Loss of VoIP in Qatar

Posts: 19 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 09, 2005 Posts: 19

I have one co-worker who still cannot use vonage. I stopped by for a brief look and will have to look at it more in detail later on as I didn't have the router password to see if anything there is awry.

I *DID* notice that they've looked further into their websense filters and have now blocked proxy avoidance pages (such as http://anon.inf.tu-dresden.de/index_en.html). (Sorry, not an ad, but an example).
Apparently a free VPN is illegal in Qatar. I wonder if paid VPN's are as well. If so, all banks will be leaving quickly since they make extensive use of VPN tunnels to do business globally.

As an aside, Qtel isn't government owned, but tends to control the regulations in a manner similar to the Mexican telecom. Luckily the Emir has quite a bit of sway with them (I gather they like doing business in their home country)...

Posts: 19 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 09, 2005 Posts: 19

I'm not a paralegal, so I have no idea as to where to start when it comes to researching law. I read on a few sites that VOIP was illegal in Qatar, but never saw it on an official site or legal volume.
The defense that "I didn't know it was illegal" won't work here any more than it will in the US. I suppose that the legal view is that we are all supposed to be legal scholars or something...
That aside, the redirect done by their websense stated illegal materiel. As we saw before, arguement with Qtel is useless, it takes government action. The question is how one would attempt to fight a VPN designed to be a proxy avoidance device, states publically that it is their expressed purpose, etc. If standard VPN companies are blocked there would be recourse based upon business reasons.

Posts: 19 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 09, 2005 Posts: 19

Anyone, who violates a law that a nation feels like enforcing ends up meeting with the local constabulary and legists.
The demand of "Prove it's illegal" is met by proscecution. I suspect that alone may be proof, if not a conviction certainly would be.
However, a diplomat is probably the worst example to use. The reason is diplomatic immunity. There have been diplomats witnessed (indeed, photographed on one occasion) comitting murder. They were PNG'd from the country (Persona Non-Grata), aka expelled as an arrest, trial and conviction would be a major diplomatic incident and also against numerous standard treaties. The few exceptions where proscecution did proceed brought worldwide condemnation upon the prosecuting nation, crime irregardless.
Of course there were cases where the diplomat faced charges for the crime in their home nation that elected to NOT invoke diplomatic immunity as the US penalties were far less, but I digress...

An example would be:
The Sultan of Stupid, a land just south of Antartica was insulted by an ultimatum delivered by a diplomat regarding trade. An ultimatum is illegal there, indeed questioning the Sultan of Stupid is illegal on any matter.
Being a despot he imprisons the diplomat for the offense.
The diplomat's nation now would have only one recourse: war. As diplomats were jailed there was no other recourse so war was declared. Treaties honored regarding mutual protection. Now multiple nations are at war. The scenario can go on ad nauseum, however the point is not only valid but based upon historical fact, though the nations and titles were changed.
The fact is that one of the first statutes made in a treaty is diplomatic immunity. It is rarely abused, typically invoked only for espionage cases (spies DO tend to keep everyone honest).
A diplomatic case that COULD be more likely in Qatar would be if a diplomat were to get in a vehicle accident resulting in the other party's death. Said diplomat also doesn't have the money to pay the blood money, insufficient political pull at home to have his home nation pay it. As he cannot be arrested and imprisoned (only detained pending arrival of staff from his embassy) he can be PNG'd out of the country thereby "saving face" for all parties (save the victim's family).

Of course this all has little to nothing to do with Vonage...

Posts: 22 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 11, 2005 Posts: 22

kutch wrote:

Well it is not illegal it is just a rumors or whatever you will call it. If you say illegal there is a Black and White and it is published to the web or any form that will inform peoples especially new to the country.

Chill buddy, the thing is working fine, no worry, be happy.

Try this, go to the corniche, take off your shoes, and step in the water, that will cool you down a little.

Posts: 12 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 13, 2005 Posts: 12

I am using a different VOIP brand same like Vonage, it starts with a P and end with an 8.
It does not work, any body can confirm please.
Location : Doha
ISP : Qtel 400 qr DSL
Router : 3m " working good for the last 14 month"
Adapter :DTA310
Congrat for all Vonage users, hope will join soon
Confused

Posts: 19 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 09, 2005 Posts: 19

I tried the water bit off of the corniche before, nearly fell on my *ss sliding on snails...

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 11, 2005 Posts: 5

Hi All,

I am Vonage user with RT31P2 and can't seem to work.
Are you sure that QTel unblocked the SIP port?

Error message:
Registration Status: xxx-xxx-xxx xxxxxxxxx Can't connect to login server.

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 18, 2005 Posts: 4

I see that a few of ya'll got your vonage working now, and even a guy I work with says his works, 2 of us in my office still have nothing. I am using the older Motorola Phone adapter that vonage gave me like 1+ yrs ago and it gets to the led blinking 4 times, and never turns solid.. is there anyone else with a similar problem?

Posts: 12 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 10, 2005 Posts: 12

Hi guys,

Well my phone light on my Linksys router is lighting up, and I can make calls; but the people on the other end can't here me. I tried changing settings on the bandwidth saver and nothing.

Is anyone else's browser automatically redirecting to packet8 upon visiting page 12? Very annoying.

Posts: 19 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 09, 2005 Posts: 19

I'm getting the redirect courtesy of that d*ck.

I have one co-worker who is using an older Motorola Vonage device, same deal.
Perhaps there is a patch for the OS?
I'll have to poll those who I know are using Vonage to see if they have service as well.

We need to have the packet 8 advertiser posts deleted from the board. Preferably with the his/her keyboard shoved in a location that keyboards are rarely if ever shoved as well. Perhaps up his packet 8 delivery system...