VPN tips, advice, recommendations, etc.

[Sylvia]

Starting a new thread for tips/advice/recommendations re. virtual private networks (VPN) for disgruntled ex-Peacock subscribers:

Has anyone used NordVPN? I could never get Opera to work, even when I selected a different country. A paid VPN is cheaper than Peacock. I canceled my subscription with them today.

Opera so far has worked for me with the ISU YouTube channel when my location is set to Europe. it works for GPs and Worlds!

 

[Amy L]

If you use Chrome, you can get the Setup VPN extension for free. Sometimes it makes the video blurry, but it does OK for a free service.

 

[rfisher]

If you use Chrome, you can get the Setup VPN extension for free. Sometimes it makes the video blurry, but it does OK for a free service.

Except, they've limited the countries on the free extension. I logged on today to check mine and only 4 or 5 countries were available now. You have to use the premium version to get the full list. It's more expensive than Express and not nearly as highly rated. They do, however, let you get a week, month or year option.

 

[Amy L]

Except, they've limited the countries on the free extension. I logged on today to check mine and only 4 or 5 countries were available now. You have to use the premium version to get the full list. It's more expensive than Express and not nearly as highly rated. They do, however, let you get a week, month or year option.

I bought a VPN due to the Peacock debacle so I hadn't checked Setup VPN in a little while. Would the Switzerland option not work for the ISU channel? I need to mess around with which countries can view the videos on the ISU channel (Israel definitely works for that, for anyone's future knowledge!)

 

[Kateri]

I have TrustZone, and I confess I have no idea what it costs, as my wife pays for it, but it's very easy to use, and I can just click whatever country I want to be in, out of a huge list.

 

[MacMadame]

I use Opera. It's also free and it also is somewhat limited. But... free!

 

[ChelleC]

I've never had an issue with Opera.

 

[rfisher]

I bought a VPN due to the Peacock debacle so I hadn't checked Setup VPN in a little while. Would the Switzerland option not work for the ISU channel? I need to mess around with which countries can view the videos on the ISU channel (Israel definitely works for that, for anyone's future knowledge!)

Probably.. I was looking for Russia and Japan and saw both were now premium. I will say, it always worked well, it's simple, and you can do limited time periods if you wanr..

 

[Lilia A]

I've been using paid VPNs for years so I can answer some questions. The post that Sylvia quoted asked about NordVPN. I've used it before, but always find myself going back to ExpressVPN. Express is on the pricey side unless you find a good deal. Nord also offers some pretty hot deals, but that normally entails signing up for the 3 year plan. Nord isn't bad at all, it has a good variety of countries to choose from, and your speed won't suffer too much. It's also pretty easy to use and won't eat up your RAM assuming your computer runs smoothly in general. If you're just looking to unlock content on Youtube, then it's a good choice. Things like Netflix or Prime can be a bit trickier and Express works better there, but I've never had issues with Nord unlocking Youtube content. If you're looking for specific countries, it's best to look on the provider's website for the complete list. I can tell you that Japan in included in ExpressVPN and I almost certain I've seen it in Nord, but like I said, always check the list before you buy anything. Russia is not a common location with commercial VPNs, except Surfshark. But that was years ago, so I'm not sure if their server locations have changed this year.
Also, about the ISU stream, any country in South America or western Asia or SE Asia or most of Africa, when available, will do. If one doesn't work, try a different one.

 

[MacMadame]

I've never had an issue with Opera.

I was trying to get Canadian content from the USA. Opera only let me pick "North America" not "Canada" so I wasn't able to access the Canadian content.

 

[ChelleC]

I was trying to get Canadian content from the USA. Opera only let me pick "North America" not "Canada" so I wasn't able to access the Canadian content.

I've only used it with the ISU YouTube stream, so it works for that if skating is your primary reason for a VPN.

 

[MacMadame]

I've only used it with the ISU YouTube stream, so it works for that if skating is your primary reason for a VPN.

It was skating on CBC.

I still haven't bought a VPN and still use Opera but I think people should understand the pros and cons of each choice.

 

[maureenfarone]

It was skating on CBC.

I still haven't bought a VPN and still use Opera but I think people should understand the pros and cons of each choice.

What are the pros and cons? I've never had a VPN and would probably have to take the laptop someplace to have one installed and show me how to use it. I've only seen comments that Opera isn't very secure.

 

[rfisher]

What are the pros and cons? I've never had a VPN and would probably have to take the laptop someplace to have one installed and show me how to use it. I've only seen comments that Opera isn't very secure.

It's not a big deal to install. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/best-vpn/ Here's one example of a Best of list. There are others. Read through the pros/cons of each. The cons mostly relate to speed and cost.

 

[GoneWithTheWind]

Probably a slightly niche option, but when I looked into getting a VPN a few years ago I discovered that my McAfee antivirus subscription had one included in the price. I've been using their VPN since then; it works pretty well and is really easy to use, there's a good selection of countries available (nearly 40) including several which tend to appear on the ISU's non-geoblocked list. It also usually works to watch geoblocked content on the CBC Sport website (it's a little less reliable here, I think CBC Sports are very tight with their blocking), which may be useful for those who like Canadian coverage?

However, if you brought it as a standalone product, it would probably be considerably more expensive than other options, but might be worth looking into for anyone who wants new antivirus/already has McAfee? I know Norton also has a similar service, but I've never used it so cannot comment.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

Express VPN also has an added password storing software for Windows platforms. It will help you store passwords in one location and generate more secure ones.

 

[MacMadame]

What are the pros and cons? I've never had a VPN and would probably have to take the laptop someplace to have one installed and show me how to use it. I've only seen comments that Opera isn't very secure.

I think they've been articulated pretty well here with everyone talking about the price and features of each option. There is some good info in this thread that I've been copying down for later. But the general gist is that there are free choices but the free ones tend to be more limited than the ones you pay for.

Based on what people have posted, if I need to pay for a VPN, I will probably go for ExpressVPN. But I'm going to try to go without paying for as long as I can. Because I'm cheap when it comes to such things.

 

[Karen-W]

I think they've been articulated pretty well here with everyone talking about the price and features of each option. There is some good info in this thread that I've been copying down for later. But the general gist is that there are free choices but the free ones tend to be more limited than the ones you pay for.

Based on what people have posted, if I need to pay for a VPN, I will probably go for ExpressVPN. But I'm going to try to go without paying for as long as I can. Because I'm cheap when it comes to such things.

Same! I get Peacock Premium as part of my xFinity package, and since I'm currently job hunting, I figure I should be able to watch at least the GP live and, if I have a job by January, I'll take at least a couple days off for Nats, lol. The rest, I can use Opera's VPN and watch on the ISU YT channel if necessary.

 

[On My Own]

I use Nord - definitely recommend it. Never tried another one though. Recently watched a movie on Netflix using Nord set to Australia, and it worked.

 

[Aceon6]

My husband has one subscription that checks both IP and GPS locations. Nord works fine with FakeGPS, so that’s what we use.

 

[A.H.Black]

The reason I would use a VPN is because Peacock does not keep the vidoes for later viewing. Can I assume that using a VPN will make it possible to watch videos of the competitions later on? - At least on the ISU channel. Is that the reason we would use it - to be able to get the ISU channel (at least for figure skating).

 

[maureenfarone]

@A.H.Black That is my understanding. The ISU archives would be available with a VPN for replays and streaming live. But, I am definitely not an expert on VPNs. I am also not clear about U. S. Nationals because I am not aware that is streamed anywhere but on Peacock but someone on FB mentioned it was on the ISU Olympic Channel.

 

[MacMadame]

Can I assume that using a VPN will make it possible to watch videos of the competitions later on? -

All a VPN does is tell the website you are accessing that you are in a different location than you really are. It's to get around geoblocking. So if people in the US can't access the ISU Channel on YouTube, but people in India can, you set up your VPN to say you are in India.

But the replays have to be there. The ISU has a channel with past competitions so it will work for that, but things like past US Nationals don't exist online anywhere so a VPN won't help you.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[A.H.Black]

@A.H.Black That is my understanding. The ISU archives would be available with a VPN for replays and streaming live. But, I am definitely not an expert on VPNs. I am also not clear about U. S. Nationals because I am not aware that is streamed anywhere but on Peacock but someone on FB mentioned it was on the ISU Olympic Channel.

I'm also pretty sure Nationals won't be archived. I will have recordings was whatever is on TV, but nothing else. I think we need to figure out a way to record (or download) Peacock. I'm sure someone would know how to do it. We wouldn't be able to put them on youtube as they would get yanked, but we could send files to each other.

 

[Braulio]

I'm also pretty sure Nationals won't be archived. I will have recordings was whatever is on TV, but nothing else. I think we need to figure out a way to record (or download) Peacock. I'm sure someone would know how to do it. We wouldn't be able to put them on youtube as they would get yanked, but we could send files to each other.

Remember we have the figure skating videos forum active for sharing purposes

www.fsvids.net

 

[mtnskater]

I downloaded the free Opera Browser and I’m on the YouTube channel and I don’t see any Skate America videos except a preview video. Can someone direct me how to find them on the ISU website.

I think my city is set as Oslo Norway on the browser because that is the weather I’m getting.

 

[On My Own]

I downloaded the free Opera Browser and I’m on the YouTube channel and I don’t see any Skate America videos except a preview video. Can someone direct me how to find them on the ISU website.

I think my city is set as Oslo Norway on the browser because that is the weather I’m getting.

I'm going to link you a tutorial, just in case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16gC9I2I1Js

Here's the men's free skate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut3gSoXoCGA

 

[UMBS Go Blue]

As others have noted, I didn't even know that my anti-virus software (Norton) had a built-in VPN. Think of VPN as software that disguises your identity and/or location.

If you have Norton, all you need to do is open the Norton control panel and, depending on your account type, a VPN will be one of the options you have. Then click on one of dozens of available countries and it'll automatically disguise you as a user from that country. I tried last night for the first time: for Canada, then UK, then Sweden, and finally Singapore, reloading the ISU YouTube page each time before getting the content (Ilia's FS) unblocked.

So accessing the ISU YouTube content appears to depend on whether they have a TV deal in that country. If they don't, as in Singapore, then you can disguise yourself as someone from that country to view the content.

Likewise, if you're not in the US, you can use a VPN to make it appear as if you are in the US so you can view US entertainment. This is what expat friends of mine do to watch US content - and what folks in repressive countries to do get around information firewalls.

 

[mtnskater]

Well I'm not having much luck. I downloaded the Opera Browser and watched the tutorial (thanks @Dai's Blues for Klook). I set my VPN location in Asia but when I try to search using the link you gave for the men's free or type in ISU YouTube it says I'm not connected to the internet, which I know I am.

If Peacock would not have changed the game on us this year, this would not be an issue for me to take all this time to try and figure out how to get Opera to work. I would appreciate any other suggestions people have as to why it says I'm not connected to the internet for some reason.

 

[ChelleC]

Well I'm not having much luck. I downloaded the Opera Browser and watched the tutorial (thanks @Dai's Blues for Klook). I set my VPN location in Asia but when I try to search using the link you gave for the men's free or type in ISU YouTube it says I'm not connected to the internet, which I know I am.

If Peacock would not have changed the game on us this year, this would not be an issue for me to take all this time to try and figure out how to get Opera to work. I would appreciate any other suggestions people have as to why it says I'm not connected to the internet for some reason.

When it says you're not connected to the internet, give it a couple of minutes, and it should connect. At least that's what mine did last night.