GUIDE: How to set up a Personal VPN on a BlackBerry Z10

Hey guys, first post here. Just wanted to share with you a guide I created on how to set up a Personal VPN on your BlackBerry Z10.


How to set up a Personal VPN on a BlackBerry Z10


This step by step guide will help you through the process of setting up a Personal VPN on your BlackBerry Z10 smartphone.
The first thing you're going to need to do is purchase a subscription from a VPN provider service. For this guide, I have used VPNReactor(dot)com.


(NOTE: I am not affiliated with VPNReactor(dot)com, I only mention it here because it is the service that I use, and I am 100% sure it will work with the Z10. I cannot guarantee that other VPN services will work on your Z10.)
(NOTE #2: OpenVPN, PPTP, IPSEC/L2TP gateways are NOT compatible with the Blackberry Z10. The only gateway type I have tried on my Z10 is the "Microsoft IKEv2 VPN Server".)


Step 1: Download the necessary Security Certificate and unzip it to your PC. The certificate can be found here: vpnreactor(dot)com/sstp/ca_cert.zip


Step 2: On your Z10, open Settings and go to "Storage and Access".


Find "Access using Wi-Fi" and turn that setting ON. It will prompt you to enter a password, enter your desired password and tap OK. Be sure that your PC and Z10 are connected to the same WiFi Network.


Step 3: Locate your IPv4 Address. On your Z10, go to Settings > About. Under the Category drop-down menu, select 'Network'. Write down the IPv4 address listed under the WiFi column. You will need this address to install the Security Certificate from your PC.


Step 4: On your PC, open Windows Explorer and type "\\your.z10.ip" (your.z10.ip being the IPv4 address you just wrote down). You should now see two folders, "certs" and "media".


Step 5: Open the "certs" folder and copy the Security Certificate you previously unzipped to your PC into this folder.


Step 6: Import Security Certificate. On your Z10, go to Settings > Security and Privacy > Certificates. In the bottom bar, tap 'Import'. Under 'Select certificate stores to import into" select "VPN" and tap Next. Once in the Import Certificates screen, select "ca_cert" and tap 'Import'.


Now return to the Certificates screen and be sure "All Certificates" is selected in the drop-down menu. Scroll down until you see "sstp.vpnreactor.com". If you see it in the list, that means you have successfully imported the Security Certificate and you may now proceed to set up your VPN!




Z10 VPN Setup


Step 1) Go to Settings > Network Connections > VPN. In the bottom bar, tap "Add".


Step 2) Enter the following VPN Settings. Make sure you enter them EXACTLY as they're listed here:


Profile Name: vpnreactor
Server Address: sstp.vpnreactor.net OR uk.vpnreactor.net
Gateway Type: Microsoft IKEv2 VPN Server
Authentication Type: EAP-MSCHAPv2
Authentication ID Type: Fully Qualified Domain Name
Authentication ID: your VPNReactor username
MSCHAPv2 Password: your VPNReactor password
Gateway Auth Type: PKI
Gateway Auth ID Type: Identity Certificate Distinguished Name
Gateway CA Certificate: sstp.vpnreactor.com


When done click 'Connect'.



That's it! You should now be back in the VPN Settings screen. To the left of your VPN profile, you should now see either a green WiFi logo or a set of green signal bars. If you're seeing green, Congratulations! You now have an active VPN connection!

This is awesome! Thanks for sharing Kyle!

This will be a great guide for the community. Thanks for sharing! Going to blog this one.

Do you think it is possible to use the same setting worldwide? I own a BB Z10 in Dubai. Actually the service providers here (Etisalat/Du) are not providing BBM Video calling services. I'm pretty sure they will block Skype as well as soon as it is launched for OS10. Accordingly, I'm thinking of subscribing into a VPN to get use of the Video calling applications.

Kindly advise me, whether to go for it or not.

Many Thanks

The VPN should work worldwide, although I cannot guarantee that BBM Video or Skype will work. Can anyone else answer this question? Someone with more knowledge on the subject? lol :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BBKyle

The VPN should work worldwide, although I cannot guarantee that BBM Video or Skype will work. Can anyone else answer this question? Someone with more knowledge on the subject? lol :)

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hey guys. doing some searches and ran across your forum. I'm a newbie so it won't let me post link, but we (WiTopia) support global IPsec VPN access for blackberry playbook and Z10. Instructions are under our support section under "setting up your VPN"

We've been providing access to Skype, etc. in UAE since March 2005. Hundreds of IPsec servers globally and all support AES 256-bit encryption. IPsec is super fast..you'll like it versus other protocols. 49.99 a year or 5.99 a month for unlimited bandwidth and switching between 65 cities in 41 countries (as of this writing). Unconditional moneyback guarantees. 24x7x365 live (non-outsourced) chat support.

Give us a try if you like. Glad to help. 3rd party VPN support on BB has been a long time coming so this is exciting. welcome!

Bill

So from what I understand, when using WiTopia, the user is not required to install a security certificate on the Z10 prior to setup? If so, that would be much easier than the guide I had originally posted. I am having some reliability issues with my current VPN providers, so I'm going to give your service a try, and if I like it, I will purchase an annual subscription in a few months. Thanks for the info! :)

Sorry if this sounds stupid. What is VPN for?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by john8021

Sorry if this sounds stupid. What is VPN for?

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Joe Jerde wrote this great explanation:
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) creates a secure tunnel between you and a safe server that encrypts and protects your information. When you connect through a secure VPN, your IP address becomes the one of the trusted server you are connected to. Therefore, as you surf the internet, the owners of the websites you visit do not know who you are and cannot collect information on you based on your IP address. Web sites can no longer use your surfing habits to create targeted marketing databases, containing your information, and sell them to anyone willing to pay.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BBKyle

Joe Jerde wrote this great explanation:
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) creates a secure tunnel between you and a safe server that encrypts and protects your information. When you connect through a secure VPN, your IP address becomes the one of the trusted server you are connected to. Therefore, as you surf the internet, the owners of the websites you visit do not know who you are and cannot collect information on you based on your IP address. Web sites can no longer use your surfing habits to create targeted marketing databases, containing your information, and sell them to anyone willing to pay.

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Thanks Joe! Actually, I was hoping that VPN would have compression capability like BIS as I travel overseas often and so far with the BIS on existing blackberry plan, my phone bill is manageable. 4 more days before my new Z10 gets delivered and I'm kind of worried that without the BIS my phone bill would be up in the sky with data roaming as I heard so much with iphone owners. Any advice?

Hi John. VPNs do come with compression. We hold back from selling that as a "feature" at this point, but you should see some benefit while using the VPN. Hope that helps.

After using WiTopia for over a month now, I must say it is the most reliable VPN service I have ever used. It connects automatically (if you have enabled that feature) and stays disconnected when you tell it to. You can choose from over 60+ different gateways and there are an easy set of instructions on their website explaining very clearly how to set it up on your BlackBerry Z10. When I ran into a minor problem (my fault) during setup, customer service helped me out literally within seconds, and the problem was resolved in under a minute.

My original post in this thread is a fairly complex process. If you're looking for an easy to set up, easy to use VPN service, I recommend WiTopia.

Does any one know how to use VPN for BB Z10 in IRAN ?
Does your solutions work well in IRAN ?
Our problems in IRAN about BB is the same as UAE and some other Arab countries or even more !

Thanks guys,
Mahyar

Hi Mahyar, and welcome to the forums!

The guide laid out in the original post should work for you. Or, if you're looking for an easier setup, you can check out WiTopia's guide here:

BlackBerry Z10 VPN Setup Instructions | WiTopia

Let me know if that works for you, or if you have any other questions.