Comments on: How to watch Hulu videos via SSH tunneling http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/ When I read what I write I learn what I think Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:55:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Mikito Takada http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/#comment-9016 Mikito Takada Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:57:41 +0000 http://blog.mixu.net/?p=35#comment-9016 Good to hear that this still works! Good to hear that this still works!

]]> By: d http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/#comment-9015 d Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:56:04 +0000 http://blog.mixu.net/?p=35#comment-9015 brilliant. thank you!!!!! done on my mac connecting to one of my servers in the states. Didn't need to block any hulu IP's. brilliant.

thank you!!!!!

done on my mac connecting to one of my servers in the states.

Didn’t need to block any hulu IP’s.

]]> By: Mikito Takada http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/#comment-6967 Mikito Takada Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:34:08 +0000 http://blog.mixu.net/?p=35#comment-6967 Thank you for the in-depth explanation! Awesome! Thank you for the in-depth explanation! Awesome!

]]> By: Lala http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/#comment-6966 Lala Thu, 28 Oct 2010 08:44:51 +0000 http://blog.mixu.net/?p=35#comment-6966 One key critical piece of missing information is that you need is block outgoing connections to a few of Hulu's servers on your local machine. Flash attempts connections in the following manner: 1. Try connecting directly to the server 2. If that failed, try connecting through the proxy server specified in IE. If #1 succeeds, Flash would completely bypass your SSH tunnel and reveal your real IP to Hulu. So you need to figure out the servers that Hulu us trying to connect to, and block them. To figure out the servers: 1. Install "Live HTTP Headers" addon for Firefox and open it up 2. Go to the Hulu video you want to watch 3. In the Generator window, you will see a few urls that Hulu is hitting. The ones ending in /fcs/ident and /fcs/ident2 are interesting to us. They would be something like "hulufs.fplive.net" and "hulu-123.fcod.llwnd.net" 4. Figure out the IPs for these 2 servers... simply ping it or something. Do it for both your local connection and your SSH servers, so you would end up with 4 different IPs. The hosts are on a round-robin DNS so they will give up different IPs. Now to block the IPs, in Vista/Win7, you can simply use the built-in firewall that comes as part of the OS. Any low level firewall which can be custom configured should work. For Vista/Win7: 1. Start menu -> type in "Windows Firewall with Advanced Security". 2. Go to Outbound Rules in the left panel 3. Click on New Rule on the right panel 4. Select: Custom Rule, click Next 5. Select: All Programs, click Next 6. Select: Any for protocol type, click Next 7. For scope, add the 4 IPs you found to the REMOTE IP addresses list, click Next 8. Select Block the Connection, click Next 9. Select all profiles, click Next 10. Name it, and Finish And finally... 1. Set the socks proxy server in IE to localhost:8080 or whatever you specified (only the socks proxy, not the rest) and enable it 2. Set the socks proxy server in whatever browser you're using (Firefox, Opera, etc). Chrome should use the IE setting. And after that long process, you should be able to view any Hulu video. The IPs/Servers might change, so you might need to expand your IP block list from time to time. One key critical piece of missing information is that you need is block outgoing connections to a few of Hulu’s servers on your local machine.

Flash attempts connections in the following manner:
1. Try connecting directly to the server
2. If that failed, try connecting through the proxy server specified in IE.
If #1 succeeds, Flash would completely bypass your SSH tunnel and reveal your real IP to Hulu.

So you need to figure out the servers that Hulu us trying to connect to, and block them. To figure out the servers:
1. Install “Live HTTP Headers” addon for Firefox and open it up
2. Go to the Hulu video you want to watch
3. In the Generator window, you will see a few urls that Hulu is hitting. The ones ending in /fcs/ident and /fcs/ident2 are interesting to us. They would be something like “hulufs.fplive.net” and “hulu-123.fcod.llwnd.net”
4. Figure out the IPs for these 2 servers… simply ping it or something. Do it for both your local connection and your SSH servers, so you would end up with 4 different IPs. The hosts are on a round-robin DNS so they will give up different IPs.

Now to block the IPs, in Vista/Win7, you can simply use the built-in firewall that comes as part of the OS. Any low level firewall which can be custom configured should work. For Vista/Win7:
1. Start menu -> type in “Windows Firewall with Advanced Security”.
2. Go to Outbound Rules in the left panel
3. Click on New Rule on the right panel
4. Select: Custom Rule, click Next
5. Select: All Programs, click Next
6. Select: Any for protocol type, click Next
7. For scope, add the 4 IPs you found to the REMOTE IP addresses list, click Next
8. Select Block the Connection, click Next
9. Select all profiles, click Next
10. Name it, and Finish

And finally…
1. Set the socks proxy server in IE to localhost:8080 or whatever you specified (only the socks proxy, not the rest) and enable it
2. Set the socks proxy server in whatever browser you’re using (Firefox, Opera, etc). Chrome should use the IE setting.

And after that long process, you should be able to view any Hulu video.

The IPs/Servers might change, so you might need to expand your IP block list from time to time.

]]> By: Jay http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/#comment-6758 Jay Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:27:12 +0000 http://blog.mixu.net/?p=35#comment-6758 UDP?? Do you understand what UDP is? Or better, why this would not work for streaming a video? UDP?? Do you understand what UDP is? Or better, why this would not work for streaming a video?

]]> By: Tunneling http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/#comment-6495 Tunneling Sun, 16 May 2010 12:33:43 +0000 http://blog.mixu.net/?p=35#comment-6495 You can use the software from http://www.interwap.ro . They have free access at 384kbps and low prices for up to 50mbps high speeds. You can use the software from http://www.interwap.ro . They have free access at 384kbps and low prices for up to 50mbps high speeds.

]]> By: Mike http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/#comment-6360 Mike Wed, 12 May 2010 16:17:53 +0000 http://blog.mixu.net/?p=35#comment-6360 Hulu is a no go.... I was able to connect to ABC.com, youtube.com (accessing restricted content) and fox.com Hulu is a no go…. I was able to connect to ABC.com, youtube.com (accessing restricted content) and fox.com

]]> By: Mike http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/#comment-4460 Mike Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:47:57 +0000 http://blog.mixu.net/?p=35#comment-4460 I was able to get this working using Proxifier and a SSH tunnel through our Yankee server. Proxifier will route all network traffic through the tunnel, this includes Adobe flash. I was able to get this working using Proxifier and a SSH tunnel through our Yankee server. Proxifier will route all network traffic through the tunnel, this includes Adobe flash.

]]> By: Shon http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/#comment-2603 Shon Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:02:58 +0000 http://blog.mixu.net/?p=35#comment-2603 Nope this wont work with Hulu anymore. Though it will work with some other sites such as Pandora or whatismyip.com The reason it doesn't work with Hulu is mainly because Flash/RTMP does not respect the system / browsers proxy settings. The browser functions will work so Hulu won't flag you for being outside the US but when the browser tells flash to initiate the stream it fails with "Sorry we are unable to stream this video". Adobe does not consider this a problem. This is the same issue as a general SOCKS proxy will have. To access Hulu you need a VPN solution that actually tunnels the traffic at the network layer. OR you could use some specific software to catch those RTMP requests and redirect them to a proxy. Foxyproxy has a software solution (video helper) for windows I believe. Though I'm on a mac so VPN it is. Nope this wont work with Hulu anymore. Though it will work with some other sites such as Pandora or whatismyip.com

The reason it doesn’t work with Hulu is mainly because Flash/RTMP does not respect the system / browsers proxy settings. The browser functions will work so Hulu won’t flag you for being outside the US but when the browser tells flash to initiate the stream it fails with “Sorry we are unable to stream this video”. Adobe does not consider this a problem. This is the same issue as a general SOCKS proxy will have.

To access Hulu you need a VPN solution that actually tunnels the traffic at the network layer. OR you could use some specific software to catch those RTMP requests and redirect them to a proxy. Foxyproxy has a software solution (video helper) for windows I believe. Though I’m on a mac so VPN it is.

]]> By: anon http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/#comment-101 anon Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:56:44 +0000 http://blog.mixu.net/?p=35#comment-101 Does the hulu video go through the tunnel such that anyone sniffing your packets cannot tell you are watching a video? Like at work. Does the hulu video go through the tunnel such that anyone sniffing your packets cannot tell you are watching a video? Like at work.

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