FAQ: PandaPow for Android

Simply search for PandaPow in Android Market, or click the download link on this site. You can also download the application directly from this site.

The app is free to download, but you'll need a subscription to make it work. Once downloaded you can signup for a 1-day free trial from the app (tap the Subscribe button). See the pricing page for more info on subscribing.

Yes, in PandaPow you can choose to use PPTP 128 bit encryption, or IPSec 256-bit encryption to protect data. Tap "Connect to..." then "Choose type", then select from the list of available servers of chosen type. The encryption applies to all internet traffic that you send and receive, including emails, chat messages, et c.

Users of PandaPow have different priorities, some want the fastest possible connection, other the most secure. PandaPow supports both encrypted connections, for security, unencrypted connections for best speed.

Once signed up for an account you will receive an email with further instructions. There is a link in that email that you should click on your Android device, and open with the PandaPow app. On Android 2.3 and earlier, all you need to do is simply tap the Connect button. On Android 3.0 and later you need to setup the VPN connection and connect it via the Android built-in settings. This is described here

PandaPow has servers all over the USA, as well as in Europe and Asia. Which one is the best to connect to depends both on where you are, and where you want to go, i.e. what sites you want to access. If you're just out to secure your email or access some blocked sites, then you might want to pick the server location closest to you. If you're looking to stream video or music from some specific site, you probably need to select a server in the same country as that site. For up and downloading of larger files, it is normally best to choose a location in Europe, or USA. The bandwidth between countries in Asia is sometimes very restricted.

PandaPow on Android supports 4 types of VPN, with slightly different characteristics. The most secure and stable connection type is L2TP/IPSec. To use it you first must download and install a certificate on your device. Go to the client-area to find your certificate. PPTP, with or without encryption, offers a less secure but usually faster connection than L2TP/IPSec. Unfortunately, many Android devices can't do PPTP encryption very well, though. L2TP, without IPSec, is the default alternative, which is usually the fastest, and works in most situations. This is the preferred choice, when security is not of any concern.

On Android 2.3 and earlier, all you need to make sure is that the proper username and password is filled in in the PandaPow Settings. No need for further configuration. If you haven't received a username or password, tap the Subscribe button and sign up for a free trial or a paid account. For Android 3.0 and later you'll need to onfigure the VPN in the Android Settings, as described here. If it's still unclear, please send us an email describing the problem and we'll help.

Firstly, see if the error message says there's a problem with the username or password. If so, make sure you've filled in the correct ones and that the account hasn't expired. See the client area for the account details. If the error message doesn't give a specific reason, first make sure the internet connection on the device is working. Next try to change to another server location, or another type of Server. Tap the "Connect to..." button then "Choose type" to get the list of available servers of a given type. If you still can't connect, you can send us a problem report and we'll have a look. Tap the "Help" button, then the "Send" button.

This problem is most likely due to a known issue with PPTP Encryption. To resolve it, simple choose some other type of server. On Android 2.3 and earlier, simply tap the "Connect to..." button to select another type of server. On Android 3.0 and later you need to configure another VPN of some type other than PPTP.

The connection will drop naturally now and then, especially if you are using it via 2G/3G/4G. Also on WIFI you can lose the connection if you move around. On Android 2.3 and earlier, tap Settings then enable "Reconnect after drop". Now PandaPow will automatically reconnect every time the connection drops.

If your ISP is blocking these sites, chances are that your Android device is polluted with wrong IP addresses for these sites. The only solution to this problem is to wait, sometimes a few minutes are needed. To reduce the chance of this happening, make sure you don't have any automatic updating enabled when you're not connected to PandaPow. If you're using a dedicated app, we can recommend trying the browser instead. For instance, if the Facebook app won't open, try opening facebook.com in the Browser instead. Chances are it will work. If all else fails, we'd recommend rebooting your Android device. If that doesn't help, please contact us about the problem.

In earlier days, geographical restrictions in Android's app market could be bypassed using PandaPow and a nifty little trick. That meant you could access apps not available in your country, but that were available in the countries of PandaPow's servers. Nowadays, with Google's Playstore it's not as simple any more. It's still possible but is quite a lot of trouble. If you're not deterred, then see this page for more details

Some sites don't allow viewing videos via the default Android browsers, instead you must get a special app which usually requires paying for a premium service. On Android there are workarounds, using apps such as Flash Video Browser, that allows playing the videos as if you were using a PC or Mac.

This can happens if the connection has been idle for too long, and is typically caused by a router that thinks the connection has been lost and cuts off the connection to the server. To avoid this happening, you may try to change the settings of your email app, or some other app that regularly connects to the internet. Normally, if there's some internet activity every 5-10 minutes, the connection should keep working.

The PandaPow servers are super fast, with abundance of network capacity. The speed you get when connected will depend on more things, though. Firstly, the speed of your own Internet connection is, of course, a limiting factor. Secondly, the distance between you and the PandaPow servers can also affect the speed (the farther away the lower the speed typically). Thirdly, the time of day and day of week also make a difference, as Internet usage varies greatly. If you experience that PandaPow is very slow on an otherwise good internet connection, please let us know about it. Send us your connection details (tap Help> Send) and make sure to tell us what the problem is, and we'll look into it.