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I have a few friends in China that are looking to access Facebook and Youtube, which are blocked by the Great Firewall of China. There are a few programs out there that bypass the firewall by automatically setting up a connection to a proxy (they only affect HTTP traffic, not messengers and such). I don't really like these programs, as I feel they are a bit intrusive on the computer.

Seeing how I am outside the firewall, I would like to setup my computer as a server for them to bounce web traffic off of. I know a little about networking, but am by no means an IT professional. Can someone give me a simple solution? I am running Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. Oh, and an added twist, my friends need to be able to access my server from iPhones too (they cannot install Cydia, as it is blocked too).

My broadband router is already setup with DynDNS.org as it is not on a static IP and I know how to forward ports to my laptop.

I've tried setting up Win7 to accept incoming VPN connections and connect to it from my iPhone, but once I do there is no internet connectivity.

I've tried setting up HTTP Tunnel (from Sourceforge.net) and connecting to it as a proxy on my iPhone, but instead of a "No connectivity" message, I get a webpage that says "Not found:/www.yahoo.com/".

Any clue as to what I am doing wrong?

Edited by Dirus because: n/a
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  • Latest Post Latest Post by TheOgre

Dani AI

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A few practical points that build on the earlier replies and explain the common failure modes observed here.

As is trying to let remote friends reach blocked sites, note 's legal/TOS warning: routing other peoples' traffic through a home link can violate local law or your ISP terms. If legality or reliability is a concern, a paid VPN or a small rented VPS outside the filtered region is a safer, lower-maintenance option.

Technical recommendation (best balance of compatibility and security): run an OpenVPN server (either on the PC or on a VPS). OpenVPN is supported on non‑jailbroken iPhones via the official client and is designed to push a default gateway and DNS so clients actually get Internet access through the server. High‑level tasks are: install the server, create certificates, configure the server to push routes and DNS, enable IP forwarding/NAT on the host, and forward the VPN port on the router. Using OpenVPN avoids the common Windows "incoming connection" pitfall that leaves clients connected to the VPN but without Internet.

Lighter alternatives and tradeoffs: an HTTP proxy on the host can be pointed to from the iPhone Wi‑Fi proxy settings but only covers HTTP/HTTPS and may leak DNS; an SSH dynamic forward (SOCKS) works well for desktops but is inconvenient on stock iOS without a supporting app. Tor gives anonymity but is slower and sometimes blocked.

Troubleshooting and hardening checklist: open the server port in the host firewall, confirm router port forwarding, enable IP forwarding/NAT, ensure DNS is set to be pushed or use a safe resolver, use certificate-based auth and strong passwords, and check server logs for connection/errors. For reliability and fewer legal risks, many people prefer a low-cost VPS with a managed OpenVPN setup over a home-hosted server.

Member Avatar for TheOgre

You mean aside from committing a felony and breaking your ISP's TOS? If you really don't know that much about it, I'd suggest you learn how to setup a secure proxy. By the time you learn enough about what's involved, you'll realize they'd be better off just using Tor.

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