My mom will be traveling around China next month, but she wants to be able to access google while there because all of her planning is stored in her google account. Unfortunately, google is blocked by the Chinese government. I was wondering if she could bypass the block by connecting to my US-based ASUS Zenwifi Pro ET12 router via its built-in IPSec V2 VPN server and browse google, and any other website, as if she were still in the US? I would set up the VPN connection credentials on her MacBook before she leaves so she won’t need to visit any VPN websites while in China, since those are usually blocked too. Any advice is appreciated!
You don’t want her to get arrested
It’s illegal. Most ISPs in China have insane spy tech that reports to the government. I also wouldn’t want to use anything that has my passwords or any other personal information used while there.
Is she a Chinese national or have any Chinese in her line? If she is, VPNs are banned for Chinese nationals which will get her arrested. If she’s a tourist, not so much as long as they know she’s not smack talking Winnie the Pooh (Xi) and the CCP. Having said that, I wouldn’t bother, China is in a mess right now, especially with all the floods and the lying regarding the amount of deaths the CCP are doing. To save Beijing they redirected the floods to the poor villages.
I really wouldn’t bother as Xi is Mao Part 2.
Given the context, I would advise her against going to China.
You might want to head over to r/dumbclub which is an oddly named sub that may help answer some of your questions.
What you have now won’t work. The GFW uses a number of sophisticated techniques to ID potential VPN traffic and block them. If the stuff I’m reading now is correct, it’s a very sophisticated cat and mouse game right now.
Set up a Outline server.
If it’s that important print it out and keep a hardcopy in a folder. I dont know how many times technology has failed me at the worst times…ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN B
My employer prohibits us from bringing our primary devices to China, and strongly warns us to avoid logging on to any accounts while there, all in the name of minimizing risks. Biotech industry.
tin foil hat time.
Get a burner everything from phone to laptop to email accounts.
bro get the burner phone branded by freedom phone and a web rtc blocker along with vpn and proxy so your mom will be untraced
You’re right, I don’t want that. But they won’t be able to see what she’s browsing in the first place, right?
So you wouldn’t use your phone or computer in China?
She is a US citizen, but she has relatives in China who are Chinese nationals. She used to be a Chinese National until she got her US citizenship many years ago. Does that mean it’s illegal for her?
Unfortunately, I can’t bar her from traveling. I have since learned that US telecom providers are not blocked by the GFW, so she should be fine if she just uses Verizon data.
That’s fair. I figured a nation’s cybersecurity team could easily catch my basic home server. I read that some of the VPNs that work there use very sophisticated methods to hide themselves from detection.
Do you work for the PRC by any chance? 
She already went and returned. She said my home VPN worked perfectly for her. I was surprised it got through the great firewall.
Simply having a non-domestic VPN on a phone in China is illegal.
I would never bring my personal phone to China (or laptop).
Be safe, get a burner and don’t log into anything you really care about.