HMA! Tip: How to use OpenVPN on an iPad or iPhone

Until recently it has not been possible to use the OpenVPN protocol on an iPad or iPhone (except if you “jailbreak” your device), as the VPN settings in iOS devices do not include OpenVPN as an option.

Fortunately the good people over at OpenVPN, Inc. have released an app into the App Store which allows the creation of an OpenVPN connection, and you can use this in conjunction with your HMA Pro VPN account.

First of all you need to download the OpenVPN app from the App Store onto your Apple device.
Next you need to import the profile of the HMA! Pro VPN server you wish to connect to. This can be done in a number of ways.

(1) Use Dropbox
If you have the Dropbox app installed, you can link to this public dropbox, and add it to your Dropbox list of folders.
Next, select from TCP or UDP protocols and open the relevant folder. Then, select from the list of servers and open the file. Click the icon in the top right hand corner, which will give you the option “Open in OpenVPN” – and select that option.

(2) Use your computer and email
On your PC or Mac download and extract the files on your computer here
You can then email the configuration file you want to use to yourself and open the email on
your iPad or iPhone. Once you have the attachment, you can click the “open in” icon and select OpenVPN.

Whichever route you use, by now you will have launched the OpenVPN application. Next, click the “+” button to add the profile, then add your usual HMA Pro VPN user name and password.
Finally, you just need to move the connection switch on the app to “on” and you’re done!
You can repeat these steps and install various VPN servers, so you have a range to choose from.
We’ll soon be releasing our own native iOS app for iPad and iPhone, but right now this is probably the easiest way to get set up.

You can find more details and screenshots at our support page

Name of the Provider	Website Address
Hide My Ass	Visit Provider
Strong VPN	Visit Provider
Switch VPN	Visit Provider
Pure VPN	Visit Provider
IPVanish VPN	Visit Provider
Hotspot Shield Elite	Visit Provider

 

HMA! Tip: What is a dynamic DNS host and what do I need it for?

Dynamic DNS hosts are a useful tool for many VPN users, but using one also makes sense without a VPN.
Most IPs are dynamic – which means that they change on every reconnection. This happens with the IPs your internet provider assigns to you as well as the IPs you are given when connecting to our VPN service.

Of course, you won’t know your IP before you manually check it at IP verifying websites and when you’re not at your computer, you won’t be able to do that, making it impossible to access your computer externally.


There are countless reasons why you may want to access your home computer from somewhere else, for example, on vacation or when visiting a friend. Perhaps to stream music, download files or access important documents.

Now unless you checked your IP and wrote it down before leaving (assuming it has not already changed since then), you’ll be unable to do that. That’s where a dynamic DNS host comes in. It looks like a simple subdomain, e.g. MyPC.no-ip.org and always points to your current IP, independent of any IP changes due to reconnection or VPN use. This enables you to simply access your home computer through that hostname instead of its current IP. Simply connect to it.

Requirements for this are that you registered a dynamic DNS hostname somewhere and that you have set up a dynamic DNS client either on your router or on your computer, which keeps updating the hostname with your current IP every few seconds.

This especially makes sense when using a VPN on a virtual private server (VPS) or a dedicated server as upon VPN connection, you have to access it through the VPN IP instead of its usual IP.

For more information, links and examples of use check our article about Dynamic DNS

Name of the Provider	Website Address
Hide My Ass	Visit Provider
Strong VPN	Visit Provider
Switch VPN	Visit Provider
Pure VPN	Visit Provider
IPVanish VPN	Visit Provider
Hotspot Shield Elite	Visit Provider

Hulu and the VPN block

From the USA spy allegations to revelations that governments are selling private data to companies, more and more Americans are turning to VPNs to protect their privacy and secure their information away from prying eyes. VPNs have never been so popular and are becoming the norm – a VPN is now as important as your internet connection!


Many businesses in the States, both large and small, use a VPN for many purposes, such as connecting out-of-office staff to their networks, and of course, the necessity to safeguard their privacy when out and about using public Wi-Fi.


Recently news come to light that Hulu – the United States largest movie and TV streaming service have blocked many VPN users from accessing the network. Blocking VPN IP addresses which thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of Americans use for safety and privacy reasons, is leaving Hulu subscribers out in the cold.

Hulu, apparently has a large list of IP addresses that frequently use its site to gain access, however, Hulu are not checking to see if they are connecting using a VPN, they have a list of IP addresses which they block. At HMA! 85% of our American servers remain unaffected.

When Hulu subscribers connect to a VPN to access their favourite TV shows and movies such as 30 Rock and American Idol, they are receiving the following message:

“Based on your IP-address, we noticed you are trying to access Hulu through an anonymous proxy tool.  Hulu is not currently available outside the U.S  If you’re in the U.S you’ll need to disable your anonymizer to access videos on Hulu.

“If you think you’re receiving this message in error, please submit this form.”

Let’s look at this sentence again “If you’re in the U.S you’ll need to disable your anonymizer to access videos on Hulu.” 

So, if someone in America is in an internet cafe and using a VPN to protect themselves whilst using public Wi-Fi to stream a show on Hulu, they will be blocked. Surely that’s not right? Those who want to safeguard their privacy, and stream shows using a VPN are being punished by Hulu. The only way they can watch is to lift the VPN – thereby opening the doors to thieves and hackers.

Is Hulu saying, that they do not care about the privacy and security of their customers?
Maybe Hulu has forgotten that one of the main reasons people use a VPN is to provide them with online security and encrypt their personal and confidential information.

Is Hulu prepared to lose thousands of its American subscribers? As yet, Hulu has not made any comment, but for the thousands of US Hulu subscribers, this is a great concern which needs to be addressed.
Over to you, Hulu!

Name of the Provider	Website Address
Hide My Ass	Visit Provider
Strong VPN	Visit Provider
Switch VPN	Visit Provider
Pure VPN	Visit Provider
IPVanish VPN	Visit Provider
Hotspot Shield Elite	Visit Provider

 

American Netflix In Canada: Many Have Discovered How To Get It

Canadians have figured out that when it comes to Netflix, they're getting a bit of a raw deal.
Americans and Canadians pay roughly the same price for the video-streaming service, but U.S. customers get more than twice the titles. The situation is the result of a complex licensing environment for movies and TV shows. But it seems many Canadians are unwilling to accept this state of affairs.
An untold, but significant, number of people are turning to virtual private networks (VPNs) to mask their IP addresses and trick Netflix, and other geo-blocked services, into believing they reside in the United States.
A quick look at some analytics from Google shows that there has been a steady uptick in searches for how to use VPNs for just this purpose since Netflix was introduced to Canada in 2011.

On average, there are thousands upon thousands of searches each month in Canada aimed at figuring out how to gain access to Netflix's American library.

A bevy of new services have rushed to meet the demand. Canadian companies SurfEasy and Unblockus are two of the most prominent, but there is a whole slew of businesses offering to help you get around geographical restrictions. There are thousands of YouTube tutorials to help guide you through the process.
But, unless you're willing to use pirated VPN codes that will likely be unreliable, you'll have to pay. The average fee per month comes in at around $5, nearly doubling the $7.99 price for Netflix. But many Canadians seem to think it's worth it.
A quick look at the content that's only available to U.S. users explains why.

Titles You Can't Get On Canadian Netflix

 

Netflix doesn't condone VPNs and using one clearly violates the company's terms of service agreement. Nevertheless, Netflix doesn't seem to be doing anything to stop consumers from using a services that spokesperson Jenny McCabe said are "like pirating."

But so far, it seems that using VPNs is legal in Canada.
“I don’t think they’re an obvious copyright infringement,” said Canadian professor and internet expert Michael Geist. “If it gets bigger we may see efforts to restrict it.”
“I guess my view would be: so long as it remains a relatively small part of the market it will fly below the radar screen even if people are aware of it," he added.

Geist, who works as an advisor to SurfEasy, said VPNs are an important tool in ensuring the internet remains a tool for promoting freedom.

“I first starting using a VPN when I travelled to China and was seeking to circumvent their firewall," he said. "These tools are important for protecting privacy, they’re important for free-speech issues, and so any attempt to regulate would have to take that into account.”

But it seems most Canadians are using VPNs to gain access to the ever-increasing bounty of video content available online. And VPNs aren't just for Netflix, they can also be used to access Hulu, music-steaming service Spotify and all the rest of the content protected by geo-blocking.
And it doesn't stop with the United States. Many VPN companies will hook you up with an IP address for a number of different countries. The United Kingdom, for example, has its own unique Netflix catalogue.

Once a VPN is set up (changing the DNS settings on your home router makes the most sense for the majority of users), you can usually change your location via your service's website. This makes switching back and forth between countries easy.

For many, however, the technical details may prove daunting. Enter VPN browser extensions, perhaps the easiest way to get an American IP. While sometimes unreliable, these easily downloaded add-ons for Chrome and Firefox make using a VPN much easier.

But giving up on Canadian Netflix entirely doesn't make much sense. Many excellent titles are actually only available in Canada. Check out the slideshow below for some examples.