I installed Norton VPN a few months ago and quickly discovered that some websites I visit use my regular IP address as a means of authentication. The random IP address forces me to manually do a second stage of security to log onto the site. To eliminate this, I've been disabling the VPN, access the site, and then turn the VPN back on. Now, with no warning, the VPN has completely stopped working. Even when I first turn on my Windows 7 PC, The VPN auto connect indicator just keeps spinning - never connecting to a random IP address. I've uninstalled, shutdown - restarted and re-installed - no help. I deleted the install file, (again shutdown and restarted) downloaded and reinstalled - no help. I edited the registry and removed everything including Norton Secure VPN, (shutdown and restarted) then reinstalled - no help. The connection indicator just keeps spinning - never connecting to a random IP. It just shows my real IP address. I also tired to connect to a specific country - again no help.
Any suggestions on how to fix this will be most appreciated.
It is not just Norton. Many web sites do not allow access from known VPN IP addresses. They do this for copyright, legal, security, and political reasons. There is nothing a VPN provider can or should do to circumvent these legal protections. See the link in bjm_'s post above yours to How to Geeks article on why sites block VPNs.
There are several reasons why BBC iPlayer thinks you're outside the UK. The most common are:
Your IP address, which is the address websites use to determine where in the world you are, isn't registered in the UK
You're using a VPN (Virtual Private Network), proxy, or similar service which masks your IP address
[...]
If we detect that you might be using a VPN, you'll be unable to play programmes. This is because we need to be confident you're in the UK, and if you're using a VPN or proxy, we can't detect reliably where you are.
[...]
Streaming apps such as Hotstar or BBC iPlayer, etc., collect IP address information and actively blacklist any IP address that they suspect belongs to a VPN.
Since my OP the VPN option now miraculously connects on my laptop BUT ONLY IF I DO IT MANUALLY which is a pain every time. (As stated in my OP it opens automatically on my other devices, which are Samsung).
Are Norton looking into this issue of not connecting automatically on laptops?
Since the new 360 product was introduced with the VPN feature, users have been complaining about not being able to start the VPN with Windows startup. Norton has only said it will look into adding this ability in the future.
