Does NordVPN Work With Netflix?

We put NordVPN through our rigorous VPN testing process and found that it works very well with Netflix and reliably unblocks nine content libraries around the world. These include:

1. Brazil
2. Canada
3. France
4. Germany
5. India
6. Japan
7. Netherlands
8. United Kingdom (UK)
9. United States (US)

You’ll also be automatically shown the US content library if you access Netflix while connected to any NordVPN server located outside of those countries.

This is a huge bonus for users who don’t live near the US because you can browse the largest content library without compromising on speed. Just connect to any local server – outside of the countries above – to unblock US content.

There are a number of features that make NordVPN a good choice for Netflix, including obfuscated servers, SmartPlay, and fast connection speeds. We’ll take a detailed look at these in the remainder of this section.

Alternatively, you can learn how to watch Netflix with NordVPN or read our discussion on whether NordVPN is the best option for streaming.

NordVPN Netflix Servers

NordVPN has one of the largest server networks on the market. It offers 5,552 VPN servers spread across 59 countries.

The larger a VPN’s server network, the harder it is for Netflix to ban each and every one of them. This increases the likelihood that you’ll find a server to watch Netflix with.

Some of NordVPN’s servers also use obfuscation technology. Often, sites like Netflix are able to see that traffic has been encrypted and so can deduce that it is VPN traffic. Obfuscation masks the VPN encryption and makes the traffic look like regular HTTPS traffic.

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

The following is a list of NordVPN servers we’ve recently tested that successfully unblock Netflix in their respective countries (Last Update: 1st July 2020):

Country	Server IDs
Canada	#776, #798, #1022
India	#49, #53, #54
Japan	#393, #511, #548
UK	#1768, #1770, #1984
USA	#5006, #5091, #5836

NordVPN SmartPlay

NordVPN has a SmartPlay feature built into its service by default. Though the technical aspects of SmartPlay are kept secret, we know that it combines VPN and Smart DNS technology to create a better streaming experience for users.

Similar to a VPN, Smart DNS technology tricks websites into thinking your physical location is elsewhere in order to keep your true location hidden and unlock region-restricted content. To do this, the tool changes the DNS server that your traffic is routed through.

Usually, the main drawbacks to using Smart DNS tools are that they don’t encrypt your traffic and can require a degree of technical knowhow to set up. By combining Smart DNS with VPN software and integrating it automatically, NordVPN’s SmartPlay feature avoids these drawbacks and allows you to enjoy the benefits of Smart DNS technology for streaming.

NordVPN Netflix Speeds

Beating Netflix’s geographic restrictions 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. Netflix lists minimum speed recommendations on its website:

• >3Mbps for Standard Definition quality (480p)
• >5Mbps for High Definition quality (1080p)
• >25Mbps for Ultra High Definition quality (4K)

Though using a VPN will almost always slow your internet speeds down to some degree, premium VPN services like NordVPN are usually so fast you’ll barely notice it. In fact, NordVPN is one of the fastest VPNs we’ve ever tested.

When connecting from the UK to servers in the US, we experienced an average speed loss of 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 and mean that, even with a modest home connection, you should be able to stream buffer-free and in Ultra HD.

NordVPN is an excellent tool for unblocking Netflix on desktop and mobile devices. Its fast speeds, large server network, and clever SmartPlay technology create a reliable and easy streaming experience.

As well as being good for Netflix, NordVPN is also one of the very best VPN services overall. It uses top-tier AES encryption, has an independently verified no-logs policy, and offers a range of additional benefits including a VPN kill switch and dedicated P2P servers – all for a very reasonable price.

However, users who want to stream Netflix on Amazon Fire TV Stick or Apple TV should not use NordVPN.

For several months, the service has struggled to unblock Netflix on its Firestick app, and it does not support a number of other streaming devices and smart TVs. If you plan to stream on any of the following devices, we don’t recommend using NordVPN:

• Apple TV
• Amazon Fire TV Stick
• Chromecast
• PS4
• Xbox One

Though its ability to unblock nine Netflix libraries is impressive, there are other VPN services available that offer access to even more. Windscribe gives users access to 42 Netflix libraries, while PrivateVPN can unblock a total of 32 libraries.

NordVPN does unblock US Netflix, which has by far the largest collection of movies and TV shows. That said, there are a number of titles only available outside of the US, including Harry Potter, Friends, and Studio Ghibli.

Therefore, we recommend using the volunteer-run service uNoGS to check which Netflix libraries host the content you’re after, and then find a VPN service that works in those countries using our VPN comparison table.

As of July 2020 NordVPN works with Netflix. However, the streaming service is constantly changing and finding new ways to block VPN users. So, what should you do if you come across the m7111-5059 Netflix proxy error while connected to a NordVPN server?

In this section, we’ll offer some simple workarounds that will help you bypass this error and get you back to streaming in no time.

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 work with Netflix.

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. If you’ve never done this before, here is a useful guide.

   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. The live chat service is one of the best among VPN providers. It’s available 24/7 and the agents are often helpful and prompt in their replies.