VPN connections
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Does anyone know which is the best VPN? I’ve tried ghost and surfshark, but neither seem to work so that I can get All4 and iPlayer. I need something simple to install and use as we are not very tech savvy. Any help would be welcome.
I use Express VPN and I’m very happy with it.
Express have an issue with iPlayer at the moment (certainly up to yesterday evening when I spoke to them)
NordVPN appears to be working fine and is easy enough to set up on most devices
I’ve used Hidden 24, but I don’t use it anymore ‘cos it drops out randomly part way through a download, which is pointless.
I think also, that once iPlayer cottons on to you being out of UK, it’ll stick a cookie on your PC. This will prevent you using iPlayer, even via a VPN until that cookie is removed, because it’ll always know that you’re not in UK. It might even be necessary to delete iPlayer and reload it once your VPN is working.
But I’m no longer sufficiently tech savvy to be sure.
You would have thought that BBC could create a licence for ex-pats, with a fee. Lots of other software providers work on a licence.
My wife has a UK phone, and provided she uses her own mobile data (this does not work on wi-fi), her data always ‘thinks’ she is in the UK. So we can watch iPlayer etc without an issue.
To watch something on the tele, we simply use her mobile as a wi-fi hotspot.
My wife has a UK phone, and provided she uses her own mobile data (this does not work on wi-fi), her data always ‘thinks’ she is in the UK. So we can watch iPlayer etc without an issue. To watch something on the tele, we simply use her mobile as a wi-fi hotspot.
Doesn’t that work out expensive, or the ‘package’ is expensive?
And will it change after Brexit? That is, will the costs be likely to change after Brexit, not the service or the technology?
She has a fairly generous (data) package, so it’s within her contract (which is £13pm). That said we don’t watch that much on it; only Poldark, and a few House of Commons votes last year. Most TV is crap thesedays, but we can watch Neighbours online so all is well.
Yes, there is clearly a problem with Express VPN and I player at the moment. I know the BBC have an ongoing aggressive policy to try to block access to i player from outside the UK, so I imagine all VPN providers are affected from time to time. I’ve only encountered problems accessing i player through Express VPN 2 or 3 times during the 4 years or so that I have used it. In the past the problem has been resolved after a few days.
The BBC’s inability to look outside the box (sorry about the pun) is quite incredible.
In practice we watch very little television – my wife and myself are both musicians and most of what would be television time is spent either composing or preparing for gigs.
However, it would be good to be able to watch what you want to when you want to and this is becoming increasingly difficult simply because the BBC has this complete block when it comes to allowing expats to pick up their services.
They’re crying out for money for goodness sake – I for one would be more than happy to pay a subscription for the iplayer – VPNs are, as per this thread, becoming ever more erratic and if you’re going to pay for a service, you should at least expect it to be reliable
And to add insult, they’re knocking BBC4 on the head – talk about not listening to their audience.
They’re crying out for money for goodness sake – I for one would be more than happy to pay a subscription for the iplayer
The reason that they’re getting hotter and hotter on controlling viewing is to maintain the value of their product. If Aunty wants to sell her expensive costume drama to a foreign network, that network wants to be as sure that the Beeb is taking all possible steps to ensure that the network is the sole broadcaster in their region. Likewise the BBC will demand an undertaking from the network that they will restrict access geographically.
The reason that they’re getting hotter and hotter on controlling viewing is to maintain the value of their product. If Aunty wants to sell her expensive costume drama to a foreign network, that network wants to be as sure that the Beeb is taking all possible steps to ensure that the network is the sole broadcaster in their region. Likewise the BBC will demand an undertaking from the network that they will restrict access geographically.
Yes. that’s a really interesting observation and one that I hadn’t really thought about.
It does beg the question on the direction the viewing of UK television might be going for us expats living permanently abroad. I suppose that we’ve been lucky so far in that we’ve been able to watch Freeview without paying for it but, as you say, this may well change.
Not everybody wants to subscribe to Netflix or Amazon but there are some of us who like a basic service – in my view, the BBC’s News Service is still the best along with interesting stuff and the odd documentary or film.
With all the technology available to them, why can’t the BBC just say “you’ve had your free cake long enough and now you’ve got to pay for it like everybody else”. That’s alright by us – so where’s the problem?
i player is accessible through Express VPN again now.
I believe that it is all down to copyright. The BBC has the copyright on programmes to show them in the UK nowhere else.
Netflix question/queries…..
We have decided to open an account with UK Netflix but are unsure of a few things and would appreciate any guidance.
Living in France would we automatically be given the French version as we only want UK version? Also would we need a VPN account and are they reliable?
Many thanks in advance.I have used Avast for years now and am very happy with it. I tried others but the Avast is the only one Ive found that is up to the job.
Clues in the name folks!!
it’s the BRITISH Broadcasting Company.
Its designed to broadcast in the UK to licence payers, I believe there are plans to allow licence payers to access the iPlayer abroad but not freeloaders via a VPN.People over 75 in the UK now have to buy a licence & whether you agree with that or not it doesn’t seem fair that you want the service for nowt whilst others are paying for it
You can get BBC through free to air satellite TV. In Belgium and other countries you can get BBC through cable TV and it’s quite legal.
I’ve just had to Google what a VPN is, sad, isn’t it?
It’s them thar new words again Fruity! ( I know what VPL is though!)
I’ve just had to Google what a VPN is, sad, isn’t it?
Nope !
Well done Fruity , I still don’t know ‘cos I don’t need one .
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