Originally Posted by
StuckInYYZ
Just because it currently works does not mean it will continue to work in the future. The GFWoC is not infallible. The entry points just might not have been identified just yet. But as more unauthorized people use them, they will get noticed. They allow the small fry go as some unidentified VPNs could be corporate VPNs. But that could quickly change.
I've been traveling to China for work for a decade. Granted I'm not there long enough as a resident, but I spend up to 3-4 months of a year here broken up into multiple trips that I think I've tested VPNs enough.
I highly doubt that someone flips the VPN restrictions off when I show up only and that I'm that lucky to catch a break on VPN Crackdowns. I've seen a few of them, and where popular VPNs shut down, the "known" ones shut down too.
I also think a significant portion of VPNs not working is also user error. I know this because iOS, Android, and desktop devices can play differently, and if even ONE device works, it tells you that the VPN is likely working. I've used that to my advantage. Back when I used PIA for the 3 or 4 years before COVID, what I found was that connecting directly to an actual IP address instead of relying on DNS was a surefire way to connect, but because no one bothers to set that up they just claim PIA fails in China. Yes, it's significantly harder to get working on iOS devices in my experiences, whereas it worked very reliably on Android and on my MacBook telling me it was something with iOS instead.