VPNs - watching UK TV in Italy

09/06/2011 - 06:35

We have only just discovered VPNs (which I don't really understand!) to enable watching UK TV including Sky Go in Italy and had mixed experiences with the one we signed up to for 1 month as a trial. In the mornings we had no problems accessing iplayer for BBC and ITV but in the evening it was more problematic until we were given a 2nd web address to use and then it worked fine. Also they did answer my email queries almost by return which was good. Has anyone got any recommendations for 90% to 100% reliable VPNs please? I did see some posts a little while ago but the satisfaction rate was lower. When we are in Italy we usually watch DVDs but this time we got hooked on The Killing (BBC4). Even watching it 2nd time round it is compelling viewing.

Comment

We use my-private-network.co.uk and have found them pretty good. The major drawbanck is the broadband speed you have. Although we are with Alice7 which provides us with up tp 7mbs - ha, ha, ha - we have only recently been experiencing downloads of 1+mbs, before it was about .5 or .6 which was just about OK, but now it is fine for watching the TV, either live or "play again" stuff. It costs us £5.00 pcm.

We are in the Penna San Giovanni area of Le Marche. We have been using Fidoka (http://www.fidoka.it/) for nearly 4 years now, typically we get 90%+ of the time 3 to 4mb connection speed, it works slightly different to Alice as Alice7 is a shared connection and is very VERY dependent upon your distance from the 'exchange'. The '7' in Alice7, is UP TO 7mb. Re a VPN connection, I am coming up to my 3rd year of being with My Private Network..(https://www.my-private-network.co.uk/).............£5 per month is probably our best bargain here, maybe, possibly !! S

I remember when I was in Italty, I use to access BBC iPlayer UK with PureVPN, so I recommend you the same to try PureVPN to stream UK TV in Italty without any restrictions http://www.purevpn.com/uk-vpn-services.php

I use www.iportal.me it has never given any trouble, like the others it costs a fiver a month or fifty quid a year, and support is instant and helpful. Onlly snag is that they insist on Paypal. The broadband speed is an issue though (especially for watching live). A nice site for testing your speed is at www.speedtest.net You'll find that your speed is determined (in the main part) by your Italian broadband supplier, using the VPN will show you that you are connected to a UK server, and occasionally this is faster than the Italian server!

Thank you all for these helpful suggestions. I will check the broadband speed next time we are in Italy. I used expattelly as this site came up when I googled watching UKTV abroad. They are more expensive in the short run, Euros 9.99 for one month, but similarly priced in the long run, Euros 35.99 for 6 months and 59.99 for 12 months.

We're using GetConnected www.getconnected.com.cy and have a broadband speed of .6 It buffers for about a minute when first turned on, then is more or less OK. WE are also watching The Killing - first time around - how many more suspects will there be in the last 5 episodes!! WE're on good ole Alice and if we were here permanently would seriously consider Fidoka. However for emails and web surfing we're fine

I think your VPN supplier operates out of Cyprus and costs £9 ish per month ? My Private Network (mentioned earlier) you will save £4 per month AND you can have it a month at a time. This and all other VPNs operate exactly the same. You can get VPN for free but you get loads of advertising........ S

If you go to www.expatshield.com, it is a free download and you can then watch UK TV. I have been using it for about a year, I have broadband that is wifi to my house, not cable or telephone connected. For a free system it is not bad.

After using expatshield and closing it, I have to restart the computer before I can open any other browser. Is there some simple change to my settings required?

Do you get any BBC and ITV chanels on this system

Thanks also to the above members for their advice since my last thanks. All very helpful. And, Annec, yes, more suspects .... but will Lund change her jumper? As the series is supposed to film consecutive days' action does she ever wash it? Possibly, as she did appear in another jumper in an earlier episode, I think. Does it matter? On Thursday all will be revealed!!

Has done wonders for the Faroe islands and their knitwear industry apparently......and according to this article they are self-cleaning!!! http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2011/sep/02/faroes-killing-wool-sarah-lund?INTCMP=SRCH I'm more of a Guernsey girl myself. And sprostoni, yes you're right yours is cheaper - though we only ever buy the trial for a month each time we are out. Might give yours a go next time

Thanks for the link Annec. Just as well they are self-cleaning! Apparently they have sold many to the UK at the equivalent of £240 a jumper. The 2nd series is going to be shown this autumn, according to the Times.

Speaking of 'lack of continuity' (as in jumpers never being washed) I was a tremendous fan of "24" ... and their cell phone batteries never gave up the ghost! Oh please, they don't live on the same planet!! As for expatshield, my antivirus would have no truck with them!

Have tried this free one and it worked fine for a few months then has stopped working - why? Any ideas?

Might be you guys want to read this:http://www.bestvpnservice.com/blog/italian-ip-vpn/

Hi again....since my original post we had to change our VPN from expattelly as, when it came to renewing, they were overhauling their site and could not renew at the time we needed. We signed up with strongvpn and they have been very good. There have been a few difficulties connecting various tablets/ipads but they have a 24 hour "chat now" feature and they have always sorted out the problems satisfactorily. And yes, we can get ITV and BBC.

There are a variety of reasons why you might want a UK VPN IP Address. British holidaymakers or expats living abroad might want to access news, TV shows, and movies on UK Netflix, ITV Hub, BBC iPlayer, and All 4. Or perhaps you may want to unblock British sporting coverage on Sky Sports or BT Sport. Those with UK bank accounts with Barclays, Natwest, Lloyds, and HSBC, might also need a British IP address to avoid being flagged by security regulators.

This VPN is good but it lacks the great prices you would normally see in other VPN providers, i suggest subscribing to FastestVPN if your looking for the best budget VPN.

FastestVPN? Alincarter is it brand? Or you are recommending a VPN that offers fast speed like Surfshark. However, you can check out this detailed review of Surfshark VPN where you can find about Surfshark Italy IP availability.

https://www.reviewsed.com/surfshark-vpn-review/

VPN is a great source to watch local channels while leaving abroad. I have been using VPN and feel secure andprotected now as my identity is encrypted. It is generaly expensive to get good vpn but i just gone through to the black friday vpn deals from various vpn services. If some one is interested in VPN then it is the right time for him/her.