VPN Recommendations

[davidge]

I’ve been paying for IPVanish but this trip I still can’t access UK sites (eg BBC iPlayer) with it turned on.

Can anyone suggest a better VPN - or have companies just got too good at spotting and blocking them?

I’m using an iPad and location and Bluetooth are turned off and the clock is set to UK time. (don’t know if that makes a difference anyway!)

THANKS.

[taylor1975]

I sometimes use opera mini web browser on my ipad, when i'm in thailand, for when web pages won't load using safari.

I think it has a built in VPN. 

For bbc iplayer, i bet it needs to see an ip adress thats in the UK, for it work.

[davidge]

I thought the point of a VPN is that it shows your IP as one in the country you choose? I have IPVanish set to UK and it shows a London server and a ‘public IP’ that I assumed as in the UK?? I don’t understand this technical stuff though!

[Kahoy]

4 minutes ago, davidge said:

I thought the point of a VPN is that it shows your IP as one in the country you choose? I have IPVanish set to UK and it shows a London server and a ‘public IP’ that I assumed as in the UK?? I don’t understand this technical stuff though!

Correct, most VPN services have a network of servers in different countries so you can choose.

I use a free one called Tunnel Bear for connection to Australia. I only use it to buy tattslotto tickets and nothing else so its 500 Mb limit per month is fine. For regular use IP Vanish is a good pick. You could try Nord VPN but that's a bit expensive. It has a free trial. 

https://www.top10vpn.com/best-vpn-for-uk/?bsid=c0abdse1kw034&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzMSD_ZSV3AIVWA4rCh3-HQUHEAAYASAAEgKwzfD_BwE

[davidge]

1 minute ago, Kahoy said:

Correct, most VPN services have a network of servers in different countries so you can choose.

I use a free one called Tunnel Bear for connection to Australia. I only use it to buy tattslotto tickets and nothing else so its 500 Mb limit per month is fine. For regular use IP Vanish is a good pick. You could try Nord VPN but that's a bit expensive. It has a free trial. 

Thanks. That’s what I thought. I guess the companies like the BBC could identify some of these servers and block them? There’s a couple of UK only sites that I’ve tried this trip and IPVanish hasn’t ‘tricked’ them.

[Kahoy]

1 minute ago, davidge said:

Thanks. That’s what I thought. I guess the companies like the BBC could identify some of these servers and block them? There’s a couple of UK only sites that I’ve tried this trip and IPVanish hasn’t ‘tricked’ them.

Quite easily I would think. You could use digital ocean and create your own VPN server for $5 a month.  

I could give you some instructions on how to set it up.

[davidge]

I tried TunnelBear - I set up an account a while ago - and the UK Lotto site wasn’t fooled by that either.

While I’m only in Thailand for a month at a time I can get by. When it comes to spending longer here I’ll try to find a solution.

Thanks.

[Ludhamlad]

I have IP Vanish on my Firestick and neither the BBC or ITV Player will work when it's connected.  I also have an AVG one (HideMyAss) on the laptop and just connected it with the football on BBC and it's playing fine.  I didn't think it would but it is now so that's one to consider, maybe they do a weeks trial.

[davidge]

Just now, Ludhamlad said:

I have IP Vanish on my Firestick and neither the BBC or ITV Player will work when it's connected.  I also have an AVG one (HideMyAss) on the laptop and just connected it with the football on BBC and it's playing fine.  I didn't think it would but it is now so that's one to consider, maybe they do a weeks trial.

Thanks.

[Kahoy]

4 minutes ago, davidge said:

I tried TunnelBear - I set up an account a while ago - and the UK Lotto site wasn’t fooled by that either.

While I’m only in Thailand for a month at a time I can get by. When it comes to spending longer here I’ll try to find a solution.

Thanks.

It's possible it blocks UDP, in which case you'd really need to set up your own and use TCP which would be a bit slower as it checks and resends every dropped packet. If HideMyAss is working then it isn't blocking UDP.

[davidge]

7 minutes ago, Kahoy said:

It's possible it blocks UDP, in which case you'd really need to set up your own and use TCP which would be a bit slower as it checks and resends every dropped packet. If HideMyAss is working then it isn't blocking UDP.

Thanks - not that I understand much of that 

I’ll maybe set up a free trial of HMA tomorrow - as long as I remember to cancel within 30 days - and see if that works.

[Ludhamlad]

8 minutes ago, davidge said:

Thanks - not that I understand much of that 

I’ll maybe set up a free trial of HMA tomorrow - as long as I remember to cancel within 30 days - and see if that works.

It's blocking me now from the live feed on BBC, I stopped the program, disconnected the VPN then connected it again with the VPN set to London (same as before) and it's saying content not available in my region.

The first time I tried it the program was already playing and didn't stop when I connected the VPN so I don't think it's going to be any good for you sorry to say. 

[davidge]

5 minutes ago, Ludhamlad said:

It's blocking me now from the live feed on BBC, I stopped the program, disconnected the VPN then connected it again with the VPN set to London (same as before) and it's saying content not available in my region.

The first time I tried it the program was already playing and didn't stop when I connected the VPN so I don't think it's going to be any good for you sorry to say. 

Ok. Looks like easy options are a no-no then!

[ChiFlyer]

I use Private Internet Access on a Windows laptop. I have some friends in Germany that also use this. it is about $30 USD a year. The only US site that has blocked access (that I an aware of) via PIA is Schwab. I only found that out because I forgot to turn PIA off.

I am certain that PIA supports other platforms. You may want to take a look at them. My understanding is pretty much what others have said and I also am no expert on the topic.

[Ah dinnae ken]

I use Express VPN. Expensive however better than HMA which I had first IMO. Make sure you clean out your cookies before trying to join BBC. I use free version of CCleaner

[krishpiscean]

I have been using nord vpn for a while, works well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[anglesea]

I've just subscribed to ExpressVPN for 6 months, about $AUD10 per month. I needed to connect with Australian survey, banking and tax sites without being tracked back to Thailand. I was impressed with the large network of servers all around the world and one of the few that had servers in Australia. I tried Tunnel Bear but was unreliable and slow. Since using Express VPN I have been very pleased. Secure, fast and reliable. 

[davidge]

Just to update:

A friend uses StrongVPN and I logged into the UK Lotto site on his phone without a problem. He said he also watches BBC iPlayer without too many issues.

So it looks as if they’re not blocking all VPN just known ip addresses.

Guess I better switch VPN.

[Kahoy]

31 minutes ago, davidge said:

Just to update:

A friend uses StrongVPN and I logged into the UK Lotto site on his phone without a problem. He said he also watches BBC iPlayer without too many issues.

So it looks as if they’re not blocking all VPN just known ip addresses.

Guess I better switch VPN.

I think StrongVPN is a fork of Sothether which uses TCP instead of UDP. Softether was built by a Japanese University specifically to evade detection by the great Wall of China. The idea is that it's much harder for sites to determine that traffic tunnelled inside TCP is a VPN whereas UDP is used by almost all VPN's. Because of this it should be nearly impossible for any site to block it provided they rotate IP address.

[davidge]

12 minutes ago, Kahoy said:

I think StrongVPN is a fork of Sothether which uses TCP instead of UDP. Softether was built by a Japanese University specifically to evade detection by the great Wall of China. The idea is that it's much harder for sites to determine that traffic tunnelled inside TCP is a VPN whereas UDP is used by almost all VPN's. Because of this it should be nearly impossible for any site to block it provided they rotate IP address.

Thanks.

I’m trying the free trial. Lotto site works but still can’t watch BBC iPlayer either through App or website - I cleared history/cookies first. I’ll ask friend later what he does.

[insider]

5 hours ago, davidge said:

Thanks.

I’m trying the free trial. Lotto site works but still can’t watch BBC iPlayer either through App or website - I cleared history/cookies first. I’ll ask friend later what he does.

Don't know about the BBC app but the website has changed and now it asks you to sign in with email or username, pretty sure it asks for your TV licence number as well.

[davidge]

21 minutes ago, insider said:

Don't know about the BBC app but the website has changed and now it asks you to sign in with email or username, pretty sure it asks for your TV licence number as well.

You should need to register a free account and tick you have a TV Licence. I use iPlayer in the UK so have an account.

From what friend says, BBC are very adept at identifying & blocking VPN ip addresses so you just have to keep on choosing a different server.

So, on StrongVPN tonight the Manchester server was blocked by the BBC but not the Canterbury one.

[Woofiee]

On 7/10/2018 at 20:28, Kahoy said:

Correct, most VPN services have a network of servers in different countries so you can choose.I use a free one called Tunnel Bear for connection to Australia. I only use it to buy tattslotto tickets and nothing else so its 500 Mb limit per month is fine. For regular use IP Vanish is a good pick. You could try Nord VPN but that's a bit expensive. It has a free trial. 

I used to use Tunnelbear - Grizzly level - for years and it was great until Norton bought the company. Even though I'm just across the Channel, I couldn't hook into iPlayer any more. 

NordVPN, while a little more expensive if you go month by month, is competitive if you pay yearly - and it's been rock-solid since I switched. It's easily got a hundred servers in the UK alone, and you can favourite any particular server so it doesn't look like your usage is all over the map. 

Can highly recommend it. 

[Footymadstreams]

Browsec  is free and ok

[kendouk]

I use ExpressVPN, works well for me on BBC Iplayer and also flipflopping between UK or US Netflix.