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Sign up for www.unblock-us.com or www.unotelly.com and watch the amazing BBC coverage on iPlayer. Super super simple setup. Personally, I prefer www.unblock-us

Sign up for www.unblock-us.com or www.unotelly.com and watch the amazing BBC coverage on iPlayer. Super super simple setup. Personally, I prefer www.unblock-us.com

roadnottaken 14y ago
How does this work?
- vineel 14y ago
  Looks like some sort of proxy. Routing through the UK is an option so BBC iPlayer will allow you to stream the Olympics.
- OmarIsmail 14y ago
  Are you saying technically under the hood, or just how does a person use the service? Using the service is trivial for anybody on HN. Just a matter of setting your DNS settings to specific servers. That's it. Technically... I'm still trying to figure that one out. I think what they do is handle the IP check from the service, and then pass off the stream to your computer. This would make sense since the stream server would be different than the IP check server. This is great because then only a very limited subset of traffic is flowing through their servers so you get "native" speeds.
  - randomdata 14y ago
    You've got the right idea. I ended up implementing my own proxy for Netflix as you describe. I use dnsmasq to hijack the relevant DNS requests and then I wrote my own https proxy to proxy the API connections. The actual streams come from CDNs of which are not concerned about your country of origin.
sudonim 14y ago
Not sure why others downvoted you. I just tried unblock-us.com and it works... basically by changing your DNS servers. I added it to the article as another option. I'm confused because I thought that geo-restrictions were handled by IP address, so I'm not sure how this gets around that.
- dave84 14y ago
  It's still based on proxy servers, but their DNS server returns the address of their proxy server instead of the real IP address.
  - pbhjpbhj 14y ago
    As with any DNS provider they can presumably spoof any site they wish too; so I'd be pretty cautious about using them for all DNS calls.
    - js2 14y ago
      On Mac OS X, you can use them just for specific domains. For example, create: /etc/resolver/bbc.co.uk with the contents: nameserver 208.122.23.22 nameserver 208.122.23.23 And now you'll be using unblock-us's name servers for just bbc.co.uk and its subdomains. You could do something similar for your entire network with dnsmasq.
      - pbhjpbhj 14y ago
        Nice feature.
      - avolcano 14y ago
        Unfortunately, this tip doesn't seem to be working for the Olympics replays on the BBC's site (they all have a "try again later" every time I try to watch one). Thanks for the tip, though, and kudos to Unblock-Us for being one of a VERY few sites that let you trial their service without giving them payment details.
        js2 14y ago
        It appears some items are being served from player.bbchdsodsecure-f.akamaihd.net -- but even when I redirect that to unblock's DNS servers I still can't watch those videos. edit: using unotelly.com's DNS for co.uk and bbchdsodsecure-f.akamaihd.net works for me.
coderrr 14y ago
Our VPN at https://www.privateinternetaccess.com https://www.privateinternetaccess.com also has multiple gigabits of bandwidth available through our two UK gateways. We have an app that provides one click setup on both windows and osx.
kristofferR 14y ago
Just use http://tunlr.net/ http://tunlr.net/ 's DNS servers instead - it's the same type of service, just completely free and with no signup required. Primary DNS: 64.250.122.104 Secondary DNS: 199.167.30.144
- nikcub 14y ago
  is tunlr using PAC files and WPAP?
- nazgulnarsil 14y ago
  how did you use this to watch iPlayer? It seems like it is for giving a US based DNS for people outside the US.
  - mcpherrinm 14y ago
    The DNS resolves supported websites to their hosts, which proxy through the US. (n.b, not verified but that's a sane implementation of this)
velshin 14y ago
Proxies like unotelly may send more of your traffic through their service than you would like. You can protect your traffic but still use the tunnel if you only send bbc.co.uk DNS lookups to unotelly. Here's how to do this in Ubuntu 12.04. The DNS has changed in 12.04 to use NetworkManager, which makes the process more convoluted than it should be. The below instructions could be improved but it'll get you some BBC Olympics coverage. # https://gist.github.com/3202101 https://gist.github.com/3202101 Ubuntu 12.04 $ nslookup bbc.co.uk # you should see a UK IP e.g. 212.58.241.131 $ vi /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf # comment out dnsmasq #dns=dnsmasq # save+quit $ vi /etc/dhcp/dhclient.conf prepend domain-name-servers 127.0.0.1; $ service network-manager restart # create a new dnsmasq.conf with unotelly California DNS 184.169.139.227 206.214.214.28 # note that server=192.168.11.1 is my router (which handles my upstream DNS) and you'll need to change that IP. $ vi /etc/dnsmasq.conf server=/bbc.co.uk/206.214.214.28212.58.241.131 server=/co.uk/206.214.214.28 server=/bbchdsodsecure-f.akamaihd.net/206.214.214.28 server=/bbchdsodsecure-a.akamaihd.net/206.214.214.28 server=/bbchdsodsecure-b.akamaihd.net/206.214.214.28 server=/bbchdsodsecure-c.akamaihd.net/206.214.214.28 server=/bbchdsodsecure-d.akamaihd.net/206.214.214.28 server=/bbchdsodsecure-e.akamaihd.net/206.214.214.28 server=/bbc.co.uk.edgesuite.net/206.214.214.28 server=/bbcfmhds.vo.llnwd.net/206.214.214.28 server=192.168.11.1 # save+quit $ nohup /usr/sbin/dnsmasq --no-resolv --keep-in-foreground --no-hosts --bind-interfaces --pid-file=/var/run/sendsigs.omit.d/network-manager.dnsmasq.pid --listen-address=127.0.0.1 --conf-file=/etc/dnsmasq.conf --cache-size=0 --proxy-dnssec & $ tail -f /var/log/syslog $ nslookup bbc.co.uk # you should see unotelly proxy servers e.g. uk-cluster.unostructure.com

Sign up for www.unblock-us.com or www.unotelly.com and watch the amazing BBC coverage on iPlayer. Super super simple setup. Personally, I prefer www.unblock-us.com

roadnottaken 14y ago

How does this work?

vineel 14y ago
Looks like some sort of proxy. Routing through the UK is an option so BBC iPlayer will allow you to stream the Olympics.
OmarIsmail 14y ago
Are you saying technically under the hood, or just how does a person use the service? Using the service is trivial for anybody on HN. Just a matter of setting your DNS settings to specific servers. That's it. Technically... I'm still trying to figure that one out. I think what they do is handle the IP check from the service, and then pass off the stream to your computer. This would make sense since the stream server would be different than the IP check server. This is great because then only a very limited subset of traffic is flowing through their servers so you get "native" speeds.
- randomdata 14y ago
  You've got the right idea. I ended up implementing my own proxy for Netflix as you describe. I use dnsmasq to hijack the relevant DNS requests and then I wrote my own https proxy to proxy the API connections. The actual streams come from CDNs of which are not concerned about your country of origin.

sudonim 14y ago

Not sure why others downvoted you. I just tried unblock-us.com and it works... basically by changing your DNS servers. I added it to the article as another option. I'm confused because I thought that geo-restrictions were handled by IP address, so I'm not sure how this gets around that.

dave84 14y ago
It's still based on proxy servers, but their DNS server returns the address of their proxy server instead of the real IP address.
- pbhjpbhj 14y ago
  As with any DNS provider they can presumably spoof any site they wish too; so I'd be pretty cautious about using them for all DNS calls.
  - js2 14y ago
    On Mac OS X, you can use them just for specific domains. For example, create: /etc/resolver/bbc.co.uk with the contents: nameserver 208.122.23.22 nameserver 208.122.23.23 And now you'll be using unblock-us's name servers for just bbc.co.uk and its subdomains. You could do something similar for your entire network with dnsmasq.
    - pbhjpbhj 14y ago
      Nice feature.
    - avolcano 14y ago
      Unfortunately, this tip doesn't seem to be working for the Olympics replays on the BBC's site (they all have a "try again later" every time I try to watch one). Thanks for the tip, though, and kudos to Unblock-Us for being one of a VERY few sites that let you trial their service without giving them payment details.
      - js2 14y ago
        It appears some items are being served from player.bbchdsodsecure-f.akamaihd.net -- but even when I redirect that to unblock's DNS servers I still can't watch those videos. edit: using unotelly.com's DNS for co.uk and bbchdsodsecure-f.akamaihd.net works for me.

coderrr 14y ago

Our VPN at https://www.privateinternetaccess.com https://www.privateinternetaccess.com also has multiple gigabits of bandwidth available through our two UK gateways. We have an app that provides one click setup on both windows and osx.

kristofferR 14y ago

Just use http://tunlr.net/ http://tunlr.net/ 's DNS servers instead - it's the same type of service, just completely free and with no signup required. Primary DNS: 64.250.122.104 Secondary DNS: 199.167.30.144

nikcub 14y ago
is tunlr using PAC files and WPAP?
nazgulnarsil 14y ago
how did you use this to watch iPlayer? It seems like it is for giving a US based DNS for people outside the US.
- mcpherrinm 14y ago
  The DNS resolves supported websites to their hosts, which proxy through the US. (n.b, not verified but that's a sane implementation of this)

velshin 14y ago

Proxies like unotelly may send more of your traffic through their service than you would like. You can protect your traffic but still use the tunnel if you only send bbc.co.uk DNS lookups to unotelly. Here's how to do this in Ubuntu 12.04. The DNS has changed in 12.04 to use NetworkManager, which makes the process more convoluted than it should be. The below instructions could be improved but it'll get you some BBC Olympics coverage. # https://gist.github.com/3202101 https://gist.github.com/3202101 Ubuntu 12.04 $ nslookup bbc.co.uk # you should see a UK IP e.g. 212.58.241.131 $ vi /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf # comment out dnsmasq #dns=dnsmasq # save+quit $ vi /etc/dhcp/dhclient.conf prepend domain-name-servers 127.0.0.1; $ service network-manager restart # create a new dnsmasq.conf with unotelly California DNS 184.169.139.227 206.214.214.28 # note that server=192.168.11.1 is my router (which handles my upstream DNS) and you'll need to change that IP. $ vi /etc/dnsmasq.conf server=/bbc.co.uk/206.214.214.28212.58.241.131 server=/co.uk/206.214.214.28 server=/bbchdsodsecure-f.akamaihd.net/206.214.214.28 server=/bbchdsodsecure-a.akamaihd.net/206.214.214.28 server=/bbchdsodsecure-b.akamaihd.net/206.214.214.28 server=/bbchdsodsecure-c.akamaihd.net/206.214.214.28 server=/bbchdsodsecure-d.akamaihd.net/206.214.214.28 server=/bbchdsodsecure-e.akamaihd.net/206.214.214.28 server=/bbc.co.uk.edgesuite.net/206.214.214.28 server=/bbcfmhds.vo.llnwd.net/206.214.214.28 server=192.168.11.1 # save+quit $ nohup /usr/sbin/dnsmasq --no-resolv --keep-in-foreground --no-hosts --bind-interfaces --pid-file=/var/run/sendsigs.omit.d/network-manager.dnsmasq.pid --listen-address=127.0.0.1 --conf-file=/etc/dnsmasq.conf --cache-size=0 --proxy-dnssec & $ tail -f /var/log/syslog $ nslookup bbc.co.uk # you should see unotelly proxy servers e.g. uk-cluster.unostructure.com