G Data VPN module fails to connect

[Martinus]

The paid-for G Data “Mobile Internet Security Plus VPN” app for Android, version 25.11.8 (current), repeatedly fails to connect to the VPN infrastructure maintained by G Data Software AG (www.gdata.de), when using the Fairphone 2 mobile, running Android 5.1, using the Fairphone OS 1.11.1 (build r4275.1).

The G Data app involved is basically a malware prevention and abuse deflection system, having a VPN-service as an additional paid-for module. It should be said that everythings works properly so far, except the build-in VPN service.

The technical support staff of the reknown involved German security firm has been contacted for this issue, a fortnight ago. Those folks are still working on it, and some progress has meanwhile been made, but input of the Fairphone.com forum might be prove very helpful to eventually resolve it.

Explanation of the problem

• The status field of the paid-for VPN subscribtion says that it has been accepted.

• The module tries to connect one of the VPN servers, in this case Amsterdam:

• Eventually, after an time-out occurs an Error message is show, saying there “No available internet connection” (which is dead wrong, anyway).

Analysis of various attempts

• The lock of the Fairphone 2 has been pre-set, using a PIN or pattern, therefore the VPN ability of the Fairphone itself should have been set as being “unlocked”.

• It does not matter, it seems, if the ‘Data compression’ switch of the VPN Module of the G Data app has been turned either “off” or “on”. Default seems to be “on”.

• The possibility of interfering firewall settings of the common wifi-router involved, has also been excluded, by (temporally) disabling the wall while testing the VPN.

• Certainly, I did not install myself a Android firewall app onto the Fairphone 2. At least, not yet. Are there a specific Fairphone firewall settings available, anyway?

• Trying to connect to any other of the available nearby VPN servers of the G Data AG, e.g. Belgium and Sweden, does not resolve the issue either.

It could be that some, yet unknown, internal Fairphone OS setting in the current Android 5.1 build is interfering with the TCP/IP-setup of the needed VPN tunnel?

Let me know. Any technical help or guidance to resolve this nagging issue by help given by Fairphone.com and/or its Forum users will be much appreciated.

[Johannes]

@Martinus

Eventually, after an time-out occurs an Error message is show, saying there “No available internet connection” (which is dead wrong, anyway).

Does the modem support IPv6? If it does, you could try disabling that temporarily to check whether this is one of those problems where attempts to connect over IPv6 fail, whilst IPv4 works normally (which gets you those strange situations where some applications will fail where other work fine.)

Also, did you try any other networks or cellular data? Preferably try to find a place that has a different provider - I’ve had issues with at least one Dutch provider that was dropping traffic to a whole range of ports which meant that I couldn’t access a subset of services hosted on a server at work…

[Martinus]

Thanks, Johannes. The involved wifi-modemrouter combo does not mention IPv6 in its internal settings.

It happens to be a so-called “ConnectBox”, delivered by Ziggo.nl, meant for a common household internet account. You might expect to see IPv6 setting, but none of those.

Fortunately, the 3G cellular data connection via KPN Mobile happens to work properbly, like “out of the box”. I’m able to browse the web using VPN over 3G, at least temporally.

Even the expected VPN-key icon now turns up in the upper Adroid menu bar, That alone proves that the G Data Mobile app should up to the task, at least in principle.

However as soon as the Fairphone 2 tries to re-connect to the wifi-modemrouter, the shown VPN-key icon vanishes and the established VNP connection soon terminates.

I will contact the involved cable internet provider, which happens to be Ziggo, to figure out what may prevent G Data to maintain the VPN connection.