Secureline Broken - Servers Unavailable

system · 2015-05-16T12:16:25.000Z

Since some time yesterday (Friday 15th May) Secureline returns the following error: >Secureline has encountered a technical issue<
At first I thought it might have been due to the fact I let my system run an update for Windows 8 and reboot. I’d been out for the day and that was the first task I completed after returning.
After the reboot I opened SecureLine to connect my VPN only to see the ‘message’ and large black bold text telling me “Your license expires in -16570 days”. Thats rather strange since I have a 1 year subscription purchased in August 2014.
I then ran the Update that was available for my licensed Avast Premier and rebooted, yet the problem remained. I then tries reinstalling the VPN license file and although it said it was successful nothing changed.
I am currently in China and have been since July 2014. As I have a 2nd Laptop here also with the same version of Avast and I had previously used Secureline for 1 month on the system I started it up to see if it was going to work and discovered the ‘exact same error’. This quite logically tells me that the error is not doe to any issue with my computers (the 2nd Laptop with Min7 Pro had not been run for about a week).
It would seem that either there is a major network error (possibly due to the Great Wall of China) of the Servers that deliver the license check and VPN Servers information back to the program have failed.
On checking the secureline log it clearly see to be failing to make a connection…
Fri May 15 23:04:43 2015 — | win: 6.2.9200 x64 | SLS build: .24 |
Fri May 15 23:05:32 2015 — WinHttpSendRequest returned error: 12002
Fri May 15 23:05:32 2015 — license information and list of servers download failed, error: 12002
Fri May 15 23:05:32 2015 — ErrorHttps
Fri May 15 23:05:32 2015 — StateError
Fri May 15 23:06:24 2015 — WinHttpSendRequest returned error: 12002
Fri May 15 23:06:24 2015 — license information and list of servers download failed, error: 12002
I hope that someone can shed some light on this problem…

I have also been unable to make any kind of connection to GMail since December 2014 even with the VPN activated, which does seem very odd.
I am also unable to access any of my current email accounts without my VPN on as our mail-server blocks most chinese IP’s. I therefore had to create this account with my (hardly used) Hotmail address. Talk about going around in circles!

schmidthouse · 2015-05-16T15:32:58.000Z

I’ve used Secureline for quite some time as well as other VPN sercices over the years and it’s not unusual to experience ‘server issues’ occasionally however with you situation it’s going to be difficult exposing the problem as with the “internet politics” bans etc going on in China it could be very difficult to pin point the issues as it may not be the software. :-
Possibly someone with more experience of the area will provide further information.

system · 2015-05-18T13:59:02.000Z

Well, after 3 days with no VPN and no sign or word from Avast that they can and or will do anything about it I had to buy another VPN product.
I lashed out and purchased a VYPRVNP Pro subscription. It worked straight way without any issues. Its actually giving me better page load response that I have ever had.
What is really amusing is that when i connected with the new VPN SecureLine decided that it was now able to see the license server and also download the server-list. This is further proof that the problem is related to The Great Firewall and not a local computer issue.
I use China Mobile Limited with an unlimted Cable-DSL link.
I also found an article online at http://www.biztekmojo.com/00366/avast-blocked-great-firewall-china-us-against-chinas-anti-terrorism-law which was dated to 03/02/2015 - it could be that some ISP’s where a little slow on the uptake and that. It would also explain why access with SecureLine seemed to have been getting slower and proving more difficult to get a connection. For instance, I had not been able to connect to San-Jose for along time, and that server used to give me the best speed.
And it as all because I couldn’t connect to SWTOR to play from China!
I have been doing truckloads of developing in the past few moths and do a lot of uploading. Now I need find out how to get the monthly renewal stopped on my second laptop - don’t even know how it got to be that way - I only purchased SecureLineit for one month on that computer…

system · 2015-08-16T01:03:25.000Z

Hello, I´m currently in China too and experienced exactly the same problems with Secure Line since December 2014.
I also suspected either windows update problems or the Great Firewall causing the problems.
So I wrote “tickets” to the AVAST support but they did long time not reply on the issue. Then they told me to reinstall Avast which I did and Internet Security works but Secure Line doesn´t handle the Licence even though it is recognized as valid by Avast in the first step. That Secure Line has problems caused by the Great Firewall is understandable, but what makes me mad is that AVAST support does not react on my written “tickets”. Espeacially since I have purchaised for 2 years in total. Not knowing how to solve the problem is no shame but not answering at all really is not acceptable. So better find another VPN service.

schmidthouse · 2015-08-16T15:23:33.000Z

traveller78 post:4:

Hello, I´m currently in China too and experienced exactly the same problems with Secure Line since December 2014.
I also suspected either windows update problems or the Great Firewall causing the problems.
So I wrote “tickets” to the AVAST support but they did long time not reply on the issue. Then they told me to reinstall Avast which I did and Internet Security works but Secure Line doesn´t handle the Licence even though it is recognized as valid by Avast in the first step. That Secure Line has problems caused by the Great Firewall is understandable, but what makes me mad is that AVAST support does not react on my written “tickets”. Espeacially since I have purchaised for 2 years in total. Not knowing how to solve the problem is no shame but not answering at all really is not acceptable. So better find another VPN service.

Hello
I realize you did a Reinstall of AIS but have you attempted a Repair of Your Avast installation.
Go to Control Panel/Programs&Features/Avast and click Uninstall/Change.
When the Avast OPTIONS appear Scroll up or down and select “REPAIR”, Be sure to REBOOT when finished.
This may resolve your issue with Secureline

system · 2015-08-18T03:10:40.000Z

Hi Schmidthouse,
thanks for your reply. I followed your advise and AIS “repaired” itself to standart installation. But still the problem remains that when I want to start Secure Line it says it has a technical problem. So somehow the connection to the VPN Service seems impossible and uploading the license still fails, even though the license worked for the AVAST support.
I will travel to Hong Kong for only a few days soon and see how avast works there. So I will update in a few weeks if there was a change.

schmidthouse · 2015-08-18T14:48:02.000Z

You’re welcome.
Report back when you have time.

system · 2015-09-06T03:45:39.000Z

Now that I´m back in China mainland I have again the problem that AVAST Secure Line gives me the message: “Secure Line encounters a technical problem.”
So it does not build up a connection at all. While in Hong Kong (outside the great firewall) everything seemed be running normal.
My conclusion is that AVAST Secure Line is useless in China mainland then and even to get the newest antivirus updates seems to be not working well all the time. Other VPNs (still) work here in mainland.
It´s just annoying that AVAST support did not say how it is and so I have not only wasted money for a not working product, I also spend time with them trying to find and solve the problem, sometimes waiting weeks for their answer.
My advise, don´t get Secure Line if you want to use it in China mainland.
If someone has other experience I´m happy to hear that.

schmidthouse · 2015-09-06T15:33:34.000Z

There has been other topics/posts regarding interference in China.
It’s my understanding, that the issue is not with the Avast Secureline VPN Software/ Service but rather the “internet politics” and the Chinese Government restricting services.

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