Friday, May 6, 2011

Globe Tattoo hacks :: by philippineinternets.com

Overview

When I first subscribed to Globe Tattoo, I was not aware of a fair usage policy. I thought that 'surf unlimited' really meant unlimited. After about 6 hours I found myself unable to surf any further and discovered that I'd hit Globe's 800MB "Fair usage" limit. I was still able to connect to their 3G network but unable to surf or make any connections to other web services. So I set about trying to find ways to bypass this limitation and get the full 24 hours of access that I'd paid for.

Why create and release these hacks?

People often ask me what motivates me to put so much work into finding, creating and releasing these hacks. Let me start by saying, I don't mind paying for Globe Tattoo. I'm simply tired of paying 50 peso every day for unlimited surfing and only getting a few hours worth.
  • Unreliable DNS server - Globe force us to use their DNS servers by restricting port 53 but they can't even keep their servers online
  • Towers going offline - Globe cell towers randomly go offline, especially in the early hours. No browsing possible
  • Traffic shaping - Globe randomly enforce traffic shaping that severely slows down your browsing. This has been proved by surfing with my hacks and then surfing direct. The hacks avoid Globes traffic shaping and surf at full speed.



Using these hacks to steal internet from Globe isn't really fair. However, if like me you're not getting what you paid for (due to constant downtime), then I believe use of these hacks is reasonable.

HarmonyHacker (Beta)

Created by: PhilipineInternets.com
After the success of GlobeSuperSurfer, we worked hard to find a better exploit in Globes Harmony server and have now created HarmonyHacker. HarmonyHacker was written in Python and runs as a local web proxy. It rewrites all requests heading to Globe to include our exploit so that they don't get blocked.
Possible uses:
  • Surf without load - You can surf without load
  • Surf truly unlimited - Continuing surfing on Globes unlimited SuperSurf package even after passing the fair usage limit
  • Avoid traffic shaping - Even if you have load, you may want to use HarmonyHacker because it bypasses their traffic shaping rules, allowing you to download over HTTP as fast as your modem can handle.




Installation (Windows):
Download and install Python 2.5.4
Download HarmonyHacker_WINDOWS (Latest: v1.22)
Double clicking HarmonyHacker_WINDOWS.pyc should start the application in a command window.
Set Firefox or Chrome or IE to use HTTP proxy server on IP 127.0.0.1 port 8000
If you get a question asking to block or unblock HarmonyHacker, you must choose unblock. This application acts as a middleman to pass your requests through to Globe.

Globe SuperSurfer - Firefox Add-on

Created by: PhilippineInterents.com
You can now surf Globe Tattoo without load or after passing the fair usage limit by installing the Globe SuperSurfer Firefox extension. Be aware that this isn't a perfect hack like the Ping Tunnel method described below. Many sites wont work, especially those hosted on shared web servers. Sites that do work will allow you to download as fast as your Globe Tattoo modem can handle. This extension does not rely on proxies, tunnels or any other unreliable methods. It may not be perfect, but it's free!
Install: Globe SuperSurfer Firefox Add-on v1.0
Download and save the file above. Then, in Firefox, choose File>Open File and select the downloaded file. It will then prompt you to install Globe SuperSurfer extension.
Speed test: After installing Globe SuperSurfer Add-on, you can test the speed of your connection by downloading this test file.
Surfing problems: If you have problems browsing some websites with this add-on, you should use our web proxy.
Discuss: Discuss Globe SuperSurfer on the symbianize forums.

Surf for free using Opera Mini

Discovered by: unknown
The first (and only) hack I found online uses a modified version of Opera Mini that you run on your cell phone. You simply download the modified version, adjust some proxy settings on your phone and surf away as normal. You can even run opera mini on your desktop and use a 3G dongle (e.g Globe Tattoo modem).
The Opera Mini and proxy settings are frequently updated, so I wont be posting the files/settings here. Instead, I recommend you simply search Google for "globe hack mini opera". To ensure you're not charged, it is advised to use a sim which has no load.

Pros and cons

Pros:
  • Easy to install and use
Cons:

  • Can be a little slow.
  • Requires some maintenance; Updating the modified Opera Mini and proxy settings.
  • Is only suitable for browsing, not downloading

Conclusion

Perfectly fine for occasional browsing on your phone but that's about it.

Surf for free by using a PING/DNS tunnel

Discovered by: philippineinternets.com
Even without load or after hitting the fair usage limit, you're still able to send PINGs and perform DNS lookups. If you own a server (or have a friend who runs their computer 24/7) then you can install a PING or DNS tunnel on that computer and route your traffic through it. These tunnels disguise your traffic as regular PINGs or DNS lookups, which are allowed to pass through the network unhindered by Globe.
I downloaded Hans PING tunnel and installed the server component on my dedicated server which is hosted in the US. When I want to surf through Globe Tattoo, without load, I simply connect the modem as usual and then run the Hans client in a terminal window. All my traffic is then routed through my remote server by PINGs. This may sound like a wild idea but I was able to surf at full speed, stream Youtube videos and download files at 150-200Kb/sec

Pros and cons

Pros:
  • Allows you to have a full surfing experience without any load or after you've hit the 800MB fair usage limit
Cons:

  • Requires you to have a dedicated server or a friend who has a computer connected to the internet 24/7 (or at least at the time you want to surf).

Conclusion

Although this method is a little more technical than the others, it provides the best surfing experience. You can funnel your traffic through the tunnel and surf in a completely normal way.

Magic IPs

Discovered by: Various
The term magic IPs is used to refer to open proxy servers running on IP addresses within the Globe Tattoo network. These are found by scanning huge ranges of IPs and looking for open ports which are commonly use as proxy servers (ie port 80 and 8080).
Since Globe don't enforce fair usage policy or load requirements for internal traffic, if you tunnel your internet through one of these proxies, you can surf unlimited and without load.
There is however a huge security implication with using these magic IPs. You don't know who is operating the proxy and what they're doing with your traffic. For example I could run one of these magic IPs and log all your passwords and if you login to online banking, I could even get those details.
So while these magic IPs are fine for browsing Wikipedia and news websites, you shouldn't use them for your email, banking, Facebook etc.

Surf for free by stripping the protocol from your HTTP requests

Discovered by: philippineinternets.com
Update: This hack has been fixed and no longer works.
This method allows you to continue surfing through Globe Tattoo after hitting the 800MB fair use limit or to surf without having any load.
If you have no load and try to surf, nothing happens. Your HTTP requests get dropped by the Harmony transparent web proxy that Globe operate. However, after some testing I found that you can bypass this by simply stripping off the protocol (i.e. HTTP/1.1) from the HTTP request.
I coded a basic web proxy in PHP which runs locally and modifies the HTTP request on the fly before it goes out to the internet. The screenshot below shows an example request that was modified.
Sample of HTTP request being modified to browse through Globe Tattoo for free

Pros and cons

Pros:
  • Allows you to surf without any load or after you've hit the 800MB fair usage limit
  • Great for downloading large files over HTTP
Cons:

  • It's not a perfect browsing ex for downloading large files over HTTP
Cons:

  • It's not a perfect browsing experience. Removing the protocol from your HTTP request can confuse some web servers.
  • This method is only suitable for HTTP, it will not work with HTTPS. If you could modify the browsers source code and remove the protocol at that point (instead of via a local proxy) then I believe you could successfully use HTTPS.

Conclusion

This method is perfect for downloading large files over HTTP and occasional surfing. You can watch Youtube videos and browse most sites without a problem. However you're limited to HTTP only and some sites wont work without you sending a properly formatted HTTP request.

source:

4 comments:

  1. hi! What's the best and latest way to be able to surf free and with no 800mb limmit? For the past few days I have been frustrated with Globe's slow connection, stupid 800mb limmit for a day unlimitted surf subscription, and customer service who cant serve. pls email me or post here

    ReplyDelete
  2. hi! i use harmony hacker back then..a few months ago, i downloaded a lot of movies..but now it seem's like it is not working..i haven't tried it on other usb kit, but on my usb kit it doesn't work anymore..or something like it not like before because my transfer rate back then reaches up to 4.5 mbps(400kbps)..but not it only reaches not less than 20kbps..

    ReplyDelete
  3. try to visit this site http://telecom.wall.fm naghahanap ng admin.

    ReplyDelete
  4. how can i bypass the 800mb limit of globe pls can you help me,,
    kazoyaza@yahoo.com thas my e-mail add... tnx

    ReplyDelete