Does anyone have trouble connecting to Google Earth server??

Not working from GZ now, when it always used to. It was only a matter of time, I'm just surprised it took this long...

Works through proxy server BTW

I don't know if it's an issue of blocked - but more of an issue of the number of hops internet traffic takes just to get out of China. For those IP geeks - do a trace route (tracert for PCs and the traceroute tab on apple's Network Utility in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder).

In the good old days - a traceroute to say...apple.com - would consume less than 10 hops. In China, it takes 10-20 hops just to hit the exit firewall and China has a LOT of firewalls in place.

I'm guessing most foreign sites aren't really blocked (well except for facebook and their ilk) but just die on the vine trying to get past the firewalls, content filters, and a plethora of other network devices that our traffic must traverse on the way out the front door.

VPNs tunnel through all these things (they don't go around) - so if one must really use these various features - VPNs are a basic necessity for living in China for Expats (like your toothbrush, toilet paper, and laptop, for example).

VPNs are such a pain in the a$$.

I hope this situation is resolved soon.

Nothing wrong with VPNs. Mine is free too. I wish there were a better way, but until or unless China removes it's firewalls, VPNs remain a necessity, though there are alternatives such as freegate (which is freeware).

Nothing wrong with VPNs?

Cant multitask.
Slow as dial up, if it connects at all.

I just logged off GE, took almost an hour to accomplish what used to 10 minutes.

not all VPN's are so slow... I use mine to watch streaming netflix all the time

aandt

please tell me which VPN, if you want to contact me personaly it ok, info@paraglideyunnan.com

Right now I cannot access anyth8ing without a VPN, on any of the computers in our place. we live on a school. Okay, anything that is except Chinese sites. If I go to sina.com.cn or baidu.com or any of those BOOM it is up. But right now I have to use a VPN to see gokunming even. Yahoo. Google. MSN. Other sites normally not blocked like a chess site I play at... all blocked. Sure, one or two might be hard to connect to here and there normally, but for me all of them are down recently. Weird and I wonder if the school is doing something.

Bill

i'm having the same problem as BillDan... every foreign sight is 'reset' or otherwise fails to load right now unless i use a proxy/VPN. it's been the same since last night and i don't live in a a school by the way. the latest internet shut-down i guess?! i expect all will be back to normal in a few days (or weeks).