Poker Connectivity Tips

[GothMoth]

It seems that there are more "can't login/connect" issues lately so I want to give some connectivity tips for bypassing ISP blocks. At first I posted in an old thread, but the as the name isn't relevant I'll start a new thread.

First of all try the simplest method and just change your DNS settings. The method below can be used with any Public DNS servers. In the given example the Google ones are used, mostly because they are suitable for both IPv4 and IPv6.

• Go to the Control Panel / Settings.
• Click Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings.
  Select the connection for which you want to configure Google Public DNS. For example:
• To change the settings for an Ethernet connection, right-click Local Area Connection > Properties.
• To change the settings for a wireless connection, right-click Wireless Network Connection > Properties.
  • If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
• Select the Networking tab. Under This connection uses the following items, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) or Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) and then click Properties.
• Click Advanced and select the DNS tab. If there are any DNS server IP addresses listed there, write them down for future reference, and remove them from this window.
• Click OK.
• Select Use the following DNS server addresses. If there are any IP addresses listed in the Preferred DNS server or Alternate DNS server, write them down for future reference.
  Replace those addresses with the IP addresses of the Google DNS servers:
  • (Google Public) For IPv4: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
  • (Google Public) For IPv6: 2001:4860:4860::8888 and 2001:4860:4860::8844
• Restart the connection you selected in step 3.

Here is a video with Windows and Mac OS instructions:

[GothMoth]

If there are connectivity issues still after the DNS change this is one of the possible solutions:

Over time, your system will automatically cache IP addresses and other DNS results, in order to speed up subsequent requests it makes to the same hostname. This is all good, but at times, bad results will also be cached and therefore require to be cleared from your cache in order to communicate with hosts correctly. Similar to this, your TCP/IP settings may get corrupted, and will need to be reset. To perform this procedure, follow the steps found below.

• From Windows Start, search for cmd.
• Right click on Command Prompt and click Run as administrator.
• In the console, type the following command: ipconfig /flushdns
  • If the command was successful, you will see the message "Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache".
• Afterwards, type: netsh int ip reset
• Once done, restart your computer.

This will generally make your connection feel a lot smoother, but at times it may be a real trouble-saver.

[GothMoth]

If this doesn't help or the procedure seems too complex maybe it's better to try some Windows optimizer application.

I used to be fan of TuneUp Utilities back in the day, mostly because of the great Visual Styles they offered. There are many programs that could handle the system processes and tweak the internet connection just with few clicks.

Advanced SystemCare is one I've used most recently (had a free copy of the previous version) and is very good in almost all segments, not just internet.

There are actually free keys provided by some sites and many of them are good for months. So if you don't like spending money or just want to try before buy, a search for the sites with offers is a good start. As I recollect the one I've used for various programs is russian, but the url is out of my mind.

[GothMoth]

The last choice if the problems persist and you couldn't or don't want to change the ISP with one that doesn't block the site(s) you want to visit or even worse - the poker client is VPN.

This is my last consideration as it's costly. However when it comes to such things as internet privacy and security no compromises should be made. I've used to connect to every site using  IPv4 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 until my ISP changed something and the Unibet servers became unaccessible. I could visit the site, but the poker client won't load(white screen).

At first I used some free VPN to login and then turn it off until I opened the site seeing some promo in the lobby and forgetting that the VPN is still running. Then almost instantly I was logged-off the client and the site and a message " Your account is blocked..." showed. It turned out that the free VPN was changed my location to Algeria...

So if there is need to use a VPN make sure it's a good one and offers enough locations, just in case. I'm with ZenMate, as their free browser add-on was very good. The paid version was without an error for 1/2 year, but lately the performance is on free/badly hacked level... The mobile app even doesn't start for since the last update(more than a week). And the desktop is very bad too - the list of the available countries is practically cut in half, as they are temporarily unavailable.

So because of these problems I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Make a good research when signing in for a premium account, but be prepared for unpleasant surprises. That's a good reason to sign for a shorter period even when it's more expensive.

[JeppeL]

Nice one @GothMoth, I edited the title a little bit and moved to the top of the poker board :)

[GothMoth]

Thank you very much @JeppeL  😃