What is the best time to settle for a Netflix binge? A lazy afternoon perhaps? Or in the evening when you have little energy or motivation for anything. It’s different when you’re on holiday, with all the time in the world to relax. You can start your favorite Virtual Private Network (VPN) and connect to Netflix, at any time of day.
But sometimes this happens:
That’s is not what you were expecting
Why does this happen?
In the past, VPNs were a reliable method for accessing Netflix from outside the U.S. Now, most of them don’t offer that functionality. VPN providers can no longer keep up with Netflix’s active effort to block IP addresses from VPN servers. When that error pops up, then your VPN provider has let you down.
IP Vanish is one of the VPNs that used to unblock Netflix without any issues. It now seems to have conceded the IP address chess game to Netflix. This, however, doesn’t mean you can’t watch Netflix from another country, there’s a workaround to it. There’s a way to get faster streaming speeds no matter where you are in the world.
How Netflix Blocks a VPN Provider
Many VPN users prefer to keep their connections active anytime they’re online. It helps protect your privacy by covering your digital footprint. You might wonder how they work behind the scenes.
When you log into your VPN account, after paying your provider, of course, you are connected to a VPN server. However, you’re not the only one using the server. Other subscribers use it too.
Now here’s what happens when you’re signed in. You receive a new IP address, which makes the connection appear to be coming from that server’s location. However, other users connected to that particular server are assigned the same address. So you effectively share an IP address.
You paid for a VPN service, so why are you sharing an IP? That’s what guarantees your privacy. VPNs use IP sharing to enhance users’ anonymity. It’s hard to figure out their separate identities since every user’s data is routed through the same IP address. You’re all just a bunch of zeros and ones.
The irony is that Netflix will also easily detect multiple users trying to access their content from the same IP. That’s how they know you’re using a VPN to access their content and beat you at your own game. When they discover you’re using a VPN, they block that IP address.
You paid for this service. You want it to work. So when they block your IP address, you contact your VPN provider. If their customer support is good, they’ll respond on time. They’ll confirm that, indeed, your IP has been blocked.
Here’s how they’ll fix it.
They’ll set up a new group of IP addresses and once again you’ll have access to Netflix. Then it’ll only take some time before the Netflix system figures it out. It’ll then block your new IP addresses and the game starts again.
It’s like a game of battleship. Where you each try to sink each other’s ship until one of you loses the battle. In this case, most VPN providers lost the battle. It’s hard to beat Netflix when you’re not using a battle-tested VPN.
Why Netflix Enforces Geoblocking
Since January 2016, Netflix has been actively blocking any proxy service connection to its servers. Before this, you could easily access their content using a VPN. Most VPN providers saw the futility in trying to play the IP-blocking chess game with Netflix and gradually dropped their claims of unblocking Netflix. Unfortunately, IPVanish is one of the fallen.
Netflix is well within its rights to block VPN-using subscribers from accessing their servers. It has contracts with movie and television studios where licensed content can only be accessed by subscribers from a certain geographical area. So if you’re in Australia, you may not have access to U.S content without a VPN.
This may be frustrating for U.S based subscribers who are using VPNs to protect their online connections from prying eyes. In an era when users want to only see what they want, no matter where they’re from, this comes off as an antiquated way to license content.
We said we had a solution. Our knight in shining armor happens to be one of the providers who can still evade the Netflix blockade. Not only can they provide better speeds, but they’re also available anywhere in the world.
Why ExpressVPN is the best Netflix Workaround
When it comes to playing hide and seek with Netflix, no one does it better than ExpressVPN. It has over 1500 VPN servers in over 90 countries. Unless you’re visiting a remote island where you probably don’t want to be found, ExpressVPN will work no matter where you are. It’s an excellent way to access geo-blocked content. Not only on Netflix but also platforms such as Hulu as well.
Here’s why ExpressVPN is the best option:
- Privacy protection: ExpressVPN takes your privacy seriously. Their headquarters is in the British Virgin Islands. Here, no one will get access to your information even if they brought a subpoena. It also doesn’t keep any logs of users’ online activities. So there’d be nothing for the company to turn over. For payments, they also take Bitcoin. So you can use the service and they’ll never know who you are.
- Multi-Platform support: Netflix works on most devices that can connect to the internet. To allow you to switch devices, ExpressVPN will also offer native support for the macOS, Windows and Linux desktop platforms. It also caters for iOS and Android devices. You can also download browser extensions for either Chrome, Firefox or Safari. It gets better. You can connect three devices at the same time, all under one account. You could also connect it to your router to protect all devices in your house, all at once.
- Customer support: An issue might arise. Though we hope you have a seamless experience, sometimes you need to contact your VPN provider. If this happens, you’ll want support that’ll be there when you need it. That’s why ExpressVPN offers online support chat, ticket submission formats and an easy to search the knowledge base for frequently asked questions.
- Pricing: ExpressVPN’s month to month subscription goes for $12.95 per month. A six month or 12-month subscription goes for $9.99 per month or $8.32 per month respectively. You get value for your money.
- Last but not least, the most important part – connection speeds. ExpressVPNs fast connection regularly measures in at nearly 84% as fast as what your ISP provides. Though Netflix doesn’t need high speed to watch content without buffering, ExpressVPN supports speed that lets you even stream content in 4k HDR format.
Need we say more?
This is a lifesaver when you’re out of the country. Do we swear by it? Yes. It works well and since this is still a chess game between VPN providers and Netflix, sometimes you have to search for the best server to stream from. You simply scroll through a list and choose a server near you, that’s all it takes. You don’t need to worry if they block IP Vanish when you’ve got a better option.
