Loving Coreelec, it saved me binning my Minix and the latest version looks great. Thank you.
I’ve not needed to play with VPNs but now I am looking into installing one on Coreelec and need some advice. Which VPN service would people recommend that I can install via a repository within Kodi? I’ve been trialing ExpressVPN and NordVPN is on my list as it’s cheaper, but I’m not sure I can install either of these on Kodi via Coreelec (hope I’m wrong). I’m pretty much a noob when it comes to VPNs.
Any pointers?
Thanks in advance.
[Edit] Just seen this discussion, which is not great since I am looking for BBC and ITV.
[edit] OK, followingthis guide. Will see how it goes.
ExpressVPN / NordVPN are providers I guess, not types of VPN?
With JustOS, I think you have OpenVPN option, as wireguard is not integrated yet unfortunatelly.
OpenVPN is part of Network tools I think, maybe its eve part of native system - dont know that from top of my head. But, as soon as you will have openvpn in system, you can use openvpn command nativelly.
Most people just create client config file (VPN provider could guide you or provide sample of file which you should use). You can even add your keys into that single file, so you wouldnt have X files, but just 1 config. Then you can easilly connect to the VPN through –config parameter and you are connected.
I think there are some GUI addons, which can make graphical UI for you, but I never used them cant recommend one. If you learn “command way” to do it, you will get more freedom, so you would be able to add VPN conection as one of startup services in your box etc. And you will know what are you doin’. Personally I think, when comes to security (and VPN solution falls into that category), you should not trust any addon you find, and you should know, what choosed solution really do.
Cant advise you any provider (that topic is not related to CE), as I never used public services, I usually create my own (which is possible even with CE due to openvpn implementation :-).
Openvpn from zomboided repository is a add-on which supports most vpn services. I use Ipvanish. nordvpn is problematic in this add-on because the setup files change to often.
It doesn’t work for BBC. A different solution is needed for this. A router based service which generates a unique IP address seems necessary. Can’t recommend anything for this.
Ive been using the openvpn addon from zomboided repo with NordVPN for about a year without any issues at all, I moved from ipvanish where I used to get max speeds of 6-8mb/s to NordVPN where I now get speeds of over 20mb/s. I have virgin media 300mbps fibre
I’ve tried over the last few years I’ve tried tunnelbear, purevpn, ipvanish and then NordVPN and I would recommend NordVPN to anybody! I’ve been extremely impressed with it, I’m my experience it’s been far faster, more stable and more reliable than the others.
I’m In the Uk so I don’t need to use vpn for iPlayer. I also use iplayer from the built in tv app and I’m unable to install vpn on my tv. I will try accessing iplayer on my laptop while connected to vpn and let you know if it works
If you search in this forum you’ll see that sometimes vpn to unlock geographic restrictions don’t work that well with Openvpn manager. It’s best to really try it in the CoreELEC environment, not with android or Windows.
Hi @Vasco, thanks for getting back to me. I’m a little confused by your response as the procedure I’m following is installing from the repository within CoreELEC. Are you saying this is the wrong way and that I should interrogate the config file?
I use OpenVPN and VPN Manager for OpenVPN and I asked my VPN provider (VPN Unlimited) to provide me with all the .OVPN files for all of the available servers.
It then took me a couple of minutes to add these files using VPN Manager for OpenVPN and all works perfectly.
I was referring to what Wizzi07 said about connecting his laptop to access iPlayer and then saying it worked. We have some cases that you can find in the forum in which the vpn can unlock geographic restrictions in android with the providers app and not in CoreELEC with Openvpn.
Nonetheless, Openvpn manager is the correct way of using a vpn in CoreELEC, at least is how I use it with success. In my case I use Surfshark VPN successfully (not trying BBC or iPlayer).
@Vasco I like the look of Shark, thanks for the heads up. They’re not on the list of vpn providers in Zomboided’s VPN manager though. How are you adding SharkVPN’s credentials to CoreELEC?