MAG Box with VPN Router

MAG set-top boxes (MAG 250 through the current 400/500 series) work with Liberty Shield through a VPN Router — no box configuration needed beyond joining the right network.

UK ISPs including Virgin Media, BT, Sky and TalkTalk are actively blocking IPTV content on MAG Boxes at specific times of day/week, which can mean your channels are unavailable exactly when you want to watch them. Connecting your MAG Box to a Liberty Shield VPN Router (instead of your ISP router) routes it through an encrypted VPN connection that can't be logged, throttled or blocked by any ISP.

1. Set your VPN Router to the country you need and make sure it's online.

2. Connect the MAG box to the VPN Router — LAN cable into the router for the most stable IPTV, or join the VPN WiFi on WiFi-capable models.

3. Reboot the MAG box so it picks up the new connection.

Essential tips for MAG Box users

• Which country should my VPN Router be set to for my MAG Box? None of our VPN networks can be blocked on MAG Boxes for IPTV, so we always suggest using the country you're in, or the next closest one. It's a common misconception that UK users need a non-UK IP address to beat ISP blocks. To change the country, log in at your account, pick the country from the "Payment Wallet" and press "Update", then reboot your VPN Router. Rarely, some IPTV providers may require a non-UK IP — in that case use a different country setting.

• Is your MAG Box connected to the VPN Router? Some customers leave their MAG Box connected to their ISP router (Virgin, BT, Sky, TalkTalk etc). To run a VPN on your MAG Box, it must be connected to the VPN Router — either by Ethernet cable or the optional MAG WiFi adaptor.

• How do I check my MAG Box is connected properly? Load the Internet option on your MAG Box (it should connect to Google by default), then visit iplocation.net and check your own ISP is no longer listed — you should see one of our VPN ISPs (e.g. Electronic Communities, Cogent, Ghostnet) instead of Virgin Media, BT, Sky, TalkTalk etc.

iplocation.net showing a MAG Box correctly connected to the VPN Router network

• Connected to the VPN but not getting a VPN IP address? You may need to set the network manually rather than rely on automatic (DHCP) settings — see Manual Network Settings.

• Connected and showing a VPN IP but IPTV still not working? It's worth contacting your IPTV provider and telling them you're using a VPN — some require registration of VPN-based IP addresses. Providers sometimes block an IP themselves (not the ISP) as a safeguard against shared logins if they see multiple connections from one address; confirming you're on a VPN IP usually resolves it. Once a MAG Box is on the VPN network, no ISP can be blocking its IPTV access — any remaining block is on the IPTV provider's side.

• MAG's built-in speed test showing much slower results than your ISP speed? The built-in speed test tools on devices like MAG Boxes are known to be unreliable. Test with fast.com instead, from a PC, Mac, phone or tablet on the VPN Router — and see our speed guide for general tips.