# Vpn



## celia50 (Nov 4, 2010)

Can anyone recommends a good VPN ?


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

I have used Tunnelbear for years. Excellent service and easy to use


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## celia50 (Nov 4, 2010)

Rabbitcat said:


> I have used Tunnelbear for years. Excellent service and easy to use


Thanks Rabbitcat,we are checking the reviews


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## stevelin (Apr 25, 2009)

I use cactus have installed a smart dns on my router very please with it


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## Dunpleecin (Dec 20, 2012)

It depends what you want it for. If it's just for your mobile phone, Tunnelbear is ok and is free up to a certain amount of data per month.

If you're talking about a DNS to watch TV via the internet, I use UNOtelly. This doesn't slow down the speed at all, is very reliable and their customer service is amazingly good. They will respond within minutes usually.


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Overplay.net

It's all you need to know.


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## el pescador (Mar 14, 2013)

I use overplay.
Individual dns switches so you can have netflix US and bbc iplayer ect without having to switch.
The vpn client for the pc has loads of servers.
Agree , its all you need to know.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

I tried several but NordVPN is the best for iPlayer etc because it has so many servers in the UK. If the BBC blocks one, it immediately switches to another one.


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

I've recently started using Streamlocator.
Only for TV, as I have no other use for one, it's been easy to set up and use and faultless so far.


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## Beach buddy (Jul 7, 2018)

Smart DNS is the way to go.


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## olivefarmer (Oct 16, 2012)

Smart DNS doesn’t work for me for TV on 4G internet due to regular IP address change. Do VPN s have the same problem?


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

olivefarmer said:


> Smart DNS doesn’t work for me for TV on 4G internet due to regular IP address change. Do VPN s have the same problem?


We also have a dynamic IP address setup and our VPN (Nord) works fine. But I believe you can set up a static IP address if you know your way around the inner reaches of your operating system.


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## Localizer (Jun 23, 2016)

Having a good experience with NordVPN ......


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## olivefarmer (Oct 16, 2012)

We asked Movistar, which was a series of put on hold- call dropped, before predictably being advised we couldn’t have a fixed Ip address. Our DNS subscription still works until the Ip changes then the Apps - particularly iplayer play up and stop working as understandably as they have spotted you trying to access from a Spanish Ip address. I would be interested if anyone can explain how I can set up a static Ip address.

i have n the past stayed away from VPNs as they “ slow the internet ( only about 12 meg as it is) and content providers apparently regularly block access) . Maybe I need to revisit it and have a look at Nord.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

olivefarmer said:


> We asked Movistar, which was a series of put on hold- call dropped, before predictably being advised we couldn’t have a fixed Ip address. Our DNS subscription still works until the Ip changes then the Apps - particularly iplayer play up and stop working as understandably as they have spotted you trying to access from a Spanish Ip address. I would be interested if anyone can explain how I can set up a static Ip address.
> 
> i have n the past stayed away from VPNs as they “ slow the internet ( only about 12 meg as it is) and content providers apparently regularly block access) . Maybe I need to revisit it and have a look at Nord.


There are plenty of YouTube videos showing how to set up a static IP address.

I get still get speeds over 100 mbps when Nord is on, it hardly makes a difference. And because it has over 50 servers in the UK, if the BBC or whoever blocks one of them, it quickly switches to another. We've had it six months now and not had a problem.


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## CltFlyboy (Feb 11, 2020)

I think there is some confusion going on here - you can indeed set a static IP on any of the devices on your own network, but you more than likely cannot do so on the outward facing internet router (for many reasons - IPv4 scope exhaustion being a prime one). That's controlled at the ISP's end via a DHCP server that gives you the address that happens to be free when your equipment comes online. That address has an expiry where it asks to be renewed (typically 7 days but it's tunable). Per the IETF DHCP specs the device _should_ get the exact same address every time it renews, but you _could_ run into a situation where the ISP has forced a change.

Probably a lot more than you wanted to know about SHCP/static IPs etc.

On the other hand, VPNs are an excellent way to bypass geofencing restrictions and the overhead they use has gotten a lot better over the years. I can't recommend a specific provider in Spain, but any of the well-reviewed and trusted vendors should be fine. Using that basically masks your IP to be the endpoint at the VPN provider's site, which is how you get around your device "being" in another country. So therefore when using a VPN you route all of the internet-bound traffic through the VPN provider's network, where it then leaves to get to the destination you wanted. Much different than how DNS works.

Make sense?


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## olivefarmer (Oct 16, 2012)

Yes thanks, will explore vpn at weekend


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

Beach buddy said:


> Smart DNS is the way to go.


I have our LG smart tv set with DNS via Nord but its a bit hit and miss. Cant get channel 4 and the ITV player runs as long as you dont mind 20mins of adverts between each programme.

On the laptop with the VPN though they all work although C4 still plays up.

The VPN doesn't seem to slow the internet down but I tend to download all my youtube videos at night to watch the next day (or week) anyway.

i dont watch Tv so Im not really bothered (but it keeps the wife quiet).


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## stevesainty (Jan 7, 2011)

We have been using Smart DNS proxy with no problems with BBC iPlayer, ITV hub or Channel 5, although we now cannot get a subscription with Amazon Prime or Kindle unlimited from their UK site. The problem with Amazon is they check the address of your credit/Debit card, and we only have our Spanish address even though we have UK debit and credit cards. Before the end of the Brexit transition period we had no problem with Kindle unlimited.


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

stevesainty said:


> We have been using Smart DNS proxy with no problems with BBC iPlayer, ITV hub or Channel 5, although we now cannot get a subscription with Amazon Prime or Kindle unlimited from their UK site. The problem with Amazon is they check the address of your credit/Debit card, and we only have our Spanish address even though we have UK debit and credit cards. Before the end of the Brexit transition period we had no problem with Kindle unlimited.


You can sign up for Prime Spain, I still get lots of movies and of course all the Amazon TV and kindle unlimited and its half the uk cost. Think it is €39 a year.


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## stevesainty (Jan 7, 2011)

Barriej said:


> You can sign up for Prime Spain, I still get lots of movies and of course all the Amazon TV and kindle unlimited and its half the uk cost. Think it is €39 a year.


Yeah, but different content, unfortunately. When Wimbledon Tennis was on Prime, it was only on UK version, not on Spanish version. Also some authors available on UK unlimited are not available on ES.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Nord. Cheap and reliable. I use it on several devices- mobile, tv android box, iPad, Windows laptop


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## Phil Squares (Jan 13, 2017)

We have used ExpressVPN for over 6 years. I used it when I traveled and use it here in Spain with no problems at all. BBC spends quite a bit of money trying to keep VPN users out, much more so than any other streaming service I have used. ExpressVPN has been very stable with the BBC for the last 9 months or so.


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## DonMarco (Nov 20, 2016)

If your TV is a Samsung running on Tizen (later models), you can forget running a VPN App.


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## stevesainty (Jan 7, 2011)

DonMarco said:


> If your TV is a Samsung running on Tizen (later models), you can forget running a VPN App.


We have a Samsung running on Tizen, a later model, and use Smart DNS with no problem.
The only problems we have are with Amazon.co.uk as our UK credit card address is in Spain, so no Prime or kindle unlimited using the UK platform.


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## stevec2x (Mar 24, 2012)

stevesainty said:


> We have a Samsung running on Tizen, a later model, and use Smart DNS with no problem.
> The only problems we have are with Amazon.co.uk as our UK credit card address is in Spain, so no Prime or kindle unlimited using the UK platform.


Why not use amazon.es instead?

Steve


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## stevesainty (Jan 7, 2011)

stevec2x said:


> Why not use amazon.es instead?
> 
> Steve


Different content, I wanted Prime to watch all the Wibledon tennis, which is not on ES Prime and also there are not the authors that I read on Kindle unlimed ES, only on .co.uk. 
So unless I get a credit card with a UK address, which Amazon check, I cannot access these accounts on .co.uk, although I can still order stuff from them.
I have tried using a VPN too, but it is the credit card address check which prevents access.


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## DonMarco (Nov 20, 2016)

stevesainty said:


> We have a Samsung running on Tizen, a later model, and use Smart DNS with no problem.
> The only problems we have are with Amazon.co.uk as our UK credit card address is in Spain, so no Prime or kindle unlimited using the UK platform.


Smart DNS is not an App.


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## stevesainty (Jan 7, 2011)

DonMarco said:


> Smart DNS is not an App.


Maybe not, but it works.


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

CltFlyboy said:


> therefore when using a VPN you route all of the internet-bound traffic through the VPN provider's network, where it then leaves to get to the destination you wanted. Much different than how DNS works.


Because all your traffic goes through a VPN's network it's very likely logged and if logged it's potentially available to scrutiny by law and order. Take it with a very large grain of salt if a VPN claims to not keep logs!

That may or may not bother you but it's worth knowing nevertheless.

DNS services do not log anything.


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## CltFlyboy (Feb 11, 2020)

MataMata said:


> Because all your traffic goes through a VPN's network it's very likely logged and if logged it's potentially available to scrutiny by law and order. Take it with a very large grain of salt if a VPN claims to not keep logs!
> 
> That may or may not bother you but it's worth knowing nevertheless.
> 
> DNS services do not log anything.


I agree that any VPN provider can log the route transitions and many of the free/low cost ones do just that - but there are those that do not and guarantee it.

Regarding DNS - I'm not sure where you get your info from but DNS servers can VERY easily log all the requests that it handles, from the originating endpoint IP address to the requested destination address translation to IP, to the destination endpoint IP address. It's pretty easy to see when Joe User is sitting in one geolocation trying to access sites across the world (and it's one way we secure internet traffic requests - especially from know bad actors/IP address subnet ranges/etc.)

I do know a bit about this, I'm an infrastructure architect - the whole underpinning of routable network traffic is in my domain.


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## DonMarco (Nov 20, 2016)

stevesainty said:


> Maybe not, but it works.


OK......try watching Zattoo TV.


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