Two-factor authentication in the Philippines

[KenM]

I am required to respond to two-factor text- messages on a regular basis by work. There are also companies and providers you forget you’ll ever need again who then require this when your phone number changes. So even if I give work the new foreign number I don’t know if this will work and I don’t know what authentication I may need in the future from providers I don’t use often. I am currently locked out of a business Amazon’ account I almost never use and I have a bank account in the UK that I willl never be able to access without traveling there, so I’ve learned to fear two-factor authentication. And yet I will soon be in the Philippines. I know it’ s possible to port my current number to google voice and there may be some similar solutions suggested but will there be any difficulties with two-factor authentication? I need to know for a fact this is not a problem. Alternatively I don’t know what one can do. I would be grateful for advice from the experienced. 

[hk blues]

1 minute ago, KenM said:

I am required to respond to two-factor text- messages on a regular basis by work. There are also companies and providers you forget you’ll ever need again who then require this when your phone number changes. So even if I give work the new foreign number I don’t know if this will work and I don’t know what authentication I may need in the future from providers I don’t use often. I am currently locked out of a business Amazon’ account I almost never use and I have a bank account in the UK that I willl never be able to access without traveling there, so I’ve learned to fear two-factor authentication. And yet I will soon be in the Philippines. I know it’ s possible to port my current number to google voice and there may be some similar solutions suggested but will there be any difficulties with two-factor authentication? I need to know for a fact this is not a problem. Alternatively I don’t know what one can do. I would be grateful for advice from the experienced. 

In itself it's not a problem in that SMS from overseas can and do make it here.  But...The obvious 1st point is the signal where you are, it may or may not be enough to receive messages.  I have to take a 100m walk to get a good enough signal which is great if you know the message is coming.  2nd issue is the provider may not send messages here - one of my UK banks doesn't so that's a problem.  3rd issue - and this is a strange one - one provider does send messages here but they are not received on my phone so I have to take the SIM card out and out it in another (identical) phone and we're good to go!  4th problem - time delay.  Some providers codes expire before the message makes it here.

On of my UK banks also uses a pin generator machine - it's temperamental but we get there in the end.

So, it's certainly doable but there are challenges depending on provider and location.  If only they'd all accept email verification but most don't.  All things considered I've been here 6 years and managed to get by somehow.  

 

[Jack Peterson]

2 minutes ago, KenM said:

will there be any difficulties with two-factor authentication? I need to know for a fact this is not a problem.

 Unfortunately I have big problems with two factor authentication, mine works on return of a OTP (one time pin) from the provider In my case a Bank, now this can take from 5 seconds to 5/10 mins to battle its way to my Phone on logging in. Obviously there is a set time limit from the Provider to Log in or it Automatically shuts down that loggin, Then there is an issue of Multiple numbers coming up on Texts If I click resend, getting 3 wrong attempts locks my Bank account.

 This is nothing to do with the Provider here but the Bad performance of GLOBE( in my case).

 I can also say the my wife gets the same problem at times with work issues  After some time now with trial and error I have to try a login at Low  Mobile phone usage times in the Country   This is ok for me, as the time difference to the UK works to my advantage But for the wife. usually Businesses are closed here, when she gets Logged in. Like a Lot of things here, Nothing is easy

 

 

[KenM]

So the two factor authentication will work with a Philippines phone number? But there may be issues of delay given internet. But there is still the issue of two factor that I forget I’ll ever need again. Is there any way to have the U.S number continue to work while in the Philippines for this purpose? Even if i have to put the sim back in sometimes. But without paying in the states. Maybe a pay as you go sim from the states? For some of the other issue mentioned maybe VPN would help. I still don’t know how to make that work for TV and other things.

[GeoffH]

25 minutes ago, KenM said:

Is there any way to have the U.S number continue to work while in the Philippines for this purpose? Even if i have to put the sim back in sometimes. But without paying in the states. Maybe a pay as you go sim from the states? 

I keep a low $ plan active in Australia when I go to the Philippines and put the SIM into a cheap phone that will roam onto SMART in the Philippines (or GLOBE but most seem to roam onto SMART).

It costs me $9.90 Au $ (about $8 US) per month to keep the number active, I have tried other methods but none have been as reliable.

I doubt you'll find a reliable and free solution, the free options won't always be reliable and the reliable ones aren't going to be free.

[hk blues]

37 minutes ago, KenM said:

1- So the two factor authentication will work with a Philippines phone number?

2- But there may be issues of delay given internet.

3- But there is still the issue of two factor that I forget I’ll ever need again.

4- Is there any way to have the U.S number continue to work while in the Philippines for this purpose? Even if i have to put the sim back in sometimes. But without paying in the states. Maybe a pay as you go sim from the states?

5- For some of the other issue mentioned maybe VPN would help. I still don’t know how to make that work for TV and other things.

1- Yes IF your provider accepts overseas numbers

2- Not an internet issue, just a general reception issue.  I have great internet but poor phone signal, one is wired and one is not.

3- That will always be a problem - write the ones you have down and you'll know who to contact should the need arise.

4- You can use a US number here but paying for it here is another matter - the providers are not the same.

5- A VPN will not help for SMS issues as far as I know.

 

[KenM]

Thanks for the information. I’ll try to find a cheap plan or pay as you go solution in the U.S. and port my number there. Put that sim back in when necessary. Which is pretty often with the security at my work. 

What do I need to know about cheap phones that will work as my 2 factor phone?

Edited October 15, 2021 by KenM

[OnMyWay]

48 minutes ago, KenM said:

Thanks for the information. I’ll try to find a cheap plan or pay as you go solution in the U.S. and port my number there. Put that sim back in when necessary. Which is pretty often with the security at my work. 

What do I need to know about cheap phones that will work as my 2 factor phone?

I tried to keep a cheap phone active in the U.S. for a while when I first started worrying about 2FA.  Left the phone at my sister's house with call forwarding to my Google Voice.  Never used it once for 2FA and the phone number expired from not being used.

What works for me is Google Voice.  I have had the number for a long time.  I know that some have said Google Voice gets detected as virtual and can't be used for 2FA, but I have not experienced that yet.

You will need to use VPN before logging in to brokerage accounts and some banks.

The accounts that Google voice works with for me are:

Capital One Credit Card

Chase Bank

Fidelity Investments

Although Fidelity has never used 2FA for me yet, I think they do for for certain things.

For all of those, I use Express VPN before logging in to Online services.  CapOne and Chase would probably not require it, but Fidelity and other brokerages will give you a big hassle if you try to sign in while out of the country.

[KenM]

I”m an apple user, but this looks like a good option on a cheap phone for communicating with the States in all manner https://smartphones.gadgethacks.com/news/traveling-abroad-here-are-6-reasons-google-fi-is-best-option-0195002/

 

 

[KenM]

I have further researched the t-mobile and google fi cut people off who ar out of the country for long periods of time:

https://globalisationguide.org/review/google-fi/

Back to the drawing board. Unless the google voice solution will always work for verification does anyone know of a U.S. provider who won’t cut off service to those out of the country? If I get over and then can’t verify I’ll have a major problem. 

https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=328878

Edited October 15, 2021 by KenM