I tried using five VPNs to unblock Netflix – and it’s not good news

I tried using v VPNs to unblock Netflix – and it's not proficient news

(Paradigm credit: Vantage_DS/Shutterstock)

One of the most pop uses for the best VPN is to admission geo-blocked content online. While that could be watching BBC iPlayer from the US or communicable costless sports streams on Commonwealth of australia's 7Play, one of the biggest draws is unblocking regional content with a Netflix VPN.

However, with the recent news that Netflix has stepped upwards its VPN restrictions by blocking swathes of residential IPs, I idea I'd test out the best services to come across whether they really accept been outsmarted.

So, with subscriptions to our top services in hand, I took on the task of testing what regional content each service could unblock, and whether Netflix's new restrictions really have changed the VPN landscape.

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How it works

In our regular VPN for Netflix testing process, we check each VPN'south operation on a range of servers in popular countries – the UK, US, Canada, Australia and Japan – note the results, and order our guides accordingly. I did the same for this commodity here, and ordered the results by region.

It's also worth outlining exactly what Netflix has changed. In contempo years, VPNs take taken to buying up thousands of residential IP addresses (as opposed to data center IPs) to fool Netflix into thinking VPN traffic is coming from a 'legitimate' source in whatever location the user has called.

At present though, Netflix has identified many of these IP ranges, blocking region-locked content for anyone using one and restricting them to only Netflix Originals (content owned by Netflix and not licenced by a another product visitor). While seemingly effective at blocking many VPNs, the upshot of this is that many Netflix subscribers not using VPNs have also had content restricted simply because they live in an surface area covered past these IPs.

It'southward a craven and egg scenario, and while nosotros expect superlative VPN providers to be able to create some kind of workaround to some of the problems they face up, that may have fourth dimension. Below, you'll find out exactly what you tin expect correct at present.

TLDR; If you just want the difficult facts, every VPN has been afflicted by Netflix's sweeping reforms, but ExpressVPN seems to have rallied the quickest, offering decent operation in the UK, US, and Canada. NordVPN is yet a viable option, but Surfshark seems yet to fully come to terms with the changes.

Netflix regional error message — (Image credit: Time to come)

1. United states of america Netflix

Equally one of the most pop libraries to unblock, the United states of america is home to tons of content that's not available anywhere else. And, thanks to that, VPNs often prioritize information technology – if a service can't unblock the United states of america, information technology's usually non going to do well elsewhere.

In my previous testing, our meridian-rated providers take all aced this – that includes ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, and IPVanish – just in this latest round nearly all providers had at least a degraded service. In fact, well-nigh of these, including NordVPN, Surfshark, and IPVanish, were totally unable to admission US Netflix.

The but service that worked was ExpressVPN, and even then, when testing on different devices I got different results. On 1 PC I simply couldn't get it to piece of work, but on another it was concern as usual – and both of these machines were using the same Wi-Fi network.

And then, it looks like Netflix'southward new method is certainly effective – but it'southward not foolproof.

2. Uk Netflix

The results were a little better in the UK. Both ExpressVPN and NordVPN were successful in each exam, merely perennial streaming favorite Surfshark was once again unable to unblock exclusive content, as well as IPVanish.

It'due south also worth mentioning in what manner Surfshark failed here. While trying to access The states Netflix, on some occasions Surfshark actually managed to display some US-only Netflix shows (we weren't restricted to Originals), simply when I tried to play them, I was presented with an error code ('M7037-1111', to be precise). In the UK, though, I was only ever offered Netflix Originals, and searching for geo-blocked content was unsuccessful.

3. Canadian Netflix

Although Canada is actually one of the all-time libraries overall in terms of content, information technology'south not nearly as widely supported by VPNs as the US and UK. Services like IPVanish and Hotspot Shield that are adequately capable of unblocking some regions seem to be totally bamboozled at the best of times in Canada, then I held out picayune hope in these tests.

However, Express, Nord and Surfshark are usually reliable – simply every bit expected, not everything is smooth sailing correct now.

ExpressVPN connected to print with trouble-free access to Canadian shows, merely NordVPN failed on every one of my attempts. Surfshark clawed back a little dignity, but fifty-fifty and then, unblocking was intermittent and its success rate was only around lxx%.

4. Australian Netflix

As nosotros head into the more 'niche' locales, things seem to get a bit more troublesome. In a real turn up for the books, ExpressVPN currently seems unable to access anything Downward Nether – the first time I've seen the hardened streaming VPN totally fail in my testing so far.

NordVPN performed marginally meliorate, delivering a roughly sixty% success rate, while Surfshark was able to access Australian content in one case every three tries. Again, few other services reliably unblock Australia at the best of times, and they predictably failed.

It'south interesting to see ExpressVPN lag behind here, every bit up until now information technology seemed to exist relatively unaffected by Netflix'south blocking upgrades – although we tin can't forget nigh the failures I experienced when using some other PC. Those issues, along with this failure, evidently prove that Express hasn't quite got everything figured out yet.

5. Japanese Netflix

In general, Japan has proved to exist one of the trickier regions to unblock in recent testing. Notably, though, it'south the only location other than the Us that IPVanish can regularly access – but it tin can't currently cut the mustard, and this lack of support for Japan rounds off a disappointing make clean sweep of failures for the veteran US VPN.

It's non alone, all the same, as every effort I fabricated with whatsoever other service – Limited, Nord, Surfshark, you lot name it – failed as well. And so, if you're looking for a Japan VPN for watching sectional Netflix shows, I'd recommend giving it a while to see which providers can find a way around this get-go.

Netflix on an iPad next to some popcorn — (Epitome credit: Studio R3/Shutterstock)

Volition VPNs always work with Netflix once more?

Netflix's latest changes practice seem to have thwarted a lot of VPN providers' Netflix support. All the same, blacklisting hundreds of thousands of residential IPs has caused significant collateral damage by blocking 'innocent' users, and that side effect is the real reason this story has hit the headlines. Will the streaming giant keep this up? We simply tin't say for sure.

However, even in the few days since that story broke we've seen some improvement in the operation of VPNs, especially the existent big guns similar ExpressVPN and NordVPN. I look this has been achieved past simply buying upward a load more residential IPs that may or may non exist banned in time, but if it works, it works.

My VPN isn't working – what do I exercise?

No matter what service you subscribe to, if you're having bug with a feature you regularly use I highly recommend you make it impact with the support team. After all, you pay for those live chat operators, and then you may every bit well make the nearly of them.

It's as well worth disconnecting and reconnecting your VPN – yes, the one-time off-and-on-again pull a fast one on works for VPNs likewise. Each fourth dimension you connect y'all're almost guaranteed to be continued to a new server and become a new IP address, then while it can be a case of trial and fault, it tin deliver results.

Try immigration your cookies and history, and if you lot're able to, endeavour using another device – this worked for me at the kickoff of this test. Finally, while I haven't tested it personally, I've heard give-and-take that ExpressVPN's MediaStreamer DNS office is working, so other Smart DNS tools may practise too.

Other than that, it really does seem similar a example of expect and see. I've certainly got my fingers crossed.

Mo is VPN Editor at Tom'south Guide. Twenty-four hours-to-day he oversees VPN, privacy, and cybersecurity content, and also undertakes independent testing of VPN services to ensure his recommendations are authentic and up to date. When he's not getting stuck into the nitty-gritty settings of a VPN you've never heard of, you'll observe him working on his Peugeot 205 GTi or watching Peep Show instead of finally putting upwardly those shelves.