VPN connection disconnects randomly

[Austin10]

Hi,

I just set up a VPN connection with my Galaxy Nexus to my Router at home. It works but I realized that the connection drops at some point. This is quite annoying because I want to use it as a security measure when staying at hotels and using their open WiFi. But when the VPN drops at some point and the WiFi stays connected this does not really make sense because my phone will keep sending data.

Is there anything I can do? Why disconnects the VPN at some point?
Can I at least tell the WiFi to cancel when the VPN drops?

Thank you!

 

[theevilsharpie]

Having had experience with the WiFi connections in hotels, your VPN could be dropping because the wireless network itself is dropping.

Have you been able to replicate this problem on a known-stable network?

 

[drebo]

You didn't say what kind of VPN it was, but lots of hotels block both PPTP and IPSec VPNs...sometimes on purpose, sometimes through ignorance.

 

[Acanthus]

Hi,

I just set up a VPN connection with my Galaxy Nexus to my Router at home. It works but I realized that the connection drops at some point. This is quite annoying because I want to use it as a security measure when staying at hotels and using their open WiFi. But when the VPN drops at some point and the WiFi stays connected this does not really make sense because my phone will keep sending data.

Is there anything I can do? Why disconnects the VPN at some point?
Can I at least tell the WiFi to cancel when the VPN drops?

Thank you!

OpenVPN for android can use the retry-infinite command that will keep trying to reconnect forever, and your connection will go down during disconnects rather than switch to an unencrypted mode.

 

[Austin10]

Thank you for your replies.
It is indeed possible that the connection dropped because of the bad WiFi although I have not tried it in a hotel yet but at a friend's place.
The problem is, I would really like a retry-infinite option like Acanthus described it with stock Android. Unfortunately, I think I don't have the time to setup my router with openVPN before I go on vacation...

 

[Emulex]

try hyper-ip - think the free version is 2mbit - it fakes out your stack to smooth out light packet loss. this makes smb etc not nagle/ack itself to death.

or try lowering your mtu way down.

if you read up on VSDL you can learn about some technology like FEC and packet interleaving and parity that wan accelerators use to simulate a cleaner line and tolerate slight losses (cable modem retrain, sustained light packet loss).

linux tends to try a lot harder than windows btw. you can ssh through some might bad packet loss but putty will drop so fast on windows it's not funny. seriously.