HOLA VPN and SONICWALL

VPN
1

I’ve had something happen to me while using HOLA VPN that’s been wracking my head for a few days and I cant relax about it. I’m not very good with computers so any advice helps. So, for preface I was using the Chrome Extension of HOLA but while using Hola, for a site that normally works for me, a weird message popped up on my computer screen. It said it came from SonicWall Network Security Appliance “This Site has been Blocked by Your Network Administrator” “Block Policy: cfsZonePolicy0” “Client I.P. Adress: 192.168.42.77” (which after looking up the IP address I found that it was a private IP)

and then it gave me a block reason. The one thing I do know is that the “CFS” policy means it was a content filter from a network with sonicwall. But here are my questions, is it possible that while using HOLA I connected to another peer’s network (serving as the exit node) which had a firewall blocking my connection to the website? Or would HOLA itself be blocking my connection to the website (In which case does that mean HOLA was monitoring the websites I was visiting?)? In this article (https://www.top10vpn.com/reviews/hola-free-vpn/) it says that HOLA for chrome doesn’t use a Peer to Peer service for the chrome extension, but if it doesn’t why else would I run into a content filter block from a firewall?? Can I assume that someone downloaded HOLA on something like a business or college network to get around the firewall and then I happened to connect and run into the firewall? I just can’t relax thinking that HOLA was monitoring my network use and then decided to prevent me from viewing a website. And then my last question, could the block have come from the website itself? But I don’t assume so because it was specifically a “CFS” block.

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Also If I did receive the Block from the website, would it be the same notification as a cfs block?

2

Looks like you’re surfing a website and CFS is just blocking you. The client IP 192.168.x.x is your machine’s IP.

Check event logs on the SonicWall to see which website it was.

3

Ok so since I was using a VPN that usually connects peer to peer (Via routing me through someone else’s network), I just checked my machines IP and it is different from the one listed in the CFS. So can I assume this was from someone else’s computer network and not mine?

My second question is. Is this usually an automated message? As in does this message pop up automatically when trying to view a website that has been blocked? Or does someone have to manually send this message to the computer?

4

Also where do you think the block came from? From the Website? Or The network my computer traffic was going through? Given that its a CFS Block I assume that it’s the network my computer traffic was going through correct?

5

Wait… You have a SonicWall right…?

6

No, I encountered SonicWall while using a VPn

7

Ah, now I understand…

You’re probably using a peer-to-peer VPN and the remote peer has a SonicWall in their perimeter effectively blocking a website access from their network and in turn blocking your browsing since you’re VPN’ing to his network.

That explains it.

8

Perfect!!! Thank you so so much!!! That explains everything

9

Just curious have you ever heard of this happening before?

10

It’s not uncommon… Going through someone else network by VPN and getting blocked by their firewall.

On another hand, if you have a SonicWall and depending on the configuration (which category you’re blocking), it happens from time to time when browsing and getting blocked by the SonicWall’s CFS.