Best mobile router for VPN

[Kups]

Now that there are daily charges for using my Sky mobile account in the EU, the obvious answer to avoiding charges and watch uk tv , email and Internet use is to install a VPN . However my Huawei 5 G ready compact mifi from Motorhome WiFi is not VPN compatible. Motorhome WiFi do sell their flex router which is. So I presume I can change the router simply and use a VPN when in the EU. Has anyone done this? Or are there better mobile routers that take a rooftop aerial? I know I could put a VPN on my smartphone and then hotspot the tv etc but that will not use the roof aerial.

 

[Manic]

I don’t know if using a VPN would stop sky charging for using it in eu

 

[Kups]

I don’t know if using a VPN would stop sky charging for using it in eu

From all the information I've gathered recently from NordVPn and ExpressVPN customer services, I'm pretty sure using a VPN to go online via their UK server will avoid the daily Sky charge.
As the router method would be expensive to change I'm now looking at installing their app on my five devices (4 x Android and 1 Firestick) ensuring that I only log on to the internet via their app whilst in EU. At £10 per month on a one month rolling contract it's worth a try. Both companies offer a 30 day trial with a full refund if it doesn't.

 

[MichaelT]

From all the information I've gathered recently from NordVPn and ExpressVPN customer services, I'm pretty sure using a VPN to go online via their UK server will avoid the daily Sky charge.
As the router method would be expensive to change I'm now looking at installing their app on my five devices (4 x Android and 1 Firestick) ensuring that I only log on to the internet via their app whilst in EU. At £10 per month on a one month rolling contract it's worth a try. Both companies offer a 30 day trial with a full refund if it doesn't.

How? You have to connect to the Internet using a local provider which then tell Sky somehow, all teh VPN does is hide your location and IP etc. to fool whatever you connect to such as BBC that you are in the UK. You will still get charged by Sky AFAIK.

 

[Kups]

How? You have to connect to the Internet using a local provider which then tell Sky somehow, all teh VPN does is hide your location and IP etc. to fool whatever you connect to such as BBC that you are in the UK. You will still get charged by Sky AFAIK.

Yes it's all a tech mystery to me as well. But if the vpn ip fools the bbc then why won't it fool sky as well? The vpn people say it will. Worth £10 to find out and a full refund if it doesn't.

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[MichaelT]

Yes it's all a tech mystery to me as well. But if the vpn ip fools the bbc then why won't it fool sky as well? The vpn people say it will. Worth £10 to find out and a full refund if it doesn't.

Because you are not connecting to Sky (except if you want to watch SkyGo or similar) you are connecting to a phone company in the country you are in and they validate who you are through Sky somehow so Sky will know you are connected to the internet via the local copmpany as Sky will get charged for the data you use.

 

[Kups]

Because you are not connecting to Sky (except if you want to watch SkyGo or similar) you are connecting to a phone company in the country you are in and they validate who you are through Sky somehow so Sky will know you are connected to the internet via the local copmpany as Sky will get charged for the data you use.

Now that these new roaming charges are going to be being applied from early May, I would be interested to hear from any Funster who it thinking of trying the same or similar solution. By the way you cannot watch Sky Go in the EU, Sky blocked that as year or so ago.

 

[MichaelT]

Now that these new roaming charges are being applied, I would be interested to hear from any Funster who it trying the same or similar solution. By the way you cannot watch Sky Go in the EU, Sky blocked that as year or so ago.

Thats why a VPN would work as it would fool Sky to think you are in the UK.

 

[Kups]

Thats why a VPN would work as it would fool Sky to think you are in the UK.

It will indeed. Just had this confirmed (unofficially of course) by a nice bloke at Sky whilst trying to reduce my Sky bill. He's a regular VPN holiday user and said that he thought using a VPN with Sky sim to get online and turning off roaming on your phone would ensure that no roaming charge is incurred. He also said that the charge if incurred is per sim card not per account. So that would be £6 per day for us, definitely worth paying for a VPN.

 

[Highlander@]

I’m in Spain just now… using liberty shield vpn which has an app which I downloaded onto my firestick. With it off I can’t access bbc player or prime Or now tv. With it switched on, I can access everything From the uk. I took a 3 month deal for £19.99 very happy with it.

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[MichaelT]

It will indeed. Just had this confirmed (unofficially of course) by a nice bloke at Sky whilst trying to reduce my Sky bill. He's a regular VPN holiday user and said that he thought using a VPN with Sky sim to get online and turning off roaming on your phone would ensure that no roaming charge is incurred. He also said that the charge if incurred is per sim card not per account. So that would be £6 per day for us, definitely worth paying for a VPN.

OK so how are you going to connect to the Internet with roaming off?

 

[Lenny HB]

It will indeed. Just had this confirmed (unofficially of course) by a nice bloke at Sky whilst trying to reduce my Sky bill. He's a regular VPN holiday user and said that he thought using a VPN with Sky sim to get online and turning off roaming on your phone would ensure that no roaming charge is incurred. He also said that the charge if incurred is per sim card not per account. So that would be £6 per day for us, definitely worth paying for a VPN.

Sorry no way it can work a VPN works via the internet the only way your phone can connect to the internet is via a local cell mast which will be a Spanish one, which will need roaming on to connect & Sky will know you are connected to a Spanish mast.

 

[Kups]

OK so how are you going to connect to the Internet with roaming off?

Sorry, I got that wrong. I think that the Sky bloke meant that must ensure you only connect via the VPN and not direct to a local network.
I guess we'll have to wait for the roaming charges to start before we can really check if this VPN route works. The Sky bloke was certain it would.

 

[Lenny HB]

Sorry, I got that wrong. I think that the Sky bloke meant that must ensure you only connect via the VPN and not direct to a local network.
I guess we'll have to wait for the roaming charges to start before we can really check if this VPN route works. The Sky bloke was certain it would.

It's not possible.

 

[MichaelT]

Sorry, I got that wrong. I think that the Sky bloke meant that must ensure you only connect via the VPN and not direct to a local network.
I guess we'll have to wait for the roaming charges to start before we can really check if this VPN route works. The Sky bloke was certain it would.

But how are you going to connect to the Internet, the VPN has to connect to the it somehow so unless you have WiFi you will have to connect using the local phone network.

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[Kups]

It's not possible.

I'll let you know if it works on May 3rd when I'm in France.

 

[Kups]

But how are you going to connect to the Internet, the VPN has to connect to the it somehow so unless you have WiFi you will have to connect using the local phone network.

That's what I said, connect to the internet via the VPN which obviously must use the local WiFi network.

 

[MichaelT]

That's what I said, connect to the internet via the VPN which obviously must use the local WiFi network.

You never mentioned WiFi you just said connect to the VPN, so unless you have WiFi you will use the local network which iswhat I and other said!!!!!!

 

[Carpmart]

Sorry but this will not work. A VPN will mask your location to enable geographically limited content, but you still need to be connected to a mobile network in the first place. You 100% can’t do this without disclosing who you are and your home provider, that is fundamental at odds with how it works!

Your device will have to set up a ‘session’ on the bearer mobile network wherever you are. This validates you are an ‘in roamer’ and will provide you with a small amount of data to initiate the session. The roaming agreement validation and subscriber check is handshaked in the background and your service status is allocated to your session. This dictates things like throttling, adult content, premium services etc.

Bottom line is, you can’t just use a VPN before the bearer is established.

 

[POH]

I’m in Spain just now… using liberty shield vpn which has an app which I downloaded onto my firestick. With it off I can’t access bbc player or prime Or now tv. With it switched on, I can access everything From the uk. I took a 3 month deal for £19.99 very happy with it.

Details please as going to Spain at end of April and was looking for something to use , will it work on a Roku stick ?

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[Kups]

Sorry but this will not work. A VPN will mask your location to enable geographically limited content, but you still need to be connected to a mobile network in the first place. You 100% can’t do this without disclosing who you are and your home provider, that is fundamental at odds with how it works!

Your device will have to set up a ‘session’ on the bearer mobile network wherever you are. This validates you are an ‘in roamer’ and will provide you with a small amount of data to initiate the session. The roaming agreement validation and subscriber check is handshaked in the background and your service status is allocated to your session. This dictates things like throttling, adult content, premium services etc.

Bottom line is, you can’t just use a VPN before the bearer is established.

A grovelling apology! Having had an email masterclass from Adam of Motorhomewifi this evening explaining - as Carpmart has above, the finer points of how you get online when not in the UK , I was obviously barking up the wrong telecoms mast I should have realised that to get the "Welcome to France" text when you're in Calais means that "we know exactly where you are mate" and no VPN chicanery can mask that. A VPN merely takes you to a different UK server from your sim card server but your sign in originates from the same mast in Calais or wherever in France.

So what's the best UK sim solution to avoid roaming charges? The answer is any sim that gives you a decent "fair usage" amount of say 20 or 25gb per month without any roaming charges. Adam's pick at the moment is VOXI although it's very much a moving feast as companies jostle for position.

You live and learn! Lennie and others, how could I doubt you?

 

[cmcardle75]

Sorry but this will not work. A VPN will mask your location to enable geographically limited content, but you still need to be connected to a mobile network in the first place. You 100% can’t do this without disclosing who you are and your home provider, that is fundamental at odds with how it works!

Your device will have to set up a ‘session’ on the bearer mobile network wherever you are. This validates you are an ‘in roamer’ and will provide you with a small amount of data to initiate the session. The roaming agreement validation and subscriber check is handshaked in the background and your service status is allocated to your session. This dictates things like throttling, adult content, premium services etc.

Bottom line is, you can’t just use a VPN before the bearer is established.

The VPN bypasses all this. Just make sure the VPN is up before connecting anything that cares about such things. It is best that the connection is via a separate device that provides a black box network via WiFi, rather than doing it all on a phone that might have back doors between the media provider and the network provider.

 

[Manxcat]

A more simple solution is to buy a EU sim for the EU. I did this at the Orange shop In boulougne a few weeks ago. It's pay as you go and if I recall correctly €25 for 30gb of data.

 

[autorouter]

I should have realised that to get the "Welcome to France" text when you're in Calais means that "we know exactly where you are mate" and no VPN chicanery can mask that. A VPN merely takes you to a different UK server from your sim card server but your sign in originates from the same mast in Calais or wherever in France.

SIM = Subscriber Identification Module. They know you, and which phone mast you are connected to, it gets stored on their database.
IMEI = International Mobile Equipment Identity. They know what phone you are using, every phone has a unique number.