If you’re trying to access Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, or even Amazon Video and you are getting some sort of streaming error, the reason is that you might be using a VPN or proxy. You might be aware of this problem, or you might not. The reason you are getting blocked is because these services don’t want VPN or proxy users outside of the US, using VPNs or proxies to change their IP to get access to US license restricted content.
How does Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Video Block VPNs?
So how are these services detecting VPNs and proxies?
Well it all comes down to what are called “shared IPs“. An IP address is your computer’s personal address. It’s how you connect to website and how they see you. Without a VPN, or proxy, they see your real IP. This is a good thing if you live in the US and want to watch Netflix, but if you live outside of the US, and you connect, you won’t get access to the US version of Netflix (or Hulu or anything else) but you’ll see your country’s version of it (however limited or blocked it may be).
When you use a VPN or proxy service, you are using shared IPs, which means that you are “sharing” IPs with other users. Most VPNs do this by default since it saves them money, and its also good for anonymity. The more users using the same IP, the harder it is for anyone to isolate users and reveal information.
However, with streaming services, the more users using the same IP, the worse it is since it’s easier for these services to identify a massive amount of users using the same IP. From here, it’s easy for the streaming service to blacklist said IP as a “proxy or VPN IP” which makes all of those users using that IP get the “Netflix proxy error” or some sort of error explaining your service is restricted or not available in your region.
So if you can’t access content on Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Video with your regular IP (since you live outside of the US probably), and you can’t access it via shared IPs since they bet blacklisted, how can you access any of these services? Well, that’s why you need to use a VPN that is undetectable for Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and MORE!
Best Undetectable VPN for Streaming?
If you haven’t watched the video above yet, the best VPN for unblocking Netflix, Hulu, or any other streaming services that blocks shared IPs is TorGuard. The reason is that they use unique dedicated IPs that you can purchase on checkout.
A dedicated IP is different than a shared IP in that it is unique and not shared. With a dedicated IP, streaming services can’t detect that you’re even using a VPN or proxy service–that is the genius of it!
A dedicated IP brings the best of both worlds, allowing users outside the US to access US content with a US IP, but there is no detection, blacklisting, or flagging that happens to create a streaming error!
