Blocked Country?

If you happen to be a gamer in a country that does not allow this game to be purchased or sold, or in which for whatever reason the game server does not allow the IP address you have been assigned to connect and play, that can make having a little STO fun more than a little impossible...

If that is the situation, you may want to consider obtaining access via a Virtual Private Network Service Provider!

For around $4.99 USD a month you can set get yourself a VPN account (Google it, seriously) that allows your iPad to appear to be physically located in America -- or wherever -- which then allows you to purchase any games or other media you would like from companies that do business there.

US iTunes Account

An alternative to this is to create a US iTunes Account and then log out of your international account on your iOS device, then using your computer, log into the US iTunes account and Update it via that channel rather than via its own network connection.

That will often permit you to Update the game(s) UNLESS you are actually in a country like Iran, where the entire IP Blocks assigned are blocked from access to the service, including iTunes, no matter where you tell them your account is from.

In that case you will need to go the VPN route.

Taking the VPN Route Easily

The issue of blocked access to the game servers is present for much more than just the odd country that is on the blocked list for political or financial reasons -- like some middle eastern countries and more than a few in Africa -- as network and location blocking can often be a result of network use restrictions such as those commonly found on university networks who happen to also service student residential housing.

During the span of nearly two years that this Guide has existed you probably would not believe the number of email messages that we have received from gamers whose access to the game servers have been blocked and who, naturally enough, were seeking a way around that blockage so that they could play the game!

In the course of that correspondence one company name has emerged again and again as a reliable and effective VPN service provider for gamers.

We are not associated with them, and they did not pay us to plug them here -- we mention that company in particular due only to its success, effectiveness and ease of use -- because if you are needing this sort of service to play the game, those are all important factors!

The company we are talking about is called TowerVPN (https://towervpn.com) -- and they offer unlimited VPN services starting at $2.99 a month and support almost all Operating Systems -- including Windows, Linux, and OS X, as well as Android and iOS... Just saying.

It is never fun to have your access to a game blocked -- no matter what the reason -- and we wish you well in finding a way around that blockage to get to your Springfield!