Telecom VDSL & Unotelly/UnblockUs Help

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Telecom VDSL & Unotelly/UnblockUs Help

RXV

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#130719 25-Sep-2013 13:04

I'm looking at using either unblockus or unotelly. How well do these work - any problems if I dont have a fixed IP address?

Apparently I can set up the DNS entries on my router through the CLI. Can anyone help me with the commands to do this? Also how I remove the settings? This is my only option as the Roku doesn't offer a way of changing DNS settings.

An alternate option is that I have an old airport express (g version). Dont know if I can somehow use that in bridge mode and change DNS setting on that? Anyone know if that is possible?

Thanks for your help.

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#902410 25-Sep-2013 13:05

Should mention I have the standard Telecom Technicolor VDSL router.

stevenz

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#902436 25-Sep-2013 13:40

Having no fixed IP can be a bit of a hindrance but it doesn't stop you using the UnblockUS service, I can't comment on Unotelly as I've not used it.

It may be easier to set the DNS entries on the Roku box directly so that it doesn't potentially interfere with anything else on the network.

You can use the Airport Express as a bridge device, I found it fairly inconvenient to do so though.

Easiest way is to just set the appropriate DNS's in the Roku, give it a static IP address if need be (just use whatever it's currently been allocated). Then go to the Unblock-US site from a browser so that it can identify what your current IP is. I don't recall if you need to access the site from a system using their DNS or not though. Changing the DNS in the Technicolor unit is a bit of a chore as it's buried several levels deep.

The major downside is, if your modem disconnects\reconnects, then good odds are that you'll pick up a different IP address which will require you to go to the Unblock-US site again to validate the new IP. I'm pretty sure any VDSL plan is eligible for a Static IP which would make life easier for you.

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Lazarui

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#902495 25-Sep-2013 15:10

Don't know if Telecom does Dynamic IP on VDSL customers I know any new customers are on a UBA now so they have Fixed IP's which mean resetting the modem will not reset your IP address anymore.

It would be a bit odd would be expecting them to use the same radius system for VDSL as they do ADSL.

chevrolux

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#902501 25-Sep-2013 15:20

Not sure about the Technicolor modem....
But Unotelly works good as a gold anywhere. If you are with Telecom then your IP is more or less "static" (known as sticky) so you won't have to re-authenticate all the time.
In terms of setting DNS you can't do it on the Roku directly. If these things use DNSmasq for local DNS servers you can get your hands dirty and jump on to the CLI and tell it to use Unotelly DNS servers for specific domains only.
Or if you can't do that simply modify the DHCP server to hand out Unotelly's address instead of the Telecom one. There is a certain level of trust involved there though as they can pretty much modify any domain they like so you have to trust them to only modify the ones that matter like netflix, hulu etc.

wasabi2k

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#902502 25-Sep-2013 15:24

Has anyone else had little success with UnblockUs/UnoTelly?

I can get it to work, Load Netflix but get average quality and lots of buffering.

In contrast a VPN to the states I get HD no problem.

Telecom VDSL with the Technicolor - have used both domain forwarders for netflix and direct setting of the DNS server on device.

Laptop, Roku and WDTV live all have same behaviour.

stevenz

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#902508 25-Sep-2013 15:34

Fail on my part for missing the bit in the OP saying "can't set DNS directly". Sorry.

There was some mumbling about my IP when I changed from ADSL to VDSL, the upshot is that it didn't change, but don't recall if they said whether or not it was the norm to be static, I suspect it's preferred for DMT accounting purposes perhaps?

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steve98

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#903200 26-Sep-2013 16:45

Lazarui: Don't know if Telecom does Dynamic IP on VDSL customers I know any new customers are on a UBA now so they have Fixed IP's which mean resetting the modem will not reset your IP address anymore.

Are you sure about this? Why would Telecom be issuing static IPs by default?

sbiddle

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#903202 26-Sep-2013 16:48

steve98:
Lazarui: Don't know if Telecom does Dynamic IP on VDSL customers I know any new customers are on a UBA now so they have Fixed IP's which mean resetting the modem will not reset your IP address anymore.

Are you sure about this? Why would Telecom be issuing static IPs by default?

They're not static IP, they are using "sticky" IP addressed handed out by DHCP. This means you will likely keep the same IP address, but it's by no means static and could change at any time in the future.

steve98

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#903221 26-Sep-2013 17:08

Didn't think it sounded right.

plambrechtsen

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#903251 26-Sep-2013 18:47

sbiddle:
steve98:
Lazarui: Don't know if Telecom does Dynamic IP on VDSL customers I know any new customers are on a UBA now so they have Fixed IP's which mean resetting the modem will not reset your IP address anymore.

Are you sure about this? Why would Telecom be issuing static IPs by default?

They're not static IP, they are using "sticky" IP addressed handed out by DHCP. This means you will likely keep the same IP address, but it's by no means static and could change at any time in the future.

Steve is right here. They are sticky. If you want a static ip you need to request one. And then pay for it depending on the plan you are on.

Lazarui

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#903641 27-Sep-2013 12:20

plambrechtsen:
sbiddle:
steve98:
Lazarui: Don't know if Telecom does Dynamic IP on VDSL customers I know any new customers are on a UBA now so they have Fixed IP's which mean resetting the modem will not reset your IP address anymore.

Are you sure about this? Why would Telecom be issuing static IPs by default?

They're not static IP, they are using "sticky" IP addressed handed out by DHCP. This means you will likely keep the same IP address, but it's by no means static and could change at any time in the future.

Steve is right here. They are sticky. If you want a static ip you need to request one. And then pay for it depending on the plan you are on.

But in saying that as a home user, why would you need an actual static IP? I was on unblock US for over a year my IP address changed once, and it's not to difficult to update unblock US.

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lchiu7

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#903669 27-Sep-2013 12:39

I use Unblock-US fine on Telecom VDSL (I won't speak about the performance since that is not the question being asked!).

I run the modem in bridge mode and use a TP Link router flashed with Gargoyle (thanks to Peter L.) to set the DNS addresses. That works fine for my Roku (cannot set DNS addresses in that), my PS3, Google TV, Sony BD player and my various tablets and phones I want to watch US services. For the desktops that don't access US streaming services I hard code Telecom's DNS addresses in the network settings so that I get the right CDN servers etc.

Before when I was on ADSL2+ and the modem did not support bridging mode, I just used CLI to get to the modem and change DNS addresses.

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RXV

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#906654 2-Oct-2013 20:21

Thanks all for your help.

I've ended up using UnoTelly as they offer a months free trial if you follow and promote them on twitter. I was able to update the DNS settings via the CLI on the router, and I've put the standard DNS settings onto my PC.

I did try the Airport Express option, but any devices that I connected to it picked up the DNS servers from the Telecom router, rather than those I entered into the Airport Express.

So far everything is working well - my UK spec Roku LT works perfectly for streaming BBC iPlayer content which was why I originally purchased it.

Jarsky

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#908003 4-Oct-2013 16:59

On the Technicolor TG589vn, you can set the DNS servers via the GUI, you dont need to use the CLI.

Home Network > Interfaces > LocalNetwork > Configure

Then edit the DHCP Pool, and enter in the DNS you want to use.

Batman

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#908082 4-Oct-2013 19:28

also what is FEC errors?

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