Dummies guide to getting BBC abroad?

[swill453]

I'd guess that its more to do with the BBCs contractural obligations to the productions companies they buy the content from who dont want the BBC showing available in countries where they hope to also sell the same program. Its not necvessarily the BBC making the decsion to ignore this rebeue stream etc.

Yes that's probably true.

It's perfectly legitimate to download a BBC iPlayer programme to your computer or tablet while in the UK (as long as you have a TV licence of course), then take that laptop abroad and watch the downloaded programme while there.

The technical difference between the above, and using a VPN while abroad to download the same programme, via a UK server, to the laptop in a foreign country is pretty negligible in my opinion. It just saves time and the airfare

So while the BBC might like to stop one doing it, I'm happy with the morals and ethics of it.

Scott.

[didds]

[quote="swill453"
So while the BBC might like to stop one doing it, I'm happy with the morals and ethics of it.

Scott.[/quote]



me too

[kempiejon]

I use Cyberghost as my VPN, it has optimised settings for streaming, optimised for specific services in specific countries. So you can select an iplayer optimised server. As the BBC are on to this cyberghost just changes I guess.

And I see this morning the BBC has noticed I'm using a VPN and has blocked access.

[Infrasonic]

I use Cyberghost as my VPN, it has optimised settings for streaming, optimised for specific services in specific countries. So you can select an iplayer optimised server. As the BBC are on to this cyberghost just changes I guess.

And I see this morning the BBC has noticed I'm using a VPN and has blocked access.

I would imagine the BBC and all the other content providers that like to region block keep logs of as many of the VPN's server IP addresses as possible, and even if they switch them around they still ultimately only have a finite amount. It's going to be a while before IPv6 becomes de facto and makes that tracking task harder.

[Lootman]

If the VPN works then you should be able to do anything you can do in the UK. BBC iPlayer, ITV player, All4 etc.

If the VPN doesn't work - configure it to use obfuscated servers
In Nord this is in settings->advanced->obfuscated servers (OpenVPN)
- it makes the traffic look like it's not on a VPN
- designed for getting through the GFW but also works going in to the UK (and means the BBC doesn't think you're cheating)

Hmm, are you sufficiently confident that is foolproof such that you would actually use a VPN in China? Or in the United Arab Emirates where using a VPN is also illegal?

I hear that Chinese prisons are not very pleasant.

[servodude]

If the VPN works then you should be able to do anything you can do in the UK. BBC iPlayer, ITV player, All4 etc.

If the VPN doesn't work - configure it to use obfuscated servers
In Nord this is in settings->advanced->obfuscated servers (OpenVPN)
- it makes the traffic look like it's not on a VPN
- designed for getting through the GFW but also works going in to the UK (and means the BBC doesn't think you're cheating)

Hmm, are you sufficiently confident that is foolproof such that you would actually use a VPN in China? Or in the United Arab Emirates where using a VPN is also illegal?

I hear that Chinese prisons are not very pleasant.

Well do I use it if i need to get through the GFW (well for the bits that aren't just DNS blocked), so I suppose yes would be the answer.
VPNs weren't illegal in China last time I looked.
I used to run a team of developers there for web backend stuff and a VPN was how you would get them to test incoming traffic from different global regions (by spoofing users).
Normal VPN traffic is encrypted and can't be read (without the key - or a quantum computer) but it looks like VPN traffic
- the normal means of encryption leaves marks/syncs/patterns in the data that can be recognised even if you can't decode the payload
- obfuscation just adds another codec to VPN packets to hide these patterns so it resembles traffic that's something else (a bit like gift wrapping a bike in a rectangular box - or a probably more like a book in a bike shaped box )

Both the UAE and Saudi had banned the UHF data radios we were normally using for telemetry meshing (low throughput but you'll get 40k easily LOS with a good raised antenna); so as a result we did have a lot of cellular modems using VPN (for data security of measurements). I'd be interested to know if that's now forbidden (it was a few years ago that I was doing that)?

- sd

[Infrasonic]

Don't know how accurate this is...https://www.technadu.com/how-to-use-vpn ... law/18492/

As you probably know, there are countries that have banned the use of VPN services. Even though China is often found among those countries, things aren’t that simple. While some people say that VPNs are illegal in this country, others claim that you can use VPNs without any limitations. As always, the correct answer is somewhere in the middle. So, let’s talk about how to use VPNs in China without breaking the law in 2020.

Cont.

https://www.technadu.com/vpn-banned-cou ... list/7432/

...If you look at the table found below, you’ll find a list of countries where VPNs are banned in 2020. As you’ll see, we have two groups here. There are countries where VPNs are completely banned, which means that they’re officially illegal. And then, we have a group of countries where you can still use a VPN – but be prepared to inspect local laws to avoid any activities that might get you into trouble.

Cont.

China went after one of their own citizens who was behind a Shadowsocks variation...https://today.line.me/hk/article/Google ... all-NEOEGn

...In 2015, though, creator clowwindy said he got a visit from the police and announced that he would no longer work on the project, subsequently deleting the code. But that's hardly the end of Shadowsocks' story.

Cont.

I'd imagine that in countries that are effectively state dictatorships the goalposts for what is deemed legal/illegal are very movable and don't really pay much adherence to the written legislation...

[servodude]

I'd imagine that in countries that are effectively state dictatorships the goalposts for what is deemed legal/illegal are very movable and don't really pay much adherence to the written legislation

Good links thanks! Sounds like it's still business as usual for the needs of most of us who work with/in/from China. As the article points out VPNs are necessary for many industries that China do not want to compromise.
Certainly agree that you need to be careful whatever you are doing in such places; I'd extend that to everything though, not just internet traffic! And if they had reason to investigate you I'd expect them to look dimly on what might otherwise be regular tools.

-sd