IP country identification?

Despite being sat in an office in the UK, I'm unable to access a lot of
(streaming) content on the BBC website from work due to the network
being routed through the US (or that's where we get our external IP from
anyway). Is there an easy way round this? Any (preferably free) UK
based open proxies or anonymisers? The only things I've found still
give me a non-UK IP (megaproxy.com, proxify.com).

Considering I've just shelled out £130 for a TV licence, and also my
workplace has a paid up licence too it's annoying that I can't check out
any world cup highlights online over lunch!

--
"Global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural
disasters are a direct effect of the shrinking numbers of
Pirates since the 1800s"

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, "[ste parker]"
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>Despite being sat in an office in the UK, I'm unable to access a lot of
>(streaming) content on the BBC website from work due to the network
>being routed through the US (or that's where we get our external IP
>from anyway). Is there an easy way round this? Any (preferably free)
>UK based open proxies or anonymisers? The only things I've found still
>give me a non-UK IP (megaproxy.com, proxify.com).
Set your own up at home? Had a link for free software somewhere, I'll
look it up if you like?
>
>Considering I've just shelled out £130 for a TV licence, and also my
>workplace has a paid up licence too it's annoying that I can't check
>out any world cup highlights online over lunch!
>
Hmm, over lunch?
--
Clint Sharp

Clint Sharp wrote:
> In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, "[ste parker]"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>
>>Despite being sat in an office in the UK, I'm unable to access a lot of
>>(streaming) content on the BBC website from work due to the network
>>being routed through the US (or that's where we get our external IP
>
>>from anyway). Is there an easy way round this? Any (preferably free)
>
>>UK based open proxies or anonymisers? The only things I've found still
>>give me a non-UK IP (megaproxy.com, proxify.com).
>
> Set your own up at home? Had a link for free software somewhere, I'll
> look it up if you like?
>

If you wouldn't mind, that sounds interesting at the least.

>>Considering I've just shelled out £130 for a TV licence, and also my
>>workplace has a paid up licence too it's annoying that I can't check
>>out any world cup highlights online over lunch!
>>
>
> Hmm, over lunch?

Yeah, I'm giving presentations through the day this week so it's genuine
for once

--
[ste]

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, "[ste parker]"
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>Clint Sharp wrote:
>>>UK based open proxies or anonymisers? The only things I've found
>>>still give me a non-UK IP (megaproxy.com, proxify.com).
>> Set your own up at home? Had a link for free software somewhere,
>>I'll look it up if you like?
>>

>
>If you wouldn't mind, that sounds interesting at the least.
Http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1508 has details on how to setup
Squid so you can log in from work and surf using your home broadband.
You'll need a machine to install this on and a RedHat distribution.
There was some Windows software but it seems to have escaped at the
moment, I'll look for the link later today.
>
>> Hmm, over lunch?
>
>Yeah, I'm giving presentations through the day this week so it's
>genuine for once
>
LOL, OK, you pass the workplace police interview...
--
Clint Sharp

On 12 Jun 2006, "[ste parker]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Is there an easy way round this?

If there were, could you imagine anyone being daft enough to post about it?

From the front cover of T3 magazine, there's now a portable Freeview unit.
Sorry, only saw the front cover in the newsagent, and don't have the mag.

What I wonder about is the chance of anyone being caught out by this licence
requirement, where all it needs is someone to be watching and a fine of up
to 1000 pounds can be made. Odds of catching them may be low, unless the
TV people will be getting IP info from the BBC (not all that difficult,
after all) and requesting every connection be linked back to an address...

Again not that difficult - imagine the threat to an ISP of "no info about
customers will mean we give no feed to your IP ranges" ! Peter M.

Peter M wrote:
> On 12 Jun 2006, "[ste parker]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Is there an easy way round this?
>
> If there were, could you imagine anyone being daft enough to post about it?
>

Yes. What's daft about the possibility of an anonymiser that gives a UK
IP? Is it illegal? The "daft" thing is that even if I had no TV
licence I could quite happily watch all the BBC web content I wanted
from home.

> From the front cover of T3 magazine, there's now a portable Freeview unit.
> Sorry, only saw the front cover in the newsagent, and don't have the mag.
>

I'm aware of these. The point was a service is legally paid up for that
I'm not able to make use of just because of where a network connection
happens to be routed.

> What I wonder about is the chance of anyone being caught out by this licence
> requirement, where all it needs is someone to be watching and a fine of up
> to 1000 pounds can be made. Odds of catching them may be low, unless the
> TV people will be getting IP info from the BBC (not all that difficult,
> after all) and requesting every connection be linked back to an address...
>

Is there an actual requirement of having a TV licence to view BBC web
content? Surely that's not far from saying it's illegal to listen to
the Radio 1 without a TV licence? I wouldn't have thought there was,
but I would have hoped that actually having a valid TV licence both at
home and at the workplace would allow viewing of the content whilst in
said workplace. If I'm wrong, well I never knew that.

--
"Global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural
disasters are a direct effect of the shrinking numbers of
Pirates since the 1800s"

On 13 Jun 2006, "[ste parker]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Is there an actual requirement of having a TV licence to view BBC web
>content?

Apparently. I'm not about to "test it" because I don't want to throw
a thousand pounds away on a fine. I'd prefer the whole lot made into
pay services and scrap the licence. I know some feel that just radio
is worth the money, but I see the expansion of the BBC as just a huge
drain (how much does it cost to run these big screens, and WTF do the
BBC want to operate them, as they seem just a frivolous waste of cash
to me).


>I would have hoped that actually having a valid TV licence both at
>home and at the workplace would allow viewing of the content whilst
>in said workplace.

We're not "chipped" with all our details yet, to be scanned so our NI
number, home address, and TV licence status can be checked, so in the
meantime, a simple IP number test is about all they can easily do for
a quick and easy check of who can and who cannot use the service. If
they didn't use any test, or it was easily circumvented, then getting
agreements to allow them to cover sporting and other events would get
withdrawn, so you're an unfortunate victim to the restrictions placed
on the BBC by FIFA (?) in this case... I know that when there was R5
broadcast as a test service on Astra from 19.2E (the old analogue sat
with lots of German stations and a few encrypted Sky services) they'd
have to put a repeating audio loop on when during sports commentaries
where they were restricted to UK rights... Peter M.

"[ste parker]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Despite being sat in an office in the UK, I'm unable to access a lot of
> (streaming) content on the BBC website from work due to the network being
> routed through the US (or that's where we get our external IP from
> anyway). Is there an easy way round this? Any (preferably free) UK based
> open proxies or anonymisers? The only things I've found still give me a
> non-UK IP (megaproxy.com, proxify.com).
>
> Considering I've just shelled out £130 for a TV licence, and also my
> workplace has a paid up licence too it's annoying that I can't check out
> any world cup highlights online over lunch!
>

Have a look at OnSpeed. I don't know if they are still working but it was
designed to speed up dial up connections. However it also worked with
broadband and as I found to my cost appears to be a good anonymiser as well.

"[ste parker]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Peter M wrote:
> > On 12 Jun 2006, "[ste parker]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> >
> >> Is there an easy way round this?
> >
> > If there were, could you imagine anyone being daft enough to post about
it?
> >
>
> Yes. What's daft about the possibility of an anonymiser that gives a UK
> IP? Is it illegal?

No - or not for the TV licence.

there might be some stuff to do with getting around restrictions on specific
content?

The "daft" thing is that even if I had no TV
> licence I could quite happily watch all the BBC web content I wanted
> from home.
>
> > From the front cover of T3 magazine, there's now a portable Freeview
unit.
> > Sorry, only saw the front cover in the newsagent, and don't have the
mag.
> >
>
> I'm aware of these. The point was a service is legally paid up for that
> I'm not able to make use of just because of where a network connection
> happens to be routed.

None of the IP to geography mapping schemes are 100% perfect. if it is a big
issue, then maybe you need a local broadband link hooked into your network

or complain on the BBC web site and see if they can suggest a fix?

it cannot be that efficient to push local traffic across to the US before it
breaks out to the Internet, since the company will be paying for that
bandwidth in some way.

>
> > What I wonder about is the chance of anyone being caught out by this
licence
> > requirement, where all it needs is someone to be watching and a fine of
up
> > to 1000 pounds can be made. Odds of catching them may be low, unless
the
> > TV people will be getting IP info from the BBC (not all that difficult,
> > after all) and requesting every connection be linked back to an
address...
> >
>
> Is there an actual requirement of having a TV licence to view BBC web
> content? Surely that's not far from saying it's illegal to listen to
> the Radio 1 without a TV licence? I wouldn't have thought there was,
> but I would have hoped that actually having a valid TV licence both at
> home and at the workplace would allow viewing of the content whilst in
> said workplace. If I'm wrong, well I never knew that.

the BBC page on licencing only mentions that you need a licence with PC if
you have a tuner card and watch live broadcast TV. After all, it is a "TV"
licence....

more to the point, if the place you watch in is licenced you are covered.
>
> --
> "Global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural
> disasters are a direct effect of the shrinking numbers of
> Pirates since the 1800s"
--
Regards

(E-Mail Removed) - replace xyz with ntl

"[ste parker]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Peter M wrote:
>> On 12 Jun 2006, "[ste parker]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>> Is there an easy way round this?
>>
>> If there were, could you imagine anyone being daft enough to post about
>> it?
>>
>
> Yes. What's daft about the possibility of an anonymiser that gives a UK
> IP? Is it illegal? The "daft" thing is that even if I had no TV licence
> I could quite happily watch all the BBC web content I wanted from home.
>
>> From the front cover of T3 magazine, there's now a portable Freeview
>> unit.
>> Sorry, only saw the front cover in the newsagent, and don't have the mag.
>>
>
> I'm aware of these. The point was a service is legally paid up for that
> I'm not able to make use of just because of where a network connection
> happens to be routed.
>
>> What I wonder about is the chance of anyone being caught out by this
>> licence
>> requirement, where all it needs is someone to be watching and a fine of
>> up to 1000 pounds can be made. Odds of catching them may be low, unless
>> the TV people will be getting IP info from the BBC (not all that
>> difficult, after all) and requesting every connection be linked back to
>> an address...
>>
>
> Is there an actual requirement of having a TV licence to view BBC web
> content? Surely that's not far from saying it's illegal to listen to the
> Radio 1 without a TV licence? I wouldn't have thought there was, but I
> would have hoped that actually having a valid TV licence both at home and
> at the workplace would allow viewing of the content whilst in said
> workplace. If I'm wrong, well I never knew that.
>
Ok I'm curious Is this the BBC Broadband services that are only available
though participating ISP's.
In my case I had to connect to BBC though a page on the Pipex web site