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Life without Netflix seems almost impossible nowadays. It’s that ubiquitous.
However, not all Netflix shows can be accessed everywhere. The catalog of movies, TV shows, and documentaries differ from country to country. Although most of these shows largely remain the same, many are still not available to you because of your location.
As a result, you can miss out on a lot of good content. To be able to stream region-locked content, many subscribers have turned to VPNs.
Using VPNs with Netflix
The task of a VPN, when used with Netflix, is that of spoofing. It tricks Netflix to think you’re in a different location. With it, you’ll be able to change your Netflix region. By doing so, you can already access certain shows that were previously unavailable to you.
Unfortunately, this VPN hack has not been working well lately – Netflix can now detect and block VPNs.
Now, how does Netflix manage to do this? And more importantly, how can you stop it from detecting your VPN?
How Does Netflix Block VPNs?
VPNs trick Netflix by giving you an IP address that belongs to another region, country, or location. Netflix is not unaware of this, of course. They know that many of their users use VPNs to access shows that are unavailable to them. So, they are also constantly on the lookout for such IP addresses to mitigate VPN use.
Below are some ways by which Netflix detects and blocks VPNs:
1. By Detecting Shared IP Addresses
VPN service providers tend to have a rather large clientele. Because of this, many users are given the same IP addresses. This indicates that you share the same IP address with multiple people and Netflix detects it. Netflix marks these users and blocks their VPN.
2. Detecting Known VPN Providers’ IP Addresses
Netflix is likely to keep track of all previously discovered VPN IP addresses in a database. So, if they detect IP addresses that belong to these previously found VPNs, they will block them. If your VPN service does not regularly update its addresses, you won’t have access to Netflix content in another region. .
3. Netflix Knows Your GeoLocation
Knowing your GeoLocation makes it the easiest way for Netflix to identify if you’re using a VPN. This is because your billing address gives away your exact location. However, while using a VPN , the IP address detected will be completely different. This gives away the fact that you are using a VPN and Netflix blocks your account.
Furthermore, when a user logs into Netflix via their desktop browser and not a web browser, Netflix saves the location record. Now, when you use a VPN and your location changes, Netflix will know that you might be on a VPN.
4. Via DNS Server-Location Mismatches
When you use another device to stream Netflix, it detects the difference between two locations; one that is using a VPN and the other that isn’t. Furthermore, certain features of the Netflix app can override your DNS – which is essentially your designation of an IP address and not what the server offers. This reveals your true IP address.
Once it has detected that you are using a VPN, it will block your access to a few or all of your Netflix content. Modifying the Network Settings of your device to avoid such VPN problems.
The best way to avoid Netflix’s detection of a VPN would be to connect it directly to your router!.
Why Does Netflix Detect VPN Server Usage And Block It?
You must be wondering why Netflix does not screen certain content in different regions and why the Netflix system works tirelessly to detect any user utilizing a VPN to access unavailable content.
The answer is quite simple: they don’t want you to stream any Netflix content that is blocked in your region! This is because Netflix makes profits from restricted content that is streamed.
The copyright holders don’t make a revenue when their content is streamed from an unlicensed region. Hence, there is a major financial loss when Netflix doesn’t block VPN users.
Can You Bypass Netflix VPN Ban?
Yes, you can bypass the Netflix VPN detection system. There are many methods that you could use to hide your VPN from Netflix. Given below are some of the methods which help you move around the Netflix VPN detection systems:
1. Dedicated IP Addresses and VPN Services
Netflix can easily detect VPN usage through shared IP addresses. Switching to VPN services that assign you an IP address – that which only you use! This is the best way to get around Netflix’s VPN detection procedure since one else would be using your IP address.
Moreover, many VPNs provide specific servers exclusively meant for streaming Netflix. These servers come with special means or configurations that can divert Netflix’s VPN detection system.
2. Installing VPN On Router And Not On The Streaming Device
As mentioned in the previous section, a DNS server location mismatch can give away your use of a VPN. This, in turn, can trigger proxy errors to get your VPN blocked by Netflix. To solve this problem, don’t install the VPN on your computer or phone – where you stream Netflix. Instead, install the VPN on your router itself. This guarantees one VPN for all devices used to stream Netflix.
3. Switch To A VPN That Regularly Renews IP Addresses To Unblock Netflix Account
You need to know that some VPN connections are better at updating IP addresses than others. While the others have tens of thousands of IP addresses to offer. So choose the best VPN server that can offer you a fresh IP address that hasn’t been used by anyone else. And in the off-chance that some IP addresses do get banned, your VPN server will renew it!. This will help you bypass the VPN ban and access Netflix again.
Conclusion
Although Netflix ensures to block all IP addresses that are traced back to a VPN for restricted content, you don’t have to worry!
VPN service providers are continually upgrading their systems. They are working out new ways that overcome Netflix’s ban on VPN that will once again let you access content that is region-specific.
