This is definitely a #qualityproblem which is great.
My mobile/cellular carrier provides zero-rated data for Spotify and Netflix (streaming either service does not count to my data allowance).
Netflix blocks ProtonVPN, and half my monthly data usage is for Spotify.
Is there a way for me to bypass the VPN and direct traffic for these specific services over my 3G/4G data instead?
I am aware this isn’t really ProtonVPN related, it’s more OpenVPN, but we have a great community here so I’m asking here.
Edit: solution for Netflix in comments
Sadly not. The way iOS and Android handels VPN does not allow that. You either go full-VPN or none at all.
That’s also the reason that makes it impossible to access services on a LAN with VPN activated.
Found a solution!
I added the following to the OVPN config file and copied it across to OpenVPN on my iPhone.
Now connections to those IP addresses don’t go via the VPN connection, they’re routed via mobile data. Netflix is working, though I’ve enabled huge IP ranges I’m concerned about unintentional leaking. I also need to capture the Spotify IP range now.
Biggest challenge was finding the Australian netflix mirrors, they all look like ipv4_1-lagg0-c001.1.syd001.isp.isp.nflxvideo.net
Configuration is here: Netflix Australian IPs - Pastebin.com
I would love to do this for Apple Music since I get it data free when not going through a VPN.
Spotify was a bit harder to figure out. My DNS log shows the following domains were resolved:
It appears Spotify’s streaming server is audio-ec.scdn.co as it resolves to 117.18.232.151 which is 15ms from me, hosted in Sydney and peered with AAPT. The rest of the IPs were in Sweden or the United States. When I ping that IP address from the USA it’s about 120ms away.
Interestingly, if I resolve audio-ec.scdn.co from a TPG connection, it goes to the Swedish server.
So I’ve added the following configuration to the ProtonVPN configuration file:
# spotify
route 104.199.240.211 255.255.255.255 net_gateway
route 104.199.241.197 255.255.255.255 net_gateway
route 151.101.36.246 255.255.255.255 net_gateway
route 193.235.51.113 255.255.255.255 net_gateway
# optus spotify mirror
route 117.18.232.151 255.255.255.255 net_gateway
I’ll report back when I know more.
well with openvpn for android, it’s just an option in the settings where all your apps are listed…just select netflix and it’s all done!
This really works for mobile? Wouldn’t have thought. Gonna try this with android at home. Hopefully I was wrong. But this might as well be a advantage of the OpenVPN Protocol and other Protocols can’t handle it on mobile.
Telstra?
I’m about to abandon giving Netflix a bypass because they use thousands of IP addresses. I’m hoping the streaming services are a bit simpler.
Looks like it’s working! My mobile providers integrated spyware has confirmed:
It’s not an option in iOS…
Yeh seems to be working fine.
Next challenge is to do some split tunneling and send Netflix traffic via PIA Texas (currently not blocked). Not sure if the mobile app will support concurrent VPN connections yet.
I still need to capture the Spotify IPs as well.
Screenshot of settings on mobile 
https://imgur.com/a/JiCbi
Yep, Telstra. Hopefully Apple Music doesn’t use as many IPs.
Thanks. But you will definitely Leak with those settings. The Ranges you specified contain a ton of IP-Adresses. Just the first 3 excluded routes are over 48 Million IP-Adresses alone.
Think I figured out Spotify. I’m going to find someone who either has Apple Music, or hasn’t used their free trial, so I can suss out the connections there.
I’ve pretty much unblocked all of amazon and its hosted services lol. I’m going to work backwards and work out what IPs netflix need :\
Just reduced the IP range massively, it’s still working but it will break for some users.
Nice work. I hope you can figure out Apple Music too, because that would be really useful for me.
Are all ProtonVPN Servers blocked by Netflix?
