Wherever you are in the world, there's always a reason to want to bypass region blocking. For example, Internet users outside the United States may wish to access Netflix or Hulu; those in the US might want the UK version of BBC iPlayer.
SummaryWhy VPNs Aren't Great For Bypassing Region BlocksWhy Standard DNS Can't Help1. Use a proxy2 browser extension. Unblock us3. Download blocked YouTube videos4. Use Smart DNS for region-locked video streams Bypass region locks and access all Netflix contentTo combat this, VPNs are popular, but they are not the best solution. Here's how to watch geo-blocked videos without VPN software.
When you connect to a VPN (virtual private network), your internet traffic is forwarded through the VPN server. So if you're in the UK and you connect to a VPN in the US, websites will see you as browsing from the US. The VPN server acts as an intermediary.
This allows you to use VPNs to access US streaming services, such as:
…and many other region-restricted media websites.
Although VPNs have many other uses, they are less than ideal for bypassing region locks.
Until recently, you could change your router's DNS server to access streaming video without relying on a VPN. Although the effect is the same for streaming (you appear to be watching from another location), there has been no encryption.
However, as with VPNs, Netflix and other streaming giants have taken notice of this tactic. As such, standard DNS providers are no longer suitable.
Fortunately, several new methods are available to bypass region blocking.
Here's what you need to know about how to watch region-locked videos without DNS or VPN.
If you want quick and easy access to region-restricted websites, a proxy server is a good option.
Proxies are accessible through a website, but it's easier to just use a browser extension.
To access Netflix, consider Weechee, a browser extension for Google Chrome. This is designed to unblock Netflix, Hulu and BBC iPlayer no matter where you are in the world.
Download: Wachee for Google Chrome (Free)
Proxies are a great option for US residents trying to access BBC iPlayer in the UK. See our guide to watching BBC iPlayer with a proxy for more details.
Have you encountered blocked videos on YouTube? Use this block checker to find out which countries the video is available in, then set your proxy extension accordingly.
Relying on a proxy browser extension is smarter than just visiting a standard proxy site.
Want to know how to watch geo-blocked videos? Changing your device's DNS can help. Although not the number one solution and has been largely defeated by streaming services, it is still an option.
You'll need something a little extraordinary to make this work, and that's where Unblock-Us comes in. An all-in-one solution with a monthly subscription of $4.99, Unblock-Us offers a seven-day free trial. It aims to give you enhanced internet security, better speed, and the freedom to avoid region blocking.
Should You Trust This Improved DNS Solution? It is certainly an option; the free trial is worth it to find out if it works for you. Unblock-Us offers step-by-step setup instructions and works with computers, consoles, mobile devices, TVs, and TV stream boxes.
See our guide to changing DNS settings to learn more about what's required.
Region locked content can be frustrating. If a proxy browser extension isn't working and a specialized DNS service draws a void, consider downloading the video. Although it probably won't work with Netflix, it's a good solution for YouTube.
To bypass regional locks on YouTube videos, a downloader can help you. An example is ssyoutube.com. To use this:
The video will then be downloaded to your device via ssyoutube.com, bypassing region blocking.
Note that downloading YouTube videos is a violation of the platform's terms of service.
While using a VPN to access region-blocked streaming services isn't the fastest option, some VPN services have provided an alternative. Smart DNS can be thought of as a sort of “VPN lite” solution, which allows access to region-blocked content (like all the Netflix you can watch) without the encryption and IP masking that a VPN provides.
How to use Smart DNS? One option is to find a specialist provider such as www.smartdnsproxy.com. However, if you are already using a VPN, you may have smart DNS access without knowing it.
For example, ExpressVPN (Medium I/O readers can get 40% off our top-rated VPN) offers the MediaStreamer DNS service as part of the VPN subscription. It's a great way to see region-blocked videos from all streaming services. Like other smart DNS solutions, it can be used on almost any platform, including game consoles and smart TVs.
Note that other VPN providers offer smart DNS.
Accessing blocked content is not as easy as it used to be. You can no longer just visit a proxy and view all your favorite Netflix content.
Solutions like UnoDNS, Tunlr and MediaHint have been discontinued. These days you need smarter solutions for region blocking, tools that will give you reliable access to Netflix and other region blocking streaming services.
Trying to access restricted content at work or school? Use these methods to bypass blocked sites.
