We’ve featured one or two ways to watch Hulu from outside the US, but one user over at Reddit has discovered a fairly easy way, without an outside proxy server, to watch Hulu just by closing a few ports.
The hack requires Firefox, along with the Modify Headers add-on. All you need to do is install the add-on, go to Tools > Modify Headers and add a new one. In the first box, type X-Forwarded-For and in the second box, type in the IP adddress of any US website. Leave the other box blank and save the filter.
Then, block TCP and UDP port 1935. To do so on Mac, all you need to do is type the following in a Terminal window:
sudo ipfw add 0 deny tcp from any to any 1935
sudo ipfw add 0 deny udp from any to any 1935
Linux users can install iptables to do it through Terminal as well, with the commands:
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp –dport 1935 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p udp –dport 1935 -j DROP
Windows users should be able to follow these instructions to correctly block the ports.
This method should allow access not just to Hulu, but many other US-only streaming sites. Note that this may disable Flash on other sites, so you’ll only want to enable this while you’re watching video on one of these sites. We Lifehacker editors are all in the US, however, so we can’t verify the efficacy of this method. Thus, be sure to let us know what does and does not work for you in the comments, and we’ll edit the post accordingly. Also be sure to check out the original post at Reddit and the comments over there, as they have been honing the method quite well.
Andy Hutchinson
July 10, 2010 at 8:11 AM
Looks like they patched the hole already. Tested from Australia – get the usual ‘We’re sorry … ‘ message. *sigh*
Report PermalinkWilliam
July 10, 2010 at 1:08 PM
I had no luck to begin with, turns out I was just using an IP they must’ve already blocked (Google’s). Try another US-based website because it worked for me (I’m from Australia as well).
Report PermalinkSameer Jain
July 10, 2010 at 10:43 PM
can u tell me wich ip u r using I have tried many but no luck
Report PermalinkAli L.
July 10, 2010 at 1:56 PM
Not so! I’m in Melbourne and it’s working for me. However, it seems a bit laggy; you might need to let things buffer in.
Doesn’t work with a Netflix account, alas — trying to log into mine still gave me the “you’re outside the 50 US States” error message.
Report PermalinkSameer Jain
July 10, 2010 at 2:01 PM
well for me work like a charm.
any way there is one modification in iptable command its –dport not -dport
Report Permalinkeggbert
July 10, 2010 at 4:31 PM
Sameer,
I get an error using either –dport or -dport
1) Bad argument `–dport’
2) Bad argument `1935′
Any ideas what it could be? All I did was copy/paste from the code above.
Report PermalinkTrix
July 10, 2010 at 6:04 PM
And because the comment box seems to like auto-”correcting”, it’s two dashes in front of dport, but with no spaces: – -dport
Report PermalinkTrix
July 10, 2010 at 6:23 PM
Gahhh, got though all that config, and the bloody 64-bit Firefox of course has no Flash player available on Windows. Time to boot to Linux….
Report PermalinkCameron
July 10, 2010 at 11:32 PM
Or you could just use a 32 bit browser?
Report Permalinkck
July 11, 2010 at 1:28 AM
Working for me from Aus :)
For Windows 7 port block, do the following:
Go to Start -> Run -> WF.msc -> Outbound Rules -> New Rule -> Select ‘Port’ -> Enter TCP port 1935 -> Block the Connection
Go to Start -> Run -> WF.msc -> Outbound Rules -> New Rule -> Select ‘Port’ -> Enter UDP port 1935 -> Block the Connection
Report PermalinkDaftgown
July 11, 2010 at 9:20 AM
Tried various different versions of this hack, and it does not work. In sydney, using a mac.
Report Permalinkviso
July 11, 2010 at 11:17 PM
Same problem here. Running OS X in Canberra.
Report PermalinkShaan Nicol
July 11, 2010 at 2:18 PM
Had it working yesterday from Singapore, but looks like the hole was plugged up. I manged to watch High Fidelity
Report PermalinkGiantDave
July 11, 2010 at 2:43 PM
Just tried. Seems to be plugged. running Windows 7 from Brisbane.
Report PermalinkSameer Jain
July 12, 2010 at 2:52 PM
looks like hulu fixed it
Report PermalinkDean
July 12, 2010 at 3:42 PM
Yep I’m in Sydney and it seems like Hulu fixed it.
I just use Anchor Free and use the Opera browser and that works for me :D :D
(Just a hint with Anchor Free, if it doesn’t work the first time you connect, just disconnect and connect again to a different US IP address proxy)
Report PermalinkMidda
July 12, 2010 at 8:07 PM
Well, I just tested it, and it’s still working for me. Try using a different IP to the one you’re trying?
Report PermalinkSameer Jain
July 14, 2010 at 3:10 AM
look like sometimes its working some times not
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