How to Bypass Geo-Restrictions in Five Simple Steps
Geo-restrictions have become commonplace with the increasing popularity of streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. Though most streaming services are only offered in certain countries, there are ways to get around their restrictions so you can access them from any country you want. Here’s how to bypass geo-restrictions in five simple steps.
Step 1: Get a VPN
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a service that routes your internet connection through a third-party server before connecting it to another server. You can learn more about how they work and how they help you bypass geo-restrictions here. Once you decide on a VPN, you’ll need to sign up for an account and install their software on your computer or mobile device. Most of them will also have detailed instructions on how to set everything up properly.
If there are any problems, contact customer support and they should be able to assist you with your installation.
Step 2: Choose Server Location Wisely
The obvious solution is simply to choose a server located where you want to appear. But that can be easier said than done. It’s possible you don’t know anyone living in South Africa and it’s also hard to tell which servers have fast connections (or are even reliable). If you don’t know what you’re doing, any server will do but, since speed and reliability are crucial here, do your research. For example, there’s often a big difference between US-based servers and others (even if they’re nearby) so try them all out before settling on one just because it’s close.
Step 3: Watch Netflix with Little to No Delay
Netflix is generally fast, but there are always times when it slows down. This could be due to your location or network congestion. There are ways around that, though.
If you’re on a Mac and you have access to a VPN, go here and download one (we recommend TunnelBear). For Windows users, click here and download your VPN of choice (ExpressVPN works well). Install it and open it up—you may have to set up some ports in order for it to work correctly.
Now that you’ve done that, connect your computer through one of those newly opened ports and try watching Netflix again. It should work just fine! If not…try again later!
Step 4: Connect Your Device to the Chosen Server
You’ve successfully connected your device to a VPN server, so you’ll want to check whether it’s working properly. The most obvious way of doing that is by seeing if you can load a website. If you try and access a blocked site and it’s unavailable, then all is well. If not, then there may be some issues with your connection.
At times like these it can help to flush your DNS cache: press Windows Key + R, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt and click Run as administrator. Here you’ll need to enter ipconfig /flushdns followed by entering on your keyboard.
Step 5: Enjoy Movies and TV Shows from Anywhere in the World
Remember, using a VPN doesn’t make you anonymous. VPNs can only protect your identity when you’re connected to a private server and it acts as a cover for your own IP address when you are performing activities that may not be legal in your country.
Therefore, if you plan on streaming movies and TV shows from services such as Netflix, Hulu, or BBC iPlayer, just remember that once you’re using those geo-restricted services there is no guarantee of privacy so use at your own risk. Furthermore, copyright laws still apply regardless of where you decide to access media content from so it might not be worth breaking them if they don’t apply where you live.