Does Surfshark Work with Netflix?

Netflix is constantly finding new ways to block VPNs in an effort to prevent people from viewing certain content.

While Netflix feels obliged to do this because of its licensing agreements with production studios, viewers are the ones left suffering the inconvenience.

Surfshark is currently one of only a few VPNs that works well with Netflix, but on occasion you may come across the painfully familiar Netflix proxy error.

“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.”

Here are some easy workarounds to help you bypass the Netflix proxy error (also known by error code m7111-5059).

1. Use a different VPN server

Netflix blocks VPN servers by blacklisting the IP addresses that belong to them. While VPN services regularly launch new servers and refresh their old IP addresses, they’re not always able to keep up.

Luckily, Netflix is usually only able to blacklist a handful of servers at a time. Therefore, the first thing you can try is simply reconnecting to a different server in the same location. It’ll have a new, unique IP address, that may not be blocked by Netflix (yet).

You may need to try several different servers before you unblock the library you’re looking for. However, Surfshark’s large 3,200-strong server network means you should be able to find one that works on most occasions.

2. Use a different encryption protocol

If you can access your Netflix library, but the content is stuck on the loading screen, you may need to change the encryption protocol. To switch to a different protocol:

1. Go to the Settings page in the Surfshark app
2. Click or tap the Advanced tab
3. Ensure the protocol is set to OpenVPN/UDP or WireGuard
4. Restart Netflix

3. Contact the customer support team

The Surfshark customer support team is on-hand 24/7 to help with any difficulties, including the m7111-5059 error. We’ve always found them very responsive and helpful in our years of testing.

If you can’t find the answers you need in Surfshark’s online resources, contact support via email or via live chat.

Surfshark is an extremely good VPN for streaming Netflix.

We put the VPN through our exhaustive test process, and it performed very well.

Surfshark consistently unblocks 31 Netflix regions with quick speeds and minimal buffering.

The VPN service is great for streaming on a range of devices too. This includes an impressive Firestick app to easily watch region-restricted movies on your TV.

The section below takes a detailed look at what makes Surfshark so good for Netflix.

Alternatively, skip to our section on how to set up Surfshark for streaming, or check out these workarounds if you’re still seeing the Netflix proxy error.

Unlocks 31 Netflix Libraries

Being able to access the US Netflix library is a huge advantage if you don’t live in the US, since it has the biggest content catalog.

Movie buffs will also be happy to access the Canadian library, which has the most movies available.

Other VPN services can stream more Netflix regions (e.g. Windscribe (42) or PrivateVPN (32)), but the fact Surfshark works with the US, UK, Japanese, and Canadian libraries should be enough for most users. Very few titles are exclusively available outside these countries.

In addition, Surfshark unblocks other content platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, Sky, and HBO Max.

The VPN’s UK servers also work with BBC iPlayer, one of the hardest streaming services to unblock.

Watch US Netflix from Anywhere

Not only can you access American Netflix via Surfshark’s US VPN servers, the VPN also lets you stream US movies and TV shows from any server location that isn’t streaming-enabled.

Simply connect to a country that isn’t listed above and you’ll be able to stream US content.

We love this feature because it allows users who don’t live near to the US to enjoy American Netflix content without sacrificing internet speed. You get the speed benefit of a local VPN connection, while accessing the most desirable Netflix region.

Fast Enough Speeds for Buffer-Free Streaming

When you change IP address by connecting to a VPN server, your internet traffic has to make a longer round trip. This means a VPN connection will almost always be slower than connecting directly.

If your service’s speed isn’t fast enough, you’ll be restricted to low-quality video with a lot of buffering.

Thankfully, Surfshark offers strong speeds on both local and international connections. It’s not the quickest VPN around, but it’s fast enough to stream Netflix videos in high-quality and with minimal buffering.

Our tests showed just a 10% drop in download speeds when using the WireGuard protocol to connect to a nearby server in the UK. We measured speeds of 90Mbps which is more than enough to stream Netflix in 4K.

Surfshark’s speeds are also impressive on international connections, which is important if you want to unblock movies and TV shows in countries far away. We recorded an average download speed loss of 44% and an average download speed of 56Mbps when connecting to US servers from the UK.

The VPN also performs reasonably well on other global connections:

Country	Avg. Download Speed	Avg. Speed Loss
Australia	47Mbps	53%
Canada	42Mbps	58%
Germany	76Mbps	24%

^{The above speeds were recorded using our 100Mbps fibre broadband.}

Surfshark’s large server network of 3,200 servers in 65 countries helps it to maintain good connection speeds by reducing server congestion and improving the distance between you and your local VPN server.

Elite-Level Encryption & Security

Surfshark protects your data with the safest encryption technologies on the market. It uses the military-grade AES-256 cipher to secure your traffic and lets you choose between a selection of great VPN protocols, including OpenVPN and WireGuard.

In addition, the VPN comes with effective IP, DNS, and WebRTC leak blocking tools, as well as a VPN kill switch that cuts your internet connection if the VPN ever stops working for a moment. Clearly, these tools are working well as we found no evidence of data leaks when we put Surfshark to the test.

Not only will Surfshark’s security suite keep you private and safe online, it’ll also help you beat Netflix’s geo-blockers. The obfuscation technology used by Surfshark makes VPN traffic look the same as regular HTTPS traffic, which makes it much harder for Netflix to identify you as a VPN user.

Obfuscation is applied automatically whenever you connect to a Surfshark server through the OpenVPN protocol. However, if necessary, you can change the connection protocol in the app’s Settings menu.

Simply open up Settings, select Advanced, and then choose your preferred protocol.

Compatible With a Wide Range of Devices

Surfshark lets you stream Netflix on all major desktop and mobile operating systems including MacOS, Windows, Android, and iOS.

You can also use its Chrome or Firefox extensions if you prefer streaming video content in a browser.

Surfshark is also one of the best VPNs for streaming on your TV. Its dedicated Fire TV Stick app is very easy-to-use and well-optimized for bigger screens.

Simply download the app from the Fire TV app store and use it to change your geographic region on a number of streaming platforms, including Hulu, HBO and YouTube.

Smart DNS and Trust DNS

Unlike many rival VPNs, you can easily use Surfshark on Apple TV, PS4 and other devices that don’t support native VPN applications.

To do this, it uses a SmartDNS (or Trust DNS) feature that works by rerouting your DNS requests rather than hiding your IP address.

Smart DNS won’t encrypt your traffic in the way a full VPN does so you should be careful when using it. But for spoofing your location and unblocking Netflix on Smart TVs and games consoles, it’s a great additional tool to have.

You can find full instructions for using Smart DNS on the Surfshark website.

Budget-friendly VPN With a 7-day Free Trial

Surfshark is among the cheapest premium-quality VPNs around.

The VPN costs as little as $2.49 a month, if you’re willing to pay for two years up front. That’s considerably cheaper than our top-rated VPN, ExpressVPN, which costs $6.67 a month.

If want to try before you buy, Surfshark offers an unrestricted week-long trial period.

There’s also a 30-day refund period, meaning you can essentially stream with Surfshark entirely risk-free for up to five weeks.