Is Virgin Media blocking your VPN? Virgin Media VPN problems first came to light when early VPN adopters noticed that they couldn’t connect to certain VPN services such as ExpressVPN and NordVPN. Luckily, this was easy to sort out, so we thought we would share valuable information about how you can fix yours.
Table of Contents
- Virgin Media VPN
- How Does a VPN Work?
- What other Services can a VPN installation provide?
- Virgin Media Quick Stats
- Why Would An ISP Be Blocking VPNs?
- What are some of the benefits of using VPN solutions?
- There are a few reasons why ISPs block VPNs (Virgin Media Player)
- Log into your Router and Follow these 10 Easy Steps to resolve your VPN issues with Virgin Media
- Which is the best of the VPNs , NordVPN or ExpressVPN?
- Final Thoughts
- FAQ
Virgin Media VPN
- Some users think that Virgin Media is blocking VPNs
- This is thought to be because they want to protect their services from being used to access unapproved content and services
- If true, then this means that customers cannot access content which is Geo-restricted in other countries
Virgin Media is one of the most used internet service providers in the UK, and it has a lot of users that are subscribed to its various product offerings.
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Virgin Media provides some great line speeds that are both affordable and easy to set up. If you are having WiFi issues then be sure to check out our guide on the 5 most common Virgin Media WiFi issues right here.
Most of the Virgin Media packages come with a router to connect you and your family to the internet, and while not the best routers in the world, they do have some additional configuration options on them that make them quite useful.
There are standard security features on the Virgin Media router, but as most people know, it is a wise decision to use a VPN when you are logging onto the internet. Security is one aspect of using a VPN, but there are more fun reasons to use one.
How Does a VPN Work?
VPN’s are critical for a well rounded home internet experience. A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a way to get online and surf the internet securely. These networks are typically set up between one location (the server) and another (your device). If you use Virgin Media then you can definitely get this working if your VPN is currently not working, or disconnecting.
VPNs are used for both private and business use, although business VPNs are usually hosted by the company itself.
The way it works in simple terms is that when you’re using your regular browser on any website you may notice some text pop up at the top like a notification. This is called a “tracking cookie” and it typically contains your name, email address or other information.
A VPN encrypts all of the data going between you and that website, which means no one can see what’s inside those packets. That includes advertisers, ISPs (Internet Service Providers), governments, employers – anyone trying to spy on your internet activity and see what you are doing. That is why VPNs are part of managed cloud services.
There are plenty of other things that you can do with a VPN on Virgin Media which we will look at below, including hybrid working solutions.
What other Services can a VPN installation provide?
A VPN can also give you a way to access content that is blocked in your area. The BBC iPlayer has different programming for each different country depending on where you launch it..
For example, if you live in Canada then you wont get all the American TV networks like NBC or ABC so it’s an easy way to watch those channels by using a VPN. You could setup Netflix on your computer, laptop or smartphone with a VPN and you’ll be able to view the programming that is not available in your region.
You can also use it for torrents with most services, which means downloading anything you want without worrying about copyright infringement or being monitored by ISPs as long as you keep your torrent usage legal. Be sure to check your Virgin Media terms and conditions before you venture into the world of torrenting if you are new to the technology.
These include Geo-location unlocking for content that is not currently available in your region, better speeds for services that need to connect in the country of origin, and redundancy in case of regional outages of a specific service in your country.
Many people use a VPN to access content that is not available in their country, and this includes Netflix. VPNs provide a wide variety of services that work with Virgin Media
Having VPN solutions at hand is a great way to troubleshoot issues such as connecting to the internet, or to a specific site. NordVPN is a service that I personally use and it offers secure remote VPN Access for peace of mind and security.
Where VPNs do help with security they are very useful. A VPN will provide your session with an IP address which will change each session, and will not be tracked by your VPN. This means that your connection will be kept anonymous .
Some VPNs track your data and store log files about your activity, so you need to make sure that the VPN that you decide to use has a strict no-logs policy. How effective this is in the final analysis is something that nobody should want to test, so be sure to keep your internet usage in line with your ISP’s terms and conditions.
This is good not only for protecting your privacy, but also for preventing an attacker from learning too much about your connection, internet solutions and services, as you will ultimately disconnect and reconnect to your VPN either at set intervals, or on a session-by-session approach.
Virgin Media Quick Stats
- Virgin Media is a very popular ISP based in the UK.
- Virgin Media is competitive and well priced, with decent packages for home users.
- There are many users that have VPN connectivity issues
- There are ways to get your VPN working with Virgin Media, which we will look at in the article
- We have created a quick walk through of some basics that you can use to get your VPN working with Virgin Media
Why Would An ISP Be Blocking VPNs?
There are a few theories as to why this might be the case, although there is no official explanation.
The primary one is that even though an ISP is providing access to the internet for its users, it has no control or visibility over what its users do once connected to a VPN.
This opens the door to potentially illegal activities such as software piracy or abusing services with relative anonymity.
Whatever the reasons might be it does seem as though users are having a difficult time trying to get access to their favorite content through the use of a VPN. The best VPNs are ones that allow you to connect from your mobile devices, laptops and routers. VPNs that allow you to connect from the router directly offer a service account for you to log into.
The solution, as it turns out, is quite simple. All you need to do is access your router and follow the 10 easy steps below in order to to log in and enable the settings that are required to make your VPN work again.
What are some of the benefits of using VPN solutions?
A VPN is a great tool to protect your security and identity while on the internet.
A VPN provides you with anonymity, so nobody can track who you are or what you’re doing online.
Remote work is another area where VPN services are useful, as security is one of the most important considerations that companies think about when giving their employees access to company resources.
This is particularly important when looking at banking transactions or ordering goods from sites that offer reduced prices in exchange for being tracked by them (many people don’t realize how vulnerable their online security is without using a VPN).
A VPN also protects you from hackers trying to get into your personal data by providing foolproof security. Security training is another important factor that is needed when corporate users connect to VPNs from home.
For example, if a hacker tries to access the information stored on your computer, they’ll be blocked because the VPN prevents them from accessing that information and passing it onto others.
When personal information is stolen it can be sold , shared, and used for criminal activity.
A VPN can also help to protect you from governments spying on your internet usage or blocking certain websites.
A VPN service has become a vital part of your life online, and as the world continues to change with new technologies being introduced every day you need to protect yourself.
If ISPs are not actively blocking VPNs, what is their reasoning?
There are a few reasons why ISPs block VPNs (Virgin Media Player)
Some people think that the reason for an ISP blocking your VPN is because they don’t want customers to use them in order to gain access to content not available through region-specific media formats (HBO’s show “Game of Thrones” being a huge example from a few years ago) or to sites that shouldn’t be accessed from the country they are in.
It has also been noted that ISPs block VPNs in order to protect their content licensing agreements with other companies. Virgin Media Player is an example of this.
If you’re wondering why a company would want to do this, it’s because if someone is using a VPN then they are accessing media not covered under a region specific agreement.
This is all just speculation though, as no one has any definitive explanations for the reasoning behind blocking VPNs.
Below are some easy steps to try and unblock VPN services from your Virgin Router.
Log into your Router and Follow these 10 Easy Steps to resolve your VPN issues with Virgin Media
- Plug in an Ethernet cable from your router to your Mac, computer, or laptop’s LAN adapter.
- Open an internet browser and type in the following IP address 192.168.0.1 . (If this does not open a login page to your router then you may have to contact the Virgin Media technical support team to assist you with finding out what your IP address is.)
- At the router login page enter your username and password.
- Once you have logged in, navigate to Advanced Settings and select the Firewall option.
- You will see a list of tick boxes under you Firewall Settings.
- Make sure that the ‘Block fragmented IP packets’ option has been Disabled. If you don’t see that option, then look for the following and make sure that they are all selected: IPSec Pass-Through, PPTP Pass-Through, Multicast Pass-Through
- Save your changes and then restart your router. In some cases you might need to restart your computer, laptop or Mac as well.
Which is the best of the VPNs , NordVPN or ExpressVPN?
The truth is that there is no correct answer as to which VPN is best for you. There are hundreds of VPNs for consumers to choose from. Some focus on speed and server coverage, while others focus on latency for gaming services.
There is a VPN out there for you, and if you would like us to review them for your Virgin Media compatibility questions then send us a message and we will look into it.
Final Thoughts
We hope that you have found this guide helpful if you are struggling to connect to your VPN service with Virgin Media. The steps are easy to follow and your VPN should be up and running again in no time. There is no reason not to set up a VPN on your router, but if you are having issues with the Virgin Media, we hope that this will help!
