blocking information.. is this true

[chunky]

https://www.facebook.com/KTLNcommunity/posts/1553076924711961
Saw this on Facebook ....

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=13693.0

[alantj]

https://www.facebook.com/KTLNcommunity/posts/1553076924711961
Saw this on Facebook ....

It's on the bbc now.

   http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39754909

[Cosetta]

True and here is the solution for PCs:

1.  Download and install the Opera browser
2.  Enable VPN in the Settings menu
3.  Access Wikipedia or other blocked sites

If you have a different VPN service, you should be able to access it through that VPN

Another solution is to sign up for smart DNS (the Google DNS settings no longer work).  I use smartdnsproxy.com, works great but is not free.

[Chris_S]

Better (in my experience) than the Google DNS or your ISPs DNS, and without using a Smart DNS solution, is OpenDNS

This is run by Cisco (used by corporates and businesses globally) and instructions on changing to this are at

https://use.opendns.com/

This, I have found, is more reliable and up-to-date than Google and ISPs DNS systems.

Free as well!

[Cosetta]

OpenDNS good but doesn't work for all sites.  Tried to open a video on pbs.org, didn't let me. Said not accessible in this region due to rights.  But I did get to watch it using smartdnsproxy.com.

[Chris_S]

Cosetta, that's not the DNS - that's the host website analysing your IP address and determining where you are.

All the DNS does is convert the URL (e.g.: www://enjoykalkan.com) into an IP address (e.g.: 149.255.60.181) used by the servers on the internet.

Some DNS services are slow and not kept up-to-date, and ISPs can, and do, censor what they perceive as undesirable sites from your input.  Google has also been subject to DOS (Denial of Service) attacks by hackers.

Smart DNS is different again, and uses a system that reassigns an IP address for a URL when the ISP dynamically changes the host IP address.  Smartproxy incorporates a VPN into their system, hence why you're not barred by geographical means.

Hope this clarifies things in a confused and baffling world.

[MartynE]

I have found that a combination of VPN (HMA PRO) and smart DNS (Unlocator) have worked. But neither is free.

[Cosetta]

Chris_S, please clarify.  I signed up for opendns, verified my account, changed my DNS address to theirs, 208.67.220.220 and 207.67.220.220 -- rebooted, then tried pbs.org.  No luck.  Did likewise with smartdnsproxy.com, immediately accessed the site.

So what exactly are you saying that differentiates one DNS from another?  Both are resolving to a "new" DNS address, one works, the other not. Why?

Martyn, I got on just with HMA Pro which I also have and occasionally use.  Didn't need a DNS proxy.

[Chris_S]

Cosetta

Whichever DNS you use it will resolve the URl to an IP address.  There is no difference, except in the capacity of their DNS server, the location (reflected by the volume of traffic between you and the server), the frequency of updates (the best update in a few hours, the worst every few days), and potentially censoring (ISPs are worst for this - they are faster, being more local, but influenced by outside pressures, e.g. political, social and financial).

Your IP address is assigned by your ISP.  The DNS server merely converts the URL you are trying to reach into the IP address the Internet uses to connect to.  Whichever DNS server you use, your IP remains the same.

Once you connect via a VPN, the target URL you are trying to reach interrogates your connection for your IP address, and, from this, deduces where you are.  If it not in the geographical reason they wish, choose or are obligated to serve, then you will be blocked by them.  The VPN however, gives out its own IP address, which, if located in a geographical region that your target URL operates to, results in the target URL responding positively.

Hence, this is why VPN companies have servers in different countries and regions, especially the USA if you want to watch US specific content they don't permit in Europe (like films not yet released in Europe).

Ultimately this is why using a VPN to pretend you are not in Turkey enables you to bypass any blocks the Government puts on undesirable sites.  The pinnacle of such blocking practices is China, where Google et al, have to create specific filtered data in their results to satisfy the Chinese Government, where they attempt to block VPN access also (but this is often circumvented by the smart IT literate ones).

Hope this clarifies the difference between the DNS server addresses you use, and the use of the VPN access that is the real tool for getting round regional and political blocks.

[Cosetta]

Chris_S, this might interest you. Then again, it may not!  I checked this and found leaks.

https://www.dnsleaktest.com/what-is-transparent-dns-proxy.html

"Transparent DNS proxies

Some ISP's are now using a technology called 'Transparent DNS proxy'. Using this technology, they will intercept all DNS lookup requests (TCP/UDP port 53) and transparently proxy the results. This effectively forces you to use their DNS service for all DNS lookups.

If you have changed your DNS settings to use an 'open' DNS service such as Google, Comodo or OpenDNS, expecting that your DNS traffic is no longer being sent to your ISP's DNS server, you may be surprised to find out that they are using transparent DNS proxying. You can easily test this by clicking on the dns leak test button on the homepage.

If your ISP implements a transparent DNS proxy it is very important that you use one of the methods on the dns leak fix page to ensure that when you are connected to the VPN, there is no chance of your requests being intercepted."

[Dudlow]

Hi Cosseta Chris and Martyn. Very interesting posts but in all honesty over my head. We have used Tunnelbear VPN for the past few years on my iPad very successfully but have just returned to Kalkan and find that it won't work. Do you know if it has been blocked and if so can you recommend a VPN service that is working here at present. Regards

[caradog]

Hi Cosseta Chris and Martyn. Very interesting posts but in all honesty over my head. We have used Tunnelbear VPN for the past few years on my iPad very successfully but have just returned to Kalkan and find that it won't work. Do you know if it has been blocked and if so can you recommend a VPN service that is working here at present. Regards

Witopia works fine Dudlow for all sites and UK tv. It's not free though, but a great choice of servers and good speeds.

[Cosetta]

hidemyass.com works and has servers all over the world.  The free VPN that comes with the Opera browser also works for most sites, including Wikipedia (now blocked).  smartdnsproxy.com works and allows you to watch all British TV channels.  It is a fast service but not free.

[Dudlow]

Thanks Caradog and Cosetta Re read the previous posts and sussed out that the HMA you were on about was a VPN so have signed up for their free trial and it seems to be working OK Will give Witopia a go if HMA plays up. Thanks again.

[Chris_S]

Ignoring (for the moment) the VPN part, for the record, I'm with BT and use OpenDNS as the DNS Server.

www.dnsleaktest.com is taking forever on several machines (not just mine), using other tests I've demonstrated that the only DNS servers I'm using are OpenDNS servers in London.

Using https://ipleak.net/ and cross checking the IP addresses can determine this, it's messy to interpret, but does give detail.

From this, I can be pretty sure that BT aren't using transparent Proxy DNS servers (yet).

Easier to use might be http://tinyurl.com/jjkr4k6.  Note that nothing is perfect, and there are organisations out there that are ahead of the game, and want to know what you're doing - not just for security, but also to get at your money.

Note that this isn't just paranoia.  Although HM Government requires ISPs to monitor the sites everyone goes to (but not the content), is one thing - but a transparent proxy server can, and may, record your unencrypted emails, passwords and other personal information in plain text.  This MAY be read by employees of the ISP (and any hacker), and God knows where it ends up!  After all, does anyone know of a business or Government that hasn't been hacked or has 'lost' personal data?

Using a straight connection to a dedicated DNS server doesn't do anything apart from looking up a website's name and translating it into an IP address.

If all this bothers you, and I mean the lack of personal information security, then the only cures are to ask your ISP to stop doing it (unlikely to succeed),  change ISP (ensuing hassle?), or use a VPN.

Free VPNs are fine for checking content and occasional use, but almost any paid for VPN from reputable organisations should be usable, just ensure the traffic limit is high enough for your needs, and they have the servers where in the world you need them.

Sorry if this is techie, but in the end to avoid blocks you need both the VPN and use a different DNS server, as advocated by Cosetta - it just depends on how you feel about privacy, getting access at what you want, and not letting third parties interfere excessively with your activities.  Depending on where you are, what you want to do and who may be interfering is your best guide to deciding your course of action.