Why Should I Use A VPN For Smart TV
Using a VPN for Smart TV has its benefits.
- It allows you to watch streaming content from a location where that content is restricted.
- It protects your IP address and keeps your online identity masked.
- Allows you to form a direct connection to another countrys server.
- One of the most important benefits that a VPN provides is that it saves you from Price Discrimination, and it means that you can buy a product based on your preferred countrys prices.
- When you shop online, buy a premium streaming service, or make any online transaction, the users can hack your credit card info. A VPN encrypts your online info and keeps cybercriminals far from you.
- Tired of getting tracked by the government or your internet service provider? Use a VPN to browse anonymously.
Why Use A VPN On A TV
Today’s TVs aren’t just for watching local network programming or cable TV. They’re also for streaming video on demand from your go-to streaming providers.
The amount of streaming content available today might seem limitless already, but some content is regionally locked. If you’re itching for more, or if the programming you want to watch isn’t available in your country, you can use a VPN on your smart TV to spoof your location to access virtually any of the content you may want.
If, say, you’re in the UK but you want to stream programming that’s only available in the US, then you can hook your VPN up to your smart TV and connect to a server in the US. Since the VPN changes your IP address to a US IP address in the process, the streaming service you’re visiting will assume you’re in the US and serve up American programming, even if you’re across the Atlantic. Just make sure to check with your streaming service of choice to confirm that using a VPN doesn’t violate its terms of service. You don’t want to risk losing access to your streaming account for any reason.
Even if unblocking geo-restricted video content on your smart TV isn’t of particular interest to you, you may want to use a VPN on your TV as a way of preventing your ISP from being able to monitor your viewing habits or keep track of the internet activity being generated by your smart TV.
Best Free VPNs For Samsung TV
Many people opt for free VPNs because they are practical and thrifty for users on short trips outside their regular location or for use within a short period. While its true that some free VPNs are quite good, they cant be compared to paid VPNs, especially the risk-free ones. Below, youll find a review of the best free VPNs for Samsung TV.
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Using A VPN Router To Connect To Another Country
If you’d like all the protections and content-related freedom of a VPN on a device that does not natively support one then one way to do this is to load a VPN directly onto your router. All the devices that use that router to connect to the internet will now be protected as if they had native support. Right now, one of these statements about your router will be true:
- Your router comes with a pre-installed VPN
- Your router has VPN firmware, but you haven’t installed a VPN
- Your router is not set up with the relevant firmware to house a VPN
Can I Use Free VPNs For Samsung Smart TV
The answer is yes. However, there are some limitations. To begin, you should ensure that the VPN provider you select has servers in your country.
Furthermore, certain features, such as using the built-in browser to watch streaming services, may not work with a VPN. Finally, ensure that the VPN provider is compatible with Samsung Smart TVs.
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Are Smart Dns And A VPN The Same
No, Smart DNS connections and a VPN are completely different internet connection tools.
A Smart DNS connection will only change your DNS settings and make your Samsung TV appear as if its connecting from the location of the server youre connected to. A Smart DNS does not encrypt your traffic .
A VPN, on the other hand, will route all of your internet activity through a remote server, encrypting it along the way, so no one can view your browsing or streaming activities.
Connecting through your VPN provider using a Smart DNS connection doesnt provide the same encryption as a VPN connection will. It also wont change your devices IP address so it wont block anyone from attempting to track you online.
Set Up A VPN On Your Samsung TV Via Smart Dns Settings
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Can I Use A Free VPN On Smart TV
Yes, you can use a free VPN on your Smart TV with some extra caution. Since free VPNs typically dont come with malware protection features and can corrupt your data and system. Moreover, free VPNs are generally useless as they have poor speed and make streaming an annoying task.
The best thing is to use a free version of a premium VPN service Provider to save the hassle.
How VPN Works On Samsung TV
First of all, when you download and set up VPN Unlimited, you hide your real IP address, making it seem like youre actually in a different location. For example, if you are in Europe and connect to the US streaming server, the service detects you as if you are in the US and grants access to the desired content. This helps you access whatever content you want on your Samsung Smart TV.
Besides, VPN encrypts your traffic, which secures your activities and makes you anonymous. So, neither your ISP nor any other parties can see what you do or watch online.
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How To Set Up A VPN For Smart TV With Google Play Store
Android TVs are usually VPN-compatible. So if you own one, you can set up a VPN right out of the box.
Here are steps to Set up a VPN for Smart TV with Google Play Store:
Step1) Open Google Play Store on your TVs screen and search for your desired VPN Android Apps.
Step 2) Simply log in and connect your server to your location. Start configuration until the below screen pops up. Press Ok.
Now, you can unlock your favorite geo-locked app in no time.
However, you still dont get access to region-locked apps you may need to go deeper to find other alternative methods to complete this task.
How To Install A VPN Through Your Router
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How To Wirelessly Connect A VPN To Smart TV
If the Ethernet cable method doesnt suit your needs, you can use your Wi-Fi connection to hook up your VPN on PC to your Smart TV.
Learn how to set up a VPN to Smart TV via Wi-Fi on your Windows PC:
Step 1) Install a VPN on your Smart TV.
Step 2) By clicking Network & Internet connection, you will see the Mobile hotspot option on the left side of your PCs screen. Choose it.
Step 3)Edit your Mobile Hotspot with a new name and password and Save the details.
Step 4)On the tab, click on
Test the connection on your Smart TV and unlock your desired geo-restricted content.
Likewise, if you want to set up a VPN on your Mac to your Pc via Wi-Fi, you have to choose Wi-Fi options from the To computers using the option.
- Select a new password and now click OK to confirm.
- By clicking the status box, a confirmation box will appear. Click Start.
Now your Mac and Smart TV are both connected. Turn on VPN on your Mac to get access to your favorite content on your Smart TV.
How To Install A VPN On Your Smart TV
If you are using an Android TV, installing a VPN is straightforward.
Start off by signing up to a VPN service that supports installation on smart TVs . Ensure you have the necessary credentials to hand.
Next, switch on your smart TV, grab the remote, and do the following:
Input your credentials when prompted, typically with the username or password . Note that some additional verification may be required, so have a phone, tablet, or computer nearby to check your emails.
Once this is done, the VPN should be active on your smart TV. You can now use the app to select an encrypted connection to a VPN app for private TV streaming. Head back to home screen, run your streaming TV app, and enjoy.
To disable the VPN or change VPN servers simply open the VPN app and make your selections.
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Expressvpn Best Overall VPN For Samsung Smart TVs
ExpressVPN is my favorite VPN for Samsung Smart TV it consistently works with Samsung Smart TVs, has the fastest speeds in the industry, and is able to access 65+ streaming sites, including Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. It has easy-to-use apps that work with most routers and even offers its own VPN router called Aircove. ExpressVPN is also ranked #1 on our list of the top 10 VPNs in 2022.
ExpressVPNs Aircove VPN router is really convenient, as it provides built-in VPN protection that is extended to every device connected to your homes Wi-Fi network, including your Samsung Smart TV. Aircove offers really fast speeds and reliable connections, but it should be noted that it comes at an extra, one-time purchase and requires an active ExpressVPN subscription for the VPN features to work.
If you dont want to purchase the router, you can install the VPN on your router. ExpressVPN provides step-by-step tutorials on its website for installing the VPN to your router and setting up device groups. It even lets you create up to 5 groups of devices that each connect to a different VPN server. This let me group my Samsung Smart TVs together and connect them to a VPN server ideal for streaming while grouping my PC and smartphone together and connecting them to a different server.
How Do I Set Up A VPN With A Smart TV
Since smart TVs and indeed VPNs are all slightly different, there is no catch-all protocol for connecting. Many large electronics manufacturers have jumped into the smart TV market, including:
Some newer TV models by certain brands enable you to install a VPN directly onto it. For example, since many Sony smart TV models are Android-based, they will be compatible with a VPN app. On the other hand, Samsung smart TVs arent compatible with VPN apps so need to be set up differently, for example, through the router configuration.
When you configure the VPN on your home router, any device including your smart TV connected to the router will be protected. If your router firmware supports VPN configuration, you can follow the setup guides offered by your chosen provider . If not, you may want to look into replacing the routers firmware with a VPN-compatible firmware, such as DD-WRT or Tomato. Bear in mind that replacing firmware can damage your router, so it is best left to the more tech-savvy user.
Another option is to buy a pre-configured router such as those we mentioned earlier. ExpressVPN router is recommended as it uses custom firmware and is easy to use. NordVPN and IPVanish have great options available made by third-party affiliate, FlashRouter.
Most providers offer step-by-step instructions to help you install the VPN onto a router. Guides offered by some of the providers listed above can be found at the following links:
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If You Have An Android/google TV
Similarly, if your smart TV runs on Google’s Android operating system, then you can set up a VPN on your TV by simply downloading your VPN’s app from the Play Store directly onto your TV. And even though Google is in the midst of rebranding Android TV as it transitions to a slicker, more user-friendly platform in , you’ll still be able to access Android apps in the Play Store after you’ve upgraded to Google TV since it still runs Android under the hood.
What you’ll need to do first is to get a VPN that works on Android, if you don’t have one already. Then, navigate over to the Play Store on your Google TV, search for your VPN provider’s app and download it. Once you’ve downloaded the VPN app to your TV, sign in and connect to a VPN server.
If you want to unblock US-only content, then you’ll need to connect to a VPN server in the US, or to a server in the UK for UK-only content, and so on. If all you want to do is protect your TV watching privacy and prevent your ISP or other entities from monitoring your viewing activity, then we’d recommend connecting to a VPN server closest to your physical location, in order to achieve optimal connection speeds through your VPN.
Hackers Make Them A Target
Most of us think of laptops or a desktop computer as a target for hackers. Its true that a computer is more likely to get infected by viruses and malware. However, hackers also know that were probably running a VPN or other security measures to block attacks.
With a smart television, there isnt a built-in VPN or a way to install one. If you enable a VPN on your router, you at least stand a chance of warding off attacks.
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Samsung Smart TV VPN Compatibility
While it is easy to download VPN apps onto Android-based Smart TVs, Samsung Smart TVs do not run on this OS they run on Tizen OS, which is not compatible with VPNs.
To install VPNs on Samsung Smart TVs, you can either set up your VPN on your router, enable your Smart DNS, or use Internet Connection Sharing on Windows.
Setup VPN For Smart TV Samsung
Setting up a VPN on a Samsung Smart TV running Android OS via any additional device is quite easy. You can .
Heres how you can do it yourself:
1. Open Google Play Store on your Samsung Smart TV.
2. Search for any VPN service.
3. the VPN app on your TV.
4.Log in to the VPN using your account credentials.
5. Connect to your desired server and start streaming.
Note: Installing a VPN app on a Samsung Smart TV can be easily done via the Google Play Store. But you will need additional hardware that can run Android OS to be able to sideload apps on Samsung Smart TV.
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Does The Brand Of Smart TV I Own Impact Which VPN I Should Choose
All of the VPNs we’ve covered in this post are router-compatible. This means you can use a VPN with your Smart TV regardless of its brand. However, it may be that you have an Android TV, in which case you may wish to choose a VPN such as NordVPN. Aside from being manually configurable with select routers, it offers an Android TV app.
Can I Use A VPN On My Smart TV Without Configuring My Router
Yes, you can get VPN protection for your Smart TV through connection-sharing with your Windows PC. You can turn your PC into a virtual router and connect your Smart TV to the WiFi hotspot from your computer the setup is simple and only takes a couple of minutes.
From there, you can control your VPN using your PC app, and as your Smart TV is connected to your PC, it will also benefit from the VPNs encryption. Once youre done, simply disconnect your Smart TV from your PC and connect back to your usual router WiFi.
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