I'd like to see better integration in The VPN app with the password manager app

[user-cobra]

Let me explain more when I use the password manager we get to open a website and fill in the login info

but I’d like to save a VPN location with the login credentials and have it auto switch or ask to switch

location in the VPN before logging in.

An example you go to CBS News and go to Sign In with the password manager but the VPN pops up and

asks if you would like to switch the location to a location in the U.S.A like Chicago with any USA location

as a fall back then if you click say on the BBC in the password manager it then asks if you would like to

switch to the U.K (I’m surprised this type of integration has not come to any of the VPN apps yet)

[bjm]

@user-cobra

I’d like to see better integration in The VPN app with the password manager app
Norton VPN for Windows
Let me explain more when I use the password manager we get to open a website and fill in the login info but I’d like to save a VPN location with the login credentials and have it auto switch or ask to switch location in the VPN before logging in.

An example you go to CBS News and go to Sign In with the password manager but the VPN pops up and asks if you would like to switch the location to a location in the U.S.A like Chicago with any USA location as a fall back then if you click say on the BBC in the password manager it then asks if you would like to switch to the U.K (I’m surprised this type of integration has not come to any of the VPN apps yet)

Hello @user-cobra
We’d love your feedback!
Product Suggestions

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BBC.com (the international news site) generally allows access via VPN , unlike BBC iPlayer , which aggressively blocks VPNs to enforce UK-only licensing. While the main BBC website may be accessible, users often encounter blocks on specific UK-centric services like BBC iPlayer , BBC Sounds , or BBC Sport due to strict geo-restrictions.

CBS.com (and its streaming platform Paramount+ ) actively blocks VPN use for users outside the United States to enforce geo-restrictions based on licensing agreements. While the site does not ban accounts, it frequently blacklists VPN IP addresses , preventing access to live TV, sports, and on-demand content.

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BBC iPlayer and CBS/Paramount+ do not just check where you are; they check who you are.

• Data Center IPs: Most VPN servers reside in data centers (AWS, DigitalOcean, etc.). These IP ranges are publicly known. If your IP belongs to a data center, BBC/CBS will block it immediately, regardless of whether it’s a “UK” or “US” IP .
• Shared IPs: Thousands of users often share a single VPN IP. If one user abuses it (e.g., spamming, violating terms), the entire IP gets blacklisted for everyone.
• Detection Algorithms: These services use machine learning to identify traffic patterns typical of VPNs (e.g., high volume of connections from a single IP, specific TLS fingerprints) .

2. Why “Auto-Switching” Doesn’t Help

Switching your location automatically just changes the country of the IP, not the type of IP.

• If you auto-switch to a UK server for BBC, and that server is a standard data-center IP, BBC will block it with error 02066 .
• If you auto-switch to a US server for CBS, and that server is on a known VPN blocklist, CBS will show a geo-block message .

The only way to bypass this is to use a premium VPN that actively invests in:

• Residential Proxies: IPs that look like they come from real home ISPs, not data centers (rare and expensive).
• Obfuscation: Techniques to hide the fact that you are using a VPN protocol at all .
• Dedicated IPs: A server used by only you, which is less likely to be on a blocklist (though still often detected by major streamers) .

3. The “Auto-Switch” Paradox

In fact, an “auto-switch” feature might make things worse:

• Frequent IP Changes: If your VPN automatically switches servers every time you visit a new site, you might trigger “suspicious activity” alerts. Services like CBS and BBC monitor for rapid IP hopping, which is a strong indicator of bot or VPN usage.
• Leak Risks: If the auto-switch takes a second to engage, or if the browser extension fails to route the initial request correctly, your real IP might leak for a split second, causing the service to flag your account immediately.

The Reality Check

The user’s original idea (Password Manager → Auto-Switch VPN → Login) is technically feasible to build, but practically ineffective for bypassing BBC/CBS blocks because:

1. The Block is on the IP, not the Location: It doesn’t matter if you are in Chicago or London; if the IP is a known VPN IP, you are blocked.
2. No “Magic” Switch: No software can instantly make a data-center IP look like a residential ISP IP without a dedicated, high-quality infrastructure that most standard VPNs don’t offer for free or cheap.

BBC and CBS will still block you even with an auto-switch feature, unless you are using a high-end, specialized VPN that maintains a constantly rotating pool of “undetectable” residential IPs.

Most standard “auto-switch” features in consumer VPNs will simply switch you to a different blocked IP, resulting in the same error message. The integration you described solves the convenience of switching countries, but it does not solve the technical arms race of IP detection.

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Conclusion

If your main goal is streaming BBC and CBS, Norton VPN is likely not the best choice.

• It lacks the URL-based split tunneling needed for a seamless “auto-switch” experience in the browser.
• Its servers are less optimized for bypassing the aggressive geo-blocks of BBC iPlayer, meaning you will still face the “blocked” error even if you switch servers.
• You would still need to manually test servers to find one that works, defeating the purpose of an “auto-switch.”

Recommendation: If you already have Norton (e.g., as part of a security suite), you can try it, but be prepared for:

1. Manual server switching every time a site blocks you.
2. No automatic per-site routing in the browser.
3. Higher failure rates with BBC iPlayer compared to dedicated streaming VPNs.

For the “auto-switch” dream to work, you would be better served by a dedicated streaming VPN like NordVPN or Surfshark, which offer URL-based split tunneling in their browser extensions and have a much higher success rate with BBC/CBS blocks.

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1. The “Masking” Use Case (Privacy & Security)

Masking your location.

• Goal: To prevent websites, ISPs, and trackers from seeing your real IP address and geographic location.
• How it works: You connect to a VPN server (anywhere), and the website sees the server’s IP, not yours.
• Result: Your physical location is hidden. To the website, you look like you are “somewhere else,” but the specific “somewhere” doesn’t matter as much as the fact that it is not you.
• Primary Benefit: Privacy, bypassing censorship, securing public Wi-Fi.

2. The “Changing” Use Case (Access & Geo-Spoofing)

Changing your location.

• Goal: To appear as if you are physically located in a specific country (e.g., Chicago or London) to access content restricted to that region.
• How it works: You must connect to a server in that specific location.
• Result: You are not just “masked”; you are impersonating a user in that specific region.
• Primary Benefit: Accessing geo-blocked content (BBC iPlayer, CBS, Netflix libraries).

Why the Distinction Matters for the “Auto-Switch” Feature

The user’s request to “save a VPN location with login credentials” is specifically about Geo-Spoofing (Changing), not just Masking.

• If you just want to MASK: You don’t need to save a specific location. You could connect to any server, and your real location is hidden. The “auto-switch” feature is unnecessary for privacy.
• If you want to CHANGE (Access CBS/BBC): You must switch to a specific server (US or UK). If you are in France and try to log into CBS while connected to a server in Germany, CBS will block you. The location must change to match the content’s requirement.

The Privacy Paradox

This brings us back to the privacy concerns we discussed:

1. Masking (Privacy): When you use a VPN to hide your location, you are trying to be anonymous.
2. Changing (Identity): When you use a VPN to access BBC or CBS, you are trying to be someone else (a UK or US resident).

The Conflict: The “Auto-Switch” feature links your real identity (your login credentials for CBS) with a fake identity (the US IP address).

• For the User: It’s convenient.
• For the Tracker/Provider: It creates a perfect map. “This specific user account always logs in from a US IP, but their home ISP is in France.”
• The Risk: By automating this, you make it trivially easy for services to detect that you are using a VPN. They see: Login attempt + Instant IP switch to target country. This pattern is a huge red flag for anti-fraud and geo-restriction systems.

Summary

• Masking: “Don’t know where I am.” (General Privacy)
• Changing: “I am in London.” (Specific Access)

The user’s request is about Changing. While a VPN can mask your location, the Auto-Switch feature described is designed specifically to change your location to a precise target to bypass restrictions.

This is why the integration is technically complex and risky: it automates the act of spoofing your identity, which is exactly what streaming services are trying to detect and block.

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From a security, privacy, and identity verification standpoint, the “Auto-Switch/Switch” feature is indeed a contradiction and impractical.

1. The Core Conflict: Identity vs. Location

• Logins are about “Who you are” (Authentication):
  • You prove you are you by entering a password, a biometric, or a 2FA code.
  • The server checks: Does this credential match the user?
• Geolocation is about “Where you are” (Context):
  • Streaming services ask: Is this user allowed to see this content from this location?
  • The server checks: Is this IP address in the allowed list?

The Contradiction: When you “Auto-Switch/Switch” your location to log in, you are decoupling your identity from your location.

• If you are a UK user trying to log into a US bank account, and you auto-switch to a US IP, you are lying about your location to bypass a security check.
• If you are a US user trying to log into BBC, and you auto-switch to a UK IP to “prove” you are British, you are spoofing your identity.

Your Point: “Changing locations does not help prove who you are.”

• Exactly. It actually hinders it. It introduces a “mismatch” flag that security systems (like those at banks or Netflix) are designed to detect and block.

2. The “Impractical Idea” from a Security Perspective

This feature creates security blind spots:

• False Sense of Security: It makes users think they are “safe” because they are switching locations, when in reality, they are just moving their traffic to a different, often less secure, server.
• Bypassing Fraud Detection: Banks and financial institutions use “geolocation consistency” as a fraud check. If you log in from London and suddenly switch to Chicago, a smart bank flags this as “suspicious activity.” An auto-switch/switch feature that forces this behavior bypasses these safety mechanisms, potentially putting the user at risk of having their account frozen or flagged.
• Privacy Paradox: By invoking the switch, you are revealing your intent to bypass restrictions to the service provider (who can see the pattern of the switch). This is the opposite of privacy.

AI sourced content may make mistakes

[SoulAsylum]

@user-cobra I have moved your posts to the Product Suggestions board where it will get the correct exposure.

SA

[user-cobra]

What you say from a VPN prospective makes

some sense But from a PM less sense. Some

VPNs sell private IPs that are NOT known as

VPN IPs This is an option to offer this. Or cut

the middle-man out and get a VPS in the location the client needs

So if I install the password manager on the

VPS then have the PM browser plugin is the a

way to link them so when I click it uses the VPS

as a proxy as the has to be a way of doing this

I know a VPN is more about Privacy but 90%

of the internet today needs login credentials.

And if the login credentials are real or fake is a

different topic.