When you go on holiday, it is normal to make a checklist of things before leaving your house. On the list is normally, passport, flight tickets, foreign currency, socket converters, toothbrush and anything you will need to pass the boring long flight. If you are a TV fan or simply enjoy watching UK TV, you should add a VPN service to that list!
A VPN simply gives your computer or laptop a UK IP address, which you will find very important when travelling outside of the United Kingdom for many reasons. When on holiday, people tend to do a lot of exploring and many will have their internet enabled devices with them. If you can pick up a public wifi hotspot, you might want to connect to it to check your emails, online banking or Facebook updates. In some countries, these hotspots can be very unsecure and your browsing data left open for anyone to see. A VPN offers some extra much needed browsing security, hiding your real IP and, in most cases, encrypting your sent and received data. Some countries block major websites, Facebook, Google and Twitter, a VPN will also bypass these blocks, allowing you to access your accounts without any problems.
A VPN can also add some fantastic entertainment value, the ability to watch uk tv abroad is one of them. Websites such as BBC iPlayer and ITV Player are only available to people who are in the United Kingdom, having a UK IP address will give you unlimited access to these sites. You can then enjoy your favourite soap or TV channel from anywhere in the world. Wether you are at the pool, in your apartment or even on the beach, sipping sangria or cocktails, you will never miss your favourite soap or TV show because iPlayer and ITV Player, not only have all live channels, but also catchup. Even if you miss a live TV show, you can watch it at any time using any of the services, everything is recorded online for later viewing.
There are many VPN services to choose from, some free, but the free services are normally slow or not giving you the added encrypted security. For around €8, you can purchase a good VPN service for a month at a time, anything less is probably only going to give you a nightmare with buffering and connection problems.
Here are some pointers when looking for a good VPN service..
1, Always make sure that you are getting multiple servers, so that you are not using the same server as all customers. Four or more servers are suitable for TV streaming. Beware of companies that will put all of their customers onto only one server, your entertainment value will become a nightmare with buffering and connection problems.
2, Try to order the VPN before you leave the house, unless the company offers instant access or instant renewals. You don´t want to wait hours or even days to have access to your service.
3, Make sure that there is no "fair usage" policy. TV steaming uses a lot of data, you don´t want to be slowed down or even cut off. If a VPN service offers unlimited service, it is made for TV viewing, but check the small print first before making a purchase.
4, Some UK VPN providers will charge you extra for other servers, such as USA servers. Avoid these companies, they are resellers and trying to get you to pay more for what they already pay out. A good VPN should offer all servers at as standard and at no extra cost. USA TV channels show a lot of UK TV shows at various times and some USA TV is good TV!
5, Make sure that the VPN service you choose has at least 128k encryption, this is good for keeping your browsing data safe.
6, If there is no refund policy and the company simply says "If you don´t like our service, start a Paypal dispute", avoid them, they will win the Paypal dispute because it is a service and not a physical product. In the mean time, your payment will be held by Paypal for a couple of weeks!
7, Make sure that there is a free connection trial. A free connection trial is never full speed, but it allows you to check that the service will work on your device.
8, Make sure that all channels are listed and you have access to them in your members area. Some VPN services will sell you a VPN but not links to the channels. This can be a pain in the neck, bookmarking all the channels can take a lot of time. Simply logging in somewhere and having all the channels available is a great time saver.
9, Choose a company that offers customer support or a ticket system that is open 7 days a week. You don´t want to run into problems on a Friday evening and not have any help until Monday morning!
One company that is highly recommended is British TV Anywhere, www.britishtvanywhere.com, they comply with all of the above pointers and I have been a member with them for 4 years now without any problems. I travel a lot and have tried many other VPNs, from free ones to cheaper ones, but like everything, you get what you pay for. British TV Anywhere have grown over the years, from 1 server to around 30 servers today, they not only have great customer support but supply servers on demand, so you never have any annoying buffering.
Add a VPN service to your list of important things to take on holiday with you, you will not only enjoy the entertainment value but it will keep your internet browsing safe, anywhere in the world!
