis.*****
>>
>> On Thu, Dec 11, 2014 at 1:45 AM, My Email wrote:
>>
>> I need no assistance from you give me back my money or I distroy your business by reviews and I can prove it just get your *** in front of my whole emails and read them I was in time and I had really troble not that lousy multi login but I got ignored I swear I will invest every day 4 hours of searching pages where you advertise and write down reviews until your income decreases to a little student
>>
>>
>> On 10.12.2014 21:36, PureVPN Support wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> Sorry for the inconvenience. It seems you did not notice what I wrote in the end �Still we are keen to assist you for which you may contact us any time.�
>>>
>>> Best Regards,
>>> Q. Nauman M.
>>> Manager Customer Service & Support
>>> PureVPN
