What is a VPN Chrome extension?

As you probably know, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a solution that encrypts the Internet traffic between your computer and a VPN server. Thus, your browsing data is secured, and your public IP address is hidden behind the VPN server. It is important to underline that a VPN app encrypts ALL your Internet traffic, for ALL applications, not only for your web browser.

Then, what is a VPN Chrome extension? Well, truth to be told, there is no such thing as a VPN web browser extension. For the simple reason that browsers can not set up VPN connections, only proxy connections. Proxies work similarly with VPNs, but they are less secure, and they can be configured application-based (you may set up a specific app to use a proxy and let others un-proxified).

To sum up, the extensions you may find in Google Web Store and that call themselves “VPN” are not using, in fact, VPN technology, but a proxy. Why do they use the VPN term? Probably because not many users know the differences between VPN and proxy, plus both can be used to hide your IP address. It’s only marketing

Free VPN for Chrome extensions

I have tested several Google Chrome extensions advertised as VPN, and that show up to the top of the search results. Read my findings below.

Hotspot Shield VPN Free Proxy

Hotspot Shield Chrome extension offers an elegant browser extension with a lot of extra, security and privacy-related options, like an ad blocker, tracker blocker, and cookies blocker. The default server selection is “Optimal,” but you may switch to manual and pick one of the following countries: Canada, Chile, Sweden, Netherlands, Spain, Czech Republic, Turkey, Russia, India, Germany, and Singapore.

The extension is very popular and used in millions of Google Chrome browsers, but don’t install it just yet. You should first be aware that AnchorFree, the company that runs Hotspot Shield, was recently accused of snooping on its users and selling data to an advertising company. True or not, you should use it cautiously.

Betternet Unlimited Free VPN Proxy

Betternet offers a basic, but friendly, user interface with no extra options besides connecting/disconnect and select from the two available server locations: the United States and the United Kingdom. It works smoothly and it can be activated with a single click. It may be a good free VPN for Chrome. However, the latest news shows that Betternet is not safe.

Hola – Unlimited Free VPN

Another very popular VPN extension (10+ million users) is Hola. It seems to be designed for unblocking certain websites (like Netflix) and not for general browsing. To be honest, I find the usage a little bit complicated and confusing. Too many messages and options. Plus, I see the pages that load from time to time quite annoying.

The same concerns as for Hotspot Shield: before installing the browser extension you should read the info regarding the rumors that Hola sold users’ bandwidth.

TouchVPN – Free Proxy to Unblock any sites

TouchVPN (a project associated with AnchorFree/Hotspot Shield) states that it uses proxy, not VPN. Thumb up!

The extension combines the site unblocking with hiding the IP address in a more straightforward interface than Hola. The available locations/servers are Canada, France, United States, Chile, Sweden, Netherlands, Spain, Czech Republic, Turkey, Russia, India, Germany, United Kindom, Singapore.

ibVPN – Best VPN & Proxy

ibVPN Chrome extension is an alternative to the more popular free VPN for Chrome extensions listed above. ibVPN has recently launched the so-called Guest Mode that allows you to enter without signup and connect to servers located in the United States, Netherlands, Germany, and Singapore.

A nice feature (also available in the free version) is the Bypass List (Whitelist) that allows you to select sites that are not using the proxies even if the ibVPN extension is activated. Also, it offers WebRTC leak protection. The extension automatically disconnects every 10 minutes, and manual re-connection is needed.

Which free VPN extensions for Chrome should you use?

It depends on what you need.

• If you are concerned about your private data, I recommend using ibVPN.
• If you need to access blocked sites (unblock Netflix or other online streaming channels), then you may try HotspotShield or Hola. Make sure you activate the VPN extensions only on the web browser you are using for unblocking the website, and you are not using the browser at the same time for accessing your PayPal account or performing any online shopping.
• If you need to change your IP to multiple locations install HotspotShield, TouchVPN or subscribe to the premium ibVPN service (it offers 150+ locations).

What do you think?

Do you use free VPN for Chrome add-ons? Which one is your favorite? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

In the last days, the Internet was invaded by news/tutorials/howtos on the Google Phone (aka Nexus One). It looks like Nexusmania is on its way. Now, if you want to have such a phone and you are leaving outside US, UK, Hong Kong or Singapore you’ll found out that “Nexus One phone is not available in your country“. The good news is that there is still hope to get your Nexus One, thanks to Gamaze. However, you have to pay the additional shipping cost for that. Learn how to get Nexus One outside US or UK.

Here is what you have to do:

1. 1. Get access to the ordering process by downloading and installing the free Hotspot Shield, in order to protect your location and IP address so that Google’s web store won’t block you out from the ordering process. You may do this by using any other VPN service that provides access to US servers.

1. Sign up for a US-based shipping address at MyUSABox.com. This is free but they charge amount of US $5 for registering and will be credited to you when you use the service for the first time.
2. Sign up for a Google Checkout account. If you already have a Google / Gmail account, you can add that easily through your Google account settings. Note that you can use any international shipping address and credit card for this purpose, it does not have to be the MyUSABox address you just signed up for.
3. Order your personal Nexus One phone by pointing your browser to http://www.google.com/phone. Please make sure you opt for the SIM-free phone at $529 + sales tax. Also, make sure you enter the MyUSAbox shipping address and Google Account billing address to the order.
4. Wait for your Nexus One phone to arrive at MyUSABox. You should get notified by email as soon as it arrives unless your e-mail spam filters are too tight.
5. Log in to MyUSABox and forward your box to your home address, it should arrive within a few days.

Unfortunately, you have to pay the additional shipping cost but it should be reasonable if you really want to try out the new phone from HTC and Google. For Gamaze guy that wrote this tutorial, shipping was $49 to EU (including re-packaging), giving a total price of $625 (~€435) for the whole adventure.

What do you think about the phone? Were you able to get Nexus One outside US or UK?

Hotspot Shield in a few words: “Free Anonymous Browsing – 100% Security Through a VPN“. More: “It’s FREE!”

This small software creates a VPN – virtual private network between your computer and an Internet gateway. The tunnel prevents snoopers and hackers from viewing your email, instant messages, credit card information or anything else you send over the network.

So, you can use Hotspot Shield not only to hide your IP address but for complete anonymity! It is ideal if you need to change your IP to a US one. There several reasons you might need a US IP address, such as watching videos from Pandora or Veoh, playing an online game Mabinogi, watching Netflix, Hulu, etc.

How to use Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield security application is free to download and is easy to install and use.

After you download the product, you have to unzip the file and launch the setup. Hotspot Shield will be installed in a matter of seconds. When the product starts, the VPN connection is initialized as you will see in the configuration page (to look at all values click Show Config):

To check your new IP address, go to XMyIP.com.

When you are done and you what to use your real IP address Disconnect from the VPN or exit Hotspot Shield.

Hotspot Shield – Pros and Cons

Now, I have listed several Pros and Cons regarding this solutions. Make sure you read them, especially the Cons.

Pros

• It’s free!
• It helps you hide your IP address.
• It uses OpenVPN, not web proxies.
• It uses the VPN technology to achieve free anonymous browsing.
• It is more than a hide IP software; it provides total anonymity (including email, chat, etc.).

Cons

• It has a 3GB limit usage per month (it was more for previous versions).
• You don’t have any guaranty that the traffic is not logged (this is my primary concern). My advice is to use it with care and make sure you read the terms and conditions of using Hotspot Shield.

HotspotShield malware protection

HotspotShield recently added malware protection for its users. The new HotspotShield malware protection function alerts users if they access domains that are known to contain malware. The add-on is available for Windows, Mac, and iOS and uses a database of more than 3 million sites.

Speaking about the new feature, David Gorodyansky, the founder, and CEO of AnchorFree said:

“Malware is one of the biggest threats on the Web — and it’s growing every day. People go to great lengths to avoid desktop viruses, but many of us still leave our browsing sessions unprotected and open to hacking attacks. Merging our powerful encryption and private browsing technology with malware protection now makes Hotspot Shield the world’s most comprehensive Internet security solution — available at no cost to consumers.”

How the HotspotShield malware protection works

When active HotspotShield protection module throws up a warning like the one you see in the screenshot below:

There are two options in the upper right corner of a blocked page:

• Get me out of here that redirects the users to a little-known search engine for similar results.
• Go to the real site that is not recommended for obvious reasons.

How to Watch NBC streaming video with Hotspot Shield

To get NBC’s streaming video player running on your computer, you have to:

1. Sign up for an NBC video account. Just go to and fill in your email address and then set up a password
2. Temporarily, change your system time to Arizona or Mountain time. The location is vital because Hotspot Shield servers are located there. It has to be done to trick NBC servers that you’re using a computer in the continental United States.
3. Start Hotspot Shield.
4. When you start the NBC video player again, it will ask for your location in the United States and the zip code. Important! The system pairs up that zip code with a specific service provider. To obtain a valid zip code post google “(any city) zip code” or take one from here.
5. You are done! You should be able to watch everything NBC is streaming.

How to Watch Fox.com Streaming Video using Hotspot Shield

If you are located outside the US and you are trying to watch your favorite show on Fox.com you’ll get the following message:

Thank you for your interest in FOX.
This episode is currently only available to viewers living in the United States.

Part of the solution is to change your IP with a US IP address. You can do this by using Hotspot Shield. The second part of the answer is that you have to delete your cookies before activating Hotspot Shield and changing your IP.

The explanation is that the first time you visit Fox.com, the site stores your location in a cookie on your computer. Next time to try to connect to the site, the information from the cookie will show your real location even though in the meanwhile you have changed your IP.

How to remove the Fox.com cookie

Here is how to delete your Fox.com cookie for Firefox users:

1. Go to Tool -> Options
2. Click on Privacy tab and then on Show Cookies button
3. In the list box search for Fox.com
4. Click on the item
5. Press Remove Cookies button

After that, you can turn Hotspot Shield on and reload Fox.com.

IP ok. Still not working!

The removal of the Fox.com cookie should solve the IP problem and unlock Fox.com, but you can encounter other issues as mentioned on this forum. Here is what AriXar is saying:

Some people do have trouble with the fox flash player. They passed the IP check, but the video won’t buffer, load or stream at all. It is because fox uses a particular kind of flash player. If you haven’t watched a show on Fox or ABC via their streaming sites, you will not have this addon installed.

If your IP check went fine, you would no longer get the message that you cannot watch the show if you live outside the US. Instead, you will now get a message that you have to install a new flash player addon. If you don’t get this message you can also get the addon here:

Once installed, restart your web browser, and it should work fine with Fox on demand. Now, you should be able to watch your favorite show on Fox.com. Enjoy!

Hotspot Shield connection problems? Try this!

Sometimes Hotspot Shield can’t connect due to unknown reasons. Here is a small tip, proposed by Patrick Soon, that may solve the problem:

1. Install HotSpot Shield.
2. When it has finished installing it will try to open the HotSpot Shield website in your default web browser: .
3. When your web browser opens go to the Address Bar and copy and paste the address into Notepad and save.
4. If you get an error message stating that there is no connectivity then continue to step 5.
5. Go to: Start -> Control Panel -> Network Connection -> Local Area Connection -> Properties.
6. In the General Tab, you will see a short list of ticked boxes.
7. Scroll down the list, and you should find Hotspot Shield Helper Driver
8. Remove the tick from this box.
9. Close and reopen your web browser it should now connect to your default web page.
10. Remember that address you saved as a text document? Copy and past it into the address bar of your browser.
11. Press the refresh icon.
12. The Hotspot Shield Website will now open and assign you an I.P address, i.e., it will connect you.
13. It should now work usually as before.

HotspotShield doesn’t connect with Daemon Error. What can I do?

As far as I know, the Daemon Start Error is thrown if:

1. You have exceeded the 3GB / month bandwidth limit. Here is an article that might help you: Fix Hotspot Shield Pulling Options Looping and Daemon Start Error Problem.
2. The server bans your IP. It is possible that the entire class of IPs (192.xxx.xxx.xxx) is blocked because of (stupid) spammers. If this is your case, write an email to the AnchorFree support.

How to install Hotspot Shield on Windows Vista 64 Bit

The video below shows how to install Hotspot Shield on Windows Vista 64 Bit and how to use HS to access Hulu.com.

As Jono shows in his post, there is a solution to this problem. As Hotspot Shield offers a service for the iPhone which uses L2TP to create the VPN connection, you can use the same connection within Windows Vista (and any other operating system which supports L2TP) to use the same service. Jono describes how to do it:

1. 1. Create a new VPN connection (Start > Network > Network and Sharing Center > Set up a connection or network > Connect to a workplace > Use my Internet Connection (VPN)).
   2. Go to Hotspot Shield for iPhone home page
   3. Click the Get Account ID button
   4. For iPhone, the instructions are clear and straightforward. To solve the problem for Vista 64-bit, we need the following information:
      

      Server: 64.55.144.10
      Account: ureafp (You will get your own account)
      Password: ureafp (and password)
      Secret: password

   5. Enter 64.55.144.10 for the Internet Address. For Destination Name, you can enter anything you want, for example, HotspotShield. Be sure that Don’t connect now; just set it up so I can connect later is ticked.

1. Enter the username and password you got and then click Remember this password and close the window.
2. Go to Start->Connect To and right click on the connection you created and choose Properties.
3. On the Networking tab, change Type of VPN to L2TP IPsec VPN and then click IPsec Settings.
4. Choose the Use preshared key for authentication option and type in the password for the Key (this is what the iPhone calls Secret).

That’s it! For now on you will be able to connect to Hotspot Shield from your Vista 64-bit.

Update: It seems that the latest version of Hotspot Shield (1.22) solves this problem. So, download the newest version!

How to block ads when using Hotspot Shield

One of the cons of using Hotspot Shield is the annoying ads built into HSS monetization scheme. The problem is the massive box on the top of every page users surfs to as well – completely vanquishing an incredible chunk of screen real-estate. It the reason Hotspot Shield is free. By running ads, AnchorFree is paying for the servers they are using.

Here is how to solve this problem and block HotspotShields ads: run Adblock add-on.

First, you should use Firefox or at least use it when browsing using Hotspot Shield. Then download an add-on called Adblock. No need to configure the add-on, it just lodges in place and has a solid, constantly-updated subscription to ad definitions. This solution does not work every time, but it’s still effortless to turn the extension on/off via a button in the toolbar.

You can download Adblock extension from here, or you may use the AdBlock extension for Google Chrome.

Hotspot Shield milestone

On the 6th of January, 2010, AnchorFree announced that they had reached another fantastic milestone: that of surpassing more than a billion monthly page views in November. It is The Wednesday to celebrate for Anchor Free. This milestone is just a reflection of the increasing user base and popularity of the product.

Another significant change was the inclusion of a new member of AnchorFree’s advisory board. This new member is Rick Roth, marketing communications veteran and former worldwide CEO of Ogilvy Action. There is no doubt about the fact that Rick Roth’s years of experience in marketing and brand development will do great things for the corporation. This can only mean faster growth and continued global expansion.

The increasing internet censorship being employed by certain governments has to lead to even higher demand for AnchorFree’s HotSpot Shield as more and more people are anxiously trying to hold on to their right to uncensored internet surfing, yet if they have to do so anonymously under protection from VPNs. Started in 2006, HotSpot Shield has seen exponential growth in its user base and consumer quantity. The consumer base has crossed 7.5 million monthly users worldwide. Hot Spot Shield works on iPhones, as well as personal and public computers at homes, offices, airports and coffee shops around the world keeping the security, identity, and freedom of netizens safe throughout the world.

The one billion landmark was no doubt a result of two significant advances made by Anchor Free in HotSpot Shield. The first was the new release of HotSpot Shield for Windows and Macintosh. The latter allows users throughout the world to view this tool in seven different languages.

Anchor Free and Webroot

Together these two giants announced the release of a better, Ad-free version of HotSpot Shield, which was to be paid for but would allow the user the same security offered by the older Hot Spot Shield which was powered by advertising. It is good news indeed as this means the integration of the Webroot antivirus and antispyware protection with Anchor Free’s superb encryption technology.

Founder and CEO of AnchorFree, David Gorodyansky, was optimistic about the company’s plan to expand the reach of HotSpot Shield to an even broader consumer base.

The most important role played by HotSpot Shield is the ‘democratization’ of the internet space, allowing people over the world access to various websites which may or may not be ‘prohibited’ by law in their respective countries.

Conclusion

To sum up, Hotspot Shield is an excellent free anonymous browsing tool to hide your IP and get a US IP address, but, as with other good things in life, do not abuse it.

Happy Surfing!

If Hotspot Shield does not work for you or it is blocked in your country, you should try some alternative VPN services.

Please note that Google Voice is only available for sign up in the US.

And, if you click on the activation link you get the following message:

This means that if you are leaving outside US you have to use a trick to activate your account.

How to activate Google Voice outside the USA

Here are the steps necessary to activate your Google Voice account:

1. 1. 1. Get a free USA incoming number as described here.
      2. Use HideMyAss, ibVPN, HideIPVPN, Hotspot Shield or Ultrasurf to get a US IP address. A US IP address is an IP address that is allocated by an ISP from United States to US residential homes or US data centers. The services mentioned above simply rent servers in data centers located in the US and then offer access via VPN or proxy technology.
      3. Next, delete your cookies and open the Google Voice invite activation link in your web-browser.
      4. Login using your Google account and you follow the first step to choose a number.
         
      5. Then you will now need to enter a PIN code.
         
      6. During step 3 you will get prompted for a USA phone number where you can receive the call and confirm your account. Enter the free US phone number you reserved by following the steps described here.
         
      7. Click Call Me Now and you will receive the call on your desktop Sipgate softphone.
         
      8. Press the “Accept” button.
         
      9. Then activate the Keypad/Dialpad and enter your confirmation code the two digit confirmation code from Step 6 above.
         
      10. And … you were able to activate Google Voice outside the USA.
          

[Via Megaleacher.net]

A lot of very popular websites are blocked in China. These well-known websites include popular sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Blogspot, which were used regularly by millions of Chinese internet users. Learn how to get a free China VPN.

Sites blocked? Use a VPN!

These websites are still blocked, and the Chinese are now scrambling to get a piece of their favorite websites by bypassing the restrictions with the help of free China VPN, short for Virtual Private Networks. It is obvious that while the censoring authorities want the citizens to stay away from the ‘corrupting’ influence of these commercial sites, the average Chinese internet user cannot do without these sites, and is looking at various alternative methods to get a daily dose of the same.

This is essentially a struggle between the close-minded authoritarian Censorship and the open-minded Netizens who are essentially global citizens thanks to the internet. The freedom of the average Chinese Netizen has been compromised by the aptly named Great Firewall of the un-trusting censors.

Are you looking for a free China VPN?

Therefore, looking for free VPNs seems to be a good alternative to preserve this freedom of choice. However, there are certainly some roadblocks on the free VPN highway. These include:

1. The Government authorities can easily block free VPNs, including their main website, the site that is providing the free VPN service in the first place.

This was the case with several sites like Hotspot Shield and Alonweb, two very popular sites that provided VPN connectivity.

2. There are technical obstructions after the installation phase.

After installing OpenVPN or other such application systems, the next step is to find the essential files required for further processing, like client.ovpn, which can be tricky with VPN. However, this is only true for free VPN, while paid VPN does not have this setback. Also, the connectivity of free VPNs in China can be frustratingly unreliable at times.

3. The technical support for free VPNs is essentially missing, and therefore one has to source help from unreliable and often not very helpful sources, like online forums and free advice on the web, which can be useless and mundane, apart from posing the additional language barrier and communication block problems.

This is especially true in the Chinese context, as most Chinese Netizens are not very comfortable with Non-Chinese languages. Using only Chinese language forums greatly depletes the potential information available online.

4. For speed and efficiency, most US servers on the West Coast are considered the best for the East Asian countries.

These are also the most commonly and widely used servers for this geographical region, at least until they were blocked by the censoring authorities. Now, the Chinese Netizens are left with useless VPNs that will not function unless they are altered to connect with other servers that are still available, but which might not be as fast as the previous servers like HotSpot Shield.

Chinese Internet users are now left with several free VPNs, which are:

• AlonWeb (Update 2/7/2010:  It’s not available anymore!)
• The Free VPN (Update 5/16/2010: No longer working)
• HotSpot Shield
• ItsHidden
• HideIpVPN (currently not offering free accounts)

There is, of course, still left the option of paid VPNs like (NordVPN, HideMyAss, ibVPN or ExpressVPN), but as these require PayPal or MasterCard or at least Visa credit cards, it is still an impossibility for a large number of Chinese netizens who do not own any of the aforementioned payment tools.

Are you a Chinese Netizen? What are the free China VPN that you can access?

Update: AlwaysVPN is no longer available. You should check other VPN services.

AlwaysVPN, seen as an alternative to Hotspot Shield, it’s not free anymore. Always VPN was launched as a free VPN service but now it switched to pre-paid service. Here is the announcement made on AlwaysVPN forum:

As of now we are offering a new pre-pay vpn service! AlwaysVPN 2.0

Most of you have probably come to know AlwaysVPN as a free advertising supported vpn. Unfortunately for various reasons we are not able to continue the expansion of this free service for the time being.

Until further notice existing users will still be able to access our free network, however we will not be distributing new client software.

Always VPN is a hosted VPN service that can be useful for non-U.S. users to get access to U.S.-only sites, or for anyone who’s in the States and is looking for a way to keep network eavesdroppers from keeping tabs on your Internet connection.

The service provides a VPN client for Windows XP and Vista, Mac OS X and Linux. When you connect to the AlwaysVPN network, you create a secure tunnel through which your Internet traffic is sent. The service is great for surfing the Web in places where you may be concerned about security, but because AlwaysVPN is based in the United States, it’s also useful for obtaining an American IP address to access U.S.-only Web services.

AlwaysVPN main features

Here are the main features of Always VPN:

• Prevents local eavesdroppers from listening in on your web communication.
• Bypasses restrictive firewalls.
• Accesses US-only web content.
  (Hulu, ABC, and other video networks are blocking our IP addresses.)
• Bypasses Government web content filtering.

AlwaysVPN server locations

All of the AlwaysVPN servers are currently located in the United States. In the future, they may also offer non-US VPN servers.

AlwaysVPN is a prepay bandwidth service

Unlike other VPN services that charge you on a monthly basis, in order to use Always VPN you purchase an amount of VPN bandwidth. After your purchase is completed you are able to use the VPN network until your available bandwidth is used up. If you need more bandwidth, you simply have to log into your account and purchase more!

Here’s a list of currently available Bandwidth options:

• 5GB – USD 8.50
• 10GB – USD 15.00
• 20GB – USD 26.00
• 40GB – USD 33.00
• 80GB – USD 47.00

AlwaysVPN can be used to:

• Unblock sites like MySpace, YouTube, Orkut, etc
• Unblock Twitch.
• Access the US-only web content.
• Prevent local eavesdroppers from listening in on your web communication.
• Bypass Government web content filtering.

Pros

• It is very similar to Hotspot Shield.
• More likely to bypass firewalls and filters as it is not as well known as HotSpot Shield (HS is currently being blocked by several sites that share video content).
• Works on any Internet connection that allows you to browse websites.

Cons

• It’s not free anymore.
• Only allows web traffic on port 80, 443, 110, 143, 587 and 8080.

Recommended reading: Is there such a thing as a free torrent VPN?

CyberGhost is a free VPN service with servers located in Germany. It’s a commercial VPN service that also has a free version. If you want to surf online anonymously, the free version is enough. The free version, called Basic, it’s limited 10GB a month broadband usage. If you’re going to get more, you need to pay 9.99 Euro a month, and you will get 40GB and 2GB online storage space.

How to get started with CyberGhost free VPN

First, you need to download the setup, unzip it and install it. The setup will also install the .NET Framework 3.0 if you don’t have it already.

The next step is to create a CyberGhost VPN account (Click on Create new account button). You will receive a confirmation code on your email that you should use and activate the account.

Next, login to your account. You will get the following screen.

If you want to use the free version, click “Connect basic.” Wait a moment; it will connect to service. Finally, you get a German IP address. Check it by visiting xmyip.com.

To close the VPN service click “Close basic” button.

More features

CyberGhost not only anonymizes your connection but also offers traffic statistics regarding your online activity (yearly and monthly). Another nice feature is that you can exclude some URLs from being anonymized (Exceptions tab). This way you can use the VPN for only sensitive sites, not for all of them.

CyberGhost VPN: Fixing Network Cable Unplugged Error

One of the readers of this blog, Tran, has complained that he was could run CyberGhost VPN:

After reading your article, I tried to install CyberGhost. The installation process is smooth. After completing to install the software, I restarted the computer. But there was a problem: when I double clicked CyberGhost VPN network icon in MY NETWORK PLACE to connect, a noticed “A NETWORK CABLE IS UNPLUGGED” error, while my PC still connected to the internet.

I was not able to reproduce the error, but I found a comment on warezscene.org from Jetman that offers several possible solutions. I reproduce below Jetman’s comment.

Question: Cyberghost VPN Fixing Network Cable Unplugged Error in Windows

Free proxy from CyberGhost

The guys from CyberGhost told us they have a new free Proxy and that we should check them out- which we did. So here are our impressions:

CyberGhost free proxy is a web-based proxy. It means that as an internet user, I don’t expect to install any software on my computer to be able to use it. But with the word free service, I always expect a lot of advertisements (they should be paid in one way or another, aren’t they?)

Accessing iPlayer using the proxy

So, I pointed my browser to the proxy server, then, along with the field for entering the URL of the website I want to reach (I chose BBC iPlayer – we all know that BBC UK iPlayer isn’t available in my country). But something just got me wondering: some options can be ticked on or off as you can see from the screenshot below

I didn’t want to have a headache wondering why I would need to un-tick those checkboxes, so I left them ticked (my view is simple: most regular users wouldn’t even care about these options unless they want to go the “advanced mode” way).

Back to BBC iPlayer: the issue was simple: the list of proxy servers does not contain UK country: we have Germany, Netherlands, Russia, and Ukraine.  I chose the Ukraine-based proxy and inserted BBC iPlayer into the Cyberghost Free Proxy. The good thing is that at least, I didn’t see a lot of pop-up showing-up here and then.

But the advertisement takes 1/3 top of the browsing window, so you have to scroll down to see the actual website you are trying to see. And guess what?  As expected, I couldn’t watch the BBC iPlayer. But anyway, I guess it would work for any country-based limited online service that falls into the list of countries aforementioned. Not sure yet. If anyone has a service that would fit into this criterion, feel free to mention it so that I can test.

Checking the IP address

But for the heck of testing, I browsed xmyip.com from the free proxy, and it reports me with a Ukraine-based IP address. So, at least, I know that the IP address sent to web-servers that I reach through this Proxy server isn’t my actual IP address.  I played a bit changing the country of the proxy, and xmyip.com reported the right country. Moreover, by using the “Audit My PC anonymous surfing,” the primary results I received when using the free proxy is satisfying: it doesn’t show my actual GPS location, nor my real country and IP address.

From what I’ve seen, this Free proxy works for changing my IP address, and it is not so cluttered as do other free proxies. However, the limited list of countries where they provide Proxy is a shortcoming so far.

Conclusion

CyberGhost is a lovely VPN service, and the most important thing is that it offers an excellent FREE version. European users will benefit from the proximity to the CyberGhost server as opposed to the one in Colorado provided by Hotspot Shield.