You may think that Netflix subscribers in Mexico can get pretty much the same content that is available for customers in the United States. The truth is that in spite of the geographical proximity, Netflix subscribers in Mexico (just like those in other countries), have to settle for a limited library of content when compared to their Northern neighbors. US customers pay more than those in Mexico, but the smaller selection of content available in Mexico is the result of licensing restrictions. These restrictions establish that some content can only be shown in the US. This means that even if you live in the US and pay for a subscription there, but happen to travel to Mexico on a regular basis, you will come across restrictions that will prevent you from watching the content that you are used to get at home.
Although Netflix states that it is working to ensure that its subscribers outside the United States get a larger and more varied selection of content, this may take some time. In the meantime, if you are in Mexico, there is a solution that can help you to get access to the US Netflix catalog. What you need to do is to change your IP address so that you appear as if you were connecting from the United States. This way, Netflix won’t stop you from watching the content that is available in that country. In order to change your IP address and bypass the geographical restrictions in Netflix, you can rely on a VPN or a smart DNS proxy. Here we’ll take a look at both solutions.
How to unblock US Netflix in Mexico using a VPN
There are many VPN providers available and the vast majority offer access to servers in the United States. When you connect to a VPN server in the US, all your internet traffic is routed through that server, before it reaches to Netflix’s servers. This way, Netflix will think that you are located in the United States and will give you access to all the movies and TV shows that it offers there. However, since many people are eager to bypass the geo-blocks and VPNs have become more popular, Netflix has implemented measures that aim to prevent the use of VPNs. In many cases, when a VPN user connects to Netflix, they will get a message telling them to disable the proxy. Currently, only a few VPN providers are still offering an effective solution to defeat the restrictions in Netflix.
ExpressVPN and NordVPN are some of the services that are still able to get around Netflix’s firewall. They offer selected servers in the United States that can be used to access the US version of Netflix from Mexico and other countries. ExpressVPN is known for the remarkable speed of the service, its reliability and high security. If you contact their customer support, they will tell you what servers are the best to access US Netflix. NordVPN offers strong security features, a zero logs policy and when you hover over a server, you can see the list of streaming services and channels that can be accessed. Once you are connected to the server, you can log into Netflix again and the catalog available in the US should be displayed.
While this solution is effective in web browsers such as Firefox and Chrome, if you want to enjoy Netflix on your tablet, gaming console or other device, using the VPN app may not be enough to defeat the proxy error. The official Netflix app is capable of prompting the user back into their ISP’s DNS servers, instead of the ones used by the VPN. This could reveal the use of a VPN. If you are coming across issues when trying to access the US version of Netflix on your device, even after connecting to a VPN, the best option may be to set up the VPN on a WiFi router. ExpressVPN and NordVPN offer guides that will allow you to set up the service on routers running Tomato, DD-WRT and other firmware that supports VPN connections. It is also possible to find routers that have been already configured with a VPN service.
How to unblock Netflix in Mexico with smart DNS
Smart DNS is another method that could help you to watch US Netflix in Mexico. Although it disguises your IP address, just like a VPN does, smart DNS comes with some limitations. It only works in a web browser and it is not as reliable as a VPN. Netflix is more likely to be able to tackle the use of a proxy, while some VPNs offer technology that can hide the use of this technology. In addition, although there are some DNS proxies that work, they don’t offer consistent results.
DNS stands for Domain Name System and it works like an online phone book. It turns web page requests into IP addresses. When you change the DNS server in the computer’s settings to one in the United States, you can make Netflix believe that you are actually connecting from within the US. Smart DNS providers will usually provide users with a DNS code that would be more likely, a primary and alternative IP address for the alternate DNS server. You will need to enter the details manually into the computer’s online settings.
DNS proxies may be faster than VPNs due to the fact that no encryption is applied. While this could be an apparent advantage, particularly when it comes to streaming, the lack of encryption means that proxies are not the right solution when it comes to adding security to your connection. Besides, since DNS proxies are not as effective as VPN solutions like ExpressVPN and NordVPN when it comes to bypassing geo-blocks in Netflix, the fact that the first can be faster than the latter becomes irrelevant. After all, what you need is a service that gets the job done.