Retsdon Posted May 26, 2020 Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 I'm looking for help. Does anyone know anyone who could set up a proxy server with a UK based IP address for me? I know about the commercial ones, and I use one myself normally but it's not working for what I need it for which is to access online learning materials for the kids. Any help would be very much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpringDon Posted May 26, 2020 Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 Don’t know if you’re requiring a free one but you can achieve geographical anonymity with a l2tp service like... https://www.aa.net.uk/broadband/l2tp-service/ or vpn. There are commercial one and some free ones. Mcafee has one which may be functional enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted May 26, 2020 Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 An option would be to look at companies that do inexpensive virtual hosting in the UK. You could build your own proxy device using a linux based product to keep costs very low. You would need to be sure that any host provider would allow you to proxy via their network however as it is a common activity for cyber criminals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted May 26, 2020 Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 (edited) plenty of free trials to have a go with for VPN etc.. The only problem is that there are algorithms etc that detect multiple connections from the same pool of IP addresses and they can then be blocked - Netflix has a very good one. Ideally, if you could get somebody with good internet based in the UK - you could set up a Raspberry PI that sits on their network and then you hop via that to get to your resources you would never encounter that problem https://www.google.com/search?q=setting+up+vpn+and+proxy+on+raspberry+pi&rlz=1C1GCEA_enGB866GB866&oq=setting+up+vpn+and+proxy+on+ras&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j33l2.14158j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 Edited May 26, 2020 by discobob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retsdon Posted May 26, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 Thanks for the suggestions. The main problem of course is that I don't know the first thing about this stuff. 4 hours ago, discobob said: you could set up a Raspberry PI that sits on their network and then you hop via that to get to your resources you would never encounter that problem sounds ideal IF I knew anyone to set a Raspberry PI. I followed the link and it might as well have been written in German! The virtual hosting sounds OK too. I don't mind paying for access if it'll work. But as I said, the commercial VPN gets picked up and blocked for what I want it for. Need to get around that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted May 26, 2020 Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 Have you tried VPNbook.com ? It is a genuine proxy server service rather than a VPN, despite the name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retsdon Posted May 26, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 15 minutes ago, grrclark said: Have you tried VPNbook.com ? I've just looked at them and I'm pretty sure I'll have the same problem I have with my Avast VPN, namely that it'll be recognizable. What I'm trying to do is to get the kids access to BBC Bitesize. I really don't understand why the Beeb doesn't open some kind of subscription service for it because it would make them a lot of money. I'd happily pay for a start. Anyway, they don't and in order to watch it you have to be in the UK. And the problem is that although I can opt to use a UK server with Avast that displays a UK IP address the BBC is obviously pretty sophisticated and picks up that the IP is a VPN service and blocks us (although on the weekends they seem to allow occasional access for some reason). The thing is I"m not altogether sure of the legality of it,k but to be honest as they won't even LET us pay I don't feel too bad about trying to get my two kids into it to do the online lessons. At the moment they're having to do online lessons in Thailand and the material is quite simply appalling. So if we could get into Bitesize they'd at least have access to proper materials, I'm not working at the moment, so I would be able to help them with stuff from here, they could do the tasks, etc and we could check them together. Like a sort of long distance home learning! Anyway, I thought I'd throw it out on here to see if anyone could either me some ideas (which you have) or else knows someone who could set up some kind of access for us. I'd happily pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted May 26, 2020 Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 I am slammed just now otherwise i'd spin up a server for you with a cheapo host provider to see how we got on, if i can find some time in the next week or so I will do that. There are a few technically capable bods on here who should be able to do it and hopefully someone might have time. Failing all the above i will also chat to a couple of other folk and see if we can help out. There will be much open source stuff that we can run on an el cheapo linux box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted May 26, 2020 Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 Thinking out loud really, but maybe a cloud based desktop or workstation would be a better option for you. In essence you remotely control a PC based in the UK so the web session to the BBC service would be running 100% in the UK. Have a look here https://geekflare.com/virtual-desktop-hosting-platforms/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted May 27, 2020 Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 11 hours ago, grrclark said: Thinking out loud really, but maybe a cloud based desktop or workstation would be a better option for you. In essence you remotely control a PC based in the UK so the web session to the BBC service would be running 100% in the UK. Have a look here https://geekflare.com/virtual-desktop-hosting-platforms/ The trouble is that you don't know where their cloud is hosted?? Not sure about Azure at the moment but I know that there were limitations about being able to spin some stuff up on the UK datacenters - also if you get it wrong, it can be costly. I am predominantly data nowadays or else I would help further Regards Raspberry PI - there are images etc that you can get that will just need some tweaking - set it up on your families router as a virtual server (like a DMZ - dont know why the call it that tbh - I am sure somebody more networky will come along and say) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpringDon Posted May 27, 2020 Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 Dmz is demilitarised zone meaning the device is outside the firewall and has a public IP address. I realise that is not helpful or relevant but for the first time, I know something and am unable to contain myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted May 27, 2020 Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 3 hours ago, discobob said: The trouble is that you don't know where their cloud is hosted?? Not sure about Azure at the moment but I know that there were limitations about being able to spin some stuff up on the UK datacenters - also if you get it wrong, it can be costly. I am predominantly data nowadays or else I would help further Regards Raspberry PI - there are images etc that you can get that will just need some tweaking - set it up on your families router as a virtual server (like a DMZ - dont know why the call it that tbh - I am sure somebody more networky will come along and say) There are UK based options that you can specify, but it might be a non starter in terms of cost or performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted May 27, 2020 Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 1 hour ago, grrclark said: There are UK based options that you can specify, but it might be a non starter in terms of cost or performance. UKSOUTH etc... I was banging my head the other week trying to create some CosmosDB for a project - would only let me do US and some other weird places - no UK or Europe - so I resorted to Powershell and was able to do it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted May 27, 2020 Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 1 minute ago, discobob said: UKSOUTH etc... I was banging my head the other week trying to create some CosmosDB for a project - would only let me do US and some other weird places - no UK or Europe - so I resorted to Powershell and was able to do it That is the wonderful world of Microsoft for you. The bizarre thing is the pricing differences in Azure depending what datacentre you want to host stuff in, it can be a significant difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retsdon Posted May 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 Gosh, now you're all talking Greek again! Here at the university we have proxy server that lets us log into sensitive university stuff from anywhere in the world. You click the link, it takes you to a login page, you put in your username and password and confirm with an authenticator number from an app on your phone, And hey presto, you're back inside the university system in good old KSA. Now, something like THAT would be ideal. I can get my brother in law to set up the hardware. Although on that point someone told him that if he set up a proxy server on his BT line it would slow his connection speed down because he'd be constantly having to upload to Thailand and upload is far slower than download. Something like that... Anyway, thanks very much for all the ideas and for taking the time to offer advice. I'm still listening and if I can get a consensus I'll try and run with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted May 27, 2020 Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 What you describe at your uni is a typical proxy server, but not all web services will run through a proxy and you woudl need to test that. If your BiL has the ability to setup a proxy on a bit of hardware then he could set it up exactly the same on a hosted server that isn't going to kill his broadband. What I suggested in the geekflare link above is basically a virtual pc that runs in the UK and when you connect to it you are doing nothing other than seeing it's screen remotely and sending keyboard and mouse commands to it. So far as BBC service is concerned there is no proxying at all. For an idea of how that works get your BiL to install Teamviewer on his PC at home, you install Teamviewer on your PC at home and then connect one to the other. You would then be able to determine if such a solution was workable. If it does work then your BiL could leave a machine running with that software on that you connect to when needed and when you dont use it, it is doing nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retsdon Posted May 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 OK, Graham and Bob, thanks very much for the suggestions. I'll speak to my BiL and see what we can arrange. Watch this space...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retsdon Posted May 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 14 minutes ago, grrclark said: f your BiL has the ability to setup a proxy on a bit of hardware then he could set it up exactly the same on a hosted server that isn't going to kill his broadband. Sorry, can you explain the hosted server bit again? Do you mean it runs in parallel to his own BT stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord v Posted May 27, 2020 Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 34 minutes ago, grrclark said: What I suggested in the geekflare link above is basically a virtual pc that runs in the UK and when you connect to it you are doing nothing other than seeing it's screen remotely and sending keyboard and mouse commands to it. So far as BBC service is concerned there is no proxying at all. For an idea of how that works get your BiL to install Teamviewer on his PC at home, you install Teamviewer on your PC at home and then connect one to the other. You would then be able to determine if such a solution was workable. If it does work then your BiL could leave a machine running with that software on that you connect to when needed and when you dont use it, it is doing nothing. We have been using this for work for a while (as oddly they weren't massively happy letting modeling spec machines with very expensive software keys out of the office into people homes..). It's very stable when done right and we use a similar system to get US streaming services at home via the PiLs laptop. Should 'fool' the BBC system no problem. If you have a contact in the UK using a physical machine is definitely the easiest to set up. The other benefit is it can be done using an absolute junker piece of kit at the user end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted May 27, 2020 Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 2 hours ago, Retsdon said: Sorry, can you explain the hosted server bit again? Do you mean it runs in parallel to his own BT stuff? A hosted server/machine means you would rent the device from a commercial supplier, could be as little as £10 per month. So instead of being in BiL house it sits in a datacentre somewhere. So it is not on his home network at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retsdon Posted May 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 59 minutes ago, grrclark said: A hosted server/machine means you would rent the device from a commercial supplier, could be as little as £10 per month. So instead of being in BiL house it sits in a datacentre somewhere. So it is not on his home network at all. And the device has a UK IP address? And then you just log into it remotely? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted May 27, 2020 Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 yes. As I mentioned above it would defo be worth getting your BiL to install Teamviewer on his PC and you can install it on yours. You can then remote control that from KSA or Thailand and see if the performance is good enough for the BBC content. If it is you could get either a cheapo pc to leave switched on at BiL or rent a cheap virtual machine from a hosting company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retsdon Posted May 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 6 minutes ago, grrclark said: yes. As I mentioned above it would defo be worth getting your BiL to install Teamviewer on his PC and you can install it on yours. You can then remote control that from KSA or Thailand and see if the performance is good enough for the BBC content. If it is you could get either a cheapo pc to leave switched on at BiL or rent a cheap virtual machine from a hosting company. OK, thanks. Let me look into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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