Why YSK: Most home routers have a built-in VPN server which you can enable. This allows you to connect to your home network from anywhere and use services like Netflix as if you were at home. This will also bypass the requirement to check in from your home network once a month when it is implemented. Because it’s using a residential IP and not a data center like a commercial VPN, Netflix cannot detect it.
Here are instructions for the most popular router brands:
One thing to keep in mind is that the speed of the VPN will be limited by the upload speed of your home network. Most cable internet connections have very limited upload speed, but it should be enough to stream video. If you have a fiber connection it will be much faster.
As a network engineer, I highly suggest you don’t do this unless you’re well versed in the security setup required for this. Leaving ports open on a network is just asking for trouble.
Yeah… I just cancelled my membership after paying for Netflix since Dec 2010… I’m not installing VPNs on every device I use and creating a hassle for every family member who uses it as well. Might as well pirate the videos and set up a Plex account. Which is free and requires less work.
To connect to the server you will need to download the OpenVPN client on your phone/laptop:
This gets problematic and time consuming if you’re wanting to login from multiple devices, especially say a smart TV that can’t run open VPN. The solution is to setup a wireless SSID on your router that connects only to the VPN, and then you just need to connect your wireless devices to that SSID to check in from “home.”
I am planning on doing this using a VLAN but haven’t tried it yet.
A product called “tailscale” is an excellent option as well. It’s a VPN service that requires minimal configuration, and can be a great option if you don’t have a router that supports VPNs.
You just install it on a machine at home as well as your machine / phone / tablet that’s remote and they can connect directly to each other. If you turn on “subnet advertising” and “exit node” on your home installation of tailscale, you can achieve the same thing as having VPN through your router.
If I pay for a 2 screen service I should be able to use those 2 screens wherever I want. What difference does it make if it’s me double screening 2 shows at home or me watching at home and a mate watching at their house.
what people forget I guess is that the second netflix does this and doesn’t lose money, is when every other company will start to do it as well.
Wouldn’t it just be easier to cancel Netflix until their pressured to cancel the policy and then rejoin? I would rather not have to do this process for amazon, Hulu, Apple tv, paramount, peacock , etc every single month.
Truth is to be told.
You should not need to fiddle with such things in order to use a service you pay for to work seamlessly. Vote with your wallet and cancel your subscription . Things will go back to normal soon enough.