VPN

How to Unblock YouTube in 2020

in Guides
Unblock YouTube

Sometimes, the YouTube video you really want to watch is blocked and you can’t access it. When you click on it, instead of getting the video content you’re expecting, you see this message on your screen instead: “Video unavailable. The uploader has not made this video available in your country.”

Learn how to unblock YouTube videos in this guide.

Reasons You Can’t Access YouTube

There is a myriad of reasons why YouTube might be restricting you from that particular video you want to watch:

  • School or workplace restrictions
  • Legal restriction from your own country
  • Geo-block (YouTube sometimes puts blocks in place based on your geographical location)

A geo-block could be put in place by YouTube as an attempt to comply with the copyright laws of a particular country. Moreover, the owner of the video might restrict viewing in certain countries because the video doesn’t comply with the licensing laws in those countries.

Whatever the reason may be, not being able to view a video on YouTube when you want to can be frustrating. Fortunately, there are ways to solve this.

Here are the most common ways you can use to unblock YouTube.

Using a VPN

how to Unblock YouTube

A virtual private network (VPN) is the easiest and fastest way to unblock YouTube videos. A VPN is the best option for online security and anonymity. It masks your IP address and encrypts your data, so your ISP can’t see the content you’re viewing.

So, instead of YouTube seeing the actual server you’re attempting to access content from, a VPN reroutes your request. It now appears like it’s coming from another server, i.e. the virtual IP address created by the VPN.

For instance, if you’re blocked from viewing a video due to your geographical location, you just have to switch your connection, using a VPN, to the VPN server of a country that has access to the video you want to watch.

Using a Proxy or Browser Add-on

A proxy server is an intermediary between the webpage and the user. It filters information coming in from the user before taking it to the webpage. It can also be used to hide a user’s IP address, making it appear as if they are in a different location, much like a VPN. This is why it is useful for unblocking YouTube videos.

  • There are many proxy websites available for free online. Some are even tailored to unblocking YouTube videos.
  • Moreover, a browser add-on such as YouTube Unblocker can also be used. It functions by linking the data from your browser to a proxy.

Using a proxy, however, is not a very secure method. Proxies do not encrypt your data, making your data susceptible to attacks by malware.

Downloading the Video For Offline Viewing

how to unblock youtube without proxy

Another way to bypass a block on a YouTube video is to download the video, to watch locally on your device. There are several sites that allow you to do so.

To download a video that you’ve been restricted from viewing, follow these simple steps.

  • Search for a reliable website that can enable you to download YouTube videos to view locally.
  • Search for the video you want to download on a search engine and copy the YouTube URL of the video, given in the search results.
  • Paste the URL on the site you found for downloading videos, and click download.
  • Despite not being able to view the video on YouTube, once it’s downloaded directly into your device, you will be able to watch it offline.

Using Tor Browser

Finally, you can also use the Tor Browser to view a blocked YouTube video. The only downside is Tor browser wasn’t initially made to stream videos. This can cause the video to stream slowly, especially HD videos.

Whichever method you use, always ensure you’re not contravening a legal order in your country.

Tuxler VPN Review: Is This Virtual Private Network Worth It?

in Cybersecurity
Tuxler VPN

Not all VPNs are created equal. Therefore, it is important to make sure you find a VPN provider that is right for your surfing needs. In this Tuxler VPN review, you will find out if Tuxler’s free plan is worth it.

What is a Residential VPN?

Tuxler is a residential VPN that offers both free and premium plans. This type of VPN routes web requests through residential IP addresses that real Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have assigned.

So, how does it work?

Imagine a woman in Japan surfing the internet from her home. She enables Tuxler VPN and receives an IP address from Switzerland. Now, she will appear to be browsing using a residential IP address that an ISP from Switzerland has assigned.

Tuxler VPN Packages

Tuxler review

When you compare the free and premium packages, it appears that Tuxler is making an effort to offer an attractive free plan. This means that you will probably not need to upgrade to the premium version. Nonetheless, if you do, you will pay $7.99 every month.

The table below shows a comparison between the two plans.

FreePremium
10 location changes100 location changes each day
Unlimited bandwidthUnlimited bandwidth
Limited location accessUnlimited location access
Secure connectionsSecure connections
Regular speed4x faster than the free plan’s speed
Over 70,000 new IPs each monthOver 70,000 new IPs each month

You can access the premium plan for 24 hours on condition that you join the affiliate program or share the app with friends.

Ease of Use

To start using the free VPN service, download the application from the Tuxler website. Alternatively, get the browser extension for Firefox or Chrome. However, you will have to install the Tuxler application to use the extension on your browser.

Installing the Tuxler application to use the extension on Chrome is easy. The VPN takes about two minutes to connect to a server after installation. You can change the server location later if you choose. On the other hand, installing this VPN on your Windows or Mac device is simple as well.

Tuxler VPN

When using the extension, you can connect or disconnect the VPN at any time. Also, you can pick the location you want to connect to from a drop-down menu.

Tuxler VPN Review

If you want to use a residential location, check the box provided, and select a country. Interestingly, connections through residential locations are slower and less stable.

Locations

A VPN review would be incomplete without discussing server locations. A good VPN provides a wide range of locations for users to enjoy fast speeds. Tuxler’s locations are distributed in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, the Middle East, and North America.

Furthermore, the VPN provides over 70,000 new IPs each month and residential IPs from more than 182 ISPs from different IP blocks.

Unlike other free VPNs, Tuxler offers many server locations. For instance, you will have access to servers in India, Israel, Singapore, the US, the UK, Japan, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Canada, and Australia. If you check the box ‘Use Residential Locations,’ you will have even more locations to choose from.

The VPN constantly refreshes the locations it connects to, allowing it to remain unblockable.

Availability

Tuxler VPN is available for Windows, Mac, Chrome, and Firefox. Applications for Android and iPhone are unavailable but according to the website, the company will release them soon.

Since this VPN is only available for some devices, it excludes users that use Linux. It also excludes users that want a VPN for their TVs and game consoles.  

Security and Privacy

Anonymity is an important aspect of every VPN and Tuxler checks the box on this front. The company also claims that you will get increased anonymity when you use its residential locations.

On its website, Tuxler discusses end-to-end encryption. However, the company fails to say whether their VPN is using this feature.

Tuxler also explains which data they collect when you visit their website but they do not disclose whether they collect any data from users utilizing their VPN.

Is Tuxler VPN Reliable?

Unfortunately for users, you can only communicate with the support team via a contact form. That said, we sent two questions on privacy and security through this form and received a response shortly after. The answers were not as detailed as we would have liked.

tuxler

The customer care representative said that Tuxler does not keep users’ activity logs and that the VPN does, in fact, offer end-to-end encryption. This information should have been easily accessible on the website.

Is This VPN Worth It?

Free VPNs offering features like unlimited bandwidth and many server locations are hard to come by. Also, Tuxler provides anonymity and privacy as any good VPN should. Therefore, we can say that Tuxler is worth it – provided you are only looking for basic features.

If you can overlook the missing information, limited customer support options, and limited device compatibility, you can download Tuxler VPN.

If you are looking for a top-shelf VPN, however, you will have to look elsewhere.

Best VPNs for Torrenting According to Reddit

in Privacy
Best VPNs for Torrenting Reddit

Virtual private networks (VPNs) offer an extra layer of security and privacy for internet users. One thing that most Redditors are wary of is their privacy online. It’s no wonder the best VPN for torrenting Reddit is always a topic of discussion on the Reddit platform.

In this guide, we review some of the best VPNs for torrenting according to Reddit users.

Best Torrenting VPNs According to Redditors

NordVPN

NordVPN

NordVPN is one of the most upvoted VPNs on Reddit. It’s considered as one of the best for bypassing geoblocks, torrenting, and streaming. It has more than 5,200 servers in 59 countries.

The servers offered by NordVPN are dedicated P2P servers that help maximize download speeds while maintaining the expected level of security. 

NordVPN has an application for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and Android TV. It also has an encrypted proxy extension for Chrome and Firefox. In addition, with a single NordVPN account, you can simultaneously secure up to six different devices. Being a paid-for VPN service, NordVPN has three different plans that you can choose from. It has a monthly plan which is more expensive, a one-year, two-year and three-year plan. They also offer a 30-day free trial. 

NordVPN also has a strict no-logs policy that helps protect its users as it doesn’t record your online activity. It works well with torrent clients, which helps ensure that your anonymity is maintained across different torrent networks. This service also masks your IP address by connecting you to its secure servers via a private VPN tunnel. It has a kill switch and DNS leak protection that ensures your true location doesn’t leak when connected to this VPN. The kill switch feature also lets you choose specific apps to cover. This way, internet access will be blocked to those apps should anything go wrong with your NordVPN. 

Pros

  • One of the best VPNs for torrenting and bypassing geoblocks
  • Has a strict no-logs policy
  • Features a kill switch and DNS leak protection 

Cons

  • In some areas, NordVPN isn’t the fastest 
  • The monthly plan is more expensive compared to the other yearly plans

ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is another VPN service that has also received several upvotes on Reddit. It has a huge server selection and high connection speeds. This secure VPN service sends all your internet traffic via an encrypted VPN tunnel. This way, you can have peace of mind that all your confidential data can stay secure even when using public internet connections.

Your browsing history is also safe and private thanks to the no-log user activity policy. In addition, they don’t share their data with third parties. This way, you can safely browse the internet without worrying about being surveilled.

ProtonVPN was created to protect activists and journalists who use the ProtonMail. What this means is that this service is able to break down any barriers of internet censorship so you can access any website or content. In fact, ProtonVPN is one of the most secure VPNs thanks to the featured secure core and perfect forward secrecy technology. In addition, their headquarters are in Switzerland, which happens to have some of the world’s strongest privacy laws. And, because they are not within the US or EU jurisdiction, they are not a member of the 14 eyes surveillance network. 

It also integrates with the Tor network, which enables you to route all your traffic with a single click via Tor and gain access to Onion sites. This service offers unlimited bandwidth and allows you to connect up to ten different devices depending on the plan you choose. They have three different paid-for plans for you to choose from. In addition, they also have a free plan. 

Pros

  • Has hundreds of servers globally
  • Multi-platform support 
  • Has a free-to-use VPN service

Cons

  • The free version is only available in three different countries and can only connect to one device
  • The connecting countries and devices are limited depending on the plan you opt for

Mullvad VPN

MullvadVPN

Mullvad VPN is one of the easiest VPNs to use. In fact, the ease of use is why most Redditors love it. It also has a no-frills approach and its pricing is cost-effective in comparison to other VPN services.

Currently, Mullvad VPN offers applications for Windows and macOS but doesn’t for iOS and Android. However, Mullvad VPN is one of the only services that provides an application for Fedora and Debian OS. 

It also offers all the security must-haves such as a no-logs policy and 256-bit encryption. But what sets this service apart is its anonymous accounts. When a new user signs up, it assigns an account number instead of a username and password like other services do. Because of this, it doesn’t ask for your name, email address or any other identifying information for that matter. In addition, besides accepting payment via credit cards, bank wire, PayPal and Swish, Mullvad VPN also accepts cash payments.

It also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee – just like NordVPN and ProtonVPN – with a three-hour trial period. It’s important to note that while Mullvad has some excellent features, it doesn’t offer a complete package as it lacks some must-have features such as a kill switch. 

Pros

  • Your privacy is 100 percent guaranteed as it doesn’t ask for personal details such as name or email address
  • It’s cost-effective in comparison to other VPNs and allows for cash payments 
  • Very easy to use

Cons

  • It doesn’t have a kill switch
  • Only offers a three-hour trial period

If you are looking for a free VPN, you can read our review of the best free VPNs for torrenting.

Disclaimer: Torrenting or downloading copyrighted files is illegal. The Dark Web Journal does not condone, support or promote the illegal sharing of copyrighted content.

Go to Top