How to Unblock Netflix Content Using a Residential VPN?

Imagine you flew into the US from Spain on a business meeting slated for the next day. You checked into your hotel room, jet-lagged but never too tired to catch up with your favorite series on Netflix. It’s been weeks of avoiding spoilers and reveling in the suspense cliffhangers of the last episode. But much to your dismay, Netflix does not display the series.

Ever been in such a situation? The reason it happened in the first place is because Netflix uses a Content Distribution Network (CDN) that works based on geographical locations. It automatically detects changes to a subscriber’s IP address. Hence when you travel, it reads as ‘away from home’ and goes on to reshuffle to display content that is only available in your new location. In this case, the content available to you will be those for US subscribers. 

This is a general drawback of the location-specific content distribution network. Although it delivers on speed and can serve thousands of users at the same time, content changes per location.

More specifically, Netflix does not have a centralized or global content system. Instead, it has what is known as region-specific content, which may or may not overlap between two countries.

The question now is, if your favorite content doesn’t overlap in your new location, would there be a way for you to change your Netflix location? 

That is where you can seek the help of a friendly residential VPN and consume your favorite shows unbridled. Here’s how.

A 3-Step Guide to Unblocking Netflix

One way to enjoy the content you want regardless of where you are is to know how to change your Netflix location. Whether you are vacationing or attending a boot camp in another country or even continent, to continue enjoying unlimited access to the Netflix content library of your home country, you would need what is known as a Virtual Private Network (VPN). 

A VPN connects your device to the secured Internet while also protecting you and your data from snooping. It is the easiest and most effective way to stay safe while accessing geo-restricted sites and applications. With your connection to the internet via an encrypted tunnel, nobody can track your online activities, not even your internet service provider. 

Essentially, a VPN tunnels a person’s internet traffic via an intermediary server located in the user’s chosen country. With a VPN, one is able to conceal one’s real-time IP address and substitute it with an address from the country of their choice.

There are a bunch of VPNs in the market today, but you want to choose one that is secure and provides 100% residential IP. This is because residential VPNs fare the best when it comes to accessing Netflix in other countries, as they are better able to bypass Netflix’s VPN-detection system.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to change your Netflix region. It takes only three (3) easy steps:

• Access VPN (we recommend TuxlerVPN) and choose the region (city or state in a country) whose content library you want. E.g., Madrid, Spain
• Select the closest server to you and turn on the residential VPN
• Open your Netflix app and enjoy any location-specific or regional content.

If for some reason, you cannot stream the content you are looking for, consider logging out and logging back into your Netflix account. Clearing the cache of your device and browser may also help.

Why use residential VPN to unblock Netflix?

Residential VPNs like Tuxer are the best when it comes to accessing Netflix in other countries.

Netflix uses VPN server IP ranges to detect if its users are using a VPN to access restricted content. In most cases – with popular and free general-purpose VPNs – Netflix is easily able to detect this. However, since TuxlerVPN cloaks your original IP address with another true residential IP address, it is unlikely to block it.

This means you can enjoy unlimited Netflix content via TuxlerVPN’s servers without putting your binge-watching sessions in danger.

How to change Netflix region without VPN?

Are you wondering if it is wrong to change your Netflix region to enjoy any and all content you like? Well, every subscriber is free to access whatever content they desire, and you can actually use your original Netflix subscription to access the content of other countries.

Netflix does not distinguish between global accounts. This means that you can use your Spain-based Netflix subscription to access American content from a location in Spain. What’s impossible is streaming on Netflix without a subscription.

While unblocking Netflix using a residential VPN, you will likely come across different situations. You could either get all the content of that region, get only Netflix originals, or all the content of your native region. In such cases, your best bet would be to use an alternative method. There are a number of alternative methods that are just as reliable and safe. In this section, we will point you to them and give you a rundown on how to use each

Smart DNS (Domain Name System)

With a smart DNS, you can access all the content you want at a good streaming speed of HD/4K. To begin:

1. select a reliable Smart DNS service and sign up. 
2. Proceed by following on-screen prompts to supply your info and register your IP address. 
3. You might be required to manually input your IP address. Use IPlocation.net. 
4. Go on to get appropriate DNS server addresses from your provider’s My Account section. 
5. Activate it by visiting “Network Settings” in your device in the “Advanced” dropdown. 
6. Now you can input the DNS server addresses your provider made available and confirm. 
7. Restart your device, and you will see an activated Smart DNS once you connect to the internet.

Note that while Smart DNS allows streaming on different devices, its functionality neither covers encryption of your traffic nor hides your IP address. What this means is your Internet Service Provider (ISP) would be able to monitor your online activities, and cybercriminals could easily steal your data if you use unsecured public WiFi.

Web proxy server 

A proxy server can be used to change your Netflix region, and it does so by routing your traffic through an intermediary server before connecting to Netflix. It is very similar to a VPN, as it successfully hides your IP address and changes your location to the one you choose. The difference is proxy servers are not able to encrypt your internet traffic. You can choose to use a web proxy (usually free) or browser proxy extensions (not always free). Here’s how to begin

1. Visit the proxy server’s website and type www.netflix.com
2. Select a preferred server in the region you are looking to access content
3. Follow on-screen prompts to connect 
4. Sign into your Netflix account and stream away

Conclusion

Netflix is available in over 190 countries around the world. However, every country has its own catalog of movies and TV shows, and the geo-restrictions can get in the way of maximally enjoying your Netflix subscription. The tips and guidelines we have provided in this article are to help you make the most of your every subscription regardless of where you are at the time.

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