Access USA Netflix through your Router with a VPN
Life got easier with Netflix. The days of going to Blockbuster are long gone and no one’s looking back. No scratched discs, no late fees. Pure bliss. There’s just one problem with Netflix. Inequality. That’s right, due to super complicated distribution contracts and lawyer things that I don’t understand, those who live out of the US get stiffed on content. Most people who live elsewhere get about a third of the content even though they pay the same amount.
Don’t worry, there is a way that you can reduce at least one of the injustices in the world. Australian’s Canadians, the British and everyone else can use a VPN to access US Netflix through their router. This is a great way to do it, because it means that every device going through the router will appear as though it is based in the US, so anyone using your Wi-Fi will be able to access US Netflix. Just make sure it’s password protected, because if your neighbours find out they can get all that great content they’ll be eating up your bandwidth streaming the Gilmore Girls or something.
To be honest, Netflix aren’t a fan of you using anything to get around their geo-restrictions. It does violate their terms of service and they have made some pretty weak attempts to block users from getting around it, but it is still technically legal. That’s the best kind of legal.
So what exactly is a VPN? A Virtual Private Network, which is nerd-talk for an encrypted network that gives you greater privacy and security. They have many wonderful uses other than Netflix, but for this purpose, they essentially make the web traffic going through your router appear as though it is coming from the US, no matter where you really are.
Our favourite VPN is ExpressVPN. There are a lot of other options out there, so feel free to look around, but we just feel that ExpressVPN are one of the better companies as far as privacy and security are concerned. Yes, it is a bit more expensive than some of their competitors, but they also seem to have the technological expertise to stay ahead of Netflix.
Because we are such big fans of ExpressVPN and Netflix equality, we’ve set up this step-by-step guide to help you use ExpressVPN to get US Netflix through all of the devices connecting through your router.
Step 1: Sign Up to ExpressVPN
If you aren’t already an ExpressVPN user, it’s the one we recommend. Most other VPNs should be fine, but this guide is more specifically tailored to ExpressVPN.
Signing up is easy. You just need to go to their website and get a monthly plan. They offer a 30 day refund, so there is no risk to you if you don’t like their product. All they want is a valid email address and some kind of payment. They don’t go overboard with the personal details they require like some of their competitors.
Step 2: Open Your Welcome Email
They will send you a welcome email that will include a link to get your VPN set up as well as your login details.
You just need to click on the link or use your new username and password to sign in to their website.
Step 3: Set Up ExpressVPN
You will need to click on [Set Up ExpressVPN]. It’s on the [Active Subscriptions] page.
You will then need to open the [DNS] section. In here, you will find the [DNS server IP addresses]. You’ll need these later, so write them down.
Step 4: Log in to Your Router
Go to whichever browser you normally use and then head to your router’s setup page. To do this, type one of the following into the address bar:
If none of the above work, consult the manual for your router.
Enter your username and password into the setup page to log in.
Step 5: Configure Your DNS Settings
Find and click on [DNS Settings] once you have logged in.
Enter the [DNS server IP addresses] that you found in step 3.
Click [OK].
Step 6: Restart Everything
It’s pretty much done now. All you have to do is restart your router and any device that you plan to use through it. Go to your web browser and log in to your ExpressVPN account. It will check your service status to make sure things are functioning correctly. There should be a dialogue box letting you know if there have been any changes to your internet address.
You will then need to click on [Click here to activate your new internet address]. This lets ExpressVPN identify you.
Everything’s done now and it should all be working well. Time to reward yourself with a Netflix binge.