Archive for the ‘Social networks’ Category

Cannot connect to Facebook in Vietnam? (part III)

Sunday, December 6th, 2009

(NOTE: If you used my previous instructions to setup proxy connection, YOU SHOULD REMOVE IT if you start using this method. In Firefox, go to Tools -> Options -> Advanced -> Connection -> Settings -> and select ‘No Proxy’. In Internet Explorer, go Tools -> Internet Options -> Connections -> Local Area Network (LAN) Settings -> LAN Settings -> and make sure “use automatic configuration script” is NOT checked/enabled.)

The latest (=best) way to get to Facebook in Vietnam with high speed is to use recently announced Google’s DNS service:

Google Public DNS is a free, global Domain Name System (DNS) resolution service. Using that one will avoid recent “Facebook connection problems” in Vietnam.

It’s not so difficult to setup even without experience, but if you have some geek nearby ask her/him to change the settings. :)

Changing DNS server settings on Microsoft Windows Vista:

  1. Go the Control Panel.
  2. Click Network and Internet, then Network and Sharing Center, then Manage network connections.
  3. Select the connection for which you want to configure Google Public DNS. For example:
    • To change the settings for an Ethernet connection, right-click Local Area Connection, and click Properties.
    • To change the settings for a wireless connection, right-click Wireless Network Connection, and click Properties.

    If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

  4. Select the Networking tab. Under This connection uses the following items, click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), and then click Properties.
  5. Click Advanced and select the DNS tab. If there are any DNS server IP addresses listed there, write them down for future reference, and remove them from this window.
  6. Click OK.
  7. Select Use the following DNS server addresses. If there are any IP addresses listed in the Preferred DNS server or Alternate DNS server, write them down for future reference.
  8. Replace those addresses with the IP addresses of the Google DNS servers: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.
  9. Restart the connection you selected in step 3.
  10. Test that your setup is working correctly; see Testing your new settings below.
  11. Repeat the procedure for additional network connections you want to change.

If you have trouble with this method, try replaceing DNS servers with Open DNS project servers as follows:

  • 208.67.222.222 (instead of 8.8.8.8)
  • 208.67.220.220 (instead of 8.8.4.4)

Otherwise the instructions are same as above.

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Posted in Social networks, Web services | 31 Comments »

Cannot connect Facebook in Vietnam? (part II)

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

UPDATE: The latest (best) way to get to Facebook in Vietnam is here.

DO NOT USE THE METHOD BELOW ANYMORE, BUT THIS ONE WORKS: http://code.vn720.com/2009/12/06/cannot-connect-to-facebook-in-vietnam-part-iii/

Below are the new instructions for connecting to Facebook in Vietnam. Works at least on Viettel ISP at the time of writing this post (2009-11-17). (Technique for interested users: Using proxy helps. I did a small script which uses proxy only with Facebook, otherwise your Internet connection works as is.)

Internet Explorer:
1 ) Open Internet Explorer
2 ) Go to the ‘Tools’ tab.
3 ) Select ‘Internet Options.’
4 ) Click on the ‘Connections’ tab.
5 ) Hit the ‘LAN Settings’ button.
6 ) Click “Use automatic configuration script”
7 ) Enter to address field: http://www.kajala.com/proxy.pac
8 ) Click OK

Firefox:
1 ) Click Tools from top menu bar, then…
2 ) Click Options
3 ) Click Advanced
4 ) Click “Configure how Firefox connects to Internet…” -> Settings
5 ) Click “Automatic proxy configuration URL” and write to address field: http://www.kajala.com/proxy.pac
6 ) Click OK

Now it should work (maybe you have to restart browser). Email me if it doesn’t.

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Posted in Social networks, Web services | 6 Comments »

Cannot connect Facebook in Vietnam? (old)

Monday, November 16th, 2009

UPDATED: This method does not work anymore, but I wrote new instructions which seem to work. Using proxy helped this time. Here are instructions how to change proxy.

(in other words: DNS problems/filters in Vietnam)

Vietnam hasn’t been blocking websites (like it’s neighbor China), but lately many people have had trouble connecting at least Facebook (both Viettel and FPT customers), so looks like there is some “experiments” with filtering going on.

Anyway, at least the problem with my Internet service provider (Viettel) is based on DNS server (DNS translates hostnames such as www.facebook.com to IP address such as 74.86.49.131), and it is easy to get around: Just change DNS server to some free public one.

I used 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220 from OpenDNS, and everything seems to work again. Here are the instructions for changing DNS in Windows XP and here in Windows Vista. You need only change the “IPv4 IP” address.

Update: Now I cannot access the Facebook using OpenDNS server either. Also found this government order circulating in Internet, which is the ban for Facebook and some other sites. I’m not sure is that authentic or not, but it sure does look like authentic. The font and the style, etc., matches very well. At least very good fake if it’s not real.

Update 2: Using proxy helped this time. There are many proxy servers but I did a script which uses proxy only for the Facebook access. Instructions here.

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Posted in Social networks, Web services | 2 Comments »

Facebook ‘News’ and ‘Live Feed’ changes

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

FB is trying to clean up news feed into ‘meaningful’ notifications and the ones FB Apps are posting (thats why Live Feed and News Feed separation which you can see now when logging into FB). The case:

  • FB applications became popular because of viral distribution
  • As result, more and more apps came to FB.
  • With so many FB apps are spamming, news-feed becomes less and less meaningful for users
  • Now they are trying to clean up news-feed and move notifications to somewhere out-of-sight

The problem is that the notifications and viral distribution made the platform popular in the first place and gave explosive growth to many many applications. With the notifications hidden away, the barrier of entry will definitely rise. And you actually need to spend money and buy advertising space from Facebook the Corporation. So the changes are probably not only about user experience but also about the advertising money.

(see VentureBeat)

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