Craving for an all US binge marathon but can’t seem to find a way around those geo-blocks? Worry not; this guide will help you.
Content producers in America know how to entertain the audience. They are brilliant at it. The problem is they can be a little selfish too. They create and publish magic, and then they hide it behind TV and licensing rights. The result? While the locals get to enjoy some amazing content, those who live abroad, like people in Australia, they find themselves geo-restricted, unable to access these shows from their home country.
Unsanctioned streams on the internet help to an extent, but they carry their own risks, with malware, infected ads, and tracking cookies at the top of the list.
What should you do then? Simple; get a VPN.
The Netflix, Hulu, Disney, HBO, and Amazon Prime websites use your IP address to determine your sign-in location. A virtual private network (VPN) masks your Australian IP and routes your traffic through a server located in a country of your choice, in this case, the United States. The gated streaming services think you’re in America, and they let you in, providing you access to your favourite shows and movies.
Of course, not all VPNs can do this job, and you need a reliable VPN service to unblock Netflix USA or Hulu from Australia.
Four Trustworthy VPNs to Watch US Shows in Down Under
Here are four VPN providers you can trust to light up your all US binge-watching sessions.
ExpressVPN
Hailing from the British Virgin Islands, ExpressVPN is a popular VPN service. The company operates 3000+ servers in 94 countries. It protects your data with advanced encryption and tunneling protocols and keeps no record of your online activities. That’s important from a privacy standpoint.
ExpressVPN works with almost all streaming services. Thanks to twenty-two server locations in the US, you can access Netflix USA, Hulu, HBO Now, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, Crunchyroll, and Disney+ in Australia without any problems. The recommended server locations for streaming are:
For Netflix USA – New York, Miami, Washington DC
For Hulu – New Jersey-1, Washington DC-2, New York
For HBO Now – Santa Monica, Los Angeles, New York
For Disney Plus – Washington DC, New Jersey, New York
Surfshark
Like ExpressVPN, Surfshark also operates from the British Virgin Islands. The company has 1700+ servers in 69 countries. It uses OpenVPN, IKEv2, and Shadowshocks tunnelling protocols to keep your web traffic secure. Data encryption is achieved using military-grade cipher keys. No activity logs are recorded.
Surfshark maintains more than 500 servers in over twenty cities across the United States. These include Boston, Buffalo, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and more. All twenty server locations provide problem-free access to Netflix USA, Hulu, Disney Plus, and other American streaming services from Australia. The recommended server locations for streaming are:
For Netflix USA: Los Angeles, Denver, Seattle
For Hulu: Orlando, New York, Seattle
For HBO Now: Latham, Boston, Kansas City
For Disney Plus: Latham, Atlanta, Miami
NordVPN
NordVPN is based in Panama. The VPN service runs a network of 5000+ servers, spread across 59 countries. It comes guarded by the latest NordLynx tunnelling protocol, which provides excellent security, speed, and reliability. The company maintains 100% activity-log-free operations.
NordVPN unblocks more than 300 OTT video platforms, including US-based platforms too. You can stream Netflix USA, HBO Max, HBO Now, Crunchyroll, Disney Plus, and Hulu by connecting to any of NordVPN’s fifteen US server locations. The recommended locations for streaming are:
For Netflix USA: Buffalo, Phoenix, Salt Lake City
For Hulu: Buffalo, New York, Manassas
For HBO Now: Salt Lake City, Charlotte, New York
For Disney Plus: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas
PureVPN
PureVPN is headquartered in Hong Kong, away from the influence of Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and Fourteen Eyes member countries. The company operates 2000+ servers in 180 locations worldwide. It secures your communications using a wide range of tunnelling protocols. These include OpenVPN, IKEv2, IPSec, SSTP, and PPTP. The VPN service keeps no record of your online activities.
PureVPN offers a dedicated mode for streaming. The streaming mode lets you connect to fourteen different server locations in the US, unblocking all major US streaming services. The recommended server locations for streaming are:
For Netflix USA: Buffalo, Phoenix, Miami
For Hulu: New York, Manassas, Salt Lake City
For HBO Now: Buffalo, Charlotte, New York
For Disney Plus: Denver, Atlanta, Chicago
How to set up a VPN to watch your favorite US shows
Setting up a VPN is easy. All you need to do is:
1. Sign up to a VPN service. We’ll use Surfshark as an example.
2. Download and install the VPN app on your device.
3. Launch the app and connect to a US server.
4. Log in to a streaming service of your choice (of course, you need to have a subscription).
5. Start enjoying your favorite US shows. It’s that simple.
So what are you doing over the weekend? Let’s call in family and friends and enjoy Devs on Hulu together.