VPN site access more and more blocked

[Papercorn]

Hello all,

I experiece more and more sites who block access when i am using (wireguard )VPN. I have a dual router setup with the providers router and an Asus AX router. In the Asus router runs the latest Asus stock firmware (so Fusion). When I try to go to one of these sites, I cannot get access, and I have to swich wifi networks to the wifi of the provider. I have no vpn server active. My vpn provider is IVPN. I am pretty happy with them so no reason to change unless that would solve my problem. Is there something I can do about this? I called my bank and they admitted that they block VPN because they cannot get their apps work with all providers because of different in them. Thanks for your input
Peter

 

[eibgrad]

Are you using VPN servers outside your own country? I've seen situations, particularly w/ financial institutions, that will NOT accept connections that lie outside the country of the account's home address. Just another layer of protection against fraud and hackers. In those cases, I will typically make a routing exception in my VPN client to route via the ISP's default gateway. And given almost everything is TLS (https) these days, it's usually not a big deal.

 

[jerry6]

Never had that problem all my banks in the US and Canada accept my connection no matter where my VPN is located only ting is some sites make me turn off add blocker built into the VPN

 

[Papercorn]

Are you using VPN servers outside your own country? I've seen situations, particularly w/ financial institutions, that will NOT accept connections that lie outside the country of the account's home address. Just another layer of protection against fraud and hackers. In those cases, I will typically make a routing exception in my VPN client to route via the ISP's default gateway. And given almost everything is TLS (https) these days, it's usually not a big deal.

I am based in the Netherlands and because of his problem with foreign server I am using mostly at home an Amsterdam server. That has worked several years, but as said, more and more sites refuse to connect. Some banks do (not all) but also for example a big supermarket chain here called Jumbo. I cannot get to their site at all. And there are many more, number increasing

 

[RMerlin]

Is there something I can do about this?

No. The remote websites are free to block any IP range they desire to block, and you can't do anything beside hope to find a VPN provider whose IP addresses aren't blocked by these sites.

 

[Papercorn]

No. The remote websites are free to block any IP range they desire to block, and you can't do anything beside hope to find a VPN provider whose IP addresses aren't blocked by these sites.

So you think they look at IP addresses or ip-ranges only? Or is there something in the communication back and forward that tells them it is a VPN connection?
Thanks Peter

 

[Twiglets]

So you think they look at IP addresses or ip-ranges only? Or is there something in the communication back and forward that tells them it is a VPN connection?
Thanks Peter

The point of a VPN connection is to *not* be identified as something special, so that your connection is accepted.
The obvious give-away is the IP-Address or IP-Range that the VPN uses.
A simple whois lookup will identify who owns the IP-range and therefore if it is likely to be a VPN output.

P.S. if you are using a VPN that shares IP-Addresses it is also possible that a previous user of the VPN has managed to get a IP-Address 'Blacklisted' for some misuse !!!

P.P.S Last thought, If your VPN filters out 'Trackers', 'Ads' and other nasties it can stop some sites from working because they 'refuse' to allow you to connect without them !!! [I have found this with a Bank in the UK ... they *must* have their trackers etc ]

 

[RMerlin]

So you think they look at IP addresses or ip-ranges only?

IP ranges. When as a service provider you obtain a block of IP addresses for your usage, these are registered within a central database (in North America it's ARIN). These databases are open to anyone, so VPN providers simply need to build a list of IP ranges belonging to the provider, and block these.

 

[CaptainSTX]

Are you using VPN servers outside your own country? I've seen situations, particularly w/ financial institutions, that will NOT accept connections that lie outside the country of the account's home address. Just another layer of protection against fraud and hackers. In those cases, I will typically make a routing exception in my VPN client to route via the ISP's default gateway. And given almost everything is TLS (https) these days, it's usually not a big deal.

Bank of America blocks my connection if I use a VPN even if it is a USA server. It is the IP range that is blocked. There is probably a database somewhere that lists IPs of most VPN servers which financial institutions, Netflix, Amazon utilize.

 

[dosborne]

Bank of America blocks my connection if I use a VPN even if it is a USA server. It is the IP range that is blocked. There is probably a database somewhere that lists IPs of most VPN servers which financial institutions, Netflix, Amazon utilize.

I don't know about an official database, but it isn't too hard to figure out the ranges of the major VPN players. There are certainly unofficial lists of ranges that aren't too hard to find, and decades ago I wrote some code to sniff out likely VPN routing so I'm sure many smarter people than me can do the same or better with today's tech.

Keep in mind it is the banks responsibility to secure their system and prevent illegal activities such as money laundering. A number of people are surprised apparently in this thread that banks block VPN access even though you live in the same country..... Well, the bank doesn't know the origination of the IP, just that it came through a VPN, therefore you *could* be trying to access the bank from Russia, China, Columbia, etc

For the most part, this is for your protect against being hacked and having your money taken, but there are also federal requirements forcing tracking of certain transaction and the banks don't want to be found in violation.

As a P.S., to get around certain restrictions when travelling, I have been successful is using my VPN client on my phone/tablet/laptop/etc, rather than use a paid VPN service, I connect to my home router VPN server, then use that tunnel to get "back out" to the internet so it show as my usual home IP address range. Not sure if that helps anyone here. Using a remote desktop app to access your home network system is a similar way around some problems, like the bank restrictions some people have.