Geo-blocking entails limiting access or blocking internet content depending on the user's location. Major media streaming organizations often utilize the approach to protect licensing deals.

Ways of Bypassing GeoBlocking

There are multiple approaches internet users utilize when bypassing geo-blocking to access it from their favorite websites. You can use Smart DNS, VPNs, Tor, and proxy servers to get around geo-blocking. You can navigate around location-based content depending on your preferred method, aside from benefiting from enhanced privacy protections from Meraki MX64. Below is a list of reliable approaches to bypassing geo-blocking.

Smart DNS

Smart DNS is a strategy that’s developed to get around geo-blocking. The majority of smart TVs provide users with an app or this service to allow them to access content that is geo-restricted regardless of where they’re. The approach may sound simple but can be challenging when changing the settings of a Smart DNS server to bypass Netflix. Users must manually adjust and configure their DNS if they want to bypass geo-blocked content. Most Smart DNS have minimal VPN features, which make users vulnerable to privacy intrusions, including online tracking.

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

A VPN is an effective way of bypassing geo-blocking privately and safely. It helps mask your current IP address and substitute it with another one based in another country. The approach allows your online location to change, facilitating a geo-blocking bypass. Aside from getting around geo-blocking by disguising users’ IP addresses, VPNs keep their data secure through Internet traffic encryption. VPNs have multiple benefits aside from being easy to use and set up. They also allow users to access a preferred server location, making it easy to locate geo-restricted content with ease. Securing a VPN is straightforward, and most VPNs are usually compatible with Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS operating systems.

Tor Browser

The Tor browser is a unique browser connected to the Tor network through multiple nodes working together. These nodes play a crucial role in hiding your online activities by routing the connection between users and their connections. The Tor network allows users’ information to be anonymous via multiple encryption layers. Utilizing a Tor browser leads to slow internet connections because additional time is necessary to navigate the extra layers.

Proxy Servers

Proxy servers act as intermediaries between users and servers providing the content. The proxy server helps access data while passing it on to users. Multiple proxy servers provide varying anonymous browsing levels that enable users to hide their addresses. You can access various web-based proxy servers from your browser, although your online activities may get exposed as proxy servers don’t encrypt users’ data.

How Geoblocking Works

Every computer connected to the internet has a numerical identifier called an IP address. The identifier is unique for each computer and is often sent to a site’s server when users visit a webpage to allow the computer to know exactly where to return the requested data. You’ll secure an IP address once you register with your Internet Service Provider (ISP). The IP address has multiple accuracy levels and helps identify your gadget’s geographical location. Online services utilize IP addresses to assess whether they’ll allow users to view the content on their website. Users who request content from an IP outside the recommended list won’t be able to view it. Geo-blocking may also occur even when users pay for premium services. For instance, those paying for a Netflix subscription can access the content as long as they’re within US borders. If they travel to another country or on vacation, they may fail to access the Netflix library.

Geo-blocking may be frustrating to internet users, but it’s legal. The approach allows media companies to optimize legal contracts depending on geo-restrictions. Media companies and content creators use geo-blocking to restrict illegal content, facilitate copyright and licensing, and enhance market segmentation.