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Streaming apps and rebooting a router running OpenVPN

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Denna

Senior Member
Scenario:
  • Located in the US and accessing US streaming content.
  • An Internet connected router runs an OpenVPN client and is configured to route all traffic through the VPN.
  • A streaming device accesses the Internet through the router.
  • Each time the OpenVPN client is started, the VPN acquires a different IP address.
  • The router is scheduled to reboot daily.
Using a popular VPN provider, I've found that it is highly likely that at least one streaming app will detect VPN usage and refuse to show some or all of its content.

The most common advice is to try a different VPN server.

After going through 60+ VPN servers, one finally worked with all of the streaming apps.

However, when the router performed its daily reboot, the VPN acquired a different IP address and rendered some of the streaming apps wholly or partially unusable.

It became obvious that VPN servers are assigned a group of different IP addresses.

It's not that a particular VPN server is the problem, it's the dynamically assigned IP address that the VPN server issues that causes streaming apps to block content viewing.

Changing to the newest VPN server might temporarily offer a fresh set of IP addresses that have yet to blocked by streaming apps.

Each router reboot is like a roulette spin that quickly lets you know if you have to login to the router and restart the VPN client multiple times to get a different IP address that allows all of the streaming apps to work.

Possible configuration:

a) Have a separate Internet connected router that's rebooted daily.​
b) Behind the firewall, setup another router that doesn't reboot and only runs the OpenVPN client with a VPN IP address that works with all of the streaming apps.​

Is there a VPN provider in the US that works with most US based streaming apps after restarting the OpenVPN client ?
 
Last edited:
To help find a solution to your issue we need a little more information.https://wg.strongconnectivity.com/?_ga=2.79679060.1742142383.1616432186-190936490.1603637898

1. Are you not physically located in the US and want to watch US programming from over there?
2. If not outside the US Is it really necessary to use a VPN for all connections or by using VPN Director where it would allow you to run some devices using the VPN and streaming devices to use the IP assigned b y your ISP?
3. Have you looked at non VPN solutions such as proxy servers?
 
  • Due to VPNFilter, it's recommended to schedule a daily reboot of your Internet connected router and to regularly reflash its firmware.
That was a general recommendation from over four years ago, for the situation as it was then. For Asus routers it was only applicable to models which are now EOL and running what is now an obsolete firmware.
 
Does anyone else have a problem with finding another VPN IP address that isn't detected by streaming apps after their VPN router is rebooted ?
 
Does anyone else have a problem with finding another VPN IP address that isn't detected by streaming apps after their VPN router is rebooted ?

This is a never-ending cat and mouse game where the VPN providers are hoping to fly under the radar of content providers by constantly changing servers. No matter how diligent the effort, it's bound to result in a certain amount of unreliability.

I assume the VPN providers maintain specific domain names that they keep updated w/ servers that remain unknown to the content providers. And that's presumably your best option. In fact, I assume SmartDNS providers operate along these same lines.

Of course, some VPN providers may be more diligent than others, and perhaps (in part) that's what makes some more expensive than others.
 
Perhaps the best solution for the OP is to get a static ip designed for streaming content from a vpn provider.
I have 2 static ips from Torguard (US+UK) because any public vpn ip always gets detected by the streaming apps nowadays , I have been using the same static ips for 2 years without issues.
 
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