How Does Netflix Know You Are Using A Vpn
Best Ways to Bypass the Netflix Block With A VPN (Tested 2021)
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It is possible to bypass Netflix regional blocks in order to watch your favorite international TV shows and movies. Here’s how:
Choose a VPN provider and sign up for a plan.
Download and install the VPN software.
Run your VPN software, choose a server from a country where you want to watch Netflix from, and connect to it.
Open your browser and go to. You should see the version of the site that corresponds to the location of your VPN server.
Log in and you can use the site as usual, but now you get to see all the content from the international location instead of your home country’s content.
Netflix has been so successful banning VPNs and proxies, you might think it’s impossible to unblock your favorite streams from abroad. Don’t be fooled–there are still some top-tier VPNs with networks powerful enough to bypass the Netflix block. We’ve tested them out, and below we provide our recommendations on which providers to use and explain how to watch Netflix with a VPN.
It is Possible to Watch Netflix from a Region Different Than Your Own…It Just Takes a Little Work
Here’s a preview of the best VPNs to unblock Netflix anywhere:
NordVPN – Best Netflix Unblocker – NordVPN’s server network is among the most expansive in the business, making its heavily encrypted VPN connections the perfect way to unblock Netflix around the world.
Surfshark – Surfshark “just works” when it comes to streaming Netflix from another country. Any one of their servers will work, coming pre-configured for optimally streaming geoblocked content.
ExpressVPN – ExpressVPN’s fast speeds and powerful encryption have a great track record unblocking Netflix US, UK, Japan, and more.
CyberGhost – A well-respected major VPN provider with numerous servers tooled for getting past Netflix blocks. Simple interface.
PrivateVPN – This lightweight-yet-powerful VPN features Netflix-specific servers, optimized for speed and security.
StrongVPN – Limited to just Netflix US, but it’s a great VPN with access to the most popular Netflix library, so we’re recommending it.
Nearly 100 million people from all over the world use Netflix to watch TV shows and movies. However, you might have heard that Netflix offers different content in different countries. Even though all users go through the same website,, the content which they have access to varies depending on their ’ll have noticed this if you have been traveling abroad and tried to watch something on Netflix – you might not be able to load the video you want because it isn’t available in the region you are. In places like Germany, Spain, and Hong Kong, Netflix users can’t see the original Netflix programs (like House of Cards, for example), many Netflix users turned to a VPN to access content from other countries. If you lived in Germany but wanted to watch a Netflix show that was only available in the US, you just had to fire up your VPN software, connect to a US server, then head to and watch without problems.
Recently, though, this has stopped working for many.
So now, if you’re stuck looking for ways to bypass the Netflix VPN ban, we’ve done the research for you. We start by explaining how Netflix blocks VPNs and then show you our top choices to beat the geo-location ban from anywhere in the world.
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The problem with using a VPN to unblock Netflix streaming
Netflix cracked down on the use of VPNs. Netflix decided to block attempts to bypass their region-locked content using VPN services, making it more difficult to access Netflix content from other countries. Netflix was pressured into this action by movie copyright holders, as the pricey streaming rights for big movies are sold separately in different countries.
Netflix VPN & catalog access
When Netflix customers use a VPN to watch a movie that is not licensed in their country, copyright holders do not receive payment for their viewing. So there has been pressure on Netflix to prevent users from getting around region locks and making it difficult to change the location on netflix.
There is also the factor of Netflix becoming a content creator as well as a content distributor — now their shows like The Irishman and El Camino or Orange is the New Black are so successful.
A few years ago, Netflix took a more tolerant stance towards privacy and copyright law, but with the rise in importance of its own content, it is becoming stricter around potential piracy issues.
Eventually, Netflix has stated that they want to provide global access to content, so that you can watch all of the content wherever you are in the world.
But achieving this will be a long process of negotiations with copyright holders, so we’re unlikely to see Netflix global any time soon. For now, it is highly likely that Netflix content will remain region locked for the near future.
VPN detection, explained
When users have a VPN enabled and visit the Netflix site, they can browse the content as usual, using the VPN location.
For example, if you connect to a VPN server in the UK and go to, you’ll see the UK version of the site and everything appears to be working. But when you select a video to play, you may get a proxy error saying “Whoops, something went wrong… Stream Error”.
Beneath this is a warning that Netflix has detected that you are using an unblocker or a proxy, and you will not be able to play the video. If you see this warning, it means that Netflix has blocked your VPN and you won’t be able to watch your content.
This problem is caused by the sophisticated VPN detection which Netflix uses. At first, the VPN works as the Netflix website sees an IP address in UK, and so it serves the UK version of the site (it reads the country code of the incoming IP address and serves up the relevant version of the site).
However, the Netflix server which hosts the actual video content, rather than the website, uses much stricter detection methods to determine whether a VPN is being used. This prevents you from watching the video, even if you can navigate the site.
RELATED READING: How to Bypass the Netflix Proxy Error
Best VPN options for Netflix
Here’s our list of the best services VPNs that allow you to watch Netflix from anywhere:
1. NordVPN
Another VPN option for Netflix users is NordVPN. This service is perfect for highly privacy-minded users, thanks to its strong encryption and no-logging policy. NordVPN specializes in getting around region locks, so it has one of the biggest networks of servers with more than 5, 580 servers in 59 countries. NordVPN, in fact, has Netflix-optimised servers that don’t require extra configuration to work.
These are particular numbered servers that have been set up specifically to be used for watching Netflix. You can see the exact instructions for watching Netflix on the NordVPN website. According to NordVPN’s information, the servers are currently working with Netflix in the US as well as France, India, Netherlands, Canada, Germany, and Australia.
Read our full NordVPN review.
Pros
SPECIAL OFFER: 2-yr plan (68% off – link below)
Most VPN servers with different IP addresses
Zero leaks: IP/DNS/WebRTC
“Double” data protection
Great customer service via chat.
Cons
Very little
Sometimes slow in procesing refunds (but always do).
2. Surfshark
Surfshark has quickly established itself as a major player on the VPN market. And, their runaway success is in large part due to the exceptionally reliable access to Netflix anywhere in the world. Indeed, you can connect to any one of their 800+ servers to unblock 14 different Netflix libraries. There are no special settings to apply, no fishing around for streaming-compatible servers; just click connect and you’re ready to binge!
With powerful 256-AES-GCM encryption, there’s no way even the most restrictive government or ISP restrictions will keep you from watching what you want, when you want. And, to keep anyone from watching you, rest easier knowing Surfshark has a litany of privacy provisions, including a sterling no-logging policy, diskless server structure, and protection against IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks.
For an extra push through heavy censorship, just toggle Surfshark’s NoBorders mode on. And, enjoy ad-free streaming with their CleanWeb switch.
Read our full Surfshark review.
Reliably unblocks Netflix US, UK, Japan, and more
Over 800 servers in 50 countries worldwide, and constantly growing
Wide app availability on desktop, mobile, consoles, smart TVs and more
Based in the British Virgin Islands, where there are no data retention laws
Helpful 24/7 live chat with an actual human being.
Server network is not nearly as expansive as major competitors
Power users may wish for more settings to fiddle with.
3. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN has extremely fast servers that are ideal for streaming netflix, making it one of the most reliable VPN providers for accessing Netflix. With its huge network of 3, 000+ servers in 94 countries worldwide, you’ll easily be able to use ExpressVPN to spoof your location to watch Netflix from places like the US, Canada, and Germany.
You might find that not all servers work with Netflix when you use ExpressVPN, as the VPN detection evolves over time. If you’ve tried a few servers and not found one which is working, you can contact ExpressVPN’s 24/7 customer service and ask them for a recommendation of which server to connect to. They should be able to point you to the server that you need.
ExpressVPN supports plenty of different platforms, including Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Android, Chromebook, Kindle Fire and Firestick, Nook, and many more. The strong 256-bit AES encryption keeps your data safe and the no-logging policy ensures your privacy with ExpressVPN.
Read our full ExpressVPN review.
Unblocking Netflix, iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime
Super fast servers (minimal speed loss)
AES-256 encryption
No personal information logs kept
Live Chat Support.
Expensive month-to-month plan.
4. CyberGhost
Cyberghost managed to reinvent themselves under new ownership. They’ve improved operations greatly by adding a deluge of new servers and location, improved speeds by a long shot and upped the security for all their infrastructure.
The good thing about advertising some 6, 300 servers in 89 countries worldwide is that some of these are specifically meant for Netflix streaming — just open up the app and select your preferred server from the streaming menu.
That means you won’t have to contact customer support for working servers or just try random ones every time you bump into a problem.
On top of that, there’s a review feature that allows you to thumb up or down on a server’s IP address which pings the support team if a server has been blocked or not.
From a privacy standpoint, Cyberghost is based in Romania — a country that has no data retention laws, which means you can stream totally private; no logs and no data usage is being leaked.
Read our full CyberGhost review.
LOW PRICE: 6 EXTRA free months (79% off – link below)
P2P allowed on any server except in US and Russia
Jurisdiction in Romania
Strict no logging
24/7 Live Chat Support.
Can’t unblock some other streaming sites.
5. PrivateVPN
PrivateVPN is another great solution for unblocking Netflix. They focus strongly on privacy and usability which means it will allow you the comfort of accessing content safe and secure.
PrivateVPN has apps for smartphones, computers and even the firestick — it comes with a super light and quite sleek interface so that everyone can use it no matter how tech-literate they are. Just choose a server and connect. There aren’t a ton of these by the standards of this list of top VPNs, but you still get a generous 150 servers in 60+ countries to choose from.
The service comes with a unique feature that will make watching Netflix extremely easy. By that we mean confirmed servers that work with the service — simply browse the server listing and you’ll see some odd labels saying? Netflix?,? Hulu?,? BBC? and others; voila you’re no more random luck trying to find servers that work with Netflix.
Read our full PrivateVPN review.
6. StrongVPN
Some users complain about StrongVPN not working with Netflix. Our testing revealed that they have specific servers in the US to unblock Netflix US — Miami and Atlanta worked great, but if you encounter issues just email the support team and they will help out with working servers. Their network is indeed robust, numbering more than 650 servers in 20+ countries in total.
The only drawbacks are that we couldn’t use the OpenVPN protocol which is more secure than PPTP (Note: SSTP also worked at the time of writing) and that you cannot unblock Netflix from the app.
Netflix and shared IP addresses
The first issue that VPN detection investigates is shared IP addresses. Many VPN providers will use shared IP addresses, so you could be on the same IP address as dozens or even hundreds of other users.
This is advantageous for anonymity, but it is easy for Netflix to see which IP addresses are accessing huge amounts of data, suggesting that they are a VPN shared IP, and to block them.
Anonymity vs sacrificing privacy
One solution to this is to use an individual IP address, which some VPN providers do offer, but this loses the advantage of anonymity offered by a shared IP.
Another problem is that VPN providers will typically buy up IP addresses in large bulk, so they will have a whole lot of servers under similar IP addresses. Once Netflix has discovered that a particular IP address is used by a VPN, it sometimes bulk blocks a whole range of addresses.
This means that users who aren’t even running VPNs can be affected by this issue, as their IP address happens to fall close to a range of VPN IP addresses.
The rules which Netflix uses to detect VPNs are not fully understood, and their VPN detection continues to evolve over time. This has created a situation where many if not most VPNs will no longer work with Netflix.
Even if you are a Netflix customer who only wants to access streaming content from your own country, you still won’t be able to use the service without turning off your VPN and sacrificing your privacy.
Using Netflix’s app vs browser (tested)
A separate complication with watching with a VPN is the two different ways in which you access the Netflix service. As well as banning IP addresses, Netflix also detects VPNs by looking at whether the location of your IP address and your DNS server matches.
If you use your web browser to watch Netflix and you have a VPN installed, then the VPN provider will be able to route your traffic via a DNS server that they have provided. This way, your traffic and your DNS server match and you do not trigger the proxy error.
RELATED READING: How to Get a U. S. IP Address from Anywhere
When you use Netflix in an app for your Android or iOS device, however, this does not always work. Apps can override the DNS settings on your device and force your device to use the default ISP name server.
This means that when your VPN service is turned on, the location of the traffic passing through the server does not match the DNS server, and so the Netflix streaming app can detect VPN use.
In this case, you’ll trigger the proxy error.
Many VPN providers have not yet been able to resolve this issue to allow users to watch Netflix through an app. However, the VPNs that we have selected below have found a way around this issue to make it work.
Install a VPN on your router to access unlimited US Netflix streaming
An alternative strategy to manage this problem is to install your VPN software directly onto your router rather than onto your individual devices. This way, any traffic which is sent through your router (i. e. any traffic originating from your home network) will be automatically encrypted.
Once you have installed your VPN software onto your router, you’ll need to configure your settings to forward DNS queries to the DNS servers provided by your VPN. Now, you can watch Netflix on any device – even through an app – without triggering the proxy error.
You can find instructions on how to install VPN software onto your router and how to configure your DNS settings on your VPN provider’s website.
How do you use Netflix with a VPN?
Once you’ve chosen a VPN provider and signed up for a plan, then using your VPN with Netflix is simple. Start off by downloading and installing the VPN software from your chosen provider.
When you run the software for the first time, you’ll see a list of servers in different countries that you can connect to. Find one that is in the country where you want to watch Netflix from and connect to it.
Is my VPN working?
You can check whether your VPN is working by going to. This site will tell you your current IP address, and show the location of that address on a map. Make sure that the IP address matches with the location that you wish to access Netflix from.
Now you can open up your browser and go to. You should see the version of the site that corresponds to the location of your VPN server. So, if you picked a server in the UK, you should see the UK version of Netflix. Log in and you can use the site as usual, but now you get to see all the UK content instead of your home country’s content.
You can use this method to access Netflix from all over the world. Some of the most popular versions of Netflix are those in the US, Canada, and the UK, as these have lots of content that is missing from other countries like Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Hong Kong, and Turkey.
Bypass Netflix region locks with a VPN
Netflix has set out on a mission to make bypassing their region locks on content more and more difficult over the last year or two, and they’ve succeeded in locking out many VPN users.
Whilst it may be understandable that they need to enforce strict rules about region locking from the copyright holders who provide their content, it is highly controversial that they are also blocking access to those customers who want to use a VPN in order to protect their privacy.
Parting words – The future of VPN use and Netflix
Eventually, Netflix aims to make all of its content available globally, but for now, we are stuck with region locking for the Netflix subscriber.
If you want to access Netflix content from other countries, however, this is still possible. You can use either of the two VPN providers that we recommended here – NordVPN and ExpressVPN – to bypass Netflix region locks.
Using VPNs is your best option to access Netflix for now
VPN detection will continue to grow more sophisticated, so you might need to ask for guidance to find the specific servers to which you can connect to in order to access Netflix, but as things stand these two are the most reliable options for VPNs to access Netflix.
Have you tried to get around the Netflix region locks? Do you use either of the VPNs which we recommended, or is there another which you prefer? Let us know your tips in the comments below!
Netflix Unblocking: Quick FAQ On How To Unblock The Content
Which VPNs work with Netflix?
We’ve done more than 5, 000 tests on 45+ VPNs and came up with those that WORK and are able to unblock Netflix. They are: NordVPN, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, PrivateVPN, and StrongVPN.
Is using a VPN with Netflix, illegal?
Since Netflix doesn’t know if a VPN is “being used for legitimate purposes”, they block VPN usage for their users. But that doesn’t mean you will be doing anything illegal by using one. There is no law against using a VPN to watch Netflix.
Why do I need a VPN with Netflix?
A VPN is more than a tool to fool apps and websites into thinking your location is somewhere else than it is. We recommend using a VPN, because it’s in your best interest when it comes to privacy.
Why Netflix doesn’t work with a VPN?
Because you’re not using the right VPN. Our research on 45+ VPNs reveals that only a select few services are able to actually unblock Netflix viewing.
How to use a VPN to unblock Netflix?
Using a VPN with Netflix is easy. Just sign up for a recommended VPN service from our list and then follow their instructions for setting everything up.
How Does Netflix Detect a VPN (And How to Bypass VPN Block)
One of the many reasons internet users connect via a VPN is to unlock otherwise unavailable video content. Video streamers access geographically restricted content by routing traffic through their VPN’s server in the appropriate country or regional area. This disguises the viewer’s actual location and tricks Netflix into delivering the content they ever, viewers are often disappointed when it no longer works. A Network Proxy error, videos that won’t play, and other problems occur when Netflix blocks your how does Netflix even know? How does it go about detecting VPN users? And, how can you prevent Netflix from detecting a VPN? How Does Netflix Detect a VPNRecognizing Known VPN Provider IP Addresses Detecting Shared IP Addresses Geolocation Looking for DNS Server Location Mismatches How to Bypass Netflix VPN Ban Use a Dedicated IP Addresses and Servers Install VPN on Your Router Rather Your Streaming Devices Use a VPN that Constantly Renews IP Addresses to Bypass the Blocks Conclusion How Does Netflix Detect a VPNThe tough news for VPN users is that Netflix works pretty hard to detect and block VPNs. They need to enforce copyright restrictions and protect the revenue lost by content creators when video is streamed from an unlicensed country or region. This incentive has them on the lookout for VPN usage and workarounds to their how do they do it? How does Netflix detect a VPN? There are a couple of cognizing Known VPN Provider IP AddressesNetflix likely enlists a service that tracks and provides information about IP addresses, including which ones are associated with VPNs. Once they know which ones belong to VPNs, they can block them. This becomes a problem when users use a service that doesn’t regularly refresh their IP tecting Shared IP AddressesWhen you are using a VPN, you may be using a shared IP address that may be used by quite a few other users. If Netflix sees a lot of traffic coming from the same IP address, they can figure out pretty quickly that it is a VPN and block it. This particular issue becomes a problem for those VPNs that have limited servers and available IP olocationSure, your VPN may show you logging in from another country, but Netflix has other ways of knowing where you are. The main one is your billing address. If your billing address is in New York and your traffic is coming from Germany, Netflix may believe you are on a browser can also be a dead giveaway. If you log onto Netflix and watch a movie without your VPN or with it set to the closest server, Netflix remembers that. When you log on through a VPN and change your location, Netflix knows something is wrong. Looking for DNS Server Location MismatchesA slightly more technical way Netflix blocks VPNs is by detecting conflicts between IP addresses and DNS (Domain Name Server) settings. The Netflix app, especially on mobile devices, has some ways to detect this issue, know you are on a VPN, and block access to some or all to Bypass Netflix VPN BanSo, how can you prevent Netflix from detecting a VPN and blocking you from viewing regional content? You can try three main things: using a dedicated IP address or server, installing a VPN on your router rather than your devices, and using a VPN that continually renews and updates IP a Dedicated IP Addresses and ServersSome VPNs, including NordVPN, can provide you with a dedicated VPN address that only you use. They may be available in the region from which you want to stream content. This will get you around many VPN detection methods. Since no one else uses the address, Netflix will have trouble identifying it as a you don’t want to go that route, there are other services that have specific servers set up for watching Netflix. These servers are specially configured to avoid being blocked and are updated as stall VPN on Your Router Rather Your Streaming DevicesOne way to get around DNS location mismatches that trigger proxy errors is by installing a VPN directly onto your router rather than on your computers, mobile devices, and streaming devices. Once you have the VPN installed on your router, you can configure your settings to use the DNS servers provided by your a VPN that Constantly Renews IP Addresses to Bypass the BlocksSome VPNs are better than others when it comes to renewing IP addresses. One way to avoid Netflix from detecting a VPN is to use an IP address that has not yet been identified as a VPN. The best way to accomplish that is to work with a VPN that has a massive number of addresses and is continuously renewing them. Check out the different providers that are suitable for streaming before choosing nclusionThe good news is that VPNs are aware of Netflix’s effort to block their traffic. The best VPNs are continually working on the problem and even offering tips and advice on connecting to the content you are the best VPNs for Netflix:
Is it illegal to use a VPN for Netflix? | Will you get banned? – ProPrivacy
Before you unblock Netflix it can help to understand where you stand legally. This guide takes a look at using Netflix VPNs to access additional content both in the eyes of Netflix and the law. Will I get in trouble if use a VPN with Netflix? Legally, no. People commonly mistake using a VPN with Netflix as a form of piracy, but accessing the provider’s international catalogs is quite different from torrenting copyrighted material. It is not illegal in any way, shape or form, and will not currently result in a criminal or civil lawsuit anywhere in the world. Technically, it is against the platform’s terms of service and Netflix does retain the right to cut access at any point, but it has not once enforced these rules. Let’s look at the Terms of Use The relevant sections of Netflix’s Terms of Use are: You may view Netflix content primarily within the country in which you have established your account and only in geographic locations where we offer our service and have licensed such content. The content that may be available to watch will vary by geographic location and will change from time to time. Netflix ToS 4. 3 You also agree not to circumvent, remove, alter, deactivate, degrade or thwart any of the content protections in the Netflix service; use any robot, spider, scraper or other automated means to access the Netflix service… We may terminate or restrict your use of our service if you violate these Terms of Use or are engaged in illegal or fraudulent use of the service. 6 This means that, technically, Netflix can terminate your contract for using a VPN to circumvent its geographic restrictions on content. But it has never done this and has shown no interest whatsoever in doing so. The following tidbit from Netflix’s help section may also be of interest: Do you use a VPN or proxy for other reasons, such as for work or for privacy? Because there is no reliable way for us to determine if a VPN or proxy is being used for legitimate purposes, any VPN or proxy use will prevent you from streaming Netflix. Please disable any VPN or proxy and try Netflix again. Netflix Help What happens if I get caught? If you are “caught” using a VPN, Netflix will show a streaming error message and refuse to play titles. But if you simply disconnect the VPN, the error message will disappear and you will regain full access to your regular Netflix library. If you are seeing this message we offer some tips on resolving the issue in our Netflix VPN not working guide. In other words, Netflix does not punish you in any way for trying to watch its content using a VPN. It certainly won’t suspend your account or anything like that! If Netflix was serious about preventing people from using a VPN to access its regional catalogs, then it would do what services such as Hulu, Amazon, HBO Now, and most others do – lock access to where your account is registered and /or use geolocation from your device to determine if you are where your IP address says you are. But it doesn’t. Why does Netflix ban subscribers from using a VPN? In short, Netflix doesn’t own all the content on its platform. As such, it is beholden to certain stipulations put in place by the owners of the shows that it licenses and often this will include geo-graphical restrictions. Think of it like this, Netflix content can be divided into two types: Netflix original content This is Netflix’s own intellectual property (IP) that the company has complete control over and can do what it likes with. Nowadays, Netflix Originals are made available to all customers at the same time, no matter where they are, meaning a VPN is not needed to watch them. There are a few exceptions with earlier Netflix Originals, however, which were released before Netflix was available in as many countries as it currently is. Rights to shows like Orange is the New Black were sold to third party networks in Tanzania, Indonesia, and other countries, making them unavailable to Netflix users in those territories without a VPN. Netflix has zero interest in enforcing restrictions based on the geographic location of its customers. If it was just up to Netflix, it would be a global platform that transcends license agreements with no need to use a VPN. Unfortunately, it is not. Licensed content Most content on the Netflix platform is licensed from third party creators who maintain ownership over their intellectual property. These content creators typically strike lucrative deals with regional broadcasters and streaming services around the world, who tend to insist on the exclusive right to broadcast that content in their country. If a US production company sells the BBC exclusive rights to broadcast its TV show in the UK, then part of the deal will be that no other UK broadcaster can make that show available in the UK. Including Netflix. It is up to third party distributors how and when they license their product, not Netflix, as the streaming service is simply another one of their customers. As part of its contractual obligations to the third party creators it licenses content from, Netflix has agreed to take measures preventing people using from VPNs to watch content on its platform that it is not licensed to show in their country. A reluctant policeman It should be noted that Netflix has always been notoriously unenthusiastic about enforcing regional restrictions. As it said in January 2016: We are making progress in licensing content across the world and, as of last week…, but we have a ways to go before we can offer people the same films and TV series everywhere. Over time, we anticipate being able to do so… We look forward to offering all of our content everywhere and to consumers being able to enjoy all of Netflix without using a proxy. That’s the goal we will keep pushing towards. Netflix As a result, it was relatively late in the game, and it was only under considerable pressure from its licensed content creators that it started blocking VPN users in 2016: For now, given the historic practice of licensing content by geographic territories, the TV shows and movies we offer differ, to varying degrees, by territory. In the meantime, we will continue to respect and enforce content licensing by geographic location. Some members use proxies or “unblockers” to access titles available outside their territory. To address this, we employ the same or similar measures other firms do… That means in the coming weeks, those using proxies and unblockers will only be able to access the service in the country where they currently are. Netflix How does Netflix detect VPNs? Netflix maintains a blocklist of IP addresses that are known to belong to VPN providers. If the IP address of the VPN server you are using to access Netflix is on that list, then Netflix will allow you to sign in to your account but will block content from actually playing (you will see the dreaded “Streaming Error” warning instead). If your VPN servers’ IP address is not on that list, then Netflix will take your apparent IP address at face value and stream content based on the location of your VPN server. It does not use the country your account was registered in or your device information, such as Device ID or geolocation data, to verify your real location. The one exception to this rule that we have found is when Chromecasting videos to a large screen TV. If the VPN’s IP address is not blocked, then Netflix will happily play the content on your casting device, and will even cast Netflix Originals content your TV. If you try Casting content that is restricted in your country, then the Chromecast will return a streaming error message on your TV screen. Netflix does not divulge where it obtains the VPN IPs for its blocklist, but it probably purchases them from companies that specialize in this area. These may use multiple sources to identify VPN server IP address, but the simplest way is just to sign up for a bunch of VPN services, and then log IP addresses used by their servers. How do VPNs evade the ban? Not all do. Many VPN services have decided that the cat-and-mouse game they need to play in order to stay one step ahead of the Netflix ban is simply not worth the effort. So, if you plan to use a VPN to watch Netflix, then please do make sure your chosen service promises it can unblock Netflix before you sign up for it. Many VPN services, however, make a profit from reliably unblocking Netflix. Most concentrate on unblocking the US version of Netflix, since this offers the largest regional catalog of titles by far, and is, therefore, the location in greatest demand by customers. But some also unblock other regional catalogs. So how do they do this? VPN providers can be understandably cagey about the tactics they use, but tried-and-true methods include: Refreshing their IP pools If a VPN service’s IP addresses are blocked by Netflix, then it can simply lease out new IP addresses, whether it’s from the data centers that host its servers, or from the internet service providers (ISPs) and backbone providers that issue said data centers with their IP addresses. Many VPN services now offer special “Netflix servers, ” so that only the IPs for those servers need to be refreshed on a routine basis. Offering dedicated IPs Another option is to offer customers unique dedicated IP addresses, which are purely for their own use. All the better if these are true residential IPs – real IPs issued by ISPs, instead of by data centers whose entire IP ranges may be known and blacklisted. Such dedicated IPs haven’t been used by anyone else and are unlikely to be on Netfix’s blocklist. Final Thoughts The bottom line is that Netflix may block you when using a VPN, but you will not get into any trouble for trying, you will not get your Netflix account canceled, and it is most certainly not in any way illegal! A lot of VPN services fail to unblock Netflix, so it’s important to choose the right service. We recommend the following services because the offer fast services, great features, and they’re reliable.
Frequently Asked Questions about how does netflix know you are using a vpn
How do you stop Netflix knowing you’re using a VPN?
So, how can you prevent Netflix from detecting a VPN and blocking you from viewing regional content? You can try three main things: using a dedicated IP address or server, installing a VPN on your router rather than your devices, and using a VPN that continually renews and updates IP addresses.Jun 17, 2021
What happens if Netflix catches you using a VPN?
If you are “caught” using a VPN, Netflix will show a streaming error message and refuse to play titles. But if you simply disconnect the VPN, the error message will disappear and you will regain full access to your regular Netflix library.
Is it illegal to use a VPN for Netflix?
It is not illegal to use a VPN for Netflix. However, Netflix does not allow to use services that can bypass geo-restrictions. The streaming service has the right to ban your account, but there are no cases reported of such activity. It is in the best interest for Netflix to keep all its users subscribed.Aug 13, 2021
