UPC and VPNs

Skalragg

I know UPC states that VPNs are not supported on their network, just wondering since I've read mixed reports

Do VPN's work properly over UPC;s network, and if so what service do you use.

Was thinking of using WiTopia

www.witopia.net

since its got servers in 31 countries... all Ill be using dublin server for general internet use and file downloading, will switch to american servers when streaming hulu/netflix and uk ones when on bbc iplayer

just wondering weather ppl have had success / failures with UPC

Ronan

I've been using BlackVPN for BBC iPlayer and it works fine on UPC

clacks

UPC and witopia working perfectly for me.

digitaldr

ukivpn works grand for me BBC iplayer and hulu etc. With UPC.

RoyalMarine

same here. no problems running vpn on upc's lines.

they say they dont support them so they dont have to offer help to people.

Sponge Bob

The cannot block a VPN , eg SSL , and don't

Skalragg

cool thanks for the replies,

two other quick questions on the topic,

will the VPN for eg. if i connect to a irish / uk server slow my legal downloads by much to sites like RS / HF etc (non p2p) , as they are acting as the middleman between me and the web.

This may sound stupid but just wondering since VPN speed has to do with your proximity to the VPN server ... for services like hulu in us, would I be connecting to VPN that is closest to me and from there connecting to US server since they could be using MPLS to connect their servers world wide or would it be a case of my simply joining a US vpn connection
And how is speed effected for streaming when on the US vpn

Thanks

digitaldr

Most VPN services do not allow torrenting unless they are specifically marketed as p2p friendly - eg ipredator. The one I use has a DNS server that blocks p2p search sites! So I do my p2p stuff on a pc and use my laptop for VPN stuff.

Edit - on rereading your post I see you were asking about RS which I haven't tried over VPN. I would imagine it would be a bit slower -just ask someone on here that has the VPN service you're considering to do a check for you.

Xzen

Yes Using a VPN provider will indeed slow your connection a little bit.
Depending on the provider this slow-down can range from barely noticeable to significant. It's entirely dependent on the VPN provider and their equipment.

Many providers will of course block or limit P2P protocols and access to RS etc and even limit the amount of bandwidth you can use per month/week/day. Worth reading the fine-print before signing up.

Also, if you're particularly paranoid, you should find a provider who offers L2TP/IPSec connections as they're much more secure than PPTP.

digitaldr

Here's a speed comparison I just did - bearing in mind that it's late so off peak speeds. Having said that I can stream BBC iPlayer in HD in the evenings.Rarely use hulu and they charge for HD content! You can see why they call themselves www.ukivpn.com as USA speeds not great but seem to be fine for SD streaming. I've found them very good - offer cheap unlimited plans with L2TP/IPSec or PPTP and good support on the rare occasion I've needed it.

No VPN



UK VPN



USA VPN

digitaldr

This is from the UPC acceptable Use Policy page:

[HTML]Section 12: Use of Virtual Private Network (VPN)
As stated above, the UPC Services are for residential use only
and we do not support the use of VPN. If we find you are using
VPN we may instruct you to stop using it and you must comply
with this request. This is in order to prevent problems with our
network and other Internet users.[/HTML]

Xzen

digitaldr wrote: »

This is from the UPC acceptable Use Policy page:

[HTML]Section 12: Use of Virtual Private Network (VPN)
As stated above, the UPC Services are for residential use only
and we do not support the use of VPN. If we find you are using
VPN we may instruct you to stop using it and you must comply
with this request. This is in order to prevent problems with our
network and other Internet users.[/HTML]

Yikes, Ive never seen that fine-print before. It's quite unusual to deny a specific protocol or encryption on internet connections, be it business or residential. Sounds an awful lot like this tiered internet/net neutrality business we've been hearing about lately.
Still I've been using VPN (vyprVPN is excellent) for over a year now on UPC and not heard a word from them.
They'd probably only ask you to stop using it if they see a ton of data being piped through it: They'd suspect P2P usage but couldn't prove it thanks to the encryption.

vibe666

yep, and it's total BS.

and AFAIK, they're talking specifically about corporate VPN's, not VPN's to hide dodgy traffic.

i've been using corporate VPN's for access to my work since I got UPC back at the end of 2008 and have never had a problem.

at this stage, between myself and my wife, we've used 4 different VPN's (sometimes two at the same time) and never had any problems.

having said that, I've also had 5 people connected wirelessly via tethering to my mobile phone (with 3 concurrent VPN connections) and never had any issues with that either.