I'm sure this has been asked before, but is there any way to cast region blocked content? I'm using cyberghost VPN on my android phone. I'm able to see the content on the Netflix app. I can also play the content on my phone. But as soon as I try to cast to my chromecast, it tells me the content is not available in my region. I guess the chromecast is giving away my location. What is the easiest way around this?
Screen mirroing
Yes there is a simple solution, I am using it too. But you need to have a router with a VPN client for this to work. In my case I use openWRT and it also works (advanced configuration) that I only route some local IPs I want over VPN while the rest stays normally routed.
You can do it by using your VPN at the router level as suggested above, but most consumer routers don't support that, so more people use a DNS service instead. That's still a bit of a challenge because you have to use DHCP to push the DNS addresses to the Chromecast, and you also have to block access to Google DNS in your router to force the Chromecast to use them. You have to put in some effort to stay current, because Netflix and Google keep experimenting with changes that are partly intended to make such workarounds more difficult. For example currently you can't play Netflix content locally on your Android device if you have Google DNS blocked in your router, but if you are using a DNS service you must have Google DNS blocked to cast that content to the Chromecast. As for VPNs, Netflix has been experimenting with sneaky blocking methods like comparing the system time to the time zone of the originating IP address to detect a mismatch caused by using a VPN gateway outside your time zone.
If you have a Raspberry Pi: I've set up mine as a Wifi router that establishes connection through VPN only. Netflix works flawlessly. If Cyberghost provides OpenVPN configuration files for Linux, this should work for you, too.
Related
Just thought I'd post a little bit about how you can have media streaming to work reliable which has any kind of GeoIP, e.g. watching BBC iplayer from outside UK, or ITVplayer outside UK.
So we all know how to get Flashplayer on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, its download the flashplayer apk and the Firefox Beta, I'll not cover that.
I also assume you have a UK proxy server you control, like a Linux server in the remote country.
The core problem is there isn't a FOXY PROXY plugin for Firefox Beta on Android yet. Foxy Proxy is brilliant it lets you control precisely which URLs to route over a proxy, so e.g. you can simply use a *bbc* and *itv* through the proxy.
A little known fact is that the remote site's GeoIP checker is not the same remote IP as that which does the media streaming, so you need only be routing through the proxy for traffic-light traffic and go direct to the media streaming IP otherwise. With FoxyProxy the media streaming sites are not (for some reason) URLs from the media service. e.g. BBC's streaming is a *llnl* service, ITV's player is 99.3.0.0/16 for media streaming.
So given the browser does have a "whitelist" or "blacklist" capability you get from FoxyProxy addon for Firefox, you have to the mirror opposite with the Proxy settings.
The only way I've found to do this is ProxyDroid, it has the concept of "proxy all but not these" so it has a blacklist. So what I have to do is have Proxydroid route ALL traffic, EXCEPT and then give the list of the exceptions. If I want to watch the remote media content then enable ProxyDroid, it connects as if its in the remote country but bypasses the proxy for the bandwidth-heavy task.
Having the exception list for Proxydroid makes a real difference, it moves from unwatchable to performing very well.
To get the exception list, well either someone can do the effort for you and post the blacklist online but to be honest all that the media streamers will do is change their IP addresses so that cat'n'mouse game you'd lose eventually.
So a more assured way is for the remote proxy server to be running a traffic analyser. A simple one is Darkstat. Install it on the remote system.
Then, clear the darkstat database (stop darkstat, rm the deb, start darkstat). Then on your Nexus 7, enable ProxyDroid, and begin streaming media. As you're proxying through the remote server anyway, in browser to go the darkstat web server (e.g. 192.168.0.1:667, whatever is the IP on the LAN of your proxy server and the port you've configured) and look for the BANDWIDTH HEAVY traffic. Then, disable proxydroid on the Nexus, and place the bandwidth heavy subnet in the blocklist in proxydroid, e.g. if ITVplayer is streaming off 199.3.x.y then tell Proxydroid to not use 199.3.0.0/116, that will allow all those IP 193.3.something.something to bypass the proxy.
Overall, this is quicker to do with a Tablet and a desktop PC side by side than all on the tablet as its lots of swapping between windows, until you've got the exceptions subnets list.
However, it all works. The method is universal, it will work with any country, any kind of geoIP blocker and you only need a Linux server in the country which does GeoIP, either from a friend telling it won't saturate their upload bandwidth after you've done the traffic analysis.
Also, as this method bypasses the proxy server for bandwidth-heavy, you have a proxy server with little bandwidth, because you're only using to find the bandwidth-heavy IPs to bypass the proxy.
Makes a big difference.
pay for a cheap vpn or vps, $2 a month, login to that :good:
I recommend Hideman VPN. It's fast and reliable.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
I've been using Witopia for the last year and it has been running perfectly. Works out to about $5/month which isn't too bad considering the number of servers/locations you get. Pair that up with the OpenVpn app from the Play Store and it works great.
davidcampbell said:
pay for a cheap vpn or vps, $2 a month, login to that :good:
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Click to collapse
where????
Hi guys, I am yet to fully enjoy iPlayer on Chromecast. I use Unlocator as my DNS provider and they managed to work out the way to watch iPlayer stuff outside of UK. But the streaming speeds are really bad and so far I didn't enjoy a single show. It seems like it buffers every 10 seconds or so so I am suspecting Unlocator (and their method to unblock it) at this stage. PC, Android, iPad all seems to work fine without any buffering and in full HD.
I would really like to hear some of your experiences but also ideas or feedback about other DNS providers. I also have HMA VPN subscription that I haven't tested yet because that is my absolute last option.
The behavior you describe sound like network latency.
If you can force a specific rate or resolution that can help.
Also make sure Chromecast has a stable WiFi connection.
Could be the provider. Try unblock-us for a week trial.
Also, have you set the chromecast up to block access to the google dns servers?
irish-sid said:
Could be the provider. Try unblock-us for a week trial.
Also, have you set the chromecast up to block access to the google dns servers?
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Do Unblock-US support Chromecast? I used them some time ago, before I moved to Unlocator. I might give it a go.
jasenko said:
Do Unblock-US support Chromecast? I used them some time ago, before I moved to Unlocator. I might give it a go.
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It's not about supporting Chromecast, it's about having the dns address on your router and then blocking the Chromecast from accessing the Google dns address which it defaults to. You need to do that in static route.
But yeah, I use unblock us, works very well. It has an easy Netflix region switcher without having to change addresses so you can use any Netflix. (Not sure if yourd offers that too?)
irish-sid said:
It's not about supporting Chromecast, it's about having the dns address on your router and then blocking the Chromecast from accessing the Google dns address which it defaults to. You need to do that in static route.
But yeah, I use unblock us, works very well. It has an easy Netflix region switcher without having to change addresses so you can use any Netflix. (Not sure if yourd offers that too?)
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The problem with iPlayer on Chromecast is because BBC implemented an extra step to look up geo location. Are you outside UK? Is iPlayer working for you?
I use Eureka ROM so DNS change for me is trivial.
jasenko said:
The problem with iPlayer on Chromecast is because BBC implemented an extra step to look up geo location. Are you outside UK? Is iPlayer working for you?
I use Eureka ROM so DNS change for me is trivial.
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Ah right, fair enough.
I'm in Southern Ireland and just tested the app and website, both stream fine.
Just to make sure, you don't need to refresh your ip address on the unlocator site? With unblockus, if you reboot your router (with a dynamic ip) you need to refresh your ip address on the site by clicking a link that pops up.
irish-sid said:
Ah right, fair enough.
I'm in Southern Ireland and just tested the app and website, both stream fine.
Just to make sure, you don't need to refresh your ip address on the unlocator site? With unblockus, if you reboot your router (with a dynamic ip) you need to refresh your ip address on the site by clicking a link that pops up.
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Thanks, I'll test Unblock tonight. I hope the issue is not network latency, I have no issues streaming Netflix in full HD.
jasenko said:
Hi guys, I am yet to fully enjoy iPlayer on Chromecast. I use Aeroshield as my DNS provider and they managed to work out the way to watch iPlayer stuff outside of UK. But the streaming speeds are really bad and so far I didn't enjoy a single show. It seems like it buffers every 10 seconds or so so I am suspecting Unlocator (and their method to unblock it) at this stage. PC, Android, iPad all seems to work fine without any buffering and in full HD.
I would really like to hear some of your experiences but also ideas or feedback about other DNS providers. I also have HMA VPN subscription that I haven't tested yet because that is my absolute last option.
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Click to collapse
Sorry for bringing up an old topic. Anyone use smart dns for BBC iPlayer on smart TV?
I want to stream it to my TV without VPN
Folks,
I know there are threads out on XDA for this. But i need some workarounds or help.
I have BBC Iplayer working fine on my mobile using Hola outside UK. But problem arises when i cast the content to my chromecast. The content is not displayed although i get the BBC iplayer logo on my TV screen.
Can anyone help ?? I have a router which does not support iptables changes as suggested on some of the threads here on XDA !
Thanks in advance !
Your router probably doesn't support a VPN either then, so you would need a DNS unblocking service with support for the BBC iPlayer, something like Unlocator or one of its many competitors. The Chromecast doesn't let you change the DNS manually, so you'll need to follow the directions provided by the DNS service for how to get the right DNS addresses from your router to the Chromecast. And you'll also need to block the Google DNS addresses in your router using the static route method in order to force the Chromecast to use the DNS addresses you provide.
If you can't be bothered to do all that, there are a couple of other alternatives:
You could just use tab-casting and put up with the slightly jerky video quality that usually produces on the Chromecast.
Or you could use an app like PlayOn or Plex to relay the BBC video stream from your computer to the Chromecast, but you'd still need a VPN or DNS service other than Hola on your computer since Hola is only a browser extension. BTW, be aware that using Hola is a privacy concern because they monitor your viewing habits and sell that information commercially. There are competitors like Zenmate and Proxmate who do not do that.
DJames1 said:
Your router probably doesn't support a VPN either then, so you would need a DNS unblocking service with support for the BBC iPlayer, something like Unlocator or one of its many competitors. The Chromecast doesn't let you change the DNS manually, so you'll need to follow the directions provided by the DNS service for how to get the right DNS addresses from your router to the Chromecast. And you'll also need to block the Google DNS addresses in your router using the static route method in order to force the Chromecast to use the DNS addresses you provide.
If you can't be bothered to do all that, there are a couple of other alternatives:
You could just use tab-casting and put up with the slightly jerky video quality that usually produces on the Chromecast.
Or you could use an app like PlayOn or Plex to relay the BBC video stream from your computer to the Chromecast, but you'd still need a VPN or DNS service other than Hola on your computer since Hola is only a browser extension. BTW, be aware that using Hola is a privacy concern because they monitor your viewing habits and sell that information commercially. There are competitors like Zenmate and Proxmate who do not do that.
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I have a better optio...cast the screen...but was hoping to find something. efficient...thanks...
Buy a new chromecast and root it before it connects to the internet, then just change the DNS on the chromecast.
tharmor said:
Folks,
I know there are threads out on XDA for this. But i need some workarounds or help.
I have BBC Iplayer to watch outside UK that working fine on my mobile using Hola. But problem arises when i cast the content to my chromecast. The content is not displayed although i get the BBC iplayer logo on my TV screen.
Can anyone help ?? I have a router which does not support iptables changes as suggested on some of the threads here on XDA !
Thanks in advance !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google for UK Smart DNS to avoid such kind problem. It's easier and faster than vpn
Hi all,
I live in the UK and am trying to get netflix to cast to my chromecast. I have a chromecast device connected to my TV and it works great. Apart from US Netflix.
I understand that I cannot cast US Netflix "as is" because of the chromecast's locked DNS addresses. I have read quite a few posts and have tried re-routing the DNS, here's what I've done so far...
Router: D-Link DIR-615 (latest firmware)
- Logged into my router and changed the DNS to an american one known to accept netflix traffic (works on my tablet).
- Gone to the "routing" part of my router settings and added the following rules...
Destination address: Subnet: Gateway:
8.8.8.8 255.255.255.255 192.168.1.1 (the IP of my router)
8.8.4.4 255.255.255.255 192.168.1.1 (the IP of my router)
I've rebooted everything but still no joy. I just cannot cast US netflix stuff to the device!
Is there anything I'm missing here or am doing wrong?
You haven't mentioned which DNS service you are using, and your description is a little vague, but probably if you have it working on your tablet then you are getting the basics right.
Is that an Android tablet? Is that what you are using when you attempt to cast Netflix to the Chromecast? Did you put the DNS addresses into the tablet settings, or are you relying on the router DNS setting for both your tablet and the Chromecast?
Netflix has been making a lot of changes to their app lately, including some in the last few days. You probably read that blocking or redirecting Google DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) in your router is required to make the Chromecast use your specified DNS addresses. That remains true, but as of January, the Android Netflix app will not work to play out-of-region content if Google DNS is blocked by the static route method you are using. You can still browse out-of-region content on Android, but you must select the Chromecast as the destination before you play anything. It will give you an error if you try to play the content in Android. So you can't have the router set both ways - you're either blocking Google DNS and you can't play the out-of-region content on Android, or you disable the blocking and you can't play the content on the Chromecast.
Of course all of this could change at any time, could in fact have changed in the last few days with the most recent updates that Netflix is pushing out. Netflix is forcing Chromecast users to update their Android app to the latest version, because the Chromecast version won't talk to older versions of the Android app, just displays an error message telling you that your Android app is out of date and must be updated.
Hi and thanks for your reply.
Yes. A galaxy note 10.1 2012 edition. With the latest version of netflix. It will work on the tablet fine . No issues. But not when casting (it will however, play stuff that is available on the UK netflix, even if I'm logged into the US version).
I have currently set the DNS on the router itself. So that is how I'm accessing the US netflix at the minute.
I've checked on a browser on a site and it is reading the DNS from the router correctly..
So you think it's netflix themselves that have blocked this method?
I've been testing various workarounds for getting my US Chromecast to use Unblock-US DNS in order to access HBO Nordic, but have yet to find a solution. I am currently using an ASUS RT-N56U router flashed with Padvan's custom firmware. I can access HBO Nordic over a LAN on my desktop, but cannot cast it through the "Cast Tab" feature in Chrome nor through Chromecast. I've attempted to use every method posted on this forum and elsewhere: configuring (I think/hope ) iptables through "Run after Router started"; configuring iptables through "Run after Firewall Rules restarted; enabling static routes and then configuring the static route list complete with every Google DNS address under the sun -- nothing works . The screen I get can be found in the below attachment. Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong? I can always post more pictures if that is of any help.
Thanks,
Steve
Your description of the problem and what you've tried isn't quite clear. If you can play HBO Nordic on your desktop, how are you doing that? Using Unblock-us? If so, are you using it in your desktop DNS settings or your router's settings? Why exactly can't you tab-cast that to the Chromecast? If you're tab-casting, the stream is being relayed through your PC, so if the PC can access HBO Nordic, then it should work.
When you say that you've tried iptables commands and static routes for Google DNS, I hope you don't mean both at the same time. That would be counter-productive.
DJames1 said:
Your description of the problem and what you've tried isn't quite clear. If you can play HBO Nordic on your desktop, how are you doing that? Using Unblock-us? If so, are you using it in your desktop DNS settings or your router's settings? Why exactly can't you tab-cast that to the Chromecast? If you're tab-casting, the stream is being relayed through your PC, so if the PC can access HBO Nordic, then it should work.
When you say that you've tried iptables commands and static routes for Google DNS, I hope you don't mean both at the same time. That would be counter-productive.
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Click to collapse
Thank you for the reply. Unfortunately, I cannot cast HBO Nordic from my desktop to the Chromecast due to the Chromecast's hardcoded Google DNS settings -- hence, why I'm trying to override those settings via my router. I have tried iptables commands and static routes separately, but neither seem to work. Would it be helpful if I posted additional pictures of my router settings? Let me know how I can help you better assess my problem.
Thanks,
Steve