Is A Website Blocked? Then Check This Guide First [Feedback Appreciated]

[LZ1 672]

 

Hello !

 

When a website is blocked or things aren't working so well somehow, that sucks. But posting a new topic will not automatically help.

 

So before posting a new thread/topic, I recommend that you try these things first, to help yourself and everyone else out:

 

Things To Try First

• Try check out the AirVPN Route Checking tool. Put the name of the website, such as www.netflix.com into the search field. Click search. Then refresh the page & look at the HTTP column.
• Try and change the server that you're using; especially to servers from other countries, rather than just servers from the same country you were first connected to, as sometimes the servers of 1 country are all having issues. Especially if the Route Checking tool shows a red color in the HTTP colum or codes like 403. The HTTP Codes mean different things.
• Try check out ipleak.net and make sure that the IP & DNS address fields only show 1 address each: those from AirVPN. Otherwise your ISP could be blocking you.
• For Windows, try going to your Control Panel>>Internet Connections>>Change Adapter Settings>>Right Click each adapter>>Properties>>Untick IPv6>>Click Ok. Similar steps for MacOS/Linux.
• Try use the AirVPN forum search field in the top right corner, to see if a similar thread exists already. It's better and easier if all the same posts are in the same thread.
• Try click the "Most Viewed" button, on the horizontal blue line, under the black "Start New Topic" button, in order to see the most viewed threads easily & quickly.
• Try and check that your ISP or country isn't listed here. Because these ISPs block various things.
• Try and check if the website is listed here. Sites listed here should be automatically unblocked, regardless of which server you use. (This is called "Micro-routing").
• Try and see if the content you want, is available via a torrent site, if you wish. You could then use qBittorent to download it using P2P technology, which AirVPN fully allows. (Not all VPNs do)

Does AirVPN Care About Blocked Sites?

• Yes! AirVPN Staff routinely reply to all kinds of different threads on these forums. This includes replies to threads about Netflix. Moderators do too!
• However due to there being a lot of new threads, they don't always reply to each one. Especially if the thread already exists; such as the many threads about Netflix.
• This is why it's important to keep all posts about the same website, in the same threads, instead of just making a new thread, which won't get any attention.
• But the problem is, that AirVPN or even any other VPN provider, can't always do anything about blocks. That's the truth. Because sites like Netflix actively try to block VPNs.
• It's in AirVPNs Mission Statement to fight all kinds of blocks or attempts at censorship; so it's not because Air isn't trying to fix things.

When You Post A Thread, Consider This

• If you absolutely have to post, then please include: a link to the blocked website, the AirVPN server you used, any error messages you got & any replies from support staff from the blocked site.
• You get bonus points if you also tell us that you already tried the route checking tool and other things listed in the first section. . Double the bonus if you post in an existing thread instead.
• Posting also doesn't guarantee that the problem will be fixed. But if you follow the suggestions here, then you will make fixing the problem both quicker and easier for Air & everyone else :].

 

If you have questions or suggestions, please do not be afraid of posting them here or sending me a PM. If you're new to VPNs, then please feel free to check out my New User guide.

 

Please do provide feedback on this thread if it helped you or is missing something!

 

Thank you for reading !

[dr_kristau 4]

Hello!

 

Try check out ipleak.net and make sure that the IP & DNS address fields only show 1 address each: those from AirVPN. Otherwise your ISP could be blocking you.

 

quick question, if I may - why is showing only 1 address important for DNS? ipleak.net is showing me 7 address fields for DNS, this using the Dabih (UK) server. All of the 7 DNS addresses are also in the UK, and none of them are my ISP DNS.

[LZ1 672]

Hello!

 

Try check out ipleak.net and make sure that the IP & DNS address fields only show 1 address each: those from AirVPN. Otherwise your ISP could be blocking you.

 

quick question, if I may - why is showing only 1 address important for DNS? ipleak.net is showing me 7 address fields for DNS, this using the Dabih (UK) server. All of the 7 DNS addresses are also in the UK, and none of them are my ISP DNS.

 

Phew! Only took 6 months for the first reply

 

Showing 1 address - the AirVPN one - was the quickest and simplest way I could think of expressing things. Otherwise I might have to mention potential errors like the one you describe (which aren't of any consequence most of the time I think, although we do have an ipleak.net subforum for issues which come up) or WebRTC "leaks" that aren't leaks and so forth. Are you on Windows 10 by any chance? Just curious.

 

Welcome to AirVPN!

[dr_kristau 4]

Hello!

 

Thank you for your reply and thank you for the welcome!

I thought it a little strange that nobody had replied to this post - maybe people are a little shy around here, I don't know.

 

I'm running Firefox in Ubuntu. Having read around the forums a little, I have uBlock Origin installed which I understand helps with WebRTC 'leaks'. From what I understand of ipleak.net descriptions, DNS leaks only occur when an ISP DNS appears in the addresses, which is not my case - hence my querying you on the single address. My meta-issue here is failure to access BBC's iPlayer ('BBC iPlayer only works in the UK' error), and I thought I'd check this issue first, if that's okay.

[LZ1 672]

The Air client does by default provide a lot of protection. If you enable Network Lock (NL) you won't have the WebRTC problem for sure. But otherwise, you need to configure Ublock for it to work. Chiefly, you need to go to its settings and check the "block WebRTC" box and then after that, you can go to the 3rd party filters tab and check the boxes you feel need to be checked, if you want extra protections against tracking for instance. Then click apply.

 

Yes, if your ISP addresses somehow show up, it could be a leak - the idea being that there's an encrypted and secure "tunnel" that the VPN creates and that if something bypasses that tunnel and reaches the web, it "leaked" out haha . That most certainly doesn't happen with Network Lock most of the time (or perhaps even any of the time, really, outside of specific bugs. To my knowledge). As for iPlayer, I think you need flash to run it haha. But there's been some issues with it, if memory serves. When the micro-routing works, you don't even have to connect to a UK server to access it . At least the site itself doesn't block much ^^.

[dr_kristau 4]

Thanks again.

 

I've now configured uBlock but I'm still getting multiple DNS address entries in ipleak.net - connected to the Atria server in Sweden I get 5 DNS addresses in the Netherlands (none of which is my ISP).

 

I don't use the Air client, but have configured Ubuntu's openvpn package to use AirVPN's .ovpn files - is this not a recommended configuration?

[LZ1 672]

Haha, you're most welcome my friend.

 

There's many ways of doing things and it sounds like you know what you're doing, so if it works and you're happy, then fine. I can't tell if you won't get the DNS problem if you do it otherwise. Personally I just download the client, as I find that the path of least resistance lol. Plus, if you don't use the client, you don't get to use the Network Lock feature. The only thing you need to take note of, is to download the Beta client, when it's for Linux. (Kali Linux and Fedora 25 need some modifications though currently). I love the Air client - it's the king of VPN clients for me . Really quality software. It's just an OpenVPN wrapper anyway and Air try not to stuff too much junk or such into it, so that it doesn't touch the system more than strictly necessary.

 

EDIT: Also, do feel free to tell me if there's something I should add or change to this short guide, because feedback is welcomed

[dr_kristau 4]

Many thanks again for your help @LZ1. I can live with what I have now without a problem, and will have a go with the Air client out of curiosity when I can. 

[LZ1 672]

Haha, no worries, I'm just trying to contribute a little to the community where I can.

I don't think you'll regret trying the (remember Beta!) client. If you've got any other questions or run into issues, please feel free to ask the community .

 

Welcome to AirVPN yet again .

[John Gow 17]

Hello!

 

Thank you for your reply and thank you for the welcome!

 

I thought it a little strange that nobody had replied to this post - maybe people are a little shy around here, I don't know.

 

I'm running Firefox in Ubuntu. Having read around the forums a little, I have uBlock Origin installed which I understand helps with WebRTC 'leaks'. From what I understand of ipleak.net descriptions, DNS leaks only occur when an ISP DNS appears in the addresses, which is not my case - hence my querying you on the single address. My meta-issue here is failure to access BBC's iPlayer ('BBC iPlayer only works in the UK' error), and I thought I'd check this issue first, if that's okay.

 

Ublock Origin and NoScript are must-haves with Firefox; Umatrix was too high maintenance, I put HTTPS Everywhere and Privacy Badger just for good luck, and I have been ad admirer of EFF since the 1990s when I was a kid. Unfortunately, Firefox doesn't always have a tight ship. There's a lot of weird stuff in about:config, and it can reveal things you might not have known about. I most commonly see people advising that you disable media.peerconnection in about:config, as well as change your useragentstring to something common and not yours. This keeps getting harder. There are also "rogue CPOWs" to worry about, and weird DOM devices springing up that I have no interest in. It's kind of a pain to have to think about these things, but very educational to learn what they are actually doing.  Here's an example of stuff to worry about:  http://dpaste.com/369858M 

Here's a bunch of user agent strings that you can blend in with: http://dpaste.com/1C17281 

I use them for wget as well, which I just learning how to use.

[scgt1 3]

Question about "Try check out ipleak.net and make sure that the IP & DNS address fields only show 1 address each: those from AirVPN. Otherwise your ISP could be blocking you."

 

When on that page there are three sections with IP's.

Your IP address which happens to show what the Eddie client says is my IP.

then

Your IP address- WebRTC Detection which shows a different address (I assume which is from my ISP) Actually no by looking at the Eddie stats. The IP that shows here isn't the one provided by my isp according to the Stats page on Eddie.

finally

DNS address which is the same as the first IP which is what Eddie shows as my IP.

 

So with that said when it states the IP and DNS address fields should only show 1 address each is that meaning the top IP and then the DNS IP or has that page been updated and it now shows 3 different IP's that should all match what Eddie shows as our IP? It's kinda confusing as the instructions state there should only be two things displayed when in fact the page displays 3. (Your IP, Your IP WebRTC, DNS address)

[TToD 1]

A useful topic

I was having an issue with a site and went to remove IP6 in my Windows environment and then Eddie kept having fatal errors and could not connect. After finding the Eddie setting to use IP4 only :-) it then connected "and" I was able to get to the site I was previously having trouble with. Given IPV4 works but IPV6 doesn't should this still be reported?

The Route Checking tool showed a consistent "Fail"  value in the HTTP section, I was having the same issue in multiple countries, and ipleak just showed the AirVPN DNS server.

[kah0922 4]

A useful topic

I was having an issue with a site and went to remove IP6 in my Windows environment and then Eddie kept having fatal errors and could not connect. After finding the Eddie setting to use IP4 only :-) it then connected "and" I was able to get to the site I was previously having trouble with. Given IPV4 works but IPV6 doesn't should this still be reported?

The Route Checking tool showed a consistent "Fail"  value in the HTTP section, I was having the same issue in multiple countries, and ipleak just showed the AirVPN DNS server.

 

Have you tried it recently? This was an issue I reported and it should've been fixed.

[TToD 1]

 

A useful topic

I was having an issue with a site and went to remove IP6 in my Windows environment and then Eddie kept having fatal errors and could not connect. After finding the Eddie setting to use IP4 only :-) it then connected "and" I was able to get to the site I was previously having trouble with. Given IPV4 works but IPV6 doesn't should this still be reported?

The Route Checking tool showed a consistent "Fail"  value in the HTTP section, I was having the same issue in multiple countries, and ipleak just showed the AirVPN DNS server.

 

Have you tried it recently? This was an issue I reported and it should've been fixed.

I tried it just before posting