Question Difficulty with NordVPN and other VPN providers ?

[kurtepearl22]

I’m finding the need increasingly to use VPNs for privacy, security and ad-blocking/tracker-blocking (I’ve been away a very long time and back then things were so different!). The use of BitTorrent is also useful (legally, of course - I get my Linux distros via BT for e.g.; everything else I stream, as if there was ever any other way to consume media… (anyone else remember 10-15 years ago?!)). I’ve tried several VPNs, NordVPN seems to be the most highly-rated, but with most of them there’s difficulty. Sometimes they block internet connection universally across your device, sometimes they allow connection but it’s slow (despite being a fast, paid version like Nord or Proton).

Info: running paid version of Norton 360 (NO firewall), no firewall on router either. Unless I choose my own country on the VPN I can’t access anything (I haven’t checked every app but non-geographical ones that should work wherever you are are blocked), when using BitTorrent, no obfuscation/ encryption tools used, ports used there between 59000-65000.

Kill switch enabled but making sure if I disconnect that it truly has disconnected. A little help? It would be particularly useful for my Android and iPhones, where there are less fewer settings (but still plenty of variables). With thanks and confusion, KP

 

[Ralston18]

The important requirement is to specifically identify what is being blocked, where it is being blocked, and what is being used to do the blocking.

You may have or may not have control over some of those things: E.g., your router, browser,etc..

Other things may not be controllable because they are controlled by the router's admin, administrative restrictions on the computer, and so forth.

Or simply being slowed, restricted,etc. due to bandwidth and traffic issues. More likely the case if the sites do work or are otherwise accessible as circumstances permit.

If your country is blocking things, it is unlikely that you can do much about that and may even get into trouble by circumventing or trying to circumvent those restrictions. Depends on where you live. [Not asking.]

I am not (full disclosure) a Norton user so will defer to those members who can offer or provide suggestions that may be available to you within Norton and/or other VPNs.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

 

[kurtepearl22]

The important requirement is to specifically identify what is being blocked, where it is being blocked, and what is being used to do the blocking.

You may have or may not have control over some of those things: E.g., your router, browser,etc..

Other things may not be controllable because they are controlled by the router's admin, administrative restrictions on the computer, and so forth.

Or simply being slowed, restricted,etc. due to bandwidth and traffic issues. More likely the case if the sites do work or are otherwise accessible as circumstances permit.

If your country is blocking things, it is unlikely that you can do much about that and may even get into trouble by circumventing or trying to circumvent those restrictions. Depends on where you live. [Not asking.]

I am not (full disclosure) a Norton user so will defer to those members who can offer or provide suggestions that may be available to you within Norton and/or other VPNs.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

Thanks for the reply. I can rule out a lot of that because if it’s BT that either my country (UK) or ISP are blocking/throttling, if I experiment by doing it (in clearnet of course) without VPN on, or with VPN’s built-in traffic encryption/obfuscation on, there’s no problem. So there’s an issue with VPN config. Turning off Norton makes no difference either way. This is all on my Android phone. I can’t test BT on my iPhone, but actually Nord works fine there for all apps and browsers as long as I have it set to my own country (some apps won’t work otherwise - BBC radio/TV streaming, UK Amazon Prime, UK Netflix, that kind of thing)