How to Watch American Netflix Abroad with a VPN
Whoops, something went wrong…
Netflix has been doing a great job detecting Proxies, SmartDNS and VPNs. Many have been getting the dreaded Netflix proxy error message. This ban on using unblockers has been preventing customers from accessing its US, UK, Canadian and Australian media catalogs from abroad.
Netflix unblocker or proxy error
Users outside of the U.S, and Canada as well as those who travailing abroad that would like to access the US Netflix used to be able to use free proxies which was enough to unblock American Netflix. (It has the most extensive library, so it is the most sought after version.) Proxies though, no longer suffice, nor do Free VPNs and SmatDNSs. Only select number of VPNs still work to unblock Netflix. Now when you use on the formentioend services you get an Error message:
“Whoops, somthing went wrong…
You seem to be using an unblocker or proxy. Please turn off any of these services and try again. For more help, visit netflix.com/proxy.“
According to Netflix “It indicates that our systems have detected that you are connecting via a VPN, proxy, or “unblocker” service. Because our content library can vary by region and these types of connections are frequently used to bypass geolocation methods, you will not be able to stream when connected in this way.”
Using A VPN with Netflix
Some VPN services that still unblock Netflix as of mid 2017 include ExpressVPN, PrivateVPN, and NordVPN. They all use standard strong encryption and security to access a specific remote server and bypass Netflix geo-restrictions. Encryption scrambles your data so your activity is not as easily readable to Netflix and other third parties.
No service is perfect. Check each service’s privacy policy to learn just how anonymous you’ll be while using the site. The best choices for privacy have a ‘no logs’ policy and are located outside of a country in the “Five Eyes” Intelligence Alliance. The alliance includes Australia, Canada, New Zealand, The United Kingdom and the United States. If your service does keep logs, connection logs are better than usage logs because usage logs reveal your exact activity while connection logs only record general statistics about your session.
What You Need to Know Before Trying to Unblock Netflix
Netflix is getting better at detecting all unblocking technology including free and smart DNS proxies. Even strongly encrypted VPNs are not often a match for the streaming technology anymore. But some VPN services still work. We’ve done our best to compile a list of trusted services that unlock Netflix Geo-restrictions and explain how to use them. Remember, the VPNs that work and methods used to access the site change every day. If you are purchasing a VPN to access Netflix, do your own research first. Many of the best services have live chat or FAQs available to users so they can ask questions before they buy.
Choosing The Best Netflix VPN
It is impossible for us to choose the best Netflix VPN. All services are vulnerable. Sometimes a VPN stops working on the site, only to work a few months later. Sometimes only specific Netflix-designated servers work. Sometimes most work, but one or two are down. Services also have different ways of telling users which servers work, so a step-by-step guide is difficult to provide here. Check your VPN’s help center.
Some tips for success include:
- Clear your cache/cookies before you attempt access.
- If you’re having trouble, restart your browser or log out and back in to your VPN service.
- If one server doesn’t work, try another option (but start with one closest to your actual location.)
- If you are still having trouble, don’t be afraid to ask customer service for help.