How Does Netflix Detect VPNs?
Netflix has always been supportive of VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and even went as far as to create a special page to explain why they are so important. While many might think that Netflix’ stance is just because they want to keep their customers connected to the content they love, it’s actually a lot more complex than that. In this article, we’ll take a look at how Netflix detects VPNs and what you can do to ensure your VPN is undetectable by the service.
Why Does Netflix Care About VPNs?
As we’ve established, Netflix is incredibly supportive of VPNs, and they’ve always maintained this policy. One might think that this is simply because they want to make sure that their users are always able to access content regardless of the country that they are in, but that’s not entirely true either. In fact, there are quite a few scenarios where VPNs can hurt a Netflix customer. Here are some examples.
Scenario 1: Customer In Region Where VPN Is Legally Prohibited
The first scenario we’ll discuss deals with countries where it is legally prohibited to use a VPN. If you are resident in one of these countries, using a VPN could potentially break the law. Now, it’s important to point out that this is certainly not the case with all countries, but in countries where VPNs are heavily regulated or outright illegal, you might encounter issues. For example, in Turkey, it is against the law to use a VPN.
Scenario 2: Customer In Region Where Service Is Unreliable
The second scenario we’ll discuss deals with customers who live in regions where the VPN service is simply not available or unreliable. If you are unfortunate enough to live in one of these regions, you’ll need to decide whether or not you’re willing to put up with unreliable service in order to access the content you desire. Think about where you are located right now – if you’re not sure, you can check via IP lookup what country you’re in. If you’re in Turkey, for example, you might want to think twice about using a VPN due to the country’s stringent data retention laws.
Scenario 3: Customer In Region Where Service Is Prohibited By Law
The third and final scenario we’ll discuss deals with customers who live in regions where the use of VPNs is legally prohibited. You might be wondering why we have three scenarios dealing with VPNs when it’s only two sentences in – that’s because the last scenario is rather obvious. However, it’s always good to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to the sensitive subject of our readers’ privacy.
How Does Netflix Detect VPNs?
As we’ve established, Netflix is incredibly supportive of VPNs, and they’ve always maintained this policy. One might think that this is simply because they want to make sure that their users are always able to access content regardless of the country that they are in, but that’s not entirely true either. In fact, there are quite a few scenarios where VPNs can hurt a Netflix customer. Here are some examples.
In order to ensure that their users are always protected whenever they access Netflix, the company scans all IP traffic looking for VPNs. If they detect a VPN, they will flag the user’s account as suspicious and may even ban them from their service forever. This is one of the main reasons why VPNs can cause problems for Netflix customers.
What Are The Signs Of A VPN?
There are quite a few VPNs out there, and quite a few services that are designed to detect VPNs. If you’re thinking about using a VPN, you should know what signs to look out for. Here are some of the most common ones.
- Unusual IP address
- Unusual DNS queries
- High number of failed connections
- Very low throughput
- Excessive requests for missing content
- High connection time
- Denial of service attacks
- Unusual behavior
If you’re looking for a VPN that can help you secure your connections and access content while being discreet, you should check out NordVPN. For years, NordVPN has offered a great service with amazing support and a no-questions-asked refund policy if you meet the right conditions. This is a top pick among our readers as well, and it’s easy to see why. They make using a VPN simple and fun.
How To Hide Your VPN From Netflix?
As we’ve established, Netflix is incredibly supportive of VPNs, and they’ve always maintained this policy. One might think that this is simply because they want to make sure that their users are always able to access content regardless of the country that they are in, but that’s not entirely true either. In fact, there are quite a few scenarios where VPNs can hurt a Netflix customer. Here are some examples.
Once you’ve detected a VPN, it’s time to start hiding it from Netflix. There are quite a few ways to do this, but we’ll discuss a few of the most common ones.
The first thing you should do is change your VPN’s default location. By default, a VPN will connect you to the location of your choice, which is usually determined by the location of the server you’re connecting to. If you’re in the UK, for example, you’ll connect to the UK VPN server. If you’re in Istanbul, you’ll connect to the Turkish server instead. Usually, you’ll need to change the default location to a country where your ISP (Internet Service Provider) doesn’t monitor network traffic, or at least doesn’t do so. You can also ask your VPN provider if they have any other servers available that you can connect to. This way, you’ll be sure that Netflix can’t connect your activity to your home country. Additionally, you should consider changing your VPN’s default protocol to OpenVPN. This will make it a lot harder for companies to track your activity. OpenVPN is based on the Open Standard vpn.cc protocol, which was originally designed for VPNs. If you’re not sure what protocol your VPN is using, you can usually find this out by looking at the provided documentation. If all else fails, you can change your VPN’s protocol to something more secure like SSL or TLS – this will help stop hackers from trying to decrypt your communications and gain access to your personal information.
Once you’ve changed your default location and protocol, it’s time to start hiding your VPN activity from Netflix. This can be a rather involved process, depending on how much you care about keeping your personal information private. If you’re using OpenVPN, you should look into purchasing a VPN key from a reputable company. A VPN key will allow you to connect to a VPN without having to authenticate every time you use it. If you’re connecting to a public server, you shouldn’t have to worry about authenticating, but if you’re connecting to a private server, this is something you need to take care of. A good VPN will allow you to connect without needing to verify your identity every time you use it – this is a top pick among our readers as well.