BTSync blocked in China?

[shimsim]

 I have BTSync installed on 3 pcs and my Android phone. Until a few days ago, sync worked fine but now each client is not seeing any devices. Also if I check for updates in the app, I get "Unable to contact Bittorrent Sync update server.

 

I have tired from multiple locations / internet connections, without any luck. As mentioned, everything had been working fine for months, so I am wondering if the GFW (Chinas firewall) has started to block this server (if it is even possible to block, because torrent works fine).

 

Any suggestions?

[shimsim]

Sorry, posted in the wrong place 

[dms2013]

Can you try using a VPN and see if it connects?

I also live in China. It started acting up with the new version.

I connected to a VPN in Los Angeles, and then it worked within seconds.

In my home network, my phone didn't work either to sync the pictures in LAN, I also connected it to the L.A VPN and it worked within seconds once again, even though the transfers were sent over LAN, for some reason they couldn't discover each other without the VPN.

 

VPN x4

LAN x2

[shimsim]

Interestingly, when I use VPN on both my PC and phone, it wont discover any devices, but if only on my PC,  my device pops up straight away and starts copying.

[JimmyTheSaint]

Is it possible to avoid this problem with "use predefined hosts"?

[dms2013]

Is it possible to avoid this problem with "use predefined hosts"?

I don't know the android's listening port.

 

In android you can't see that in the settings of a share

[scegg]

Same problem here. All my servers running within China Mainland have this problem.

 

The servers in the same city (same ISP) of China can connect with each others.

The servers with different ISP cannot communicate with each others.

The servers within China mainland cannot access the servers in other countries.

Adding predefined hosts can resolve this manually.

All servers in China cannot update: Unable to contact BitTorrent Sync update server.

[JimmyTheSaint]

I don't know the android's listening port.

 

In android you can't see that in the settings of a share

I think I've seen someone post how to do this. Use site search.

[shimsim]

I can also confirm, adding predefined hosts solves this problem, but not ideal for use with android.

 

For me it does not matter where the server is, same city also wont find any devices (tested on China Telecom, Shenzhen and Guangzhou)

[dms2013]

To have a setting in android for a predefined host would be great. 

I guess a global list, and also an individual for each share if one pleases.

 

It won't even sync in LAN for me without me connecting to a VPN with my android first.

I hope devs are reading, if they need. I can provide a virtualbox with teamviewer from China so you can try it yourself

[shimsim]

Any dev feedback on this problem? Is there any kind of workaround for android?

 

I appreciate that China is somewhat of a 'special case', but any help for those of us living out here would be great. The internet here is bad enough already 

[flygeek]

We are having the same issue with China as well, just started Nov 8th.  How do you configure Known Hosts with the windows client?

Thanks.

[shimsim]

in the btsync client, right click on the shared folder and select 'show folder properties'

 

click on the properties tab, then tick 'user predefined hosts'

 

then you need to add the other pcs ip address and port (port used for btsync)

 

you can use something like no-ip.org if you have a dynamic ip and not sure if its required, but  i also mapped the ports on my router to the pc.

 

i guess btsync is now an official threat to the safety and stability of the peoples republic of china 

[stassano]

I am in China (Foshan, Guangzhou) and have no problems using btsync.

If things change I will update this post

[stassano]

Little snitch actually reports several connections to facebook.com. I would suggest to make things more "China friendly" to prevent all out blockage to the app.

[shimsim]

In China, each area seems to have its own set of rules for what gets blocked. From my experience, there are universally blocked sites (facebook, twitter, youtube, etc), then there seems to be local blocking which is controlled by the local ISP. Also, there seems to be differences between using China Mobile and China Unicom.

 

Either way it seems to be very hit or miss and the moment, I have PC's in Zhongshan (next door to Foshan ) and Shenzhen which are being blocked.

 

If BTSync is connecting to FB, then its going to be flagged up and blocked by the local ISP's here.

[dms2013]

I live in Guangzhou. We're all neighbors!

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[stassano]

Rofl... this is so funny. Well I am an European living in China.
Yeah I agree Shimsim each provider, each city, etc... seems to add some additional stuff on top of the big bad golden wall.
 
I am holding my breath on how long it will work smoothly, most of all I wonder why btsync connects to facebook to begin with. That worries me honestly.

 

[shimsim]

I would really like to get some feedback from a dev on this issue. Right now I have no workaround for android, known hosts is at least working for the PC client.

 

I also think it would be nice to know why its connecting to facebook, but also understand why BTSync is getting blocked.

 

I was under the impression that it works just like torrents, and torrents are working fine in China (thankfully, fingers crossed, have to download some decent TV  ), so how is BTSync getting blocked.

 

p.s. Brit in Zhongshan 

[staalu]

Im in ChongQing China too and have the same problem too

....

Im not good at english...sorry maybe someone can help me to translate this....

我英文比較拙計... 後面想說的太複雜 希望樓上能幫我翻譯一下

 

首先非常感謝這個軟件的開發組 確實好用

不光是信息的編輯和分發方面

我這邊主要把這個拿來做為合作工具

組裡用這個工具合作製作字幕 效率提升了非常多 現在已經離不開它了

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

目測問題的原因是tracker服務器的域名因為墻內過去的連接過多被GFW注意到之後ban掉了

這情況基本上無解 看GFW心情好也許會解封

 

目前只能寄希望于開發組能放出tracker端

或者把tracker端整合進client里 再給個開關來控制tracker功能

讓墻內能夠自己搭建tracker

並且同時需要secret能夠像magnet一樣 可以加入後綴自定義tracker地址 讓GFW封之不盡

如果以上功能實現了的話 我還有個建議是

在同步文件夾下面可以有一個隱藏文件用來記錄那些同意為此secret服務的自定義tracker

full access的用戶可以對其進行更新 而readonly的用戶也能對自己本地client添加自定義的tracker

然後client能夠自動讀取文件中的主機地址并嘗試連接 這樣能夠讓整個同步網絡更加強壯 難以受到干擾

[shimsim]

Im in ChongQing China too and have the same problem too

....

Im not good at english...sorry maybe someone can help me to translate this....

我英文比較拙計... 後面想說的太複雜 希望樓上能幫我翻譯一下

 

首先非常感謝這個軟件的開發組 確實好用

不光是信息的編輯和分發方面

我這邊主要把這個拿來做為合作工具

組裡用這個工具合作製作字幕 效率提升了非常多 現在已經離不開它了

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

目測問題的原因是tracker服務器的域名因為墻內過去的連接過多被GFW注意到之後ban掉了

這情況基本上無解 看GFW心情好也許會解封

 

目前只能寄希望于開發組能放出tracker端

或者把tracker端整合進client里 再給個開關來控制tracker功能

讓墻內能夠自己搭建tracker

並且同時需要secret能夠像magnet一樣 可以加入後綴自定義tracker地址 讓GFW封之不盡

如果以上功能實現了的話 我還有個建議是

在同步文件夾下面可以有一個隱藏文件用來記錄那些同意為此secret服務的自定義tracker

full access的用戶可以對其進行更新 而readonly的用戶也能對自己本地client添加自定義的tracker

然後client能夠自動讀取文件中的主機地址并嘗試連接 這樣能夠讓整個同步網絡更加強壯 難以受到干擾

 

Google translation of this ........

 

 

My English is relatively humble meter ... back upstairs to say too complicated hope can help me translate what

 

First of all thank the software development team really easy to use

Not only is the editing and dissemination of information

I put this here is mainly used as a collaboration tool

Group co-produced with this tool subtitle efficiency very much now without it

Visual problem occurs because the tracker server's domain name because too many connections after the ban was noticed out GFW

This is basically no solution might look good mood lifted GFW

 

Currently only hope the development team can release tracker side

Integrated into the tracker side or client li give a switch to control the tracker function

Let the walls to build their own tracker

And also need secret can be like magnet can be added as a suffix to customize the tracker address countless letters GFW

If the above function , then I realized there was a suggestion

Here in sync folder can have a hidden file used to record this secret service who agree custom tracker

full access users can update the readonly users can add their own custom local client tracker

Then the client can automatically read the file host address and try to connect this can make the whole network more robust synchronization is difficult to be disturbed

[yytbob]

Im in ChongQing China too and have the same problem too

....

Im not good at english...sorry maybe someone can help me to translate this....

我英文比較拙計... 後面想說的太複雜 希望樓上能幫我翻譯一下

 

首先非常感謝這個軟件的開發組 確實好用

不光是信息的編輯和分發方面

我這邊主要把這個拿來做為合作工具

組裡用這個工具合作製作字幕 效率提升了非常多 現在已經離不開它了

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

目測問題的原因是tracker服務器的域名因為墻內過去的連接過多被GFW注意到之後ban掉了

這情況基本上無解 看GFW心情好也許會解封

 

目前只能寄希望于開發組能放出tracker端

或者把tracker端整合進client里 再給個開關來控制tracker功能

讓墻內能夠自己搭建tracker

並且同時需要secret能夠像magnet一樣 可以加入後綴自定義tracker地址 讓GFW封之不盡

如果以上功能實現了的話 我還有個建議是

在同步文件夾下面可以有一個隱藏文件用來記錄那些同意為此secret服務的自定義tracker

full access的用戶可以對其進行更新 而readonly的用戶也能對自己本地client添加自定義的tracker

然後client能夠自動讀取文件中的主機地址并嘗試連接 這樣能夠讓整個同步網絡更加強壯 難以受到干擾

 

I've been confronted by the same issue since Nov. 7 (just few days before the Third Plenary Session of 18th CPC Central Committee) with a dozen of clients lost connections in Shanghai. Adding predefined hosts would help but didn't work for WAN.

 

-----Here is the translation of some part of advice by Staalu written in Chinese above which I think inspiring-----

 

Seemingly the issue is due to the block of track servers by the Great Firewall (GFW) for BTSync has been detected for some bypassing behavoiurs. At present we don't have much to do but could only wish GFW removed the block.

 

Hopefully in the future I wish BTSync would make its tracker servers open or enable some full-control secret clients to build their own tracker by embedding this function into the software. Also I hope in the future users could determine which secret goes to which tracker so it would be stronger against the GFW. 

[kos13]

We might find the issue and hope to resolve it in new builds. We suspect that the issue is that access to tracker servers is blocked in some way. We will optimize it, but using predefined hosts might be an immediate help for now. 

[dms2013]

We might find the issue and hope to resolve it in new builds. We suspect that the issue is that access to tracker servers is blocked in some way. We will optimize it, but using predefined hosts might be an immediate help for now. 

Thanks for confirming that you are looking into it.

How about a function to add a predefined host in android? That would be a good start.

 

PEX, is that function working or is it in the works?

I have set up at home now, a rasp pi, that syncs with 1 android (photo backup) and a pc, both pc and rasbpi got the RO key. When I look on the webinterface, the rasbpi only connects to my desktop. My desktop use predefined host to find the android inside my LAN. But shouldn't it tell the rasbpi about the android device?

 

I hope my explanation makes sense.

 

-Si

[stassano]

Myea it stopped working for me too... not even able to sync locally. What is the issue with China and trackers anyway.

 

Btsync staff, can you please look into this?

 

1. There must be a simple way to get around this like local sniffing to see if btsync runs on the same network.

 

2. Maybe more trackers should be added so it doesn't get blocked in China.

 

3. Allow predefined hosts in the Android app to use dyndns or similar.