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VPN Not Working With Hulu? Here is How To Fix it (2024 Edition)

Is your favorite VPN no longer accessing Hulu while you’re traveling abroad? In this article, I’ll tell you why this is happening and what you can do to fix it.

At a Glance

Ah, Hulu!

While it has never been quite as popular as some of its streaming competitors, Hulu offers content that other services don’t take the time to offer. And, with its purchase by Disney, the service is offering some nice Hulu-only content, like my personal favorite, Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K.

Quite a few Virtual Private Network (VPN) providers once upon a time offered reliable access to Hulu from outside of the United States. Unfortunately, this is no longer true, and it gets harder and harder to find a VPN that can burst through Hulu’s geo-blocking barricades.

Luckily, for Hulu users who are looking for continued access to Hulu streams, there are options.

Is Your VPN Not Working With Hulu? Try this...

Switch to NordVPN, the VPN provider that has a proven ability to access Hulu while you’re traveling abroad.

​After testing multiple VPNs, NordVPN has proven itself when it comes to accessing popular streaming services, including Hulu. The provider’s super fast, no data caps connections make it an excellent choice for buffer and stutter-free HD and 4K binges.

NordVPN​ offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try ​it risk-free.

Why Hulu Blocks a VPN Provider

Let’s take a look at why Hulu and other streaming sites might want to block VPN users from accessing their content from outside U.S. borders.

In the early days of both VPNs and Hulu, it was easy to use a VPN to access Hulu. Numerous VPNs had the ability to break through the streaming service’s geo-blocking barriers. All users had to do was fire up their favorite VPN, select a server inside of the U.S., connect to Hulu, and enjoy their favorite films and TV shows.

However, around 2014 or so, things started to change. At that time, Hulu began actively blocking VPN users from accessing their content library from outside of the United States.

While you may think that Hulu geo-blocking its content is a bit of a “Mickey Mouse” move, it isn’t doing it simply to be Goofy. (Okay, I’ll stop with the Disney references. For now.)

Hulu’s content streaming licensing agreements with television and film producers require them to restrict viewing of their content to viewers inside U.S. borders. Unfortunately, this means the streamer has had to begin blocking VPN-provided IP addresses from accessing their library.

Sadly, this means that many VPNs have given up on providing access to Hulu’s viewing goodness. Many Hulu customers who are traveling or living abroad now lack access to their favorite shows and movies.

How Hulu Blocks VPN Users From Accessing Their Content

When you fire up a VPN app on your desktop, mobile, or other compatible device and connect to a VPN server, the service temporarily assigns a new IP address to your device’s internet connection, based in the country where the VPN server is located.

The new IP address makes it appear as if you and your device are located in the new country. So, if you’re actually located in France at the moment and you connect to a server located in the United States, your new IP address will make it appear as if you’re connecting from inside U.S. borders.

Usually, the VPN server you’re connected to is also providing that same IP address to other users. This is known as a shared IP. This is fine, as the VPN server performs the same magic your home WiFi router does, presenting a single IP address to the outside world and routing the proper information to devices on the network.

In many cases, shared IPs are an advantage. By sharing an IP, outsiders cannot discern your online activities from the other users sharing the IP. This provides an additional layer of anonymity to VPN users.

However, when it comes to accessing streaming sites like Hulu, this can be a drawback.

If Hulu techs see a large number of connections coming from the same IP address, they do some investigating. If it turns out the IP address belongs to a VPN provider, they add the IP address to a “blacklist” that is used as a reference for blocking those IP addresses from accessing their servers.

Once the IP address is added to the blacklist, VPN users who connect to that server will be turned away at the gates of Hulu. When the user finds out they are blocked from Hulu, they will most likely contact their VPN provider’s customer service representatives.

This spurs the VPN folks to do a bit of investigating on their own. If they find that the IP address in question is being blocked, they will set up a new IP address, which restores access to Hulu for the VPN’s users.

Then Hulu later detects the fresh IP address, blocks it, and the game of online hide-and-seek begins anew.

As you can imagine, some VPN providers might not have the resources or willingness to continue to play this game of IP address “whack-a-mole.” Other providers have been known to limit the services they can unblock.

Luckily, there are some VPN providers that are willing to fight the good fight and work to keep Hulu access open for their customers.

Best Blocked Hulu Workaround: NordVPN

NordVPN Mar 2024 unblocks HuluTested
Mar 2024

Apps Available:

  • PC
  • Mac
  • IOS
  • Android
  • Linux

Website:  www.NordVPN.com

Money-back guarantee: 30 DAYS

NordVPN has long offered reliable, fast access to geo-blocked content from streaming services like Hulu, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, and many others. (See a full review of NordVPN.)

While there is no guarantee that users may not have to try more than one server location to gain successful access to Hulu and the like, they will usually find a server that provides access.

See here for more information about how we test each VPN.

1. Connection Speeds

You can have access to all of the streaming content in the world, but if your connection speeds are too slow, your streaming experience will be much less than satisfactory. Luckily, NordVPN provides blazingly-fast connections (371Mbps in my most recent round of testing).

That means HD and even 4K content will begin streaming almost immediately, and with no pauses along the way for rebuffering (depending on your usual connection speeds, of course).

2. Global Server Coverage

While this article may focus on gaining access to U.S.-based Hulu’s content library outside of U.S. borders, I would be remiss to not mention that NordVPN boasts an impressive global server network, which currently has over 5,400 servers sprinkled among 60+ countries around the globe.

The provider’s global server network provides access to geo-blocked content around the globe, providing access to Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, and many more streaming sites in just about any country where they’re located. It also provides access to streaming music services like Spotify, as well as geo-blocked gaming content.

3. ​Online Security & Privacy Protection

NordVPN offers comprehensive online security thanks to its use of banking-grade 256-bit AES encryption, an automatic kill switch, and IP/DNS leak prevention. The provider offers its in-house NordLynx connection protocol, which is based on WireGuard and is optimized for improved security and performance.

NordVPN also does an excellent job of protecting your personal privacy thanks to the provider’s strict no-server-logs policy, as well as its acceptance of the privacy-friendly Bitcoin cryptocurrency as a subscription payment.

The provider runs all server operations only from RAM, meaning no data is ever written to a physical hard drive. All data is completely wiped from the server’s RAM disks whenever it is rebooted, shut down, or unplugged.

NordVPN also recently began moving its operations to servers that NordVPN completely owns and operates, meaning no third-party operators have access to your personal information.

4. ​Multi-Platform Support

Hulu is available on most popular devices, including desktop, mobile, streaming, and gaming platforms. This makes multi-platform support an important part of any VPN decision.

NordVPN offers native app support for macOS (with native M1/M2 Mac support), Windows, Linux, iOS, Amazon Fire, Android TV, and Android platforms. In addition, they also provide extensions for the Chrome, Edge, and Firefox browser platforms.

Users of PlayStation (4 and 5) and Xbox (One and Series S & Series X) gaming consoles, Apple TV and Roku viewers, and smart TV owners are also covered, as NordVPN’s SmartDNS service unlocks Hulu for those devices. (Keep in mind that the SmartDNS service doesn’t encrypt your internet connection as a VPN would.)

The provider allows up to six simultaneous connections to their service via the same login, but users requiring more connections at once can connect all of their devices via a large number of wireless router makes and models. Ready-to-go router solutions are available from FlashRouters.com.

5. Customer Support

While I would never wish any type of technical difficulties on anyone, there is a good chance that you’ll need to contact your VPN provider’s customer support folks, even if it’s just with a billing question.

NordVPN provides always-available support, including 24/7 live chat, an email support option, and a searchable support library.

This provider’s customer support agents have always been at the ready for me, with fast, well-informed replies to my support questions. I’ve also accessed their easy-to-use support library when I dug for answers on my own.

​6. Pricing

NordVPN asks a quite reasonable price for its above-average service, providing a great return on investment.

A 30-day money-back guarantee provides more than enough time to decide if NordVPN is the right VPN provider for you.

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Methodology for Assessing VPNs for Streaming Hulu

When deciding on a VPN service provider to stream Hulu, there are several important features to consider. Remember, not all VPNs can provide the necessary features and performance.

Here are the critical features I compared to assess VPN providers:

  • Connection speeds: Fast connections are a must for streaming content, like that offered by Hulu. No one wants an extended wait while a movie or TV episode buffers or wants to wait for the stream to catch up in the middle of the action. I regularly perform connection speed tests. Each VPN I included on my list provides reliable, fast connections.
  • Server network: A large global server network is your friend. This is especially true when you’re streaming Hulu. Also, look for a VPN with multiple servers in each country it serves, as that helps prevent any single server from being hit with too many users.
  • Value: The subscription price of a VPN service provider is an important consideration for many users, especially in today’s economy. Always compare the features of any VPN to its asking price. All of the VPNs on my list offer good value.
  • Ease of use: Intuitive, easy-to-use apps make it easier for users to connect and start streaming immediately. Native app support should also be available for your preferred streaming platform. Each VPN that I included on my list offers multi-platform support.
  • Security and privacy: A VPN protects your online security and privacy. All of the VPNs on my list offer, at a minimum, government-grade encryption, an automatic kill switch, DNS/IP leak protection, and usually more. The VPNs on my list never keep any logs related to your online activities.

While the above factors are important when selecting a VPN, my comprehensive research doesn’t end here. Considering the factors listed above is just a small part of my overall VPN testing methodology. My data-driven approach helps me to better understand the VPNs and their services, allowing me to recommend VPN providers that are a good fit for my readers’ needs.

Hulu VPN FAQs

Is It Legal to Use a VPN to Watch Hulu?

It is legal to use a VPN to watch Hulu, as long as using a VPN is legal in your country. However, if Netflix detects that you’re using a VPN, they will block the IP address your VPN is using. They could also cancel your subscription but I haven’t heard of this ever happening.

How Do I Stream Hulu Using a VPN?

First, subscribe to a VPN and install its app on your device. Then, all you need to do is fire up the VPN app, login, and connect to a server. Next, connect to Hulu, pick a film or TV show, and start streaming.

Can I Use a VPN to Watch Other Streaming Services?

Absolutely! Many quality VPN providers, including NordVPN, offer access to multiple streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+, and numerous others.

Conclusion

NordVPN is ready and willing to access your favorite Hulu content when you’re outside of the United States. The provider offers a reliable and efficient method for knocking down the geographical blockades that Hulu and other streaming providers throw up in your path.

This provider offers a number of excellent features, including fast connection speeds, around-the-clock customer support, comprehensive global server coverage, excellent device support, and extensive protection for the online security and privacy of its customers.

For more information or to subscribe, visit the NordVPN website.

Roundup - best VPNs for speed

Position Our Score Verdict
1.
4.5/5
Verdict: Our top rated VPN
Get NordVPN »
2.
4.5/5
Verdict: Best budget option
Get Surfshark »
3.
4.0/5
Verdict: Great privacy options
Get ExpressVPN »
4.
4.0/5
Verdict: Highly versatile
Get CyberGhost »
5.
3.0/5
Verdict: Up to 10 devices
Get PrivateVPN »

PRIVACY ALERT: Websites you visit can see these details about you:

The following information is available to any site you visit:

Your IP Address:

Your Location:

Your Internet Provider:

This information can be used to target ads and monitor your internet usage.

By using a VPN you can hide these details and protect your privacy.

I recommend NordVPN - the top provider in my testing. It offers outstanding privacy features and there is currently a discounted rate available through this link.

Visit NordVPN

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