Accessing this site using prepaid mobile in HK

[kyle]

I'm not sure if anyone has encountered this problem. I have a one2free prepaid sim in Hong Kong. If I try to access any pages of this site using my phone, I get a blank page with the word "Unauthorized" in the top left hand corner and nothing else. If I turn my phone into a mobile hotspot and use my iPad to access the site, then it's fine.

Any ideas why?

 

[JessicaTam]

Maybe the HK censors don't like AFF, and your iPad has a VPN?

 

[kyle]

Maybe the HK censors don't like AFF, and your iPad has a VPN?

err...

I've had this SIM card for two years now and had the problem then too. Using a laptop via the mobile hotspot solves the problem as well.

 

[JessicaTam]

err...

I've had this SIM card for two years now and had the problem then too. Using a laptop via the mobile hotspot solves the problem as well.

Then I have no idea!

 

[trippin_the_rift]

I'm surfing on my phone using one2free right now and its fine

 

[kyle]

I'm surfing on my phone using one2free right now and its fine

hmmm... so my sim officially hates AFF. Actually a few other sites have exhibited that behaviour. Some internet posts suggest it could be some Sharepoint problem.

 

[kyle]

Ok here's a strange one. I changed the url to start with https (as the url I normally use in Australia is just http) and the site comes up fine!

 

[Sprucegoose]

Ok here's a strange one. I changed the url to start with https (as the url I normally use in Australia is just http) and the site comes up fine!

Why is that so?

 

[JessicaTam]

Why is that so?

The 's' in https stands for 'secure' so it may use secure info from your device to authorise the session.

 

[equus]

The 's' in https stands for 'secure' so it may use secure info from your device to authorise the session.

S is an abbreviation for SSL - Secure Sockets Layer. An https connection is end-to-end encrypted between the server and client. By establishing an encrypted connection, nothing in the middle (ISP) can actually tell what the traffic is, and hence it is impossible to filter particular content - all that can be done is to block SSL connections entirely, which for an HKG ISP (or mobile provider), would not be practical. Hence sites which may have content which is "blocked" when accessed over non SSL may be fine is accessed securely if the server supports it.

 

[JessicaTam]

S is an abbreviation for SSL - Secure Sockets Layer. An https connection is end-to-end encrypted between the server and client. By establishing an encrypted connection, nothing in the middle (ISP) can actually tell what the traffic is, and hence it is impossible to filter particular content - all that can be done is to block SSL connections entirely, which for an HKG ISP (or mobile provider), would not be practical. Hence sites which may have content which is "blocked" when accessed over non SSL may be fine is accessed securely if the server supports it.

Thanks for the additional info.

 

[JohnK]

Not quite the same issue but I have been issues accessing certain threads on AFF using free wifi in Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand and Singapore the past couple of weeks.

The November 2014 meeting thread was one peculiar one. It would not open. Anywhere.