So I decided to use surfshark for the 2nd time after a year of using nordvpn and I am almost regretting it. Not sure why but it seems most of the surf shark VPN ip connections are blocked from most websites… Even ig and fb, i constantly have to cycle through different connections to have them to work or half the time just resign myself to not use the VPN at all. What am I doing wrong?
Hello, thank you for sharing your experience. I’m sorry to hear you’re facing issues with website accessibility and the need to frequently switch connections.
Here are a few steps you might find helpful:
In case the problem persists, I would recommend getting in touch with our support team at [email protected] or by joining live chats on our website.
FB (and many other social media sites) are known for blocking VPN’s, as it’s part of their security system to counteract ‘suspicious user activity’. Explained here.
Yes, and most institutions and stores block Surfshark completely, like I’m not even able to connect to Surfshark in a McDonald’s…
Its super easy and stable with my own VPN though
I won’t be renewing
I was with ProtonVPN for a while but wanted to switch. I debated doing surfshark but narrowly dodged that bullet. Have been with Nord for several months now and no major complaints.
I regret that I bought their 2 year plan. I’ve been using them for years and won’t be renewing. Been facing major connection issues, it is almost impossible to make new social media accounts while the VPN is on and it is a pain in the ass to find a location that works.
Their dedicated IP is also a joke. You have to buy it for the entire subscription plan, there is no trial. I ended up making another account just to try it for a month and that IP address was already blocked from everywhere lol. Stay away
I do not facing this problem so much to be honest.
If you really have problems with specific websites like FB/IG it’s an option to just let them bypass the VPN on a white list. That way you do not have to turn off the whole VPN and be exposed on other places.
I’m pretty sure you have the option to get a dedicated IP adress as a addon service, and that would probably not face the same issues you mention. Before trying that I would contact the support and ask them if they think it would work better, and if you can get 1 day trial or something.
I am really happy with Surfshark for it’s price bracket, although you can’t expect the best performance. Other services such as NordVPN or ExpressVPN that are on a totally different price tier for example, but in my opinion I think Surfshark do a really good job, and I get ~900/900 Mbps from my 1 Gbps connect.
Wish you the best of luck!
I’ve never come across this issue, even with FB or IG. Maybe you have the ad-block option on? Many social media sites have hundreds of tracking hooks on their sites and apps, so if those are blocked then the site won’t work.
I must be lucky because the only sites I’ve had that blocks surfshark are bank websites and some insurance websites. Every other website I’ve been to has not blocked surfshark
Hi, I understand that it’s frustrating to encounter connectivity issues at certain public places like McDonald’s. These places often put restrictions on their internet, such as blocking certain ports that Surfshark uses. This can sometimes prevent our VPN from establishing a connection.
You might want to try changing the protocols in our app or try this setup for restricted networks:
https://support.surfshark.com/hc/en-us/sections/4414393367954-Restricted-network-setup
If the issue persists, please contact our tech support team at [email protected] and we’ll take a better look at your case.
I tried everything I can with the app, and nothing works. While my own VPN, as open as I can make it, can connect easily, it’s a big security flaw, I would assume, from Surfshark.
Surfshark needs Socks5 or ShadowSOCKS as protocols, but it’s not there. And the WireGuard protocol, that’s flagged easily by any institution. This is bad. I can make my own VPN go over HTTPS and make it look like it’s a website.
I have contacted Surfshark support, but they just told me to plug in the manual file into open VPN and Android, which honestly is not the best possible solution. Why would that work if the app doesn’t work?