VPN

Hitherto, when in Italy, we've used a university VPN in the UK to watch Sky Go etc.  However it is very slow!   Over 7 Mbps if we're connected to an Italian server and a mere 1.13 from the UK - which makes watching virtually impossible.

Can anyone recommend a fast VPN in the UK?  I know free ones are available http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/test-centre/internet/best-free-vpn-services-of-2015-in-uk-3613860/ but they all have either drawbacks or are positively dangerous!  

So I don't mind paying so long as the VPN is fast, reliable and doesn't try to take control of my laptop.

Hmmm, are you using it whilst in the UK to watch UK SKYGO and/or UK terrestrial TV channels?

If this is the case, then you do not need a VPN whilst in the UK cos you are already there, you just 'connect' ?!

Am I misunderstanding ? Apologies if I am !

V

In Italy I use My Expat Network to get all the UK TV and radio stations - no idea about SKY as I don't have it. Fast and efficient, cost is £5/month and I have never had any problems with it - worth a try.

I just love 'HMA Pro'    excellent support, works well, and the choice of VPN source is easy to use ... e.g.  you fancy seeing what Netflix USA has to offer and a click later you are nominally American ... you can experiment with UK sources too ... we ended up being nominally in Maidstone which seems fast enough and faster than London ... using German and French virtual UK (re the forces I think) was no faster but another new set of Netflix films to trawl.

Vicino wrote:Hmmm, are you using it whilst in the UK to watch UK SKYGO and/or UK terrestrial TV channels?If this is the case, then you do not need a VPN whilst in the UK cos you are already there, you just 'connect' ?!Am I misunderstanding ? Apologies if I am !

V

All well when viewing in the UK thanks V.

In Italy we can watch live UK terrestrial TV online (Filmon) via our Italian server.  No problem!

The problem comes with UK 'subscription' channels such as Sky & BT.  They only allow you to watch online if they 'think' you're in the UK.  So to fool them you need a server in the UK (VPN).  So in this case: Laptop -> Italian server -> VPN in UK -> Sky, BT etc

Having paid a fiver a month for the last 7/8 years to My Private Network (on a monthly basis, no contract.... https://www.my-private-network.co.uk/ ) I have no desire to even try any others, superb support and I use SmartDNS with them.

I have no problems here in Italy connecting to SKYGo, BT Sports etc. I do have a secondary (and fast becoming my primary option) as I use a MAG250 IPTV box, pretty perfect at about £80 upfront and £15-ish a month. I just sit with my remote control, clicking through the 500+ TV channels or the 800 or so films and orf we go !

As a minimum I'd go with MPN,

V

So here we are, 11 months later.  What's the latest?

Freesat is a disaster.  Niente worth watching in Italy!  

Currently we're watching Filmon from a laptop/computer via a HDMI cable.  OK but - you can't see the ball at Wimbledon and the European Football is blocked (good news if you wanted to watch England v Iceland ).

If I buy a Smart TV can I connect it to a VPN?  Otherwise it's of no use to me.

I'm a simple soul, easily pleased.  All I want to do after a hard day trying to tame my Italian 'garden' is to sit down and relax in front of the TV and watch mainstream channels (BBC, ITV, 4, 5 etc), Sky and BT.  Is that too much to ask?

So is the MAG250 IPTV box still the answer?  Or has the world moved on?

Sorry, Ghiro, I have to disagree...again...
Some very good programs on Italian TV and some awful ones as it is the case on most TV channels throughout the world.
Don Matteo, or Il Commissario Montalbano, or Gomorrah are some examples and here are the 2016 hits http://thevore.com/best-series/italian-tv-series/
The advantage of watching Italian TV is that it improves your language skills, which is also good for the brain....

I'm afraid I gave up on Italian TV sometime ago as I thought that in general it was pretty poor stuff. It did (and still does) help with the linguistics, but my brain can only take so much !

I went down the Mag250 route sometime ago and get (via the internet, for a fee), all the mainstream channels (BBCs, ITVs, 4, 5 etc), Sky(all) and BT, plus (if you like films), some 1200+ films which are updated weekly.

If you are really wanting some Italiano, there is also a number of the mainstream Italian channels there as (Rai, Mediaset etc).

It works for me !

If it works for you V then I'm sure it will work for me!

So how and where do I acquire a Mag250 box?  My download speed varies between 2 and 6 mp/s.  Is this enough to make it worthwhile?

Thanks for your help V - much appreciated.  

PS After a long hard day, 'improving my language skills' is pretty low on my list of priorities GP!

2mb is a tad on the slow side, 4mb should be fine and with 6mb you should have no issues.

The last one I bought was from the UK, they have moved on now to the Mag254, so if you google that.......as an example http://www.mag254.co.uk/

not a recommendation by the way as I have not used this site.

V

We have TIVUSAT and can change most channels into English. As a high proportion of Italian TV and films are American/English anyway we are never short of something to watch. You can check out what is on here.

If you have decent Italian digital TV reception then you can have regular Digital Terrestrial Italian TV where you can again switch most channels into Italian (and you get more channels).

Both are free-to-air but obviously for TIVUSAT you need a dish and a CAM card for either your TV or satellite box (depending on how modern your TV is).

Anything from the UK we really want to watch we use FILMON. There are great 4G deals around so you don't even need a phoneline nowadays.

Thank you both.  Very helpful.  I'll put my thinking cap on!

I have used these services in the past and configured the router to direct all traffic through the VPN. The only problem I have is that in general all vpn's will reduce your internet speed.

Smart DNS is a better solution. You just change the DNS in your router and it will automatically divert traffic to bbc, itv, sky, etc through their vpn and all other traffic will go through your isp as normal.

Overplay.net is a good example. (works with UK nowtv too)

If you use a HDMI Cable to connect your laptop to the TV why not try a Google Cast dongle; it uses your WiFi to cast your laptop screen to the TV if you use a Chrome Browser, saves all the messy cables, costs about £30 and is always on. Also you can cast from your Smartphone as well. We've had it for a year or so now and been working great at distances of up to 10metres away.

I totally agree with both Chillout and Flip, I have used smartDNS for quite a few years now, buut on just one of my devices (rather than the router itself). I have used the Google Cast dongle and it seems great but I THINK it is limited to talking to only the Google Chrome browser ?

I am still using my 2 mtr hdmi cable, as it is simps for me, but if I did have problems with this cable/method, I'd certainly happily move on to Google Cast.

Does Jeremy Clarkson advertise a similar Amazon one (Amazon stick )?

V

I have tried to set up a VPN through my Linkem router but it appears not to work.  Under DHCP server settings I have set my primary DNS to my VPN address and set this to be used rather than the ISP.  However, my device still seems to be using the Linkem Italian address.  I was trying to get real time or catch up TV from the UK on my new smart TV but I am not getting any of the TV playing apps that I expected to be on the TV.  Am I expecting too much of my TV or is it just that I can't use a Linkem router to achieve this? Or should I be doing/adding something else to achieve this.

Too complex for a simple soul like me FP.  Sorry. 

Hopefully one of the techno-wizards here can help you.

Flying pigs..........

did you sort your router out ? My knowledge on this is limited to what I remember 10 years ago and things have moved on dramatically !

Logically there is no reason why you can't and then you SHOULD be able to use your smartTV for catch up TV, but I think the router will need to have VPN server support ability (I think !). Maybe check it with your local computer shop ?

I assume you are not happy to use Filmon as a (not as good) alternative ?

V

I’ve found a useful link covering VPN setup on routers – it appears I need a router which supports VPN client mode, and my Linkem router does not.  I have thus changed to using Filmon through my smart TV to get live UK TV without a VPN which works fine.
 
I suggest anyone interested in trying to setup their router should check out:
 
http://www.howtogeek.com/221889/connect-your-home-router-to-a-vpn-to-bypass-censorship-filtering-and-more/
 
Let me know how you get on.

Thanks for the feedback and glad that the peeps here have been able to help !

So you are happy 'making do' with FILMON?............. as I mentioned earlier the router needs to be able to 'support' VPN enabling.

This is a problem when having a SMART TV and wanting to access a VPN connection. In an ideal world, you would want to have ability to tweak the SMART TV itself rather than the router.

V