1.68 billion
That’s the number of households that will have television by 2021. That number is so huge, it is barely imaginable. To put it in perspective, in 2016 there were 118.4 million households consuming television in the U.S. What’s even more astounding is the expected increase in video on-demand subscriptions. In 2010, there were 21 million subscriptions globally. By 2021, that number will rise to an estimated 383 million! Netflix is a very popular option in this category, so we thought we’d write an article explaining how you can use VPNs to view Netflix restricted shows.
Not all Netflix is equal!
Your Netflix experience isn’t necessarily the same as my Netflix experience. Why? Because production studios and distributors do not license the same content worldwide. In some cases, it’s cheaper to offer certain programming to a particular region. In others, there isn’t much profit to be made by offering all content to all areas. Whatever, the reason, it is creating an “arms race” style competition between VoD providers, most notably Netflix, and viewers.
Geoblockers extraordinaire
Netflix and other providers have been ramping up their geoblocking efforts. In earlier posts, we discussed what geoblocking is and how to bypass it, but in a nutshell, geoblocking limits the content that people in a particular region of the world have access to.
Of course, the more effort put into geoblocking, the more people are trying to get around it. Therefore, Netflix has been increasingly working to stop those who are bypassing the geoblocks. This has angered many, including in the United States. Because it also affects those who are using VPN services primarily to protect their privacy, rather than to sidestep content limitations in their area. People are angry because they feel that Netflix is placing its profits over their security concerns.
IP Addresses Explained
A computer’s Internet Protocol address, more commonly known as IP address, is not static and permanent. This set of numbers, which is assigned like a name by your internet provider may change, if the computer is rebooted, run on a different network (such as when you take your laptop travelling with you), or under other circumstances. Also, your IP address may not be unique to you, as it can be shared or dedicated.
A dedicated IP address is an IP address. Which is only used by a single user. VPNs tend to use shared IP address, which can carry hundreds of users, increasing their likelihood of anonymity.
Netflix is thought to use a variety of strategies to stop people from getting past the geoblocks using VPNs, including completely blocking all traffic coming from a certain address. VPN providers are responding in different ways. Some aren’t doing anything about it. They are just accepting that their customers aren’t getting the entire service that they are paying for. Others, such as ‘Shellfire’, are partnering with consumers. They are helping them to access the shows that they want, when they want them, no matter where they are.
What can I do about geoblocking?
One solution that seems to be working is using a dedicated IP address (see the box above). This can enable the streaming of Netflix without any problems. For this reason, subscriptions to plans that include a dedicated IP address are becoming more popular. To a degree though, they sacrifice anonymity and privacy. This is because the single user is easily identified.
A user who is using a VPN can slip under the radar of Netflix and others who are trying to limit their access to content. In the end, it is best to trust professionals with your VPN, like Shellfire. You don’t have to worry about your privacy, and you can watch all of your favorite shows. Just download Shellfire’s software and let them worry about it. If you ever have a problem, all you have to do is contact them. They’ll work tirelessly until you have the access you need. Plus there’s no risk in trying it. For two weeks, surf the web, watch your shows, shop online, and do whatever it is that you love to do for free. Shellfire’s VPN is guaranteed to keep you secure and anonymous. Nobody is going to work harder than Shellfire to protect your right to watch what you want, when you want!
