How to Set Up a VPN in Kodi?

You may have heard of Kodi, a program that provides access to a large number of entertainment media platforms through one interface. What you may not know is that Kodi is actually capable of much more than simple playback—it’s a powerful piece of software that can be used to set up a VPN for free that will allow you to access content from almost anywhere in the world. Let’s take a look at how you can set up a VPN in Kodi.

Install The Necessary Codecs

Kodi needs a number of codecs (short for “components”) to operate, and not all of them are available for free. Fortunately, there are a number of freely available codecs that Kodi uses that will allow you to watch movies and TV shows on your device. These codecs are usually installed through the Google Play Store, but they can also be found on other apps’ app stores if you have those installed on your device.

Create A VPN Config File

In order to connect to a VPN through Kodi, you will need to create a VPN configuration file on your device. You can do this by navigating to Settings (usually found in the app menu) and then selecting System. From here you can access the WiFi details section, where you can click the Create new VPN configuration button and begin entering information about your VPN. This is the information that will be stored in a configuration file:

• Country: This is the country you will use to connect to the VPN. You can connect to servers in more than one country if you wish, but you will need to create separate configuration files for each country.
• Server: The server is the VPN endpoint that you will connect to. You can find the IP address for public servers on the VPN’s website, or you can use a free VPN service to find the IP address for a private server (more on these later).
• Username: This is the username and password you will use to connect to the VPN. Be sure to select a username that is unique to you and will not be shared with anyone else.
• Password: This is the password you will use to connect to the VPN. Make sure to store this in a safe place as you will need it to connect to the VPN.
• Connect To WiFi: This setting controls whether or not you will connect to WiFi automatically when you start Kodi. Since we are discussing VPNs and security, it’s important to note here that automatically connecting to WiFi when you start Kodi poses a security risk. If you value your security, you should leave this option at “No” and instead choose to manually connect to WiFi when you start Kodi. Your device’s security will thank you for this action. You can also connect to a WiFi network that is protected by a password to avoid any security risks posed by accidental connections. Again, choose this option with care and only if you’re certain that your WiFi network is secure.
• Log Files: You can leave this setting as-is if you’re simply looking for a VPN to help with media playback on Kodi. However, if you’re a privacy conscious individual who doesn’t mind if the makers of Kodi know a little bit about your activities on their platform, you can choose “Yes” here and enable logging. This will cause all of your activity, including but not limited to what you’re accessing online, to be logged and stored. This can then be accessed by a court order or if you’re hacked.
• Web Proxy: This setting allows you to choose a proxy server from which to make all of your network requests. If you have a WiFi connection available, you might want to consider connecting to a proxy server that is provided via your WiFi connection rather than using the Internet’s built-in proxy settings. The benefit of using a VPN for Kodi is that your Internet traffic is encrypted and unreadable by any third parties including the government. If you use a proxy server for the Internet, even your regular ISP can see what websites you’re visiting and the content you’re accessing. Setting up a VPN is the simplest and most effective way to ensure your security and privacy when using Kodi.
• Force HTTPS: This setting determines whether or not you will make all of your network requests through HTTPS (short for “encrypted web traffic”). The benefit of using HTTPS is that all of your Internet traffic is encrypted and unreadable by any third parties including the government. Your regular ISP can’t see what websites you’re visiting or what content you’re accessing because all of this is encrypted. If you have an HTTPS-compatible browser, like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, you’ll see a green lock next to the URL of every website you visit. This means that the site is protected by HTTPS and any information you might share with that site is automatically encrypted as you type it. If you don’t have an HTTPS-compatible browser, like Internet Explorer or Safari, you won’t see the green lock but your data will still be safe since it is not being transmitted in the clear text. Most WiFi networks will not be configured to allow for unencrypted (or clear text) Internet traffic so there is rarely any risk to your security when using HTTPS. Enabling this setting on Kodi will ensure that your security and privacy are always a priority when using the platform.

Configure Your VPN To Work With Kodi

Now that you have your VPN configuration file, you can use it to connect to your VPN and gain access to content restricted by your country’s filtering laws. You will first need to connect to your VPN’s endpoint (server) using the credentials you created earlier and then select Device settings from the dropdown menu on the main screen. From here, you can change the settings for your Kodi account to allow for access to content that is restricted by your country’s filtering laws. This is done by selecting the country you are in from the dropdown menu (if you’re not sure, the app will guess based on your location) and then selecting the “My Country” option. You can find details about the content you can access in your area at https://resources.myvpn.com. It is important to remember here that you will need to be using the proper country code (ie: US for American sites, UK for British sites, etc…) When entering this information, make sure to type the code accurately or select the correct one from a dropdown menu.

If you’re finding this information hard to remember or you want to change your Kodi account’s settings to gain access to a different country’s filtered content, you can select “Reconfigure VPN” from the main menu to open up a new VPN configuration screen that will allow you to do just that. This screen is very self-explanatory. You can use it to enter a new country and select a new server to connect to. You can select your country and server again if you changed your mind or if you want to try a different VPN protocol. Once you have entered the information for your new server, you can select “Save configuration” to lock in your changes or “Cancel” to return to the main menu.

Use The VPN While Watching TV

If you’re using WiFi to connect to your Internet connection, you can use the Internet while you’re watching TV via a VPN. Some Android TV devices even come with a built-in VPN client so you don’t have to go through the trouble of installing one on your device. If you have an Android TV and the setting is not already enabled, you can use the dedicated VPN client to gain access to the content you want to see on your portable media device. This is handy if you want to watch TV while on the go or if your Internet connectivity is unstable or lacking at times. Since your regular Internet connection is being used via a VPN, your speed will remain consistent even when accessing services that are restricted by your country’s filtering laws. This also means that your personal information is more secure and is not at risk of being hacked because encryption of your data is a built-in feature of the VPN.

If you’re on a computer, tablet, or mobile phone and want to watch TV via WiFi, you can use a VPN to make sure that your security and privacy are always a priority. This way, no one will be able to access your personal information, including but not limited to your email, username, and password, without you knowing. Your regular WiFi network security is not at risk here because the VPN acts as a firewall in the sense that it filters out any attempts at hacking or accessing your sensitive information. Your speed will not be affected because your Internet traffic is already being filtered by the VPN.