Does Norton Secure VPN Work with Netflix?

Norton Secure VPN unblocks Netflix US, which is the largest content library there is.

The VPN service delivers fast connection speeds and is one of the cheaper services on the market.

That said, we don’t recommend Norton VPN for streaming. Norton even makes it clear on its website that unblocking streaming services is not one of its priorities.

While some VPN services create dedicated resources to help get around Netflix blocks, Norton shows little desire to keep its service working. Instead, it encourages you to use split tunneling to avoid using the VPN for streaming activity.

Norton Secure VPN is not a reliable choice for unblocking Netflix

Netflix is always finding new ways to identify and ban VPN services, and with Norton’s lack of commitment to unblocking streaming sites and its small server network, we don’t believe it will continue to work with Netflix for much longer.

For the time being, however, Norton VPN does work with Netflix US.

Here is a detailed look at how well Norton Secure VPN works with Netflix:

Server Network Size

To reliably unblock Netflix, you need a VPN with a large and constantly expanding server network. Unfortunately, Norton Secure VPN’s offering is relatively small compared to other VPN providers we’ve tested.

Norton offers servers in just 31 countries, with no city-level choice in any of them. For context, our recommended VPN for Netflix, ExpressVPN, has 3,000 servers in 94 countries and 160 cities.

Since Netflix continues to dedicate a lot of resources to blocking VPN servers, it’s only a matter of time before it identifies and blocks Norton Secure VPN completely.

Norton needs to increase the size of its VPN server network to become a more reliable option for Netflix. However, this seems unlikely given the company’s apparent lack of commitment to streaming.

We also want to see Norton improve the global coverage of its network. Currently, the VPN has servers in many popular locations in North America and Western Europe, but provides very few options in Asia and Oceania.

There’s also only one server in South America (Brazil) and one in Africa (South Africa). Without a server in these countries, you are unable to access Netflix content exclusive to that region.

Connection Speeds

Finding a workaround for Netflix’s geographical restrictions is only the first step. You also need a VPN with fast enough speeds for high-quality streaming and minimal buffering.

Netflix recommends a minimum of 3Mbps for standard-definition content and 5Mbps for 1080p Full HD content. To stream in 2160p 4K (the highest quality available), you’ll need at least 25Mbps.

Using a VPN always comes with a degree of speed loss, because your internet traffic has to make a longer round-trip. However, the speed performance drop is minimal with high-quality VPN.

Norton Secure VPN is very fast on local, same-country connections. In our latest speed tests, we saw a speed loss of only 8%, which is as good most VPNs out there.

The VPN is less impressive on long-distance connections, which are more important for streaming Netflix overseas. Our speed dropped from 97Mbps to 38Mbps connecting from the UK to the US. That’s a speed decrease of around 61%.

Although these speeds were still fast enough to enjoy Netflix in Ultra HD, they might become an issue when downloading videos to watch later or when you’re on a slower connection.

Here’s how Norton Secure VPN compares to some other popular VPNs when connecting from the UK to the US:

VPN Provider	Avg. Download Speed	Avg. Speed Loss
CyberGhost	26Mbps	74%
ExpressVPN	79Mbps	17%
Hotspot Shield	79Mbps	17%
NordVPN	74Mbps	21%
Norton Secure VPN	38Mbps	61%

You can read more about our speed tests in the full Norton Secure VPN review. Or, read our list of the fastest VPNs in 2021.

Encryption Strength & Advanced Security Features

Norton is one of the world’s biggest cybersecurity firms, perhaps best known for its antivirus software and it’s ‘all-in-one’ security suite, Norton 360.

It’s therefore disappointing and surprising that Norton Secure VPN lacks the essential security features and encryption standards that we expect from a secure and safe VPN.

Norton VPN does use the gold standard VPN protocol OpenVPN, but refuses to disclose which encryption cipher it uses. We urge every VPN service to use the unbreakable AES-256 cipher to secure their users’ data.

However, when we questioned Norton’s customer support team, they couldn’t tell us what encryption was being used. To learn more about encryption technologies, read our beginner’s guide to how VPNs work.

Our tests showed that Norton Secure VPN does not leak your IP or DNS data, but the service does use third-party DNS servers, which isn’t the safest option when it comes to protecting user privacy.

Another issue is that Norton Secure VPN doesn’t include a kill switch. A VPN kill switch is essential for ensuring user privacy, as it prevents your identity from being exposed if your internet connection drops.

While these security issues aren’t likely to be a problem if you’re only interested in using your VPN for streaming, they’re still worth being aware of. There are far safer alternatives that work with Netflix just as well as – if not better than – Norton Secure VPN.

Device Compatibility

Norton Secure VPN offers custom apps for all the major desktop and mobile platforms:

• Microsoft Windows
• Apple MacOS
• Apple iOS
• Google Android

Unfortunately, that’s where support ends. There are no apps for Linux-based systems, game consoles, smart TVs, or Amazon Fire TV Stick. There aren’t any workarounds available to support these platforms either, so you won’t be able to use Norton Secure VPN to stream Netflix on your TV.

The cheapest subscription plan, normally costing $3.33 per month, only allows you to use one device. More expensive plans are available which cover up to five or 10 devices.

Netflix regularly blocks IP addresses known to belong to VPN servers. It does this in order to enforce the licensing agreements it has with production studios, which restrict certain shows to certain regions.

The most common error encountered when attempting to stream Netflix with a VPN is the error code m7111-5059 – otherwise known as the Netflix proxy error. If you’re experiencing this error, you can try the following workarounds:

Connect to a new VPN server

Netflix blocks VPNs by identifying and blacklisting the IP address of each server. It’s sometimes the case that some of a service’s servers are blocked while other ones are still able to stream.

To connect to a new Norton Secure VPN server:

1. Open the Norton Secure VPN app and disconnect the service.
2. Tap the Virtual Location tab on desktop or the Location icon at the top of the mobile app.
3. Select a new server location. Either choose a different server in the same country, or visit uNogs.com to see if what you want to stream is also available in another country.
4. Navigate to Netflix and try again.

You may have to try this a few times to find a server that isn’t being blocked.

Contact Norton Customer Support

Since Norton doesn’t support streaming through its VPN servers, you’re unlikely to get much help for Netflix error code m7111-5059 from the customer support team.

Sadly, we found Norton’s customer support underwhelming. There aren’t many online troubleshooting resources, the live chat agents are slow to respond, and when they do their general VPN knowledge is disappointing.

Norton Secure VPN did work with Netflix when we tested it, but it’s unreliable and certainly isn’t the best VPN you can use for streaming.

The VPN’s connection speeds are generally quite impressive, but its small server network, lack of advanced security features, and Norton’s clear disinterest in unblocking Netflix mean that there are much better options.

Here are some alternative VPN services, all of which are much better for streaming Netflix than Norton Secure VPN:

VPN Service	Cheapest Monthly Cost	Unblock US Netflix?	No. Of Netflix Libraries	Avg. International Speed Loss (US)
Windscribe Pro	$4.08	Yes	42	32%
ExpressVPN	$6.67	Yes	19	17%
Surfshark	$2.49	Yes	15	41%
Norton Secure VPN	$3.33	Yes	1	61%

ExpressVPN – The Best VPN for Netflix

ExpressVPN is not only the best VPN for Netflix, it is also the best VPN service we’ve ever tested.

The VPN delivers very high speeds and provides excellent AES-256 and OpenVPN security. It’s also compatible with all devices, including games consoles and streaming boxes.

ExpressVPN unblocks Netflix in 19 different countries, including Netflix US, Netflix UK, and Netflix Japan.

Over many years of regularly testing ExpressVPN, we’ve never had a problem accessing streaming services and watching videos in high-quality with little-to-no buffering.

Where Norton Secure VPN lacks security features, ExpressVPN excels. The VPN comes with an effective kill switch and uses obfuscation technology to hide VPN traffic among regular HTTPS traffic. We also love its proprietary ‘Trusted Server’ technology that ensures users information is never stored on the server’s hard drive.

Although ExpressVPN is more expensive than Norton Secure VPN, we believe it is well worth the money. It works superbly well with Netflix, is based in a safer jurisdiction, and is a better choice for torrenting.

Windscribe – Unblocks the Most Netflix Libraries

Windscribe is an excellent choice for streaming. You can use it to unblock more than 40 Netflix libraries around the world – the most we’ve seen among VPN providers.

Windscribe offers good speeds for streaming and, unlike Norton Secure VPN, there are native apps available for smart TVs and Amazon Fire TV Stick.

Windscribe’s free-tier is also the only truly free VPN that works with Netflix. It unblocks 10 Netflix libraries, including Netflix US, but be aware that it comes with a 10GB data cap that will only let you stream around 4 hours of movies and TV shows each month. Read our guide to free VPNs for Netflix to find out more.

Overall, Windscribe is one of the best VPNs for Netflix and is a very good all-round service.

Surfshark – The Best Budget VPN for Netflix

Surfshark is a cheap VPN that works extremely well with Netflix. It unblocks 15 libraries, and has no bandwidth limitations or data caps, and delivers speeds that are on par with other leading VPN providers.

Although Surfshark’s network is of similar size to Norton Secure VPN, it has servers in twice the number of countries. While none of the servers are specifically optimized for streaming, we found that almost all of them worked flawlessly with Netflix, as well many other streaming sites such as Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer.