Does NordVPN Work With Netflix?

NordVPN is a very good VPN for streaming Netflix. We put it through our rigorous VPN testing process and found that it’s still one of the best Netflix VPNs.

Here’s a summary of NordVPN’s streaming strengths and weaknesses:

PROS	CONS
Unblocks an impressive 15 Netflix regions You can stream US Netflix using local servers Great for streaming on your TV Uses a fully-integrated Smart DNS feature Has extremely fast connection speeds Uses industry-leading security features The company is openly committed to unblocking Netflix	Other VPNs can unblock more Netflix libraries Hasn’t worked consistently in China over the last three months

In the section below, we’ll take a closer look at the features that make NordVPN good and bad for streaming Netflix.

Skip to the next section to learn how to use NordVPN with Netflix. Or, check out this list of NordVPN servers that work with Netflix.

NordVPN Works with 15 Netflix Regions

It isn’t the highest number we’ve seen from a VPN service, but all of the biggest and most important regions are covered. This means that – because NordVPN works with Netflix US, UK, Japan and Canada – there aren’t many big movies and TV shows you can’t access with NordVPN.

That said, if you enjoy watching more obscure content, then you may want a VPN that unblocks even more libraries.

Windscribe VPN works in over 42 regions. You can read more about it in our dedicated guide to watching Netflix with Windscribe.

Stream US Netflix on Local Servers

One excellent feature of using NordVPN for Netflix is that it lets you unblock American Netflix from anywhere in the world.

Connect to a VPN server located outside of the countries listed above, and you’ll access the US library when you log into Netflix.

This is a huge bonus for users who don’t live near the US, because you can browse the largest content catalog without suffering slower speeds.

Generally, the closer you are to the VPN server, the faster your speeds will be. With this unique feature, NordVPN lets you enjoy local connection speeds while streaming US exclusive videos.

This sets NordVPN apart from many rival streaming VPNs, but the company is tight-lipped on how it works. All we know is NordVPN’s SmartPlay feature is responsible.

NordVPN’s SmartPlay Feature

SmartPlay is a hybrid of VPN and Smart DNS technologies, that is automatically built into the NordVPN service.

Similar to a VPN, a Smart DNS tricks websites into thinking your physical location is elsewhere to hide your true location and unblock region-restricted content.

To do this, a Smart DNS tool changes the DNS server your traffic is routed through.

Usually, the main drawbacks of Smart DNS tools are that they don’t encrypt web traffic, and can require some technical knowhow to set up.

However, by combining Smart DNS with VPN software, and integrating it automatically, NordVPN’s SmartPlay feature appears to avoid these drawbacks.

Very Fast Connection Speeds

Beating Netflix’s blockers is impressive, but a VPN service also needs to have good enough connection speeds to stream effectively.

With poor connection speeds, you’ll be forced to watch low-quality video and endure a lot of buffering.

NordVPN is one of the fastest VPNs we’ve ever tested. Every VPN will slow down your internet speed to some degree, but the speed loss is barely noticeable when using NordVPN.

When connecting from the UK to servers in the US, we experienced an average speed loss of just 21% – where our normal download speed of 94Mbps dropped to 74Mbps after connecting to a server in New York.

These are impressive speeds for a long-distance VPN connection, and our tests show that NordVPN consistently performs well on other international connections:

Country	City	Avg. Download Speed	Avg. Speed Loss
Australia	Sydney	56Mbps	40%
Germany	Berlin	83Mbps	12%
Singapore	Singapore	63Mbps	33%
USA (East)	New York	74Mbps	21%
USA (North-West)	Seattle	67Mbps	29%
USA (South)	Dallas	76Mbps	19%
USA (West)	Los Angeles	62Mbps	34%

These speeds make NordVPN an excellent choice for Netflix. Even with a modest home connection, you should be able to stream buffer-free and in Ultra HD.

Huge Server Network

NordVPN has one of the largest server networks on the market. It runs 5,343 VPN servers spread across 60 countries.

Larger server networks are much harder for Netflix to completely ban.

Netflix blockers work by identifying and blacklist IP addresses that belong to VPN servers. Therefore, the more VPN servers, the more likely you’ll find one that works.

Some of NordVPN’s servers also use obfuscation technology. Often, services like Netflix can see that traffic has been encrypted, and deduce it’s VPN traffic.

Obfuscation masks VPN encryption and makes your traffic look like regular HTTPS traffic. This prevents censorship systems from detecting your VPN connection.

To use obfuscation, select Obfuscated under Specialty Servers and choose your desired location from there.

NordVPN is one of the few VPNs to work well with Netflix. However, the content platform is constantly changing and finding new ways to block VPN users.

Below we offer some simple workarounds to help you bypass the m7111-5059 Netflix proxy error and stream geo-blocked content.

“Oops, something went wrong… Streaming Error. You seem to be using an unblocker or proxy. Please turn off any of these services and try again.”

1. Try connecting to a different server.

   The Netflix ban works by identifying IP addresses that belong to VPN servers and blacklisting them. NordVPN overcomes this by operating a huge server network that is extremely difficult to block in its entirety.

   It’s still possible for individual servers to make their way onto the blacklist, though. If this is what has happened, disconnecting from the VPN and then re-connecting to a different server should solve the problem, because you’ll be assigned a new IP address. You might have to try it a few times to find a server that works.

   Thankfully, NordVPN’s server network is so large that you won’t even have to change location to do this. The service offers multiple VPN servers in each country.

   Check out our list of servers above for an example of some specific servers that we know beat the geo-blockers.

2. Change Your Device’s DNS Servers.

   Another useful tactic is to make sure you’re using NordVPN’s DNS Servers. To do this:

   1. Close the Netflix app if you’re on mobile, or clear the browser’s cache if you’re on desktop.

   2. Restart the NordVPN application.

   3. Manually configure your device to use the following DNS server addresses: 103.86.96.100 and 103.86.99.100. The NordVPN website explains how to do this on a number of different platforms.

   4. Restart your device.

   5. Open the NordVPN application and connect to a server.

   6. Navigate to Netflix and start streaming.

3. Contact NordVPN’s Customer Support Team.

   If all else fails, contact the NordVPN Customer Support Team.

   NordVPN’s live chat service is one of the best we’ve tested. It’s available 24/7 and the agents are often helpful and prompt in their replies.