Digital media players are popular today and Roku occupies the leading place among market leaders. So, this article will consider the necessity to use a VPN application for Roku and its setup process.
What is Roku and how does it work?
Streaming TV devices are pretty much reliable. All you have to do is connect them to your flat-screen TV, connect them wirelessly to your home Wi-Fi network, and start watching.
Roku is a great alternative, but it needs a dedicated program on the computer to recognize local files or plugin a USB drive. In addition to streaming channels over the Internet, Roku also offers additional applications that allow users to see content stored on PCs or media servers that can also be connected to your network at home.
Roku Streaming Stick is a compact device that is slightly larger than a USB flash drive, but instead of connecting to a USB port, you connect it to an existing HDMI input on your TV or home theater receiver. The streaming tape has built-in Wi-Fi to connect to a broadband router.
The purpose of using VPN for Roku?
When it comes to streaming different types of content to Roku, sometimes you might run into an error that prevents you from accessing the channel due to geographic restrictions. All of this stems from copyright infringement policies and anti-piracy laws. Different films / TV shows must be properly licensed from production houses to provide content to different countries. Thus, these restrictions can be circumvented by using a VPN that codifies your internet actions and routes them through a remote server to any location of your choice.
How to set up?
There is no need to do anything on the Roku itself. Naturally, everything you need to build is just to install a VPN service on your router. But not every device supports a VPN. So, you have two main options:
- a physical router
- a virtual one.
To set up a VPN on a physical Wi-Fi router, it is necessary to install firmware that supports VPN connections. You can usually access your router’s firmware control panel by entering codes into the URL bar of your web browser when connected to Wi-Fi and then enter your login credentials.
Once in your dashboard, look for the option to set up a VPN connection. After installing the correct firmware, check your VPN provider’s website or customer support for setup instructions and configuration information to connect to their servers.
To organize the VPN virtual router is much easier and less risky than a physical router, but you’ll need a laptop to use as a Wi-Fi hotspot.
You can do this on almost any Windows PC or Macbook. This is how it works:
- Set up a VPN connection
- Join the Virtual network
- Broadcasting a Wi-Fi hotspot to neighboring devices
- Connect your Roku to a Wi-Fi hotspot
- All traffic from Roku is routed through the VPN.
There is another easy way to connect Roku via VPN that almost anyone can do, and it does not require special configuration or firmware. You can share a connection on Windows or Mac by creating a Wi-Fi hotspot.