General : Site blocked despite using vpn

[qasdfdsaq]

Originally Posted by bubblegun

But surely they don't filter all IP traffic across their network? Even if it's just passing through from somewhere else going to somewhere else?

They are not just passing data from somewhere else to somewhere else. Virgin Media is acting as an internet service provider. Imagine it just like a really really fast broadband connection (10Gbps in this case)

[bubblegun]

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Evidently they do filter this traffic.

So this must be a VPN that has been ordered to comply with the UK high court judgements, I presume?

It's not like its hard to get to that or similar sites anyway.

[General Maximus]

looooooool, I signed up for a vpn with my own isp. I'll never forget this one.

[bubblegun]

I don't know, but are these type of sites filtered on the business connections too?

for example lots of smaller ISP's use BT or Talktlak networks and these sites aren't filtered on them?

[qasdfdsaq]

Virgin Media isn't BT.
---------- Post added at 19:31 ---------- Previous post was at 19:30 ----------

Originally Posted by General Maximus

looooooool, I signed up for a vpn with my own isp. I'll never forget this one.

Strictly speaking it's an independent company that just happens to basically 'resell' a different branch of your own ISP

But yes. This is very lol.

[bubblegun]

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Virgin Media isn't BT.

Sorry, just wondered why it was different on Virgin network for what is essentially a wholesale service. So would a Sky customer in areas where the link to the backhaul is on Virgin's network get a Sky or Virgin blocked message?

Sorry to be awkward, just wondering how these things work.

[qasdfdsaq]

Sky do not use Virgin Media's IP backhaul.

There's a difference between renting dark fibre, renting WDM wavelengths, renting ethernet links, renting point-to-point IP links, and renting internet connectivity (IP transit), all of which VM do.

[General Maximus]

If you was with Sky and signed up for the same VPN I have done then you would get the VM blocked message because your traffic to that particular url is routed through VM's network and VM are filtering it. It must be very confusing for vpn customers.

[bubblegun]

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Sky do not use Virgin Media's IP backhaul.

There's a difference between renting dark fibre, renting WDM wavelengths, renting ethernet links, renting point-to-point IP links, and renting internet connectivity (IP transit), all of which VM do.

I do know that the Sky connections (the few that there are) aren't over the Virgin media backhaul. I do understand that they are just links over fibre to a point where they go onto Sky's network. I just wondered at what point the filtering takes place. So I take it from your answer that the filtering on Sky and Virgins networks is at some point along the core network not the smaller localised links (might not be saying this very well?).

Originally Posted by General Maximus

If you was with Sky and signed up for the same VPN I have done then you would get the VM blocked message because your traffic to that particular url is routed through VM's network and VM are filtering it. It must be very confusing for vpn customers.

Why did you sign up for the VPN anyway? Not for the purpose of avoiding this I hope? Hope you only paid a month if it was and not the year up-front.

[qasdfdsaq]

Originally Posted by General Maximus

It must be very confusing for vpn customers.

I don't see why it would be. Most people who use VPNs aren't buying them from some obscure amateurish reseller of some other small obscure reseller of some IP transit services. But for customers of that specific VPN provider it could be, yes, although I'm still not entirely sure it's supposed to work that way.

That said, are you specifically locked to that one particular server? Strongvpn seem to have dozens of gateways in the UK, not all of them running through VM.

[General Maximus]

Originally Posted by bubblegun

Why did you sign up for the VPN anyway? Not for the purpose of avoiding this I hope? Hope you only paid a month if it was and not the year up-front.

out of genuine curiosity. Firstly I have seen quite a few forum members mention them over the last couple of months and how handy they are in circumventing some access restriction policies with regards to ports. Secondly, I have been doing some MS certifications to do with servers, security and vpns so I wanted to have a crack at it.
Like I said from the get go, this wasn't about trying to access tpb. I am a genuinely curious guy and I like to understand how things work (I have actually got a degree in microbiology) so when something like this happens and I cannot explain it with my current level of networking knowledge, I seek to gain more information and knowledge so I can learn and understand and apply the principles going forward.
I wanted to sign up on a month by month basis but the minimum is 3 months. It doesn't matter because the vpn works great and does what I want it to anyway so there is no need think about cancelling it.

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

That said, are you specifically locked to that one particular server?

I chose Nottingham because it is the closest to me. I can choose any server I want in 19 countries apparently so I might have a crack at changing it somewhere completely different in Europe and see if I get hit with the same message.

[nomadking]

My VPN blocks the Tesco shopping website. Is it the DNS blocking things? I should imagine accessing DNS info bypasses the VPN as it is accessed directly using the IP address.

[General Maximus]

that is why I use google dns

[qasdfdsaq]

Originally Posted by General Maximus

I chose Nottingham because it is the closest to me. I can choose any server I want in 19 countries apparently so I might have a crack at changing it somewhere completely different in Europe and see if I get hit with the same message.

You'll definitely get around it. Their various endpoints are all hosted by different companies, most will not be with small obscure providers using VM transit. ---------- Post added at 11:48 ---------- Previous post was at 11:48 ----------

Originally Posted by nomadking

My VPN blocks the Tesco shopping website. Is it the DNS blocking things? I should imagine accessing DNS info bypasses the VPN as it is accessed directly using the IP address.

He quite clearly posted earlier showing it is not the DNS

[Kushan]

Our leased line in work uses Virgin Media (And BT) for part of the link and nothing is filtered.