Question Best VPN for smart TV

[OffenFender]

Hi guys, is anyone use some decent VPN for smart TV? I have some TV shows in my to-watch list that are not streaming in my country, so I seriously consider investing into a vpn since this is a suggested solution https://www.wizcase.com/blog/change-lg-smart-tv-region-using-a-vpn/, though do not want to waste the money, so maybe someone tried a vpn for such purposes? My regular computer vpn does not support a smart TV option. Thanks in advance for your piece of advice.

 

[bill001g]

You can't actually load the vpn software on tv...there are a couple android based one you can. You have to load it onto a router that can run as a vpn client. There are many that can but most the asus line can and many of the tplink ones can.

That though is not your problem. The problem is the content providers know all about the VPN trick to bypass their restrictions. Depends how much effort they want to take. Netflix and amazon block huge ranges of IP addresses used by vpn providers. It is very hit and miss since some vpn providers only parts of their range are blocked but these list change whenever netflix decides to add more.

So I would use your computer to test what tv content works on what vpn provider. When you find that you can look for a vpn router.

 

[jsmithepa]

This sounds like Star Trek, quick change the frequency before the Borgs adapts!

 

[OffenFender]

You can't actually load the vpn software on tv...there are a couple android based one you can. You have to load it onto a router that can run as a vpn client. There are many that can but most the asus line can and many of the tplink ones can.

That though is not your problem. The problem is the content providers know all about the VPN trick to bypass their restrictions. Depends how much effort they want to take. Netflix and amazon block huge ranges of IP addresses used by vpn providers. It is very hit and miss since some vpn providers only parts of their range are blocked but these list change whenever netflix decides to add more.

So I would use your computer to test what tv content works on what vpn provider. When you find that you can look for a vpn router.

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[OffenFender]

This sounds like Star Trek, quick change the frequency before the Borgs adapts!

Indeed

 

[failboat]

If you have a small computer/server you can run multiple vpn clients 24/7. in your router you will create static routes for the CIDR ranges to point them to the right client.

 

[OffenFender]

If you have a small computer/server you can run multiple vpn clients 24/7. in your router you will create static routes for the CIDR ranges to point them to the right client.

Hhm. Good idea, thanks,! didn't think about it from this perspective. Need to try this method

 

[failboat]

with proxmox and ubuntu vms you can use this. PIA gives you ovpn files. you would have to create a file with your username and password and add the line into the conf with the location of where you saved it. There are two settings to make it reconnect. one is the service manager, systemd in ubuntu, to keep restarting the service if it stops. the second is in openvpn conf to make it reconnect. you can also enforce the rules you created on your router. so no packets ever go to the CIDR ranges that should be going into the vpn. while the vpn is down it may try to do this.

https://docs.ubuntu.com/core/en/stacks/network/easy-openvpn/docs/openvpn-client-setup

I'm not sure what all easy-openvpn makes easier than the openvpn package that is just as easy to install from the repo. dealing with snaps can be a pain so try the regular openvpn package if you can't get the snap to work for you.

I would recommend starting with finding the CIDR ranges you need and checking the ip of the vpn servers. if the vpn server ip is inside one of the CIDR ranges it will be a lot more complicated to connect.

 

[OffenFender]

with proxmox and ubuntu vms you can use this. PIA gives you ovpn files. you would have to create a file with your username and password and add the line into the conf with the location of where you saved it. There are two settings to make it reconnect. one is the service manager, systemd in ubuntu, to keep restarting the service if it stops. the second is in openvpn conf to make it reconnect. you can also enforce the rules you created on your router. so no packets ever go to the CIDR ranges that should be going into the vpn. while the vpn is down it may try to do this.

https://docs.ubuntu.com/core/en/stacks/network/easy-openvpn/docs/openvpn-client-setup

I'm not sure what all easy-openvpn makes easier than the openvpn package that is just as easy to install from the repo. dealing with snaps can be a pain so try the regular openvpn package if you can't get the snap to work for you.

I would recommend starting with finding the CIDR ranges you need and checking the ip of the vpn servers. if the vpn server ip is inside one of the CIDR ranges it will be a lot more complicated to connect.

Thanks for all your valuable recommendations!