Humax streaming / catch up services blocked by VPN

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Humax streaming / catch up services blocked by VPN

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rjsdavis

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Hello to all

I am struggling to get our Humax Freesat box to stream any catch-up service (iPlayer / ITV Hub etc) whilst a VPN is active on our broadband connection.

I have a Humax Freesat HDR, that is connected to the internet via an ethenet connection directly to a repeater, which is then connected to the router wirelessly. The router is a Draytek Vigor 2860ac. The repeater is a Draytek AP900.

In order to encrypt everyone's internet connection, the VPN is set up and active within the router itself, rather than using a piece of software on the individual connected device. The VPN provider is NordVPN.

The VPN works, mostly, but does cause one or two issues - most odd of all of them, is causing difficulties uploading pictures into eBay listings! However, that's by the by.

When the VPN is active in the router, all of the catch-up services on the Humax fail to work. It is the iPlayer and ITV hub that we would want to use most often. If I login to the router and de-activate the VPN, the catch-up services work just fine in the Humax.

I have been battling with NordVPN support for months now, and they have eventually conceded that Humax and other TV boxes aren't compatible with their VPN service! Whilst I accept their concession, I haven't quite given up on it, as I would have thought that using a UK-based server/host, should in theory get past any geo-based requirements of the BBC / ITV etc companies to permit the stream to start?

For example, NordVPN suggested that I specify a server/host which was UK based - e.g. uk1576.nordvpn.com

I have done and tried all of the UK-based servers that they have provided, but the result is the same. iPlayer will run and stream through a web-browser on a PC, but the Humax will simply not work. You just get the "Something went wrong" message on the iPlayer when you try to use their catch-up services. The BBC catch-up service will load, and you can navigate through the menu's and TV programmes normally, but as soon as you click on the iPlayer logo to actually start a stream - it fails, with the error message.

I had wondered if anyone had worked out a solution for this?

Many thanks for any replies

| Mon 6 Jan 2020 14:17:38 #1 |
REPASSAC

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I have experience with a couple of VPN's - All the servers I used seem to get overloaded after a while and changing to a new addition solved the problem. By using a VPN you of course add encryption and decryption at the router (in your case) and server.

With your router is it possible to route around the VPN in selective cases, if not a full DD-WRT router / router upgrade may provide a solution.

Also I don't know how fast your router is, most are not that fast.

| Mon 6 Jan 2020 14:31:25 #2 |
rjsdavis

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Hello there

Thanks very much for replying, but I don't quite follow what you're suggesting?

I've tried the Uk based VPN server/hosts at many different times of the day and evening. It has made no difference at all to whether it works or not - it simply doesn't work at any time of the day or night.

Where you say "is it possible to route around the VPN..." - I don't actually know, but had this thought myself. Do you know how you tell? I'm an advanced user compared to most, but not a super-advanced user and that sort of question is beyond my knowledge.

The Draytek Vigor is very fast - pro-level kit that most businesses use at the heart of their infrastructure, which is why I paid a lot to upgrade it from the usually free tat that ISP's send out.

I think routing around the VPN is probably the best solution, if I can find a way to do it might be the best solution though.

| Mon 6 Jan 2020 17:14:27 #3 |
REPASSAC

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I would suggest that you recheck the VPN credentials and other data as it is quite possible it is not connecting.

You could check the external IP address to verify it is the VPN's https://whatismyipaddress.com/https://whatismyipaddress.com/https://whatismyipaddress.com/

Try turning the service off on the router and setting it up on a PC where it is easy to see what is happening and if it connects.

| Tue 7 Jan 2020 6:43:09 #4 |
GrahamRHK

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I had wondered if anyone had worked out a solution for this?

I don't use VPN with my Draytek 2862 but it might be possible to put the HUMX on a different subnet which does not use VPN - I would need to look at the manual for that though.
I suspect that the problem might be something to do with MTU size - VPN packets are larger than normal. You might try setting MTU in the router to 1500 if it is not already at that setting.
There is another post in this forum which suggests that HUMAX may not work if MTU is too small (look up Router Settings).
I'll think on...

| Tue 7 Jan 2020 7:55:02 #5 |
rjsdavis

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Thank you Graham.

I will ask Draytek for some help tomorrow, and see what they come up with.

Many thanks

| Tue 7 Jan 2020 23:35:50 #6 |
rjsdavis

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REPASSAC - 16 hours ago »
I would suggest that you recheck the VPN credentials and other data as it is quite possible it is not connecting.
You could check the external IP address to verify it is the VPN's https://whatismyipaddress.com/https://whatismyipaddress.com/https://whatismyipaddress.com/
Try turning the service off on the router and setting it up on a PC where it is easy to see what is happening and if it connects.

Thanks - it is definitely not that.

All other devices connected to the router can access the net just fine. It's only the Humax unit that can't stream catch-up services. I can use iPlayer (for example) from any any PC or smartphone connected through the router/VPN just fine.

| Tue 7 Jan 2020 23:38:17 #7 |
GrahamRHK

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I will ask Draytek for some help tomorrow, and see what they come up with.

The NordVPN website has instructions for setting up a Draytek router. The last point in that article mentions setting routing preferences to allow selective routing to sites that you don't want to route through the VPN. I can't test it as I don't have VPN enabled but that might be a good place to start. I'd also try a quick fix by increasing MTU size in the router to see whether that fixes it.

| Wed 8 Jan 2020 11:57:53 #8 |
rjsdavis

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GrahamRHK - 8 hours ago »

I will ask Draytek for some help tomorrow, and see what they come up with.

The NordVPN website has instructions for setting up a Draytek router. The last point in that article mentions setting routing preferences to allow selective routing to sites that you don't want to route through the VPN. I can't test it as I don't have VPN enabled but that might be a good place to start. I'd also try a quick fix by increasing MTU size in the router to see whether that fixes it.

Thanks for pointing that out - I had used these very instructions to set up the router to enable the VPN at router level.

I have just looked at Step 11 of the instructions, which do briefly talk about routing specific traffic through the VPN, but I have no idea how to set that up. I am a decent user, but this is beyond my knowledge, and I'd need a step by step guide to walk me through how to divert catch-up service traffic to outside the VPN!

I also don't know about the MTU suggestion that you are making, but have just had a pick through the WAN menu's on the router, and can see that it is already set at the maximum of 1520. I don't think there is anything to adjust on there.

Thank you for your suggestions!

| Wed 8 Jan 2020 20:04:16 #9 |
GrahamRHK

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I am a decent user, but this is beyond my knowledge, and I'd need a step by step guide to walk me through how to divert catch-up service traffic to outside the VPN!

This article might help https://www.draytek.com/support/knowledge-base/5013. I found this in the manual for 2862.

already set at the maximum of 1520

So its not MTU size - OK.

| Thu 9 Jan 2020 8:34:42 #10 |