Streaming can be a frustrating experience, mainly because of the limited options I have as a Canadian resident.
Since binge-watching is a sacred family practice, I’ve already exhausted so many options in my Canadian catalog.
So the fun part comes from accessing content that’s not within my country. Recently, I spent my evenings exploring Netflix options in the US, Japan, the UK, and a few others.
Though it hasn’t always been easy to use a VPN to bypass geoblocking, it was pretty much impossible with the free services I’ve used, which made me temporarily give up on VPNs altogether.
But my break with VPNs came to a short stop. When I started subscribing to NordVPN, a trusted VPN service, I was able to access new video content.
It was great since I no longer needed to mess with my DNS settings and use a proxy server to spoof my location, and I haven’t had any issues with the VPN server being blocked.
I wanted to know why it was so easy, so I dived into the exact trick NordVPN uses to help users access streaming content outside their country. Here is what I found out.
Do paid VPNs bypass all geoblocking and censorship?
Despite VPNs being a safety net, they can still get detected
Firstly, it is a myth that all VPNs can bypass geoblocked content. The underlying reason is that websites and services can still detect that you’re using a VPN.
VPNs mask your actual IP address, making it harder for your data to be tracked (not impossible, since there are other ways, like fingerprinting).
But these websites and services can see the VPN server’s IP and location. What can happen is that VPNs can be blocked by the website or service by checking against a block list of known VPN IP addresses.
If the website or service spots a match, it can use that info to block you. It’s also possible to detect a VPN using deep packet inspection, which isa bit invasive.
Websites and services can do this by analyzing traffic patterns. Deep packet inspection techniques can include signature-based inspection, protocol analysis, and behavioral analysis.
Typically, analyzed traffic is matched against a known database of other traffic types (malware is another example of what it may check against).
You’ll see websites and services that employ deep packet inspection to prevent VPN use for internet blackouts and bypass censorship.
Though VPNs aren’t entirely immune to these methods for analyzing IP changes in data, some VPNs use techniques to disguise VPN traffic to make it appear like regular browser traffic. The process is known as obfuscation.
Some VPNs have specialized servers to obfuscate your traffic. When you connect to an obfuscated server, you still get the benefits of using a VPN.
Still, instead of revealing that you are using a VPN to onlookers (such as your ISP), it changes how your data packets appear, disguising VPN-encrypted traffic as regular traffic.
VPNs can obfuscate your data in different ways.
One of them is hiding your data packets (though, if manually inspected, it can be seen that a VPN is in use) via additional SSL/SSH encryption to hide VPN metadata.
Another method is to scramble the data to hide it from the packet header. When data is obfuscated in this way, it appears as regular HTTPS traffic, filled with meaningless information.
When you obfuscate traffic or camouflage it, you can bypass VPN firewalls, censorship, and even tricky streaming or ISP throttling attempts. The process isn’t perfect.
For one, expect slower speeds and higher latency. Since you need to add an extra layer of protection, traffic takes even longer than usual to reach its destination. This can be a pain for streaming.
Then, there are fewer obfuscated servers to use, since they are more specialized, so you have to worry about congestion. Meaning you can still get kicked off or fail to connect. With a paid service, though, this shouldn’t happen that often.
The last consideration is that, despite using obfuscation or camouflage, the traffic could still be blocked because it isn’t foolproof. It can still be detected via manual deep packet inspection, flagged automatically by ISPs, and blocked at the port level.
NordVPN uses technology to bypass geoblocking for streaming
You don’t need to slow down your connection significantly to do it
While obfuscated servers are a great resource for fighting internet blackouts, they aren’t necessarily the ones I go to for streaming (I live in Canada and don’t really have many issues with censorship).
NordVPN makes it easy to access streaming platforms like Netflix, which I use most, despite my irritation with its constant price hikes.
The premium VPN service uses SmartPlay technology to help bypass geo-restricted content more seamlessly.
The best part is that this is built in, and all you need to do is connect to the NordVPN app before you access the streaming platform.
I use an Amazon Fire TV to watch Netflix. The app is available in the Amazon App Store (the app store remains on Fire TVs).
What NordVPN does is incorporate SmartDNS into SmartPlay and uses the NordLynx protocol to keep your internet speed fast while the VPN reroutes your traffic.
When you access content from a specific country, NordVPN automatically switches your DNS servers when you connect to a streaming platform, ensuring your IP address remains hidden and traffic stays encrypted.
So, I use Netflix to access US-based TV shows while I connect to the nearest US state via the NordVPN app.
The VPN server then uses SmartPlay to keep my location spoofed so that Netflix thinks I am in the US, even though I am based in Canada.
It makes it easier for me because I don’t need to manually spoof it. It also means I can keep the VPN on without worrying about my ISP tracking my activity.
Don’t forget to lock down your streaming platforms
While using a VPN to access your favorite streaming platforms is all well and good, it won’t help if your accounts remain exposed.
Protecting your streaming platforms so nothing gets compromised is just as important.
You’ll want to manage your account access, enable 2FA, and keep your apps and firmware up to date, so nothing can be exploited.
