It was first aired the last 17^th of April 2011 in the United States. A couple of days later, the series soon picked up for the second season which began airing last April 1, 2012. HBO, the producer even mandated the production of the 3^rd and 4^th season to complete the third novel ‘A Storm Swords.’

The Game of Thrones has been a great success among various followers and critics alike. It was even nominated for a lot of awards a few of which consists of the –

• Primetime Emmy Awards
• Best Television Series (Drama)
• Outstanding Drama Series
• Golden Globe Awards

Nevertheless, since the program is produced by HBO, the airing of the series is restricted to USA residents only. Much to the dismay of other avid viewers, who are keenly waiting for the series to be broadcasted in their own country. If you want to view Game of Thrones outside the USA, do not fret as there is still a way to bypass the HBO restriction.

Bypass Geo-Restrictions With VPN

The block is basically due to the detection of your IP address which discloses your actual location in the globe. The remedy is simple, do an IP switch with the help of Virtual Private Network or VPN. This is a simple software which allows one to connect to a server. Upon the establishment of a connection, you will obtain a brand new IP address depending on your server location.

Hence, your browsing activity is made private, and nobody will be able to ascertain your genuine identity.

Guidelines: How To Get and Use A VPN

1. Pick a provider from among the many US servers available.
2. Install the software and configure it on your pc or laptop.
3. Select a US-based server in order to switch your IP address.
4. Get started and enjoy watching Game of Thrones.

Good VPN Providers to Unblock Game of Thrones Outside USA

Your Virtual Private Network empowers you and grants you access to websites where you may be restricted from viewing or accessing by reason of your geographic location. VPN will give you the power to bypass these blockades and enjoy viewing any stream-able media you prefer. Bypassing these restrictions allows you entry to a lot of great entertainment sites out there like Hulu or Netflix for starters.

Enjoy complete privacy and anonymity as you watch the much-awaited Game of Thrones on HBO today!

How do you unblock Game of Thrones? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Free VPN connection

So I configured my VPN connection as per the instructions here. Now I launch my VPN connection on my Windows 7 PC and get this:

Error connecting …

After  connecting and verifying my credentials, Windows came out with this dialog box:

Surprise. Windows is complaining that it couldn’t verify the identity of the server. Notice that we don’t have a credential issue here (otherwise I expect I would have received a message similar to “wrong username or password”).

Since I’m a free user, I’m not supposed to have access to support, so I’m left with consulting any available documentation on freeusvpn.com. Let’s dig into it then, although I’m pretty sure most of the regular users would have abandoned at this stage, especially when they know that a VPN is supposed to secure a connection and that their computer is warning them that it couldn’t verify the authenticity of the remote server.

Use Google DNS to avoid hijacking

But anyway, I’ve decided to go to wherever I can for this case study, so let’s move to the troubleshooting section. This troubleshooting section strongly advises I use Google DNS services to avoid hijacking. Let’s do it then:

So now let’s connect again and see the results

Yeah, I am now connected.

Verify the IP address of the server

So let’s see if we actually have an IP address that is somewhere else than in my country. Let’s verify it on whatismyipaddress.com or xmyip.com.

Not bad. Here I’m supposed to be in New Jersey (while I am in Madagascar- thousand miles away from New Jersey-  Bruce Springsteen’s home )

So I tried another IP geolocation  (hostip.info) service who would confirm that IP address, and guess what: confusion

Ok, let’s get a piece of third advice. So I tested the IP address on whatismyip.com, and guess what? I am now in Utah in the US …

Cool, that’s a great and quick trip: New jersey-Moscow-Utah in few seconds

Hmmm, so am I Bruce Springsteen’s neighbor, or am I supposed to wander somewhere in Moscow?

Anyway, let’s try to do things I wouldn’t have been able to do if I used my Madagascar IP address. So I launched hulu.com, and … and …. And, yes hulu.com doesn’t restrict my access. So much for accessing a website.

Hulu error message. Have you ever been faced with this deceiving window when going to hulu.com?

I am a great fan of Carl Lightman character from the series “Lie To Me,” and guess what? Hulu has all the episodes available for watching for free – if only I were in the US.  They also have movies, trailers, documentaries – well, they have enough to keep us awake late at night watching our favorite shows online (provided that we have good enough Internet connection).

But how do Hulu check if I am physically based in the US or not?

Every time you are using the Internet, your computer, or smartphone, or whatever device you are using to access the internet is given an IP address which is unique. Your Internet Service Provider assigns this IP address to your device without you knowing it. The fact is: those IP addresses are so well assigned that they also give any computer on the internet an indication of where you are located in the world.

Websites are now then able to track the IP address of their visitors (in fact, they know a lot of things about you, but that’s not the point of this article). Back to Hulu, whenever a visitor browses their website, Hulu checks for the originating IP address, double-check it with a database of geo-located IP Addresses that is publicly available, then it can tell if your IP address is part of those who are based in the US.

So how do we circumvent this IP-location barrier to be able to watch Hulu?

Different techniques can be used to access Hulu, but the one I’m recommending is the use of a virtual private network (VPN) solution to unblock Hulu. A lot of answers exist out there (I will write another post dealing with the criteria you should use for choosing a VPN provider). For the time being, let’s stick to choosing one provider that has a US presence (which means that once you fired up your VPN client software, your computer will use a US IP address).  So, in my case:

• I launched my VPN client,  chose to connect via a US-based VPN tunnel.
• I use a publicly available service to check if my browser uses a US-based IP address. I went to xmyip.com and here is what is shown for my current connection.
  
  Perfect. Ain’t that nice? The whole internet thinks that I am rich enough to go to Los Angeles for watching Hulu :). It is how to you may access Hulu.
• Once we verified it, we can then launch our browser and go to Hulu, and voilà. Long nights to spend online ahead.

VPN services to access Hulu from anywhere

There are plenty of tools that can change/hide your real IP address, but only VPNs provide enough speed. VPN services change your IP address and allow you to surf the internet anonymously and safely by using a secure and anonymous connection through servers located in the US.

Below I have compiled a list of VPN services that can offer US IPs and at the same time provide optimal download speed. All services can be used to unblock Hulu.

• HideMyAss – $11.52/month
• ibVPN – $4.95/month (offers free trial accounts)
• NordVPN
• PureVPN
• ExpressVPN
• ZenMate

Hulu Plus for iPad and iPhone. Unlock it with VPN from outside the US.

Hulu Plus is now official. It makes Hulu streaming available on iPad, iPhone, and other devices. For $9.99/month. Of course, the users from outside the US are excluded. Learn how to unlock Hulu Plus from outside the US.

What is Hulu Plus?

Hulu Plus is an invite based service for a while. You can request for Hulu Plus invite. Even if you don’t have an invite, you’ll still be able to download a Hulu Plus application on the iPad, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4. The app will feature a limited number of episodes, but good enough to get a feel for how the paid service would be like.

The launch of Hulu Plus does not mean the end of classic, free and ad-based Hulu. They will be both available. Instead, Hulu Plus comes with the ability to watch programming on mobile devices or set-top boxes instead of a computer, plus a few other bonus features including 720p HD video playback and access to complete seasons of TV shows instead of just the last few episodes.

How to unlock Hulu Plus from outside the US

As previously mentioned, Hulu Plus (as well as Hulu) is not available from outside the US. But you can unlock Hulu Plus with the use of a VPN service that provides a US IP address. Here is a list of such services: List of VPN Services that Provide USA IP Addresses.

Later edit: You may also try one of the VPN apps listed in this post: The best VPN apps for your iPhone.

Hulu Desktop – How to download it and make it work outside of the US

Hulu has released a desktop video client, called Hulu Desktop, allowing you to navigate Hulu’s entire library with just six buttons.

What is Hulu Desktop?

Available for both Windows and Mac operating systems, Hulu Desktop was launched as a beta product during which Hulu plans to gather and incorporate user feedback to improve the service.

Unfortunately, Hulu Desktop is available for download and runs Hulu content only for US users. I am going to explain how you can overcome this problem and be able to use Hulu Desktop from everywhere.

The first step is to go to the download page and try to download Hulu Desktop for Mac or Windows.

If you live outside of the US (meaning that you are not browsing with US IP address) you’ll probably get the following message:

The solution to the problem is called Hotspot Shield from AnchorFree.com. Hotspot Shield is a free VPN solution that can be used to change your IP address to a US one.

Now, go to AnchorFree.com, download Hotspot Shield and start the setup. The installation process is straightforward, and you should not encounter any problem.

When the Hotspot Shield starts, the VPN connection is initialized as you will see in the configuration page (to look at all values click Show Config):

Next, refresh the download Hulu Desktop page, and you will be able to download the setup.

Watch Hulu content with Hulu Desktop

After Hulu Desktop is installed, you will be able to see Hulu content without problems. It’s essential to keep Hotspot Shield running while watching Hulu! Otherwise, you’ll get timeout errors (take a look below).

When you are done watching you should turn Hotspot Shield off:

How to Watch Hulu from outside the US without a proxy or VPN

I recently found a trick that makes watching Hulu from outside the US even simpler. A small Firefox plugin modifies one of the HTTP headers and makes Hulu ignore that you are not located in the US.

Here are the steps that need to be done:

Step 1. Install Modify Headers add-on on your Firefox browser.

Step 2. In Firefox, click Tools menu and then Modify Headers. In the new window, type inX-Forwarded-For the first box, 12.13.14.15 in the second box and leave the third empty. Click the Add button.

Step 3. Click on Configuration button and check Always On.

Step 4. Go to Hulu.com and load a video. It should work. It does for me:

Even this is good news; I don’t believe it will last. In the meanwhile, enjoy!

Prepaid Visa for your Hulu Plus subscription

Here at the Hide IP blog, we always find ways to help people have access to the best VPN services and hide IP tools on the web and assist them in unlocking blocked and restricted websites. Good news for our Canadian friends, we have found a prepaid Visa card from a particular retail shop across Canada that functions well with Hulu Plus. You can easily see this at retails shops like Sobeys, Staples, Safeway, or Pharmasave stores or purchase them online, and they will snail mail them to your address. Learn how to get Hulu prepaid card.

What is a Hulu Prepaid Card?

Yes, you heard it right – a prepaid Visa card issued by Citizen’s Bank of Canada! The card is valid for two years, and it can be obtained easily in the denomination of $25, $50, or $100. The purchase fee varies from say $3.25 for a $25 card to around $6 for a $100 card. In case you have read the fine print in the front of the card, you will see a $2 per month charge as a maintenance fee, and there’s an additional 2.5% fee for currency transactions made online.

Because it’s more of a Gift Card, it’s, therefore, not registered to any specified person upon purchase so that you will get a generic card without your name embossed on the face of the card.

Total anonymity with the Gift Card

You can enjoy complete anonymity when using this prepaid visa card! With this prepaid visa card, you can now obtain a Hulu Plus subscription. To get started, follow the steps below.

First, register your card. To register, check the back of the card where it the link for registration is provided. So, you will see the website: https://www.mybalance.ca. Go to any of these sites and then click on the menu link “My Account.”

Key-in the card number of the prepaid visa card you just purchased, four digits of your phone (enter 9999 the first time) and the security code. It should look like this:

Proceed to the “Account Activities” section and click on the “Go” button near “Register Card”: 

Further, make certain you use a valid US address as it is very likely that Hulu Plus run some checks on the address validity. After that, you will utilize the same US address when register with Hulu Plus. You may enter your real mobile phone as a phone number is not verified nor validated.

 After which you can click on the “Continue” button to proceed:

At this point, you can see that it now accepts US Zip Codes and State names even if the entire registration defaults to that of Canada.

Once done, click on the “Submit Registration” button, and you are all set! Finally, make sure you use the same US address and the same name to subscribe to Hulu Plus.

Next, you will need to use a VPN service to unblock Hulu from outside the US.

Later edit: Hulu has recently started to offer Live TV!

If you are an Australian citizen and live outside Australia or you are traveling abroad, you know that watching Australian TV online can be quite a challenge. TV networks block people outside Australia from watching. Fortunately, there is a simple solution to this problem: Australian VPN services. Learn how to watch Australian TV.

Australian TV networks offer hundreds of shows to watch online as “catch up” TV that is great for travelers wanting to stay in touch with home. Full episodes you can watch via your web browser but not downloaded.

How to bypass restrictions

To bypass the restrictions, you need to sign up for a VPN service (Virtual Private Networks) that offers Australian servers. An AU VPN service allows you to connect to a server located in Australia. Once connected you are assigned an Australian IP address, and all traffic is redirected to that server. So, if you are in the USA and connect to a VPN server in Australia, your computer will appear to be located in Australia.

Australian VPN providers to watch Australian TV abroad

There are not many VPN providers that offer AU VPN, but here four that I recommend: NordVPN, HideMyAss, ibVPN, ExpressVPN, and PureVPN. Unfortunately, there are not free VPN services with AU VPN servers that you may use for streaming Australian TV. Also, you may check other methods to get an Australian IP address.

After you sign up and you get the login details, you need to set up a VPN connection. All services also offer an OpenVPN option, but I recommend PPTP as it is faster. PPTP works for all types of operating systems including Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android and detailed how-to tutorials are available.

Australian TV channels

After you finish the setup you should be able to watch Aussie TV websites, enjoy Australian news, and watch your favorite shows listed below (Australian channels via ausbt.com.au):

30 Days (Channel 7 catch-up TV – Yahoo!7 Plus7)
6Teen (ABC iView)
The 7:30 Report (ABC iView)
ABC News (ABC iView)
ABC News 24: watch live online
ABC3 Kids’ programs
ADbc (SBS Catchup TV)
Air Crash Investigation
Amazing Adventures of a Nobody
Angelina Ballerina
Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps
Ashes To Ashes
Astro Boy
Australia Celebrates
Australia Eye of the Storm
Axmen (Channel 7 catch-up TV – Yahoo!7 Plus7)
beached az
Bed Of Roses
Being Human
Bernard
Best Ed
Better Homes and Gardens
Bit of Black Business (SBS Catchup TV)
Black Books
Blinky Bill
Blue Bloods (Channel 10 catch-up TV)
Bob The Builder
Bob The Builder: Project Build It
Bondi Vet (Channel 10 catch-up TV)
Bones
Bookaboo
Bowls: NSW Open 2010
Brothers and Sisters
Castle
Chappelle’s Show
Chopper Rescue
City Homicide
CJ The DJ
Cold Feet
Collision
Comics Unleashed
Connor Undercover
Contact
Contact Sport
Conviction Kitchen
Cougar Town
Criminal Minds
Cup Fever
Dance Academy
Date My Mom
Deconstructing John Kelly
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Romantics
Dirtgirlworld
Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Documentaries
Dog Whisperer With Cesar Millan
Double the Fist
Dr 90210
Drive
Driver Dan’s Story Train
Eataholics
Elmo’s World
Engineering Disasters
Fat And Fatter
Fawlty Towers
First Australians
Five Minutes More
Football: W-League
Four Corners (ABC Four Corners website (selected episodes) and sometimes on ABC iView
Freaking Funnies
Freefonix
From the Ground Up
Galapagos
Gandhi
Gardening Australia
Gene Simmons Family Jewels
Generation Kill
Getting On
Girl Friday
Grand Designs
Global Village
Good Chef Bad Chef
Good News Week
Grey’s Anatomy
Grumpy Guide To…
Hawaii Five-O
Hawke
Headcases
Headhunters Of World War II
Home and Away
How I met your Mother
How To Be A Little S*d
Huey’s Kitchen
Hyperdrive
Jack Osbourne: No Limits
Jamie’s 30-minute meals
Joan Baez: How Sweet The Sound
Junior Masterchef
Kylie Kwong
Kylie Kwong: My China
Landline
League of Super Evil
Letters and Numbers
Life’s a Zoo
Little Britain
Lizzie McGuire
London Live
Lunch Monkeys
M.I. High
Mad Boys Hidden Camera
Majority Rules
Making Tracks
Mandela Day
Mark Love Sharon
Me and my Monsters
Mega Disasters
Message Stick
Midsomer Murders
Misery Guts
Mister Maker
Modern Family
Monster Auditions
Murphy’s Law
My Family
mY Generation
My Life As A Popat
Nitro Circus
No Leave No Life
Ocean Girl
Octonauts
One Plus One
Oprah the Interview
Outback House
Outnumbered
Outrageous Fortune
Parenthood
Party Down
Peppa Pig
Places we go
Podlove
Poh’s Kitchen
Popetown
Potatoes And Dragons
Prank Patrol
Prank Patrol International
QI
Raising Hope
Ready Steady Cook
Red Dwarf Special 2009: Back To Earth
Republic Of Doyle
Review With Myles Barlow
Rich Kids Cattle Drive
Richard Hammond’s Blast Lab
Roary The Racing Car
Rules of Engagement
Rush
Salute
Saving Babies
Scrapheap Challenge
Sesame Street
Shamwari: A Wild Life
Silverwing
SOS South Pacific
Spicks And Specks
Spliced!
Stoked
Stories from the Golf
Style by Jury
Summer Heights High
Sunrise Extra
Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation
The 7:30 Report
The 7 pm Project
The Assistants
The Biggest Loser
The Bionic Vet
The Black Balloon
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Catherine Tate Show
The Circle
The Cook And The Chef
The Daily Show Global Edition
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
The Drum
The Forsyte Saga
The Good Wife
The Goodies
The Gruen Transfer
The Howard Years
The Hunt For The Tightest Person In Britain
The Jungle Book
The Kevin Bishop Show
The Last Word
The Last Word Monologues
The Librarians
The Mr. Men Show
The New Inventors
The Sphinx Unmasked
The Trophy Room
The Tudors
The Wannabes
The Whitest Kids U Know
The Wild West
The Wire
The World Stands Up
The WotWots
The Young Ones
Timmy Time
Tinga Tinga Tales
To The Manor Bowen
Torchwood
Total Drama World Tour
Totally Wild
Two Queens and a Castle
U Be Dead
Undercover Boss the USA
Universe
Walking with Dinosaurs
Wallace and Gromit
Wallace And Gromit’s World Of Invention
Waybuloo
We Can Be Heroes
White Collar
Who do you think you are?
Wife Mom Bounty Hunter Wild At Heart
Wired
World Tales
Yo Gabba Gabba
Zigby

Do you watch Australian TV abroad? 

Let us know what you watch and how you unblock online streaming from outside Australia.

The solution: bypass the restrictions from your current location. You may do this by:

• Using a hide IP tool that changes your IP address to a United States or United Kingdom IP.
• Subscribing to a VPN service that provides access to a US/UK server
• Connecting to your home computer via VPN and access the Internet as you were home. The elegant, safe, and cheap solution as you don’t have to pay anything. So let’s see how this can be done.

How to build your own VPN network

So you want to create a VPN network of your own? Well, here are a few facts and guidelines to help you out either way.

First, the basics. VPN or Virtual Private Network is a network that is constructed by using public wires to connect nodes. This type of network provides secure and remote access to another enterprise network. If you make a VPN connection of your own, this enterprise network would be yours.

The ownership of the network will be public, but since security-wise, private considerations are prioritized, this type of network provides a safe and secure connection. You will be able to access your own computer from anywhere on the internet like as if you were on your own network.

You can create your own Virtual Private Network using a number of systems and software, some of which will be discussed here. One of the most popularly used methods is via Hamachi (aka LogMeIn) setup. I will show how to set up Hamachi on your home computer and then how to access it from a remote location.

How to set up Hamachi/LogMeIn on your home computer

Here are the steps you need to perform:

1. Go to https://secure.logmein.com/US/products/free/
2. Click on Download button (Download PC version or Download Mac version)
3. Create a user account. You need to provide an email address and a password.
4. Activate your account from your email. A link is sent to you by email. Just click on it and your account is activated.
5. Log in to your account.
6. Click on Add this computer
7. Download and install LogMeIn. Click on the Install LogMeIn button.
   
8. You may get a security warning. Just click Run.
9. The process of the installation of this software started. Press Next and accept the terms. Next, choose the typical installation.
10. Choose a description for your home computer
11. In order to be able to access the computer anytime make sure the following options is checked. (It may not be shown for you!)
12. Choose the installation folder. You can keep it on C:\Program Files\LogMeIn. Click Next.
13. LogMeIn service will be then installed. You may experience some flickering and black screens. Don’t worry! It’s normal.
14. After the setup is finished, you are done!

How to access your home computer from a remote location

One the installation is done, you login back to the LogMeIn website, you will see your computer with the description.

When you need to access your home computer from a remote location you need to login to your LogMeIn account and click on Remote Control below your computer description.

You will be redirected to a page where you will be required to click ‘Install ActiveX Control…’ from the dropdown. Then click ‘Install’ when the security warning pops up.

Voila! Your new VPN is ready!

In the browser, you will be required to enter your Windows username and password (the credentials you are using to log in to your home computer).

Then, you will be able to control your home computer. In order to access restricted sites like Hulu or BBC iPlayer you just need to open a browser and get started as you were home.

What do you think about this method of accessing restricted content? Is it effective? Have you used it?

What is BravoTV?

Bravo TV is accessible online on the BravoTV.com website, on the mobile devices (using Bravo TV app for iOS or Android) as well as on Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV. Also, you may buy episodes from iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, and Vudu.

Short clips are free to watch (if you are located in the US). Thus, if you’re a fan of Bravo’s reality shows you might like to watch the short videos when you have a little bit of time to kill.

Important! Full episodes are available to watch at BravoTV, but you must log in through your TV provider.

Here are some popular shows that you can watch on BravoTV:

• • Top Chef
  • Millionaire Matchmaker
  • Shear Genius
  • Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style
  • Top Design
  • Flipping Out
  • Make Me a Supermodel

• Million Dollar Listing
• The Real Housewives of New York City

BravoTV is geo-restricted

Bravo TV is available only for US internet users, so, if you are outside the US, you need to get a VPN service to bypass the filters. You have to make sure you get the right one.

How to get the right VPN to unblock BravoTV

Here is what you should look for:

• The VPN service should offer US servers (to get a US IP address and bypass the filters).
• The VPN service should offer access to mobile applications for iPad, iPhone, Android devices. These VPN apps are straightforward to install, and they do not need manual configuration. Just tap and connect to the desired server/location. Thus, you may start to unblock BravoTV in a matter of seconds.

Recommended VPN services

Here are some services that I use and that are suitable for watching Bravo TV online: ibVPN, HideMyAss, PureVPN, NordVPN, PrivateInternetAccess. These services also offer dedicated iPad, iPhone, Android apps.

Alternative options for unblocking BravoTV

Most of the time VPN is a perfect option, but there are some other solutions to the problem

SmartDNS to watch BravoTV

SmartDNS is a technical solution that uses DNS (Domain Name Server) to unblock geo-restricted websites. It does not provide any encryption or security protection.

Some Smart DNS providers (ibVPN, PureVPN) have Bravo TV on their unblocking list. The setup instructions are also provided (it may be trickier than using a VPN app).

Proxies to watch Bravo TV

Proxies are excellent for watching BravoTV on your computer from your browser. There are even free Chrome extensions of free Firefox add-ons that you may install in a matter of seconds and start watching the short videos.

To sum up, there are plenty of options for accessing BravoTV from the outside US while traveling or when living abroad. Do you want to watch BravoTV on your mobile devices? Then, choose a VPN provider, install the Bravo Now app and go for it. For your computer, my advice is to choose proxies. If your Internet connection is slow, then try SmartDNS as there is no speed loss.

Are you watching BravoTV? Do you need to unblock it? How do you do it? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

Enjoy!

SmartDNS does not encrypt your connection

Unlike standard VPN services that change your IP as well as encrypt your connection, SmartDNS does not encrypt your connection. This is a big difference and we thought you want to have a better understanding of how it works.

Don’t get us wrong: while a VPN solution actually enables you to overcome geolocation–limited services like Hulu, BBC iPlayer and so on and so forth, some people may not want the additional features and software that such solution wants you to install.

In fact, in order to use a VPN service, most of the times, you would have to install a VPN client. This VPN client would then manage all the encryption and address mapping. Depending on the platform you use, a different client may need to be installed. So, there is different client whether you use Windows, Mac or Linux. The same applies to smartphones and other mobile devices.

No need to install additional software

On the other hand, with the SmartDNS solution that OverPlay is proposing, there’s no need to install additional software on your computer/mobile device. In fact, the trick is to redirect your entire internet DNS request to OverPlay’s DNS servers. Depending on the country where you want to land, you would then have a different IP Address to be used as a DNS server.

The trick here is then to use OverPlay’s DNS servers instead of the ones that your ISP is automatically giving you. As a reference, a DNS, which stands for Domain Naming System, is an internet service that translates a Fully Qualified Domain Name (aka FDQN) similar to www.google.com to an actual IP address in the form of 209.85.143.104 (if we’re dealing with IPv4). This IP address is unique throughout the internet and is associated with a computer/server.

OverPlay SmartDNS is faster

By using OverPlay’s SmartDNS services instead of your ISP’s DNS servers, you redirect all your internet request to OverPlay’s servers; those servers will then manage to do the trick for allowing you to pretend that your IP is located in some other countries, thereby allowing to overcome some geolocation limitations.

This service from OverPlay, while still in testing mode, can be interesting for those who don’t want to install additional software on their computer. Moreover, I expect that it can be interesting to use this solution rather than the full VPN service on low-performance computer/mobile phone since it only redirects internet requests into another DNS instead of consuming more computing power by running a VPN encryption for each and every requests.

This SmartDNS feature isn’t a separate service though, it comes bundled with any OverPlay subscription that you take.

What’s your view on this? Do you think this is sufficient enough for you as a service if your goal is to overcome geolocation-limitations?

>> Overplay

What is Zattoo?

Zattoo is a TV streaming service (similar to BBC iPlayer) available in Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The Zattoo on-demand content can be watched on computers, smartphones (iPhone, Android, WP7), tablets (iPad, Android, Windows) and other Internet-connected devices (Smart TVs, Xbox, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Apple AirPlay, Chromecast).

The channels available depend on the country of residence. Thus, similarly to Netflix, by creating an account in Germany you will only be able to access the channels listed for German TV users.

Why would you be interested in Zattoo Switzerland?

Zattoo FREE offers a great selection of TV channels, such as the German public broadcasting channels (ARD, ZDF, 3sat), sports and special interests TV streaming (Sport1, DMAX, Tel 5, N24). Also, children and youth channels (Comedy Central, Nickelodeon), HD channels (ARD, ZDF, KiKA, SRF Info, Arte).

But, Zattoo Switzerland offers access to some attractive Swiss channels like SRF 1 and 2, 3 plus, RTS, private channels of the ProSiebenSat1 and RTL groups, international channels like TF1, M6, BBC, ORF.

Thus, if you are located in Germany, you may be interested in having access to the Swiss channels list as well.

How to watch Zattoo Switzerland?

Are you located in Switzerland? If so, all you have to do is to open the Zattoo site or the Zattoo app and enjoy the streaming channels.

If you are connecting to the Internet from outside Switzerland, you will either get access to a list of channels that not include the Swiss ones or you will get the “Sorry, Zattoo is not available in your country yet.” message.

To get access to Zattoo Switzerland channels, you need a VPN service with servers in Switzerland or a Smart DNS service that unblocks Zattoo.

Let’s start with the VPN. Such a service changes your online location to the desired one, Switzerland in this case. Thus, the Zattoo site will see you as a Swiss resident. Subscribe to one of the VPN services that offer servers in Switzerland (HideMyAss, ibVPN, ExpressVPN, PureVPN, NordVPN) and start watching your favorite channels.

How to watch Zattoo on Apple TV 4?

Unfortunately, some devices, like Apple TV 4, are not VPN-enabled. Thus, no VPN can be set up on these devices directly. Wait! There is still hope. Here is what you can do to watch Zattoo Apple TV 4:

1. Setup a VPN on your router

All the VPN services mentioned above can be quickly set up on DD-WRT, Tomato or other types of routers. By setting up a VPN connection to a server located in Switzerland, you will be able to access Zattoo Switzerland on all devices connected to your router, including Apple TV 4.

The disadvantage is that all devices connected to the router will use the VPN connection for accessing all sites and apps. It may slow down your regular activities like browsing, downloading, checking emails.

2. Setup a SmartDNS service on your device

Another option is to use a SmartDNS service. With several simple settings on your device, you may get the same result as if you were using a VPN. But, firstly you may find a SmartDNS that unblocks Zattoo. My choice is ibDNS provided by ibVPN.

After you subscribe and get access to a DNS IP address, you need to manually set up the DNS on your device. For Apple TV 4 the steps to be performed are:

Step 1. On your Apple TV Menu choose the “Settings” option.

Step 2. Select “Network.”

Step 3. Click on the Wi-Fi button at the top.

Step 4. Choose your Network.

Step 5. Choose to configure the DNS option at the bottom of the page.

Step 6. Confirm that you want to set DNS manually.

Step 7. Select configure DNS option and select Manual then input the DNS IP address provided by the SmartDNS service. Next, you will be able to watch Zattoo Apple TV 4.

A significant advantage of this approach compared to the one using a VPN is that you will not see any speed loss. The streaming will use the full bandwidth provided by your ISP.

Conclusion

Zattoo Switzerland offers access to several appealing channels. If you are located outside Switzerland, you may still be able to access them by using VPN or SmartDNS services.

What do you think of Zattoo Switzerland? Do you watch Zattoo on Apple TV 4? Are you using a VPN or SmartDNS to unblock it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Nonetheless, you cannot stream American Netflix while in Europe or Canada. Since Netflix US is only available to PC or devices that operate under an American IP address, you will get a Netflix proxy error while accessing Netflix from outside US. There are several ways to fake your current location and get a US IP address, and I am going to present them thoroughly.

Why would you want to unblock Netflix US?

First of all, even you have access to a local version of Netflix (take Netflix Germany or Netflix Finland for example), you will not have the same content as the original, US-based, website. It is a matter of copyright and content distribution in different parts of the World. Also, there are significant delays between the premiers on Netflix US and the availability of local networks. These are sufficient reasons to wish unrestricted access to the original Netflix streaming site.

If you don’t know what to watch on American Netflix here are 18 Best Movies You Haven’t Seen Yet.

Access Netflix US using VPNs

What exactly is a Virtual Private Network? How can it help me stream Netflix US media and content from my hotel in Europe?

A Virtual Private Network or VPN is similar to a proxy server, in case you have heard of that. You may have heard that due to some constraints, you can not stream Netflix content in Europe using a proxy as they are now blocked. VPN’s are in fact the best way that will work for you to obtain access to Netflix instantly outside the US. I had a hand at using it when I paid my brother in Germany a visit. He just can’t believe it, but it’s true – he sees USA movies and TV shows right before his very eyes while in Berlin!

For just $5 – 10 dollars a month or so you can obtain a VPN subscription without any problems and have a denominated US IP address for your account. VPN’s are a great way to bypass any internet censorship, which may be attributed to one’s geographic location or country IP address. As you cloak your IP address by getting a new one (all US-based), Netflix will assume your computer or laptop is in the USA, and thereby grant it access to streaming media from the United States.

VPN services to unblock Netflix US

There is a wide array of affordable VPN services available on the web today. But only those that have US IP addresses are specifically what you’ll need for this purpose. If you wish to watch Netflix content where you are at the moment, then VPN’s are a right way to go.

In case you need suggestions on the VPN to choose, you may take a look below at the providers that I recommend (personally tested). They all offer an extended number of server locations, money back guarantee, fast servers, unlimited bandwidth, strong encryption, simultaneous connections, and good connection speed.

Access Netflix US using SmartDNS

SmartDNS is a modern way to unblock restricted websites. A SmartDNS service tricks geo-blocked sites to see a user from the right location. In the case of Netflix, such a service can make the streaming site see you as being in the US. As simple as that.

Comparing to VPNs, Smart DNS is significantly faster as it does not encrypt the traffic data. The streaming speed depends only on the user’s Internet connection. Thus, if you have a decent bandwidth with your ISP, then you will not have any streaming delay while accessing American Netflix.

I am not going to enter into technical details regarding the way SmartDNS works as you don’t have to know.

There are no crucial differences between the SmartDNS providers, so you should probably go for the cheapest. I use ibDNS provided by ibVPN. They offer ibDNS for $4.95/month, but you may get the Total VPN package for $7.95/month with included access to ibDNS.

Unblock Netflix US using proxies

Proxies are another way to get access to a US IP and thus allowing you to access Netflix US. The setup is quite simple, and the streaming speed is acceptable. The downside is that they are not quite reliable and you may find them accessible or blacklisted (as online marketers and spammers heavily use them).

If, by any chance, you are not able to subscribe to a VPN or a SmartDNS service you may try the following Netflix proxy services:

Proxy Hub – Offers private proxy packages starting from $10 per month. Servers are located in the USA and Europe.

LocaProxy – Provides HTTP proxies in Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Singapore, United Kingdom, the United States from $19.95/month.

SquidProxies – Provides private proxies and shared proxies that are locked to your IP, so no username and password are necessary.

How to unblock US Netflix access on Apple TV

You may have heard of the new Apple TV being launched not too long ago. One of the most noteworthy features on your new HDTV is the integration of Netflix that lets you stream away utilizing your new flat screen in the most convenient yet trendy way. Should you be living in the United States you can stream in no time; the problem begins if you are residing outside US, Europe, or in Asia where your access to the popular streaming media is blocked.

With a VPN connection (pick one from the above list), you can have access to Netflix for peanuts and enjoy streamable content and titles that are available solely to US residents only. You can check the following list of quality yet affordable VPN services that will allow you to connect to several servers all over the globe! The good thing about Netflix is you don’t need to have an American issued credit card to be able to sign up for an account. Ensure though that you make use of a five (5) digit zip code and you may use any valid credit card you have.

Hook up your Apple TV to VPN

Now, that you have obtained your VPN account, and you are all set to go. However, the problem arises because your new Apple TV does not have a VPN client tool to hook it up online. So, what is your remedy? For you to connect to a VPN client, you must do it outside the Apple TV.

The best way to unblock Netflix US Apple TV is to get a wireless router that can connect straight into any VPN services online. It can be tricky because not all routers can connect to VPNs. You should choose a DD-WRT router that is simple to configure and setup your VPN. Log on and once connected to the member dashboard of your VPN client, follow these instructions below.

Make sure you have your Apple TV location configured and preset to the US from the settings so that Netflix app will turn up once connected. Indeed, you will need the same configuration settings so you can stream from outside the USA on your Apple TV2. Every time you sign in to your Netflix account from your computer, be sure you are connected to your VPN account as well; this is to ensure that your signup will work. Netflix will automatically check your location for the last step, and once it detects that you are not based in the US, your entire signup will not work. That’s it! You are all set and can stream away Netflix on your new Apple TV 2  24/7 even if you are in Netherlands, Norway, Ireland, or Finland.

How to watch Netflix or Hulu on your Boxee Box (PPTP VPN Setup)

1. You need a US VPN

Firstly, you need to get access to a US VPN service (take a look at the above list). There are plenty of good VPN services with prices from $4 to $15 per month, but you need to make sure you choose one that offers connections via PPTP protocol.

2. Setup PPTP VPN on Boxee Box

Secondly, follow the step below to set up your Boxee Box VPN:

1. When you log in to Boxee, you have presented the Home screen.

2. Press the Options button on the remote control, to bring up the Navigation menu.

3. Press the Up arrow on the remote, to highlight the Settings icon. Press Ok on the remote to select this.

4. Hit the Right arrow on the remote a few times to highlight the Network option. Choose this by pressing Ok. On the Network Settings screen which appears, press the Down arrow on the remote several times, to highlight VPN.

5. On the right-hand side, press Ok over the Server box, and enter the name of the server you want to connect to (you get this info when you subscribe to the VPN service).

6. Enter your VPN username and the VPN password into the Account and Password boxes, and then double check that the Encryption required box is selected.

To sum up:

Connection Type: PPTP
Server: IP address or server name
Account: VPN username
Password: VPN password
Encryption required: Enable (Checked). (If this is disabled, VPN will fail to connect.)

7. Finally, click Connect. After a few seconds, it will change to Disconnect, indicating a successful VPN connection on your Boxee Box!

Conclusion

There are a lot of good solutions to unblock restricted websites (e.g., Netflix US). They allow you to access your favorite TV shows and movies online wherever in Europe, whenever you want without breaking the bank.

Enjoy!

P.S. While traveling in Europe you may have access to local versions of Netflix with specific content and limitations. As of March 2015 the following European countries or regions have their own Netflix channel:

• United Kingdom
• France
• Germany
• Nordic countries (except Iceland)
• Austria
• Netherlands
• Ireland
• Switzerland
• Belgium
• Luxembourg

Thus, even if you don’t get access to Netflix US, you may enjoy a good, Netflix-style, movie.

Please feel free to share in the comments the experience you had with different VPN, SmartDNS or proxy providers while unlocking Netflix. Thank you!

How Facebook is blocked

For active users, it is imperative to know precisely how Facebook is blocked prior to ascertaining how to unblock it. A lot of us are unaware that an internet censoring nation utilizes two well-known techniques to restrict access to specific websites or blogs they consider to be unsuitable as per established norms and regulations in their country. These two modes are the so-called (1)DNS poisoning and (2)IP address blocking.

Strict countries employ these strategies to limit access to websites on their forbidden list. Once they employ DNS poisoning, the IP (Internet Protocol) address of a particular website to be blocked is thereby faked. So, should you attempt to access Facebook, the DNS servers are contacted by the ISP to obtain the IP address of its domain so as to afford access to said website.

It eventually updates and caches the contents of that domain. Through this process, the caching and tables of the prospect websites are eventually distorted. With DNS poisoning, Facebook users will be redirected to another website whenever they try to access the Facebook website. Also, some countries utilize blocking the IP address method to preclude entry to these prohibited websites.

How to unblock Facebook online? Use a proxy or VPN account!

So, now comes the question of how exactly can we unblock Facebook, if we are In a country where access is rendered illegal? Easy, subscribe to the best VPN service to enable IP hiding or use a Facebook proxy, a solution for bypassing all Facebook restrictions. The most straightforward and evident way to unblock Facebook access is by having a VPN account. In fact, there is literally no other tool to meet the effectiveness of a VPN service when it comes to unblocking access to Facebook or any other prohibited websites for that matter.

How does it work?

A VPN will connect your system to a remote server hosted in another country via a secure tunnel. Your information and traffic traverse through said tunnel safely encrypted. Further, the tunnel allows you to surpass DNS poisoning as it hooks you up to another server situated in a diverse country like the USA or UK.

On acquiring the VPN connectivity, you are likewise given a fresh new IP address. It is obtained from a server located in another country. This in effect affords you total identity anonymity on the web. This is very handy when used to unblock Facebook access.

Conclusion

Finally, it is up to you to obtain the aid of a trusted and quality VPN provider (like HideMyAss, ibVPN, IPVanish, NordVPN, PureVPN, ExpressVPN)  on the web which has a good track record in providing VPN services online. Although there are lots of VPN services providers out there, only a select few provides the best quality ever.

Go for the VPN service that has the best technical capabilities and excellent infrastructure to offer you. Thus, opt for a VPN service with a very good customer support that will cater to all your technical queries and other related issues.