Technology: Changing WAN IP The Router Way To Bypass IP Ban

Image from mybloggerlab

Sometimes, for some reason, you visit a website and did something legal but that website still blocked your IP so that you can never visit them again. What can we do?

First, we have to know what IP address we are talking about.

To keep this post overly simple, there are two basic IP addresses: LAN and WAN

LAN stands for Local Area Network while WAN stands for Wide Area Network. Basically, LAN are all the devices connected to your home router and the LAN IP address are the identity numbers for each device, whereas WAN is what your Internet Service Provider (ISP) takes care of, including assigning a WAN IP address to each customer's home, possibly taken up by a router.

Image from montrealpcsupport.com

So in a way, the WAN IP address is like your home address, your mother (or someone) is the router and LAN IP address is like your ID card number. If your friend wants to send you a parcel, it will first go to a post office, and postman will then forward the parcel to your home following your home address (WAN IP), when the parcel arrives at your home, your mother (the router) takes the parcel and the pass it to you (LAN IP). Because your mother knows the parcel has your name on it, so she will not pass it to your siblings wrongly.

Now the above analogy is not exactly the whole picture, but it is enough to solve our problem.

Image from Hong Kong Broadband Network

Usually, websites block the WAN IP address instead of the LAN IP address, there are a number of technical reasons but you run a website and you want to ban someone, don't you think it is much more effective to ban the WAN IP address?

Sometimes, for some ISPs which provide dynamic (WAN) IP addresses, meaning that the ISPs update your WAN IP address regularly, changing the WAN IP address to bypass the website's ban is as simple as rebooting the router. Other ISPs offering static (WAN) IP addresses or changeable but rather persistent WAN IP addresses would mean you will continue to be banned for quite awhile.

Hong Kong Broadband (HKBN), which I have been using for years, belongs to the persistent WAN IP kind. Their WAN IP seldom changes at all despite actually being dynamic.

If you are using HKBN, and if you are using a router at home, here's what you need to do to change the WAN IP address to bypass IP ban from the website.

My router's interface, WAN IP removed for obvious reason
Image from Locky's English Playground

Start a browser, type (in general cases)

192.168.1.1

and log in with your password.

Depending on the type of router you have, the following steps might be different, but basically, you want to change your Router's MAC address to force the ISP to assign a new WAN IP.

Type a new MAC address you like
Image from Locky's English Playground

So under MAC Address, you type in a new 12 digit MAC address for your router (0-9, a-f / A-F), with a colon between every 2 digits, and then save it. When your router reboots, the ISP will assign a new WAN IP address for you, then all you have to do is to visit that website which banned you before and see if they are still banning you now. Chances is, they aren't and they can't.

Hope this can help you!


PS: One assignment down, 3 more to go and the never ending thesis. I think the best I can do is to keep up with short updates like this one. Learning never stops, but writing them takes time. My apologies to you all.



Resources:
How can I change MAC address in router ASUS DSL-N11? - @Super User
http://superuser.com/questions/335168/how-can-i-change-mac-address-in-router-asus-dsl-n11

Event & Opinions: 23 Images of Occupy Central

11th Oct 2014 Admiralty
Image from Locky's English Playground

#occupycentral #umbrellamovement
The assignments on hand are taking up most of my times these days. Wanted to update my blog more often but turned out not quite possible. Causeway Bay and Mongkok though, I happened to have visited a few times, and on the way, I took some snapshots to document what I saw, and this is what this post is going to be all about, just photos. These photos are taken with my Note 3 camera with no skill at all, so if they aren't really nice, well, sorry. You'll find a virtual tour video at the bottom of this page, it moves pretty fast in the video so don't focus too hard on it, or you will get motion sickness. I will write again when I have time.

17th Oct 2014 from Hysan Place
Image from Locky's English Playground

17th Oct 2014 from Hysan Place
Image from Locky's English Playground

13th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

13th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

13th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

13th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

14th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

14th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

14th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

14th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

14th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

14th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

14th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

14th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

14th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

14th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

16th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

16th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

16th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

16th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

16th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

16th Oct 2014 Mongkok
Image from Locky's English Playground

Resources:

Event & Opinions: Stunning Images and Videos of Occupy Central @ Hong Kong @Locky's English Playground

http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2014/09/event-opinions-stunning-images-and.html

Event & Opinions: Occupy Central Day 2 @ Admiralty @Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2014/10/event-opinions-occupy-central-day-2.html

Event & Opinions: Occupy Central Day 4 @ Causeway Bay @Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2014/10/event-opinions-occupy-central-day-4.html

Occupy Central 2014-10-16 @Mongkok 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtVNYnLgJW0

The Chinese White Dolphins Tale – Part 2

Will these dolphins ever be this happy again?
Image from scmp

What happened next is of anyone’s guess.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge construction began in Hong Kong in December 2011 as all environmental impact assessments failed to stop it. Government claims that the impact on the Chinese White Dolphins will be kept at minimal level.

The ‘possibility’ of economic benefits always ranks much higher than lives of dolphins, as a result, the total number of dolphins plunged from 158 in 2003 to just 62 dolphins in 2013. The dolphins complained, they even demonstrated year after year, some even offered their lives to get attentions, but the government wouldn’t listen. Every day, they tolerated, quietly they allowed their livable areas shrink.

The government said they are “are studying the designation of the Brothers Islands as a marine park in accordance with the statutory process stipulated in the Marine Parks Ordinance to compensate the permanent loss of the dolphin’s habitat arising from the reclamation”, but this isn’t a promise and so the study goes on forever.

And then came another project – a third airport runway construction which requires reclamation of 650 hectares of the sea and expects an additional 981 hectares of heavy impact zone. In a sense, it means taking over the dolphins’ entire habitat! In return, the authority involved “has so far agreed to set up a 2,400 hectare marine park to compensate for the habitat loss, but will build the park only after the runway is completed in 2023.”

The dolphins of Hong Kong aren’t stupid. They won’t “Take It First” and accept a fake compensation of the homeland-we-want –not, so they decided to fight the power in their own peaceful way, calling their movement Occupy Sha Chau. The main idea is to use their own body and flesh to block marine traffic from using major routes such as Urmston Road, Adamsta Channel and West Lamma Channel in exchange for more bargaining power and an opportunity to negotiate with the government. To protect themselves from any forceful clearance, the dolphins covered themselves with layers of rubber-like dead skin cells and some plastic bags they conveniently picked up from the abundant marine garbage.

But what did the Hong Kong government do? They responded with more vessels, sprayed them with thick, stinging diesel and injured them with vessel propellers. It was brutal. To make this even more outrageous, the environmental impact assessment report received the endorsement by the Advisory Council on the Environment, which means only the acceptance from the director of environmental protection is needed for the project to get a green light. There was also no apology from the government, who claimed that it is simply futile because the dolphins speak a different language which they cannot comprehend.

And all these, triggered something that no one would ever expect…

Part 2 Ends

(To be continued)

Resources:

Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society

http://hkdcs.org/

https://www.facebook.com/HKDCSorg

#chinesewhitedolphinstale

#chinesewhitedolphins

#occupycentral

“30 Third Runway Victims” Campaign @Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society

http://hkdcs.org/30victims/

HongKong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) : Q&A

http://www.hzmb.hk/eng/qna.php

Hong Kong must act to save pink dolphins, conservationists say @South China Morning Post

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1235511/conservation-groups-demand-more-action-save-pink-dolphins

Highways Department Hong Kong – Zhuhai – Macao Bridge Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities Project Profile

http://www.epd.gov.hk/eia/register/profile/latest/esb183/esb183.pdf

LCQ1: Judicial review case regarding the Environmental Impact Assessment reports of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge

http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201110/26/P201110260238.htm

LCQ20: Judgement of the environmental impact assessment reports of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge project

http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201105/18/P201105180180.htm

China's white dolphins headed for extinction in Pearl River Delta? @ CNN.com

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/19/world/china-hong-kong-white-dolphin-extinction/

Impact on the Chinese white dolphin @WWF Hong Kong

http://www.wwf.org.hk/en/whatwedo/conservation/watchdog/3rdrunway/cwd_impacts/

Third runway decision on hold over dolphin habitat concerns @South China Morning Post

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1577141/government-advisers-hold-back-giving-nod-third-runway

Plea to reject airport runway impact study @South China Morning Post

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1611598/plea-reject-airport-runway-impact-study

The Chinese White Dolphins Tale – Part 1

A Chinese White Dolphin
Image from HKDCS

Part 1:

In 1997, the Chinese White Dolphins celebrated the handover of Hong Kong. Being the official mascot they helped raise people’s awareness. They are the symbol of prestige – a rare, small bunch, probably the lasts of its kind. They had been through some tough time when the Chek Lap Kok Airport was built in the early 1990s, but those days were behind them. Some hoped for a better future, others would remain satisfied as long as their habitat remains intact. Overall, they simply wanted to live a simple, stable life in their little natural habitat. Unfortunately, situation did not turn out the way they expected.

Throughout the years, their small natural habitat keeps shrinking as investments from the mainland China pour into Hong Kong financing construction projects after construction projects. Where there is money spent, pollution soars. What was once crystal clear water the dolphins were extremely proud of became stinking sewage and waste from numerous constructions. The dolphins know this well enough, they witness the problems, they feel the impact, they swim in shrinking free waters. A few got fed up and left, some send their calves away to clearer waters while they stay behind, some deny the situation while others decided to stay simply because of their love for their homeland. Silly, or brave things these dolphins, even though there is danger lurking at home, they always return for it.

But what happens next?

Part 1 Ends

(To be continued)

Resources:

Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society

http://hkdcs.org/

https://www.facebook.com/HKDCSorg

#chinesewhitedolphinstale

#chinesewhitedolphins

Event & Opinions: Arguments Surrounding Occupy Central

TIME will tell? Yes, TIME did tell
Image from 破折號 Dash

Too many arguments surrounding Occupy Central are anything but logical. After days of flooding myself with information, I wrote a number of posts on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter and here is the compilation, plus additional comments at the end.

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A demonstrator resting
Image from The New York Times / Xaume Olleros/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Like it or not, 'pro-' or 'anti-', treasure your right to 'oppose' whichever side you're on, because if #occupycentral fails, very soon one day, people of Hong Kong won't even be able to search for these words on the internet, or dictionary, or books, or newspapers, or posters, or leaflets, or flyers, and the list goes on and on.

Prepare to say goodbye to Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, LINE, Google, Yahoo!, Wikipedia and enjoy WeChat, Baidu with highly limited information.

Will Hong Kong still be an international city in the future? Smile if we can make it 3rd-tier city of China.

http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/29/beijing-blocks-reports-on-hong-kong-democracy-movement/

Great Firewall of China
Image from http://youjiatang.files.wordpress.com

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If you think #occupycentral demonstrators are disruptive, you are right, because that's the whole point. Want everything to return to normal? There's a way, ask the Chief Executive to answer the crowd.

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True, freedom isn't food, can't sustain your living. But how's life without freedom gonna be different from life in jail even if you are well-fed? #occupycentral

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#occupycentral The argument I hear the most these days is, "if they dislike China's way of governing Hong Kong so much, why don't they go live in America?" But the same argument can also be rephrased, ,"if you like the China's way of governing Hong Kong so much, why don't you go live in mainland China?" This is not productive at all, so might as well not say it.

***********************************

#occupycentral Some people are sharing photos of female demonstrators being sexually assaulted in some democratic country to argue this to be the norm in all democratic societies. Here're the possible outcomes if such tragedy happens in a democratic society versus an anti-democratic one:

In a democratic society: Victim sues the abuser and justice might serve (or might not).

In an anti-democratic society: Victim sues the abuser and victim gets jail time, or the victim doesn't get to sue because she simply vanishes -- lost in oblivion.

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Image from 9GAG.com

And some anti-#occupycentral supporters on social media say, "If you dislike CY Leung so much, then why don't you be the chief executive?" Great suggestion! But...isn't this what the Occupy Central demonstrators are fighting for? The right to vote and be voted?

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Organisers of the movement (from the left Reverend Chu Yiu-ming, Dr Benny Tai Yiu-ting, and Chan Kin-man) published their statement at a press conference on 27 March 2013.
Caption from Wikipedia, image from VOA

Senior relatives laughed at their own imaginary scenario, "Haha! If those 3 founders of #OccupyCentral were in mainland China, they would have long been arrested and 'disappeared' entirely! Hahahaha!" I don't find that funny at all, because those words had a lot of implications, here are the key ones:

1. they are anti-democratic, 
2. they implicitly admit that the way Chinese government deals with the opposition is scary, 
3. they explicitly enjoy it and they agree that the same policy should be adopted in Hong Kong, 
4. they think they understand every bit of how the Chinese government works, 
5. they think they, and/or maybe their love ones, will forever be exempted from such brutal treatment. 

The last one scared me the most. Because when one thinks he knows any governments best, that's when he is truly ignorant.

***********************************

To those who believe that "it is stupidly wrong to attempt the impossible and fight a no-win fight, here's what the English subtitles say in this episode of House M.D,

House M.D. Season 1 Episode 17
Image from FOX

This is what I have found in the midst of my PhD research. Don't look at the Chinese subtitles, read the English ones.

Senator: Well, [knocks on the hospital bed frame] then I’m running.

Foreman: Good for you.

Senator: No, don’t get excited, he’s right, I, uh, I won’t win.

House: Then why run?

Senator: Oh, I see, your point being the only way to make a difference is to win every fight. 

[House looks pensive.]

#HouseMD, #occupycentral

Event & Opinions: Occupy Central Day 4 @ Causeway Bay

Hennessy Road
Image from Locky's English Playground

A very quiet 1st October, an afternoon on Hennessy Road on the National Day was exactly what the photo above showed. Traffic has never been smoother. I went to buy a board game nearby and then took a chance to visit Causeway Bay.

Image from Locky's English Playground

I arrived just the right time to witness District councillor Paul Zimmerman, a former Civic Party member, raising a yellow umbrella yet again while giving a speech of support to the students.

Daring councillor at the 1st Oct flag-raising ceremony
Image from todayonline

Didn't get to hear much from that as I arrived pretty late, but his yellow umbrella spoke louder than his words.

What Causeway Bay looked like that morning
Image from Locky's English Playground

Sign post, post signs
Image from Locky's English Playground

Papers of wishes and will
Image from Locky's English Playground

Demonstrators sat peacefully while attending free lectures
Image from Locky's English Playground

BBC News article Things that could only happen in a Hong Kong protest is a really good piece of reading, but if you want to understand it fully, your physical presence is the only way.

A volunteer held a large paper requesting for speakers on the floor
Image from Locky's English Playground

Panorama outside Sogo
Image from Locky's English Playground

Vertical Panorama outside Sogo
Image from Locky's English Playground

Speaker from the floor
Image from Locky's English Playground

Umbrella means peace, defend and protect
Image from Locky's English Playground

Mainland Chinese tourist father and son experiencing what's left of Hong Kong's freedom
Image from Locky's English Playground

Even tourists from mainland China are enjoying themselves! What a surprise! Or maybe it is not surprising at all, because what is left of Hong Kong's freedom is probably far greater than anything they have experienced.

Wishes and words of encouragement
Image from Locky's English Playground

Audrey Eu speaking to the demonstrators
Image from Locky's English Playground

The question is, should we be satisfied with the freedom we still have while ignoring the fact that all these will soon disappear, or stand up to protect it before it is too late?

If you are the latter, you are a visioneer!

Vocabulary:

visioneer -- (n)[C] a person who can foresee and understand what is to come and decides to create visions for people who are unaware of the forthcoming change / situation. 

Resources:

Event & Opinions: Stunning Images and Videos of Occupy Central @ Hong Kong @Locky's English Playground

http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2014/09/event-opinions-stunning-images-and.html

Event & Opinions: Occupy Central Day 2 @ Admiralty @Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2014/10/event-opinions-occupy-central-day-2.html

Audrey Eu @Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audrey_Eu

Occupy Central with Love and Peace @Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_Central_with_Love_and_Peace

市民遭警員揮棍施襲 @Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152479379252872&set=vb.269056797871&type=2&theater

HK leader opts to wait out protesters as numbers grow +TODAYonline
http://www.todayonline.com/world/asia/hk-leader-opts-wait-out-protesters-numbers-grow