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Message
Tech Gods of the Tech Board/Re-Updated OP
Posted on 10/5/16 at 9:27 am
Posted on 10/5/16 at 9:27 am
Our company has an agent/employee in Saudi Arabia and Saudi Telecom has now decided to block the following programs:
1. FaceTime/FaceTime Audio
2. WhatsApp (calling feature)
3. IMO chat
4. Skype
I talk to this guy literally 10 times/day and it was perfect with FTA. Now that it's been blocked, we've tried doing every workaround possible - VPN (would sometimes work), changing location to "US" (never worked) with zero success.
Any techies here have a possible solution? TIA
**Update: Sh*t still doesn't work
Google hangouts either. The Saudi version of the FEC will be hosting a committee meeting and Apple reps, Whatsapp reps and one other group will be in attendance to state their case. It will happen in 2 weeks apparently.
Update 2: IMO works!!! A week in and only a few disconnects so far. I'm sure the Chinese are eavesdroppings on my calls, but it's ok
Thanks to all contributors!
1. FaceTime/FaceTime Audio
2. WhatsApp (calling feature)
3. IMO chat
4. Skype
I talk to this guy literally 10 times/day and it was perfect with FTA. Now that it's been blocked, we've tried doing every workaround possible - VPN (would sometimes work), changing location to "US" (never worked) with zero success.
Any techies here have a possible solution? TIA
**Update: Sh*t still doesn't work
Google hangouts either. The Saudi version of the FEC will be hosting a committee meeting and Apple reps, Whatsapp reps and one other group will be in attendance to state their case. It will happen in 2 weeks apparently. Update 2: IMO works!!! A week in and only a few disconnects so far. I'm sure the Chinese are eavesdroppings on my calls, but it's ok
Thanks to all contributors!
This post was edited on 10/12/16 at 4:05 pm
11
Posted on 10/5/16 at 9:50 am to idlewatcher
(no message)
This post was edited on 12/21/21 at 10:44 am
Posted on 10/5/16 at 9:51 am to idlewatcher
duo?
Posted on 10/5/16 at 9:51 am to idlewatcher
try using hangouts within gmail on a PC. its all html based.
This post was edited on 10/5/16 at 9:52 am
Posted on 10/5/16 at 9:59 am to The Egg
Thanks fellas, I did read about Duo - some lady on tTwittersphere mentioned it.
CAD - does hangouts have regular audio or is it just text based?
CAD - does hangouts have regular audio or is it just text based?
Posted on 10/5/16 at 10:04 am to idlewatcher
quote:Hangouts does audio and video calling, along with text.
does hangouts have regular audio or is it just text based?
Posted on 10/5/16 at 10:12 am to Korkstand
Cool will check it out. Thank you kind sir
Posted on 10/5/16 at 10:12 am to idlewatcher
quote:
Our company has an agent/employee in Saudi Arabia and Saudi Telecom has now decided to block the following programs:
Let's talk about whether or not your agent/employee is in fear for his life? I'm being serious here. Is he being single targeted or is this a mass shut down from the Saudi Gov't on these particular apps? Either ways, I'd still be seriously questioning why I was still there. Those are very "western" type apps compared to say Twitter which is very globally used.
Posted on 10/5/16 at 11:15 am to idlewatcher
We have programmers in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, you cant download Skype but it will run over there. FaceTime is totally shutdown, not sure about the others. They are also blocking VPN.
Posted on 10/5/16 at 11:42 am to Vlad
quote:
We have programmers in Saudi Arabia
That concept blows my mind. Well, I physically can understand the concept but in actual real world practice - hell to the naw.
Might I suggest double and even triple checking ALL of their code and files. And then hand it off to a 2nd party to re-validate.
But I digress back to the original topic.
This post was edited on 10/5/16 at 11:43 am
Posted on 10/5/16 at 11:55 am to idlewatcher
line app is encrypted i believe. worth a shot?
Posted on 10/5/16 at 1:21 pm to Vlad
quote:I use ExpressVPN and was not blocked. I was there last week and everything worked fine. I didn't use the call features that the OP talked about, but my VPN worked for websites that usually would be blocked.
They are also blocking VPN.
Posted on 10/6/16 at 9:56 am to Korkstand
quote:and IMO Duo is just Hangouts video calling feature.
Hangouts does audio and video calling, along with text.
Posted on 10/6/16 at 9:58 am to idlewatcher
Be careful with VPN's in the Middle East. With as western as Dubai is they have made the use of VPN services illegal and they are probably illegal in most of the other countries, especially very conservative ones like Saudi Arabia.
Posted on 10/6/16 at 10:55 am to htownjeep
quote:
I use ExpressVPN and was not blocked. I was there last week and everything worked fine. I didn't use the call features that the OP talked about, but my VPN worked for websites that usually would be blocked.
I was going to call you last week anyway. Did you use Facetime audio? That's what I really want to work.
Posted on 10/6/16 at 10:59 am to idlewatcher
quote:No, used Skype and it was fine. I'll be back over there in 3 weeks and I'll be glad to try different ones and get back with ya.
I was going to call you last week anyway. Did you use Facetime audio? That's what I really want to work.
Someone said something about blocking VPNs or that they were illegal...I always use my VPN and I go over to the Middle East quite often and have never had an issue with VPN being blocked. Not once. I wasn't aware that it was illegal in some countries either. I'll have to check into that.
Posted on 10/6/16 at 11:15 am to idlewatcher
What about meeting type software? Gotomeeting, join.me, zoom, etc?
Outside of that, there's gotta be a way to roll your own ssh-tunneled pipe and run something through it.
Outside of that, there's gotta be a way to roll your own ssh-tunneled pipe and run something through it.
Posted on 10/6/16 at 11:17 am to htownjeep
quote:
I'll be back over there in 3 weeks and I'll be glad to try different ones and get back with ya.
'ppreciate it. They are illegal in the Kingdom from what I understand. Saudi Telecom wants to own everyone's usage so of course by limiting access, people have to use their service. It's a racket.
Posted on 10/6/16 at 11:18 am to Meauxjeaux
We aren't set up for GTM although I did consider it.
Someone in Saudi mentioned Duo (someone on this thread as well) but apparently that doesn't work per my guy over there.
It's a PITA though b/c we have work to do and even the cell quality is shite.
quote:
Outside of that, there's gotta be a way to roll your own ssh-tunneled pipe and run something through it.
Someone in Saudi mentioned Duo (someone on this thread as well) but apparently that doesn't work per my guy over there.
It's a PITA though b/c we have work to do and even the cell quality is shite.
Posted on 10/6/16 at 11:28 am to idlewatcher
quote:If it is (and I'm not sure yet) I would highly doubt the law is there to block businessmen from conducting business phone calls. They're paranoid as f*** about ISIS and their ilk getting a foothold inside Kingdom and I'm sure that is what it would be aimed at. I used Skype (above you said it was blocked) but that was a video call and not a voice call. Not sure if that makes a difference at all.
They are illegal in the Kingdom from what I understand.
But, Saudi in general is not as uptight as they used to be. I remember a few years ago you only had a few channels in the hotel. Now, I had about 75 channels with a wide range of choices. Hell, my Netflix even worked on my iPad without a VPN.
The main reason I use a VPN in the Middle East is to watch the Tigers and NFL when I'm over there.
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