Cell phones,tablets and security

[moneymaker]

Are cell phones as secure as VPN’s?

[spdrun]

No, but you can run VPN software on a lot of cell phones.

[Doofrat]

A VPN is a way to make certain types of access easier in some cases. A VPN generally will not make an un secure connection secure as you would have to pass authentication credentials across the un secure network to start it.
What’s your specific scenario you are trying to fix?

[spdrun]

The authentication credentials are generally encrypted before being passed.

Some VPNs like OpenVPN can also be set up to use keys manually installed at both ends to encrypt. And you can pass all traffic, not just private subnet traffic through them.

They of course won’t encrypt plaintext traffic between the endpoint server and the Internet at large, but they’ll protect all traffic between the device and endpoint.

Perfect for preventing casual snooping on insecure hotel networks, for example.

Using VPNs to access servers or printers on a private subnet is just scratching the surface of the capabilities of the technology.

[moneymaker]

I use a VPN connection on a tablet at work that goes through Verizon and was just wondering why it seems so unstable, seems like I have to relog in several times a day which is a real pain in the arse, especially when I don’t realize the connection has been lost and am unaware that things aren’t happening on the other end. Maybe I just need a VPN monitoring app that flashes the screen when the VPN goes down. There is a little icon in the task bar but I don’t notice right away when the VPN connection is lost.

[spdrun]

Typically, if Internet access is lost (passing through an area of “no-G” so to speak), the VPN connection goes down – unless there’s a setting to automatically reconnect.

[CDMA ENG]

[quote=moneymaker]I use a VPN connection on a tablet at work that goes through Verizon and was just wondering why it seems so unstable, seems like I have to relog in several times a day which is a real pain in the arse, especially when I don’t realize the connection has been lost and am unaware that things aren’t happening on the other end. Maybe I just need a VPN monitoring app that flashes the screen when the VPN goes down. There is a little icon in the task bar but I don’t notice right away when the VPN connection is lost.[/quote]

I am assuming that you are refering to going through a cellular network.

If this is the case more than likely the heartbeat of the VPN doesn’t happend frequently enough to keep the data session live. In both EVDO and LTE the data connection to your tablet is not always open and the cell release unused resources. If there isnt enough data passing over the channel while the cell is monitoring the time between requests it will turn down the physical resources (channels, RF power, yada yada). If it is long enough it will release resource and your tunnel might get torn down. I am not sure if you have turn up the reoccurance of th eVPN heartbeat… this might keep your tunnel alive… however if the site is a very busy cell or your time is long enough between request, it is entirely possible that it releasing IP based resources as well which will tear down the logical path as well as the physical.

Releasing the logical resource will kill the tunnel.

What is being release is the difference between a quick connect (which you wouldnt even notice) and a slow connect which you will hate…

Cell phone companys do not want you constantly connected to thier towers for obvious reasons.

CE

[moneymaker]

Sounds like I need to open up a command screen and start a nice long -t ping session with low packet size (8bits). I ‘ll try that when I go back to work in January.

[spdrun]

Good luck with battery life and possibly IP changes as you move between towers. I’d just reconnect and live with it.

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