Route Get_iPlayer through VPN Tunnel
 

Hi all, first time post!

Hoping someone can give me a steer.
I'm new to Linux having just got hold of a Raspberry Pi.
So far I've done the following with the help of forums like this..
1) attached TB USBHDD for Network storage
2) installed Deluge and DelugeWebUI
3) set up pptp-linux for access to a VPN server in the UK (connects fine after some fettling)
4) installed Get_iPlayer to down load UK BBC content.

So far so good. When I use Get_iPlayer, I can view the list of available shows and so I am fairly sure that is working properly. However, when out of the UK (which is often) I need to connect to BBC via my UK VPN server.

What I want to do is run Get-iPlayer, have that program make use of the VPN tunnel, but route all other traffic to the internet as normal.

I have done much searching and I think split tunneling might be the answer, but when we get on to iptables and routing options, I get a bit out of my depth.

Is it possible to run a single program though the VPN in this way? If so, is anyone able to talk me though the config?

Many thanks
Al

Never used pptp-linux as VPN, but does this help?

http://serverfault.com/questions/452...ith-pptp-linux

Seems to be only removing defaultroute and replacedefaultroute from the settings file.

Welcome to Linux Questions!

I believe that the BBC iPlayer only works if you access it from the UK, i.e. if you use an non-UK ISP it won't work. This is because all we Brits have to pay a Television licence fee which funds the BBC. Why should non-licence fee paying people get it for free?

A VPN link would still show up as an access request from a non-UK ISP so it would syill be blocked IMHO. I'm sure I read somewhere that they were thinking about subscription access for the rest of the World.

Out of curiosity... Can you access itvPlayer, Four on Demand or Sky Player from abroad?

Play Bonny!

:hattip:

OK... I've just re-read your original statement... VPN to UK server. Interesting of it works!! :)

Thanks for the responses ppl. Just to clarify, as a UK based, license paying viewer who works overseas a lot.. I would like to watch the beeb.. nothing sinister there, methinks.
I have this set up with my windows lap-top, using a connection to UK based VPN server and the (terrible) standard BBC edition iPlayer windows app. Ideally I want to this all set up on the RPi, bung it under the TV wherever I am and bingo.
That's the idea at least.

Soadyheid - to answer your question there, once my windows vpn is established, yes I can access all the streaming Uk sites. but streaming is not feasible in the parts of the world I go to..mainly Africa.

hyperhead - the guy in the link you posted seems to be asking a similar question... but no quite the same. and correct me if I am wrong here...
My research leads me to believe that removing the defaultroute setting would enable split tunneling to occur, right? The VPN then takes any and all traffic destined for the remote private network, any other traffic just goes to the www.

My problem is that I need to tell get_iplayer that it should be routing its traffic to the remote gateway, via the VPN, otherwise, how would that app know that its 'resource' is on the private network... and hence get shunted though the VPN (when defaultroute is disabled)..


Does that even make sense to anyone?!

Thanks again!
A

I'm not sure about default gateway behavior, having never done it, I couldn't say how it behaves.

However, if you have the Pi situated in the UK, then its just a case of dialing into it over ssh and then downloading get_iplayer content with it, then scp'ing it back to you. A raspberry Pi can run from a powered USB on a Netgear router quite happily.

You could implement port knocking or something to open up to you IP from whatever country you are in to allow ssh access.

Having worked away myself for months on end overseas and paying £12.12 a month for a TV license, not being able to watch content when you get back because it has expired is a major annoyance.

People working abroad and paying UK license is an edge case and I hope the BBC would not begrudge the few license payers getting access to their favorite BBC channels via imaginative means if they are genuine contributors.