Comments on: How to watch Hulu videos via SSH tunneling http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/ When I read what I write I learn what I think. Wed, 03 Mar 2010 07:38:18 +0200 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Mike http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/comment-page-1/#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/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/comment-page-1/#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/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/comment-page-1/#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.

]]> By: Anonymous http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/comment-page-1/#comment-63 Anonymous Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:05:41 +0000 http://blog.mixu.net/?p=35#comment-63 Use either HTTP SSL proxy (i.e. HTTP proxy with CONNECT option) or SOCKS proxy (e.g. SSH tunnel) and proxify browser through it using ProxyCap http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JA74JPR7 (ProxyCap works only on 32-bit Windows) That's the only workaround for flash player bug. Also you can use Transporter (which includes hack to remove ads...) + ProxyCap. Use either HTTP SSL proxy (i.e. HTTP proxy with CONNECT option) or SOCKS proxy (e.g. SSH tunnel) and proxify browser through it using ProxyCap http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JA74JPR7 (ProxyCap works only on 32-bit Windows)

That’s the only workaround for flash player bug.

Also you can use Transporter (which includes hack to remove ads…) + ProxyCap.

]]> By: Anonymous http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/comment-page-1/#comment-27 Anonymous Fri, 29 May 2009 00:18:11 +0000 http://blog.mixu.net/?p=35#comment-27 I'm not convinced this actually works. I'm quite aware of SSH tunneling as a way to proxy a connection, I've used this technique for years on many OS's. I'm currently on a Vista machine and I'm having no luck with Hulu. That's actually why I'm still searching blogs for a working SSH tunnel solution. I also assumed Flash was not respecting proxy settings, and it seems to be the case on my Windows machine. Are you sure you're not American and don't know it? :) I’m not convinced this actually works.

I’m quite aware of SSH tunneling as a way to proxy a connection, I’ve used this technique for years on many OS’s. I’m currently on a Vista machine and I’m having no luck with Hulu. That’s actually why I’m still searching blogs for a working SSH tunnel solution.

I also assumed Flash was not respecting proxy settings, and it seems to be the case on my Windows machine. Are you sure you’re not American and don’t know it? :)

]]> By: admin http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/comment-page-1/#comment-23 admin Mon, 25 May 2009 00:31:10 +0000 http://blog.mixu.net/?p=35#comment-23 I did a bit digging on this issue with OSX, and apparently Adobe Flash does not always obey the proxy settings set in the browser or the OS. Have a look at this bug filed for Flash: http://bugs.adobe.com/jira/browse/FP-673 As for Parneix, you are clearly on the right track. What exactly is shown on your browser when you access Hulu versus some other site like google or whatsmyip? Screenshots? I haven't used OSX but I suspect the problem is with Flash not obeying the proxy settings, it seems the proxy server at localhost:8080 is trying to connect to localhost (127.0.0.1) to get data, which is incorrect. I did a bit digging on this issue with OSX, and apparently Adobe Flash does not always obey the proxy settings set in the browser or the OS.

Have a look at this bug filed for Flash: http://bugs.adobe.com/jira/browse/FP-673

As for Parneix, you are clearly on the right track. What exactly is shown on your browser when you access Hulu versus some other site like google or whatsmyip? Screenshots?

I haven’t used OSX but I suspect the problem is with Flash not obeying the proxy settings, it seems the proxy server at localhost:8080 is trying to connect to localhost (127.0.0.1) to get data, which is incorrect.

]]> By: Parneix http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/comment-page-1/#comment-22 Parneix Sun, 24 May 2009 21:33:57 +0000 http://blog.mixu.net/?p=35#comment-22 The info I get from Proxifier while trying to connect to Hulu is the following. Maybe it could help someone to understand what's going on (and wrong) : Error : The proxy server localhost:8080 has unexpectedly terminated the connection JavaApplicationS - Could not connect to 127.0.0.1:17747 through the proxy server Thanks again. P. The info I get from Proxifier while trying to connect to Hulu is the following. Maybe it could help someone to understand what’s going on (and wrong) :

Error : The proxy server localhost:8080 has unexpectedly terminated the connection
JavaApplicationS – Could not connect to 127.0.0.1:17747 through the proxy server

Thanks again.

P.

]]> By: Parneix http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/comment-page-1/#comment-21 Parneix Sun, 24 May 2009 21:28:22 +0000 http://blog.mixu.net/?p=35#comment-21 I have the same problem as Daniel : though I'm able to open a SSH tunnel giving me a US IP adress (and I know how to configure my network setting on a Mac to get both Safari and Forefox to use it) I still can't get anything from Hulu. I also tried this trick (see link), but still no success. Any idea? Thanks a lot for the article. http://mattourne.blogspot.com/2009/01/watch-hulucom-outside-us-on-mac-os-x.html P. I have the same problem as Daniel : though I’m able to open a SSH tunnel giving me a US IP adress (and I know how to configure my network setting on a Mac to get both Safari and Forefox to use it) I still can’t get anything from Hulu. I also tried this trick (see link), but still no success. Any idea? Thanks a lot for the article.

http://mattourne.blogspot.com/2009/01/watch-hulucom-outside-us-on-mac-os-x.html

P.

]]> By: admin http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/comment-page-1/#comment-19 admin Tue, 19 May 2009 11:29:03 +0000 http://blog.mixu.net/?p=35#comment-19 Nope, still works. And Hulu does not seem to use UDP for watching videos, at least I am not seeing any additional packets coming in received while watching a video. If you can see the site via your browser, and your browser IP is correct (US), then I can't think of other reasons than that Flash is not using the tunnel to connect - might be that Flash on Linux/Mac will not obey the proxy settings. Of course it could also be that your server is blocked by Hulu or that different shows have different streaming mechanisms, although I doubt that either of these is the reason. I haven't tested this extensively, so mileage may vary. Nope, still works. And Hulu does not seem to use UDP for watching videos, at least I am not seeing any additional packets coming in received while watching a video.

If you can see the site via your browser, and your browser IP is correct (US), then I can’t think of other reasons than that Flash is not using the tunnel to connect – might be that Flash on Linux/Mac will not obey the proxy settings.

Of course it could also be that your server is blocked by Hulu or that different shows have different streaming mechanisms, although I doubt that either of these is the reason. I haven’t tested this extensively, so mileage may vary.

]]> By: daniel http://blog.mixu.net/2009/05/how-to-watch-hulu-videos-via-ssh-tunneling/comment-page-1/#comment-18 daniel Mon, 18 May 2009 22:28:24 +0000 http://blog.mixu.net/?p=35#comment-18 Sorry to be a kill-joy, but I'm pretty sure a SSH tunnel won't cut it, at least it doesn't for me. I assume that hulu uses UDP to provide the video thus making the SSH tunnel only viable for loading thumbnails and such, but not for the actual video streaming. I get the "unable to to stream this video " error despite being connected by a SSH tunnel through a US box. What we need is a way to tunnel (hulu specific) UDP traffic over the established SSH tunnel. A real VPN would always be the preferred way of course, but since most of the cheap virtual server hosts don't offer the necessary interfaces to build a VPN, we're left with SSH tunneling as the only viable option. Any ideas here? Sorry to be a kill-joy, but I’m pretty sure a SSH tunnel won’t cut it, at least it doesn’t for me. I assume that hulu uses UDP to provide the video thus making the SSH tunnel only viable for loading thumbnails and such, but not for the actual video streaming.
I get the “unable to to stream this video ” error despite being connected by a SSH tunnel through a US box.
What we need is a way to tunnel (hulu specific) UDP traffic over the established SSH tunnel.
A real VPN would always be the preferred way of course, but since most of the cheap virtual server hosts don’t offer the necessary interfaces to build a VPN, we’re left with SSH tunneling as the only viable option.

Any ideas here?

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