How to Install a VPN on Your TV

It doesn’t get much easier than this.

If you have an Android TV with access to the Google Play Store:

1. Open the Google Play Store on your TV
2. Search for your VPN provider’s app and install it
3. Sign-in to the VPN app
4. Connect to your VPN

You’re done! As easy as that.

This method is most likely to apply to you if you have a smart TV which is built on Android but doesn’t have access to the full Google Play Store. The most common example of this is the Amazon Fire TV.

Important: Don’t do this unless you know you have an Android Smart TV.

If your TV isn’t running on Android the best case scenario is that your VPN simply won’t run and the file will take up storage space. The worst case scenario is ‘bricking’ (irreversibly breaking) your TV.

You are going to download an .APK (Android Application Package) file containing the VPN onto your TV, rather than getting the program from an app store.

This sounds pretty technical, but is fairly easy to do when following step-by-step guidance:

1. Search your Smart TV’s App Store for the FX File Installer app and install it
2. Navigate to Settings > Security and restrictions > Unknown Sources. The exact navigation will vary slightly by device. At this point you will either be able to toggle Unknown Sources, or toggle specific apps. In the latter case you should toggle FX File Installer to the ‘On’ position now.
3. On a Mac or PC, download your VPN provider’s .APK file
4. Move that .APK onto a flash drive or USB stick
5. Insert the USB drive into your smart TV
6. In FX File Installer, open your USB
7. Select the .APK and press Install
8. When installation is complete, press Open

Your VPN is now installed and ready to go.

In order to do this, you’ll need to set your PC up as a virtual router or mobile hotspot, and then connect your smart TV to it like you would a normal WiFi network.

Before you start you will need to make sure your computer supports running a virtual router:

1. Type cmd into the Windows search bar
2. Right Click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator
3. Enter the following: netsh wlan show drivers
   
4. Press Enter

If you see “Hosted network supported: Yes”, then your computer can host a virtual router. If it reads “No,” then you will need to try another method – most likely installing the VPN on a router (method 5).

If you are running Windows 10 you can set up a mobile hotspot, but older Windows operating systems will need to manually set up a virtual router.

First, we’re going to go over setting up a mobile hotspot – you can scroll down the page for instructions for a virtual router.

Windows 10 Mobile Hotspot Setup

1. Install your chosen VPN onto your PC (if you become stuck you can consult our guide to installing a VPN on Windows)
2. Navigate to Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile hotspot, then toggle Mobile hotspot to On
3. Navigate to Settings > Network & Internet > Change adaptor options. Right-click on [VPN service provider name] Tap Adapter > Properties
4. Select the Sharing tab, then tick the box labelled Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection
5. Open the drop-down menu and select the hotspot you just created and press OK
6. Connect to your new network from your smart TV as you would any WiFi network

If you ever want to end the mobile hotspot just navigate to Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile hotspot and turn the Mobile hotspot toggle to Off

Windows Virtual Router Setup

If for any reason your computer does not support a hotspot we recommend setting up a virtual router. This is a bit more complex than just setting up a mobile hotspot.

1. Connect your PC to the internet by WiFi or ethernet
2. Install your VPN of choice
3. Re-open the Command Prompt
4. Type: netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=NETWORKNAME key=PASSWORD
   Instead of ‘NETWORKNAME’ and ‘PASSWORD’ you should enter the name and password you want to use for your new network
5. Press Enter
6. Type: netsh wlan start hostednetwork and press Enter
7. Next up, press Windows key + R to open Run
8. Type in ncpa.cpl then press OK
9. In the Network Connections menu, right click on the connection called [VPN service provider name] Tap Adapter and select Properties
10. Navigate to the Sharing tab, then check Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection
11. Select your new virtual router from the drop-down menu, then press OK
12. Make sure your VPN is set to use the OpenVPN protocol, then connect
13. Connect to your new virtual router from your smart TV, just like you would with a normal WiFi network

To disable the virtual router you will need to enter the following into Command Prompt: netsh wlan stop hostednetwork

This method should work for all Mac users running on the latest version of macOS, but also requires a VPN provider who supports an L2TP/ IPSec connection on Mac.

You will connect your Mac to the internet via and share the connection with your TV via WiFi.

Note: You may also need to purchase an adaptor to connect an ethernet cable directly to your Mac, depending on the model.

The process is pretty straightforward, though. Just follow these steps:

1. Install the VPN on your Mac using a manual configuration. Specifically, you need to use L2TP/ IPSec. (We have a guide to installing a VPN on Mac in case you get stuck here).
2. Connect to the VPN on your Mac
3. Navigate to System Preferences and select Sharing
4. Select Internet Sharing on the left-hand side
5. Check the Wi-Fi box on the right
6. Select Wi-Fi Options
7. In the Security drop-down, choose WPA2 Personal
8. Set up the network using a Network Name and Password of your choice (make sure the password is secure)
9. Click OK
10. Back in the Sharing tab, check the Internet Sharing checkbox
11. Click Start

That’s all. Your smart TV can now connect to your Mac like it would a normal WiFi network.

Your VPN is already turned on, so the traffic will be protected.

If you want to turn off internet sharing, navigate back to the Sharing tab and untick Internet Sharing.

Not only is this one of the most hassle free ways to get awkward Smart TVs working on a VPN, it also allows you to protect all the devices in your home at the same time.

Unfortunately the basic routers provided by ISP generally don’t support VPN installations.

You have two choices: either purchase a pre-configured router or install your VPN’s software on a DD-WRT/Tomato based router. We go over these options in more detail in our full VPN router installation guide.

Once you have your router set up you won’t need to do anything out of the ordinary with your smart TV. Just connect it to your router like normal and enjoy all the benefits of a VPN.