Hello,
It seems BBC iPlayer has blocked StrongVPN IP addresses (Just in time for the MasterChef final - grrr!)
Anyone got a VPN that is working?
Cheers
Just wondering if anyone has experienced any issues using HOLA free vpn which used to be advertised as being great to use but now am being told disable and delete completely and immediately. Has anyone or is anyone else using HOLA free vpn to access for example bbc iplayer. Works fine for iplayer but am now aware that there may be issues with it, Have used filmon but found the buffering and ads ruined any enjoyment of the live tv...anyhow can watch live tv on my tv without need of being online....but really want to be able to watch iplayer safely and easily. Dont watch that often but want enough mgb to be able to watch what I want and when I want for free. Anyone using HOLA free vpn and / or have any ideas for a free vpn please..? thanks for any info which would be good for me and for the community. Thanks
We are using MyExpatNet which has had no problems with downloads from the BBC iPlayer. We use FilmOn for live TV but have been getting a lot of buffering recently mainly due to less than 2mb download. We have lost all channels via satellite so a new, larger dish is on order.
People using HOLA free to watch bbc iplayer etc....is it really dangerous? Has anyone else used HOLA and had any problems through hacking or viruses etc...Was just reading up on it now and am reading horror stories.....really concerned now although have used it for ages and never felt a problem. If this is a problem is there another free way to watch iplayer? Dont watch it much so really dont want to have to pay for occasional use...watching from a laptop on windows 10 now...so no smart phone or tablet etc or smart tv...just the good old basic old fashioned laptop....but now am truly worried sick from what i have been reading about HOLA free vpn which has been working fine with only a few hiccups which I resolved by disabling and then enabling again....anyone with any advice or had any issues with HOLA and @Carl Alban would you have any ideas please as I know that you are very knowledgeable about anything to do with computers and IT etc...many thanks
Strong VPN on iPlayer started working again for me last night, I hadn't checked it for a few days but I noticed a server upgrade notification so maybe that's done it.
Ah that’s good for me to know as well Tony, I also have a Samsung tv, only 2 yrs old. Also have a cable with the red end on it all set up and ready to to plug into my Orange Livebox, do I need those? See my reply to Simon above, the technology just confuses me more and more to the e tent think I’m about to become a raging alcoholic - that’s not a good idea with my health either 
If your answer is yes to above using the cable and Internet access, what do I need to Input on my TV?
I do,NOT have a Working computer anymore, only the iPad air2! So router is set up currently via Orange instructions for the iPad IOS WIFI only. will this make a difference to anything?
I’m also set up via satellite to receive Eof England BBC TV et al, using a Humax
Tony - thanks for the further endorsement of Overplay SmartDNS. So simple, so easy, so effective and so cheap but most of the guys on here just continue to harp on about naff VPN's....beats me!!??
I can confirm what Simon has suggested. We have been using the Smart DNS service from Overplay for over a year now and the solution works great. There is no need to use a VPN solution and once enabled iPlayer, etc all work fine from my French Broadband (SFR). In fact, I've even enabled iPlayer, ITV Player, etc on my Samsung TV so there is no need to stream via my laptop or other device. The solution is as transparent as using your equipment in the UK!
Great value for US$4.95 per month.
Tony
yes, I think I will go with STRONG VPN
I have heard only good things about it
thanks
geoff
It was Thursday 31st all the BBC internet stations went down due to a 'cyber-attack' according to the BBC news later. The original post was the 25th I think.
For me StrongVPN has been good. I have a subscription to UKTV France & their 'phone technical support in France have been excellent eg I got an 'STB Blocked' error message on New Years Day & got helpful support even on a holiday. The sub is for all the Sky HD & BT sport channels that cost us £70 in the UK. The difference is our internet is too feeble to support Sport in HD most of the time-the picture freezes or disappears at times.
With SVPN we could use our Sky Now box for 24 hour access to Sky Sports & can access Amazon Prime for some movies for free through our sub.
Geoff try below for size. I’m not very good at putting links on this SFN website, although it works on other sites mostly.
Updated: GCHQ boss says “strong encryption” means hacking powers are needed http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-12/01/gchq-hacking-court-privacy-international … @privacyint
Wired UK
Wired UK
Now that I think about it, there was a story about several BBC sites including iPlayer being the subject of a denial of service attack last Thursday morning. Was that the time you were having problems?
As to whether our communications can currently be decrypted, the answer is probably yes - and if it's not, then you may as well believe that it's possible. Should that change your behaviour? That depends, I guess, on a whole number of factors, it's not a one-size-fits-all. The main issue with the ability of the "good guys" to decrypt everything is that very soon the bad guys will also have access to that information. And in any case, can the good guys be trusted to behave themselves?
And StrongVPN is working perfectly and, for me, has never stopped working other than when the server I chose in London was overloaded or when the Orange wifi is weak.
I don't suppose GCHQ are bothered about me watching TheTimes Prem catchup or Derby on Sky.
I do wonder whether iPlayer not being available was due to weak wifi from the demand rather than anyting the BBC were doing? Logically if they blocked it then why are they not blocking it now?
thanks for the link. Very interetsing - and to think this is what we 'know' about - we cannot even imagine what they are really capable of. We must assume that everything we say or do (perhaps even think!) is being monitored.
Or to corrupt the american pledge of allegiance "one nation under CCTV"
cheers
well Shirley, thanks for this - but the "link" does not work for me - and when I go to the wired homepage, it seems that in order to understand it I need to be a fifteen year old game player. I do not fit into either cateory.
cheers
geoff
In light of this discussion, Have you all seen below, it was emailed to me by a trusted source. I.e. A friend.
1/12/15 14:40
Updated: GCHQ boss says “strong encryption” means hacking powers are needed wired.co.uk/news/archive/2… @privacyint
…and there is more on the wired.co.uk website that fits in with this discussion.
Not with Apple iPad IOS SOFTWARE tho Pete. No mention of on their site!
As I wrote before, I tried out the CyberGhost VPN product (free) and found it patchy. ITV always accepted my Bristol location, but BBC didn't always accept it. I shelved it for a while and then I wanted to see some things about New Years' Eve at home in Australia, and found that CyberGhost can't deal with that.
This lead me to read up on the technology and to find that a "Smart DNS" could possibly be a better solution. They claim to incur less speed reduction than a VPN, so I tried a free week with one in the USA and the results are very good. All UK TV stations I tried worked very well after an initial delay. All but one Australian TV stations worked too. They do promise that Netflix becomes available (whatever that means), but as I have no interest in movies or American content, I can't comment on that.
Setting up the Smart DNS involved changing the DNS numbers in my network adapter settings. Not too hard.
Alan