Today, online gambling has become one of the most lucrative segments of worldwide gaming business with various forms such as casinos, sports betting, poker, horse racing, mobile gaming and many more. It is the advances in security and transparency that have made the appeal of these sites much more mainstream. Many gambling sites are located in far-flung parts of the world and you need to be sure that your money or credit card/bank details do not end up in the hands of a third party or seen by prying eyes across networks. This is where Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) come in handy.

In 2011, many popular online casinos and gambling websites including Full Tilt Poker and Pokerstars were hit by a US crackdown on gambling. Gambling can be difficult especially if you happen to travel to countries such as Italy where foreign bookmakers are banned. If you happen to travel to such countries, you will certainly need the best gambling VPN services to access gambling sites safely. A fixed IP for gambling will help to disguise your IP address so that you can access gambling websites anonymously worldwide including sites that are geo-restricted.

Worldwide gambling VPNs have servers located in different countries so that whichever country you visit, you can map your IP address to appear local to your online bookmakers and gambling websites. Virtual Private Networks usually protect information across networks through data encryption so that any information passed between you and the gambling site is highly secure and anonymous to other network users. Many of the biggest bookmakers are located in the UK so users will need to get a static ip UK to enable them to ‘virtually reside’ there and open and manage their accounts.

Although dynamic VPN IP address is usually recommended for secure communication, this is not a good option if you are in online gambling. Having a dynamic IP address means that the IP will keep on changing often which brings in the risk of sharing an IP address with someone who also does online gambling. This would look suspicious to the bookie for it would appear like you have two, or worse still, multiple accounts using the same IP address. Fixed VPN IP address is therefore preferred for online gambling. You can get a static ip from Netignition.com which will help you access the sites that you want to use.

Doha Skyline

Internationally, Qatar has developed close military ties with the United States and serves as a Combined Air Operations Center and US Central Command Forward’s Headquarters. Most of the political and economic activities are centered in Doha, the capital city of Qatar with Arabic being the official language although English is also widely spoken. Ever since the main television network, Al Jazeera, was launched in 1996, Qatar has become more known to the rest of the world and has seen an influx of foreign tourists flying into and through the country.

The Doha International Airport, which is Qatar’s main airport, served almost 15 million passengers in 2007 showing increased interest in visiting Qatar as a tourist destination. Qatar has made deliberate efforts to attract more foreign tourists through advancement of transport and hospitality. The Arab state has diverse tourism activities such as Kite-surfing and desert dune-bashing safari tours but it is the internet censorship in Qatar that acts as a deterrent to many oversees travellers. Internet in Qatar, just like many other Arab countries, is filtered and highly restricted and it is always difficult or impossible to access internet services such as YouTube, Skype, Chat rooms or social media sites such as Facebook.

According to the OpenNet Initiative, an organization that investigates internet filtering around the world, Qatar internet access is classified as Pervasive and Selective meaning much content in several categories is blocked and a number of specific sites are blocked. Although Qatar is one of the most internet-connected countries in the Arab region, oversees travellers to Qatar find many sites to be either inaccessible or blocked, therefore Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) become a major part of internet connection in Qatar. The only effective solution to bypass Qatar internet filters is through a Qatar VPN service or through Qatar proxy servers.

Although Qatar internet filters mostly target political criticism of Gulf countries, pornography, sexual health resources, gay and lesbian content, dating and escort services, privacy and circumvention tools and other areas, internet users report that non-offensive or non-obscene sites are also blocked. Most of the internet filtering and blocking in Qatar is relatively transparent since an alert block page is served to the user but as an internet user who values free speech this is little consolation.

You can find internet hotspots easily in Doha from hotels, internet cafes and petrol stations. All you need is an internet card and a device to access internet but you will certainly get frustrated by the heavy filtering and blocking of websites. If you are travelling to Qatar or planning to relocate to Qatar maybe on a working Visa program, you will need the best Qatar VPN solution to bypass internet filters and access unrestricted internet. This will unblock all websites and allow you to surf the internet anonymously and with total online privacy.

Refrerences

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_by_country

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/datablog/2012/apr/16/internet-censorship-country-list

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_in_Qatar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar

China has demonstrated tremendous growth in many fields including Information Communication Technology (ICT). All technologies and services relating to ICT in China including; communication, broadcasting, software, wireless and internet are regulated by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). China made its first internet connection in 1987, opening the mainland of the People’s Republic of China to the rest of the world through the Internet. Since then, China has enjoyed significant growth in internet connectivity hosting the largest base of internet users in the world. However, it is the lack of free flow information coupled with internet censorship that has become an internet phenomenon associated with the Chinese government and which remains as a hindrance to world e-commerce.

The Internet in China is highly regulated and at all times censored through the state-owned internet filters popularly called The Great China Firewall. Any website operating in China under its own domain name must have the Internet Content Provider (ICP) license issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) of China. Internet services in and out of China are almost impossible without the use of anti-internet filters solutions such as VPN for China and China proxy servers. China’s Great Firewall is a huge government undertaking and its main objective is to monitor all levels of information flow within and across China’s borders.

Because the Chinese government block websites, especially many foreign websites, many Chinese internet have to seek out the best VPN for China in order to access internet services such as Facebook, Skype, emails, YouTube or even to write and publish a blog. This increased web content censoring by the Chinese government hinders many business prospects and serves to deny millions of Chinese would-be online workers their rightful online freedom and opportunities. Internet technologies and software applications are a major boast to e-commerce and they are part of daily lives to many people around the world however, cyber-attacks and China internet censorship hinder growth of e-commerce.

Populous economies like China are highly lucrative opportunities for online commercial enterprises but as a result of restrictions to web content, China’s large target audience will remain out of reach for many foreign online marketers. If China is to achieve any significant gains in e-commerce it has to open its internet gates and let the rest of the world conduct free and uncensored e-commerce business. There can be no growth in trade without foreign trade and the same applies to e-commerce trading. Foreign commercial interests operating in China and which are the backbone of e-commerce such as eBay and Google Inc. must be protected by international internet laws and policies against China’s internet censorship for the growth of e-commerce.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_in_China
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_the_People’s_Republic_of_China
http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/news/international/countriesandterritories/china/internet_censorship/index.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/world/asia/china-pressures-businesses-to-help-censor-web.html?ref=internetcensorship&_r=0

By regional standards, telecommunication penetration in Iran is relatively well-developed compared to other regional countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. By 2012, Iran had made significant growth in mobile technology and had more than 1 mobile phone per inhabitant. With the telecommunications industry being almost state-owned in Iran, telecom services and internet access is state-controlled and censored. More than half of Iranian population has access to the Internet making Iran among the leaders in the Middle East in term of internet users.

Of late there has been state initiated plan to introduce strict measures on Internet censorship in Iran forcing the majority of internet users to seek Iran VPN services to access blocked websites and other online services. The Iranian government’s plan to switch its citizens’ Internet to a government-monitored network, ostensibly to improve online security was seen by majority of Iranian Internet users as a deliberate government move to control and restrict web access. VPNs and other solutions used to bypass internet filters are much sought services in Iran especially after the government attempt to block Google search engine and Gmail.

Iran has firm and effective state-controlled internet filters comparable to China’s Great Internet Firewall. The Iranian government justifies these filters as a way to protect its citizens against cyber-attacks but in the process, it blocks its citizens and Internet users from accessing majority of websites branding them as offensive or criminal. While majority of Internet users in Iran have less control over the state-owned internet filters, many seek out means of bypassing internet filters.

The Iranian government, having seen how powerful the Internet is as a communication tool during the planned anti-government protests, has moved swiftly to restrict internet access by cutting internet links, social media and email services. Iranians no longer access Internet services such as Facebook, YouTube and Skype freely unless bypass solutions are used. There has been a plan by the government to create Iranian internet system, a network isolated from the World Wide Web to enforce internet censorship. In the meantime, Iranian nationals, tourists and expats will be reassured that they can bypass internet filters and still access internet services and blocked websites through Virtual private networks (VPNs) in Iran.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_Iran
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22281336
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/apr/23/web-censorship-net-closing-in
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2207902/Iran-internet-censorship-Government-accused-restricting-citizens-online-access.html

Virtual Private Network technology is fairly easy and simple to use. Usually, users connect to a VPN by launching a client service on their computer which can be as simple as clicking a website link. Using valid credentials, the user logs in to enable the computer to connect and authenticate with another remote computer through the exchange of trusted keys. Once the two computers have verified and authenticated each other, encrypted and secure communication can take place over the Internet. There are many services which can be accessed over the internet while abroad; sending emails, buying items online, online transactions, banking, money transfer, entertainment etc. It is always helpful to secure these services from cyber thieves, eavesdroppers, hackers and many other forms of internet threats and a VPN is the best known solution for ensuring data security, protecting against internet theft and allowing unrestricted internet access.

Why VPNs are useful to ex-pats

Being away from home, you will find these services very useful in accessing internet services that would otherwise be difficult to access. It can be difficult to access internet services in countries where the Internet is either restricted or censored such as China and UAE. VPNs can help users to bypass internet filters and still enjoy unrestricted or uncensored internet services. Here are other benefits that ex-pats can enjoy while using services abroad.

1. Secure online activities

Being abroad does not mean being limited in business or personal online transactions. A virtual private network affords security of data being transmitted since all data transfer is strongly encrypted with strict authentication requirements. As an ex-pat, you will still enjoy secure online activities including transactions and e-commerce just like you would on a private network. Your online login credentials such as card numbers, usernames and passwords will be protected against network sniffers even on WiFi Hotspots and mobile connections. Unlike many subscription and free proxy services which track users by logging their online activities, VPNs do not log your internet activities, they are highly secure with no chances of fraud or internet theft.

2. Unblock websites and enjoy online services

If you travel abroad where online services such as Skype, Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter are restricted or blocked, then using a VPN abroad will save the day. You will be able to acquire a different overseas IP addresses which makes it possible to unblock restricted internet services. You can unblock VoIP calls to keep in touch with friends or family and save on international calls or even access geo-restricted services such as BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Pandora, Fox, CBS & Netflix.

3. Browse anonymously

Many internet users are unaware that even their trusted ISP providers can track their online activities and use the information for their benefit (to server targeted advertsing etc). As an expatriate, you can hide what you do on the internet thus making it difficult for the ISP to monitor your surfing activities. With remote servers in USA or UK, you can hide your IP address to surf the internet anonymously without leaving trails of your internet footprints.

Other countries where internet services are restricted, censored or blocked include China, Cuba, North Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia among others. In all these countries there is a control or suppression of what can be accessed, published, or viewed on the internet. In most cases, internet censorship is initiated by government authorities or private organizations based on internet filters as to what is and what isn’t appropriate internet content.

What Content Is Censored In UAE

While countries like China may choose to completely block internet services at times, the authorities in UAE are specifically concerned with selected areas of the Internet. Internet censorship is  applied on content that is critical of the government, pornography and nudity, internet tools for bypassing internet filters, content associated with crime, chatting services, social sites, hate content (especially religious), unlicensed VoIP services, hacking, spyware, gambling, content on illegal drugs, dating sites, terrorism,  gay and lesbian sites among others.

Most internet users in UAE generally accept censorship of content such as pornography, nudity, terrorism, illegal drugs and other related content on the grounds that it does not appear to be politically motivated. But users take it as a violation of their own rights when the government censors the Internet and denies them freedom of speech on government policies. The UAE government insists that it only applies internet filters on internet content that is inconsistent with religious, political, cultural and moral values of the Gulf nation.

Effect Of Internet Censorship In UAE

It is very difficult to understand how internet service providers in UAE such as Etisilat and Du determine the appropriate internet content or what is in violation. While the government of UAE might get away with the implementation of internet censorship, trade relations and the economy of this world’s fast rising nation may be affected adversely. Without open internet services, it is extremely difficult for foreign international traders and ex-pats to conduct business freely in UAE.

Many internet users and especially international business traders depend on internet services such as Skype for chat and video-conferencing for business communication. Skype services are blocked in UAE and so is VoIP, which mean no video-conferencing and such related services. These services are blocked deliberately by the UAE government to protect loss of business amongst national telecoms. While internet users in UAE are still hopeful that the government will ease it’s stance on internet censorship, users will still have to put up with over-restricted or inaccessible internet content for now. Strangely, in an effort by the UAE government to encourage current affairs awareness, news sites, including seemingly critical ones are not censored unless they exhibit open criticism of the government.

How To Bypass Internet Censorship In UAE

While most of the blocked internet sites in UAE may not bother average internet users, some internet services such as Skype and video-conferencing can be a disadvantage to many users. Internet censorship in UAE is clearly visible and users will often know when a site is blocked since it will come up clearly as ‘government censored’ unlike other countries such as China where searches on blocked sites may return no data. If you would like to bypass internet filters in UAE and access blocked websites, the best option is to use a VPN service. With a VPN, you’ll be able to access blocked services such as Skype, VoIP, online streaming TV and movie services such as Netflix, social sites among others. Residents only need to locate the best UAE VPN and then take out a subscription for a few dollars a month to bypass the censorship and access all blocked sites.

If you want to make a stand against censorship you can add your voice to Google’s campaign for a free and open internet here https://www.google.com/takeaction/

A Virtual Private Network is a service that uses communication and security technologies to route data securely over unsecured public networks such as the Internet. The technology uses protocols which tunnel encrypted data that cannot be intercepted by eavesdroppers or prying eyes on the network. Although many small businesses may have budget constraints which may not allow technology expansion, many VPN service providers have solutions designed for every business need. Acquiring small business VPN services can be an ideal solution for a small business that seeks to optimize data security while at the same time increasing privacy for their online activities.

Use of VPN services is one way into which small business can utilize to remain competitive in the market. Trusted and reliable VPN providers such as Net Ignition offer a variety high quality VPN services that range from individual users to small and large business VPN solutions. With efficient VPN services in place, small businesses can extend their networks to cover a wider business area to serve more clients and suppliers geographically without needing to worry about data security. Having these services in place can enable a small business to reduce on operational costs since employees can work remotely connected by a secure network. Such strategies can mean a lot to a small business in terms profit maximization since management can save on travelling costs, office space, fuel, transport and other expenditures.

Companies incur huge losses every year due to internet theft and fraud resulting from hacking, tapping, eavesdropping  and other forms of network security breaches. Most VPN services provide high levels of data security since data is encrypted before being routed over the network. Small businesses dealing with online money transfer and transactions can take advantage to secure their payment gateways therefore secure their networks. A small business VPN is simple to set up and doesn’t require any specialist skills so it is definitely something business owners should seriously consider.

When you connect to a public network through a Virtual Private Network, the Internet Service Provider will still provide to you the internet services but data transfer will be more secure since the data traffic will be encrypted as it passes through your ISP to the VPN server. Apart from the added security, the connection will appear anonymous to other networks due to hiding of IP address and therefore you can enjoy geo-restricted services such as restricted TV services or bypass internet censoring filters in countries where the Internet is restricted or blocked.

So, how would the connection speed be affected when using this kind of service to route data across networks, or simply, how fast are VPNs? Having a fast data transfer rate will depend on a number of factors just like any other connection. Here, we discuss the key factors which can affect the speed you will achieve.

1. ISP Speed

The speed of your Internet Service Provider will play a big role in determining your connection speed. The VPN service provider does not provide internet connection so you will still need the services of ISP to connect to the internet. The VPN will usually use the speed provided by the ISP as the base speed of transmitting your data across public networks, therefore the speed of ISP will largely determine the rate of internet connection. The process of data encryption and decryption will invariably make the connection marginally slower so the faster the ISP connection you start off with,the better. If you start with a slow connection it is physically impossible for the VPN to speed the connection up, the maximum speed you can theoretically achieve is what your ISP provides.

2. Location of VPN servers

Another factor that determines a fast service is the location of VPN servers and the latency caused as the data packets move from one device to another. Basically, data transmission latency will increase as the distance between the VPN server and the physical location of the user increases.

VPN users are therefore recommended to subscribe to providers with servers close to their geographical location or the location they wish to target (ie when watching geo-restricted TV services). Travelling users should opt for providers who have servers in multiple locations and in different countries so that they can switch between servers as they travel. VPN providers who operate different servers can also offer increased speed since peak-time traffic can be off-loaded to other servers or be scattered across several servers.

3. Availability of IP address

Dynamic IP VPNs usually utilize dynamic IP addresses which are automatically and randomly allocated by the service provider from a pool of available addresses. That means users will need to be assigned IP addresses dynamically when they are available. If the provider has limited number of IP addresses, users will experience delays as they wait for IP addresses to become available and this can cause slow connections. Always go for a reliable VPN provider who can offer access of IP addresses from a larger pool.

4. Choice or VPN Protocols

Many premium VPN providers allow their clients to choose the type of VPN protocol they would prefer. The most commonly used protocols are PPTP, L2TP/IPsec, SSTP and OpenVPN – each of these has its own performance ratings on connection speed and can determine the speed and/or security of the service.

5. VPN configuration

While most VPNs are fairly easy to configure, software problems resulting from configuration settings or potential conflicting software such as security optimizers, packet filters and firewalls can cause a fast VPN to be slow.

The speed requirement of a VPN service will vary depending on user needs and while the task of determining the speed of a VPN may look daunting for average users, the best way to determine speed is by taking advantage of the offered free trials. This way, you will be able to assess if the speed will match up to your requirement before you can subscribe for the service.

To better understand the difference between dynamic and static IP VPNs and how IP addresses are used in VPN service with dynamic IP or VPN service with dedicated IP, let us first look at what IP addresses are and how they work. An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a unique four block number, (for instance, 213.134.128.034) which is assigned to each computer that uses Internet Protocol for communication to identify it over the network. Although an IP address can serve many purposes when used over a network, the primary functions are location addressing and network interface identification.

The video below explains in more detail what an IP address is

A static IP address remains constant as it was assigned by the Internet Service Provider (ISP) or a Network Administrator while accessing the internet. On the other hand, a dynamic IP address changes periodically. Dynamic IP addresses are better assigned through a computer interface or a host application.  A network server with a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) can also be used to assign dynamic IP addresses. A Static IP address is also referred to as fixed or dedicated IP address. When a computer connects to the Internet through a Virtual Private Network (VPN), the IP address can either be dynamically or statically allocated.

Dynamic IP VPN

Dynamic IP VPNs usually utilize dynamic IP addresses which are automatically and randomly allocated by the VPN service provider from a pool of available addresses. Once allocated, the IP address becomes private to that particular computer and remains unshared throughout their session until disconnection where another different IP address can be allocated. When you subscribe to a Dynamic IP VPN from a trusted VPN provider such a Net Ignition, you will be able to access different VPN servers in many countries.

With Dynamic IP VPN, you can access VPN services in UK or VPN services in USA. You will also be able to access restricted services such as TV channels like Hulu, Netflix or Pandora. Dynamic IP VPNs have increased security and anonymity especially from eavesdroppers. The fact that the IP address keeps on changing makes it difficult for hackers and intruders to pose security threats. The set-up is done automatically by the VPN service provider so the user doesn’t have to worry about configuration.

Fixed (static) IP VPN

Unlike in Dynamic IP VPN, the IP address in Fixed IP VPN does not change and remains the same throughout VPN service subscription. Every time you disconnect and re-connect, the IP address is always the same. In situations where computer connections need to be more authenticated, VPN services with static IP serve this need better. Fixed IP VPN supports name resolution especially where host or domain names are used, for instance, in Web and FTP servers.

Static IP VPN can be useful where certain network devices do not support Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP); moreover, using a VPN service with static IP can be a good way to avoid potential address conflicts where DHCP may allocate an address already assigned statically elsewhere. Many services running online such as file servers, VoIP, real-time databases, surveillance equipment from remote connections etc. require the use of VPN services with static IP. Security is also a major advantage with Fixed IP VPN with useful audit log for problems traceability if need be.

When data is transmitted over public networks such as the Internet, it is prone to interception. That means eavesdroppers can tap personal and private information such as email passwords, web login credentials, credit card numbers, home physical address, web browsing histories, shopping patterns etc. This can happen regardless of whether they are using Cable Internet connection, public hotspots or WiFi connectivity. To avoid such security breaches, reliable and secure Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are used.  VPNs add value and extend a private network and its resources across public networks like the Internet by using virtual dedicated point-to-point connection and encryption to securely tunnel data across the network. VPNs create a secure “tunnel” across the Internet between you and a public networks such as the internet for secure and reliable connection. All you need is a VPN account that would allow you to connect to secure servers that send encrypted data while hiding your IP address.

Mobile devices are, and will continue to be, the gadgets that mostly influence our day-to-day routines. Many professionals are using mobile devices such iPads, tablets and smartphones as their primary computing device in business. With such widespread adoption and use, security, privacy and confidentiality become a critical consideration. While some internet users may be aware of the huge benefits that come with using security-enhancing services when online, many may be unaware that they can also use a VPN service on a mobile device. It means you can use a VPN service for iPhone to secure your communication on iPhone or use VPN service for Android if you have an Android mobile phone. Mobile users should understand that information such as emails or bank accounts between their mobile devices over public networks such as WiFi connections is never secure without use of VPN services for mobile devices.

Secure Networks have a lot to offer in mobile devices and security. If you rely on your mobile device for flexibility, subscribing to a premium trusted VPN for mobile from a reliable service provider such as netignition.com can increase security in day-to-day communications. If you have an Apple phone then you would require a VPN for iPhone and likewise for Android, you will require a VPN for Android. Different service providers offer a diverse range of services including a VPN service for iPad. Apart from security and privacy, acquiring a VPN for iPad can enable you to access restricted online network services. For instance, using VPN for mobile allows you to unblock geo-restricted websites such as YouTube, Pandora and Skype or watch USA TV in UK on Hulu or Netflix. If you need more flexibility with your mobile device with guaranteed security while on public networks, the only way is to acquire a VPN service for mobile devices. For business organizations that need to enforce strong authentication on the devices such as usernames, passwords, certificate-based authentication or one-time passwords which expires after single use, then VPN service for mobile is the most suitable for securing connectivity from mobile devices to the corporate network.