I tried this morning to use my VPN to connect to my servers in the states. Both VPN's couldn't connect at all.

Tried: **EDITED OUT BY MARTY****
Even my backup, **EDITED OUT BY MARTY**** does not work.

Is this countrywide or only in San Pedro?

As far as I'm aware Hotspot has been blocked on and off for some time. They are constantly working at blocking different ports used by VPNs.

I can use my **EDITED OUT BY MARTY*** in Caye Caulker. Both ***EDITED OUT BY MARTY*** work. Although the speed wasn't good enough to get a good Skype call going.

This thread is unwise and should be removed.

Thank god, VPN is working again.

Because BTL blocks so many TCP und UDP ports, I always get timeouts as admin on my Wordpress Blogs, its realy a pain in the a....

people - BTL can read.

Then read this, Blocking anything I want on the internet is a violation of my freedom, shame on you BTL.
Keep the internet free and get out of my space.
Internet users should be able to access any web content they choose and use any applications they choose, without restrictions or limitations imposed by their Internet service provider.
No such thing as limited freedom.

BTL can read and as far as we know ALL VPN is blocked yes it sucks but at the same time if you are going to critisize and bitch about our BTL VIOLATING YOUR FREEDOM....omg really? bit extreme isn't it? think of the REAL violations of Freedom in the US, Britain, Middle east, pretty much the entire world, even here in Belize...and u bitch about not being able to skype? Pay the damn $1.00 a minute or whatever it is to call home and let your family know they are at least worth something. It is ILLEGAL to skype...you dont like it and cant deal with it? go home....simple.

Thank you Lord Ashcroft.

:-)
No 'off' switch or blocking for the internet.
Huge political tool. What was the first thing government did to the Egyptians who voiced their need for fair government....clicked off the internet!

Totally incorrect. It is actually illegal in Belize to block Skype and similar VoIP.

Or just have a brain bigger than a gibnut and get around the extremely intelligent BTL. Haha....you see what I did there?

Anyways, not everyone makes 1 twenty minute phone call a week outside of the country. Some of us call internationally a lot and since we pay for Voip, then we should be able to use it. And we do.

i would like rather to use proxy sites: http://proxy-zone.net

For the last few days I have lost my inter-net camera's, will the blocking have anything to do with this?

Just looked and your cameras are working.

I'm definitely getting a sense of Internet reliability on SP from the previous posts. However, I still want to ask my question:

If one wanted to spend about six months on the island and needed consistent,reliable Internet with VPN access, would this be possible?

I don't need to Skype or visit a thousand random sites; I just need to reliably access state-side servers via SonicWall Global VPN to perform my day-to-day work-related activities.

Is this at all possible on San Pedro?

Thank you for your time and comments.

Yes it's possible if you have the proper setup.

Thank you, hazzyy. Much appreciate the glimmer of hope.

Is it possible for you to expand a bit on what a "proper setup" might look like?

Is it additional equipment, software, etc? Don't want to put you out by asking for too much detail. Just the basics.

Thanks very much.

-Brian

Hey Brian,
If Hazy tells you they will block him. They can read, actually you could be a blocker and disguising yourself.Bring your computer and you can operate like everyone that does it,not that I do..

So...am I reading it right that being in SP for a few weeks, we won't be able to Skype with our families back in the states? Just need a little clarification as I am a bit technologically challenged.

I have moved to a cell phone I don't carry,just use in my office to call the States and Europe. I buy triple minutes BZ$50 equals $150 on certain days. If I call the US at the BZ$1 rate I actually pay BZ$0.33 a min to call.Nice clear call no Skype hassles

You can only use Skype via a VPN, or if you have an unlocked cell phone that uses a SIM card, the suggestion by Dane is a good one.

You can buy a Belize Digicell SIM card which comes with $10bz of credit, and extra calling minutes online, via the Hot Guide website. You also get 5% cashback on any extra minutes you buy (at any time) and you can use the same offer on double/triple days. You just missed a D/T day on Wednesday but there may well be one before or during your stay, and if you buy on the site you can select to have your minutes credited on the next promotion day, so you get the best deal. Scroll down to the bottom of their home page and you will see the Digicell "button".

""Has anybody tired one from here? I used one for 6 years I lived in Europe and it was cheap and easy. Belize is a little expensive, 0.29 cents USD a minute but that is better than the rates I have been paying.
http://www.aitelephone.com/international-callback.html

I have been trying to get on Skype as well, but have had no luck placing PC to PC calls. I understand this is an ever changing issue, anyone have Skype and is using it?""

That was the very first post I ever started on this site. It was July 31, 2006.

Off peak, using Digicell with triple minutes makes off-peak calls to the US, just 14bz cents/minute.

The notion of BTL trolling these boards for the latest in VoIP bypass hacks in preposterous. They run the network. They see what traffic is passing. They've had tools that can pinpoint VoIP traffic and VoIP flow signatures (regardless of protocol) for years. Whatever they want to block, they can. They don't need the the folks on this message board to clue them in.

Everyone conveniently thought his was an Ashcroft thing. Now he is out and GOB is in and we see the real source of the revenue preservation tactics. BTL is a HUGE source of revenue for the government. Second only to their mobile revenues is international toll revenue. In Belize, VoIP is not about some big tech breakthrough, it's about cost.

If you want an in-bound US/CAN/UK number that rings to your Belize home/cell, that can be done without VoIP - just ask around - and it cannot be blocked. If you want cheap rates for outbound calling to the world, you can continue to do battle with the GOB, but all your doing is taking dollars away from the tax bucket. If your morals allow for that, as with most, go right ahead with your VPN and talk about it all you want... BTL techology is smarter than you think.

And it was declared by the PUC to be illegal.

The PUC that has no authority....

No more do I or any of us, but they are pretty well placed to assess the legality or otherwise of what has been going on.

I think this was 2008!
Belize Free Internet Consortium
BTL VoIP Block Bypass
Internet (IP) voice and video are now global standards in communication for many industries. Many people have simply circumvented BTL’s blocks, and some have gone so far as canceling BTL in favor of an alternate ISP. It has been some time since this site was updated. We believe it is time for a reminder on how exactly to circumvent BTL and get what the constitution affords you despite the criminal actions of Lord Ashcrook:

If you simply want to dump BTL, your options are SMART/SpeedNet or satellite. The satellite options are still DirecWay, Starband and now iDirect. We may cover these options as they pertain to VoIP usage in further posts. The goal for this post is to update residents of Belize on bypassing BTL’s VoIP blocks on their high-speed DSL internet services.
If you use Skype or any other PC-based telephony service, the answer is a software VPN (virtual private network). Most people have used HotspotVPN and Witopia Personal VPN. For technical technical reasons beyond the scope of this post, it is always better to opt for a “UDP-based” VPN. AnchoFree is another variety of VPN that is FREE, but quality has varied greatly with AF expecially on 128kbps connections (BTL’s $100bz/mo ADSL service).
If you use Vonage or Packet8 or any other SIP adapter-based product, there are two options. The first is to turn your PC, running the PC-based VPN software, into a “router/encrypt-er” for your Vonage box. Many of the country’s IT professional have been quietly implementing this service for their customers. Ask around and you will likely find a technician willing to help you set this up.
The second option for Vonage users to purchase a dedicated VPN router, a hardware based solution. This alleviates the need for a PC to run the VPN and generally results in a much more stable and clear connection for the voice/video call. This option requires a service provider in the US or any country outside Belize to provide a VPN server to which your hardware can connect.
The last option is to find a service provider either PC-based or adapater-based that uses the IAX protocol. IAX is a protocol developed along with the open source PBX named Asterisk and is currently NOT blocked in Belize. IAX is a less common IP voice protocol to its big brother SIP, but it works just the same. Future posts will include direct links to IAX service providers and IAX hardware.
The goal of this site is to protect the rights of the residents of Belize. We’re not interested in bowing to BTL’s intimidation. Some comments on this site in the past have suggested that these solutions should be kept quiet. We respect that opinion, but we must also respectfully disagree. BTL is acting criminally. BTL is a piece of a massive criminal scheme to make a few rich British Lords a bit richer. In their circles, Belizeans are a big JOKE. Why should we curb our mutual disrespect and disdain for their behaviour?

This is more recent
http://westernbelizehappenings.blogspot.com/2010/09/btl-to-stay-private-company-controlled.html
Oct 2010

still the same old BTL just now going into different pockets!

On August 25th, by virtue of an Act of Legislature of Belize, the Government of Belize became the owner of the majority of the shares in Belize Telemedia Limited. The remaining shares are owned by 908 small shareholders

Company Mission
Be fast and efficient in providing communication solutions, enriching the quality of life of customers, keeping them connected anytime, anywhere.....but still, not to everyone!

Just curious as I've asked this question before but never got a response. Has anyone tried Gmail Chat? It's free to the States and Canada right now. I'd be surprised if BTL blocked Google, but maybe I'm missing something tech-wise. At any rate, in areas of the world where it's not blocked, Google is 100x better in my opinion than Skype. Just wondering...

As far as I remember the "phone" part of Google Chat is only available to US IP addresses. So you would still need a VPN on a US server to use it.

I've used in all over Europe, Mexico, and Canada, calling to the US/Canada. Maybe worth a look?

I have a Witopia wireless N router (cloakbox) configured for OpenVPN and it works faultlessly. All the international telephoning we do is through Skype.

I have only used Google Voice/ Chat in the US and there is a mention that the service is only available in the US. However when you read the warning it does not mention anything about IP tracking.

It says the following:

Don't see the Call phone feature? At this time it's only available for use in the United States. Please ensure that your Gmail interface language is set to English (US).

I dont know if it checks the IP (it does say only available in the US) or just your language settings but maybe worth a try

Original Source