Guide: How to Enable Hulu on PS3 With a Workaround - PS3 NEWS - PlayStation 3 News

**PS3 News** · 07-02-2009

A few days after blocking PlayStation 3 users, Hulu has yet to respond to questions concerning the change which has only helped to fuel rumors it is related to the Microsoft ad campaign currently featured on the site.

However, a guide is now available courtesy of yPass.net (linked above) that details how to workaround the method being used to block PS3 users, namely checking the User-Agent string in the HTTP request.

The workaround? To make your PS3 appear as a PC running a Firefox (or whatever you prefer) browser to any Web site that asks, as follows:

1. Install squid ("sudo apt-get install squid" for ubuntu users.... for Windows users, google for: squid windows)

2. Edit squid's default config (/etc/squid/squid.conf on ubuntu) with these changes (or download my configuration: http://www.ypass.net/downloads/squid-hulu/squid-hulu.conf):

Search for "acl localnet src" and set it to your internal network. You can remove the other localnet definitions if you're not using them as shown here:

#acl localnet src 10.0.0.0/8
#acl localnet src 172.16.0.0/12
acl localnet src 192.168.0.0/16

Search for "http_access allow localhost" and add "http_access allow localnet" as such:

http_access allow localnet
http_access allow localhost

Add the following two lines pretty much anywhere in the file (the end of the file works just fine):

header_access User-Agent deny all
header_replace User-Agent Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.11) Gecko/2009060215 Firefox/3.0.11 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)

3. Start squid (sudo /etc/init.d/squid start)

4. Go to PS3 Internet settings. Do manual configure. Go through the settings as normal (the defaults should be fine) until you get to proxy server. Set it to be your PC's IP address port 3128.

Your PS3 is now a Windows machine running Firefox (as far as Hulu is concerned) and you can use Hulu again. What a dumb method of restricting access. You can get a bit fancier with the acl's to make it so ONLY Hulu URLs get the User-Agent replaced. It's not that hard, but until I have a problem, I don't see any point in bothering.

More PlayStation 3 News...

**gtxboyracer** · 07-02-2009

The only site i can think of that might have an issue with replacing the browser tags, is the YouTube PS3 site - i'm sure its checking for those tags in the HTTP requests etc.. although without trying this i can't confirm.

**travis134** · 07-02-2009

OR just use bittorrent.. Which is more convenient?

**dezza** · 07-02-2009

Squid is so nice ..

- Everyone should have one ..

**fmbaig21** · 07-02-2009

Can someone please upload the squid.conf file for windows version of squid? I keep getting an error:

squid netmask masks away part of the specified ip

**PS3 News** · 07-02-2009

Did you mean this? It's what I'm seeing anyway in squid-hulu.conf

Code:

# squid conf to rewrite the User-Agent header.

acl all src all
acl manager proto cache_object
acl localhost src 127.0.0.1/32
acl to_localhost dst 127.0.0.0/8
acl localnet src 192.168.0.0/16 # MODIFY THIS LINE WITH YOUR LOCAL NET
acl SSL_ports port 443
acl SSL_ports port 563
acl SSL_ports port 873
acl Safe_ports port 80
acl Safe_ports port 21
acl Safe_ports port 443
acl Safe_ports port 70
acl Safe_ports port 210
acl Safe_ports port 1025-65535
acl Safe_ports port 280
acl Safe_ports port 488
acl Safe_ports port 591
acl Safe_ports port 777
acl Safe_ports port 631
acl Safe_ports port 873
acl Safe_ports port 901
acl purge method PURGE
acl CONNECT method CONNECT
http_access allow manager localhost
http_access deny manager
http_access allow purge localhost
http_access deny purge
http_access deny !Safe_ports
http_access deny CONNECT !SSL_ports
http_access allow localnet
http_access allow localhost
http_access deny all
icp_access allow localnet
icp_access deny all
http_port 3128
hierarchy_stoplist cgi-bin ?
access_log /var/log/squid/access.log squid
refresh_pattern ^ftp:		144020%	10080
refresh_pattern ^gopher:	1440200%	1440
refresh_pattern -i (/cgi-bin/|\?) 00%	0
refresh_pattern (Release|Package(.gz)*)$	0020%	2880
refresh_pattern .		0020%	4320
acl shoutcast rep_header X-HTTP09-First-Line ^ICY\s[0-9]
upgrade_http0.9 deny shoutcast
acl apache rep_header Server ^Apache
broken_vary_encoding allow apache
extension_methods REPORT MERGE MKACTIVITY CHECKOUT
header_access User-Agent deny all
header_replace User-Agent Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.11) Gecko/2009060215 Firefox/3.0.11 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)
hosts_file /etc/hosts
coredump_dir /var/spool/squid

**saioke** · 07-02-2009

thanks, i thought i was going to have to be using PlayOn for the remainder of hulu now and in my opinion, they are much better media servers out there than playon, play on only does a few things right.

thanks, I'm going to give this a shot later. nothing can get better than watching your favorite shows and movies in hulu.

**maxpwer222** · 07-02-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by travis134

OR just use bittorrent.. Which is more convenient?

I have to agree. I love getting some new shows then just streaming them onto my PS3.

**sweeper240** · 07-02-2009

I can't get an internet connection, and I don't know how to start Squid, how do you even know if its on?

I have a Linksys WRT54GL as my wireless router. it is connected via ethernet cable to my computer (Vista 64)

the PS3 is connected to the Linksys via wireless..

Please help me set this up to work with Squid and Hulu.

**fmbaig21** · 07-02-2009

I tried that squid conf but it seems thats for linux. I downloaded windows version of squid 2.7 and im getting the error: netmask masks away part of the specified ip.

I installed squid using the command prompt with the command "squid.exe -i" but unable to start the service because of that error.