The red shield is the task bar quick launch icon (if you permitted the install).

Right mouse on the shield and you can click on connect/disconnect.

I went that route rather than load up their search bar which has the same function built in. Nothing to do with security.

I use Google Chrome...which works fine.

I have just installed this thingy, and when I say I am VERY unteckie, I really do mean it. However, I installed it and my son was delighted to see Merlin on BBCi player. I presently live in France, so I have UK TV via Freesat and French television, it was just really to see if I could do it, and I could, so I did! I was also interested to see that the BBCi player says that it will have global coverage from summer of 2011, which I thought interesting.

I want to go and live in Canada in 2012, and I am positive we will have a super life doing all sorts of outdoor and family things, but I want to keep up the French language we have now, with the British culture of my heritage, and the Canadian of my husband's birth. Television plays a part in that, as it is an ease of language, and gives lots of cultural insight. I'm really pleased that I could install this! Well done me, and many thanks!

The shield is the taskbar icon for the ExpatShield programme, allowing you to turn it on when you wish to use it & off when you wish to use your internet connection "normally".
As Alan said above, you could just use something like Foxy Proxy to tell Firefox about the new settings. In my case I find it easier to just switch ExpatShield on & off from the taskbar as I don't sit in front of my PC watching TV very often...
If it proves useful in the long term I will run it on my laptop & use a USB to HDMI cable linked to the family television, If I go this route I will inform all of the various bits of kit on my WiFi network of the new settings...

It really is easy to set up & run, especially as it's one click on/one click off..

Righto...that makes sense now. I have previously downloaded the occasional device to watch streams (sopcast veetle vlc etc) and this was the first time something had an immediate effect on my normal use.

I'll try again.

Thanks.

That does make it all much clearer, thanks.

I'm getting the usual "not available in your area" message when I try to watch.

The connection is on and this time it's not preventing me flitting about.

It worked for me. I've just watched "Have I Got News For You" and there were subtitles available too. I'm happy.

i've got it working on 2 pcs 1st time. and now running through the laptop onto the tv.

so far.... bbc iplayer, itv's and channel 5's all work perfectly but i'm having issues in getting channel 4's to play. but i'm well chuffed.

no more constant csi, 1st 48 or the same movie repeated 5 times a day
might even cancel shaw tv totally and just pick what i want to watch.


but..... the OH has just put doctors on and now wants to watch home and away. oh well

I closed everything and went back in later via the connect shield.

Still getting the not in my area thing.

Nothing has changed for me and three goes is enough.

It has stopped working for me and is now saying "not available in your area" so I have removed it.

Maybe whatever is being used has been sussed and blocked.

Still works fine for me..

Oh well...must be something about me that it doesn't like.

Spend 5 quid a month on a VPN (I recommend my-private-network.co.uk) and kick back, UK IP address/connectivity with no hassles.

Downloaded it and it works great for all the live BBC and ITV channels, as well as their players. Channel 5 is working as well but not channel 4.

I did a speedtest check and a location search of the IP and it comes back as Tunisia? How can this be?