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

Don’t miss House of the Dragon and other great content because your VPN isn’t working with HBO Max. We take a look at why your VPN might not work with HBO, how to fix it, and which VPNs are best for HBO.

HBO Max is HBO’s online video streaming service. The provider offers a wide range of TV shows and movies to its subscribers. However, that content is only available to subscribers in the United States. Potential viewers located outside of the U.S. are left out in the cold.

Unless you use a Virtual Private Network (VPN), of course. So you launch your VPN app, connect to a VPN server in the U.S., visit the HBO Max website, and… what? It’s not working?

But, a VPN is Supposed to Help Access HBO Max!

Unfortunately, HBO Max and other streaming services don’t allow potential viewers in other countries to access their content, and they know how to tell when an IP address belongs to a VPN provider and how to block it. Some VPNs can get around this, but some can’t, like your current VPN provider.

However, there are VPN providers on the market that can give you reliable access to HBO Max.

Why HBO Max Blocks VPN Providers

In the good old days, nearly any VPN provider could unblock access to video streaming services like HBO Max. However, those days are long gone.

Streaming services like HBO Max, nowadays, know how to detect whether an IP address belongs to a VPN provider, and will summarily block the user’s access.

The reason this occurs is because of the contracts HBO Max has with TV and movie studios. While HBO mostly provides its own content, it does offer content from third-party companies. And they’re not keen on allowing viewers around the world to watch their content.

But why not? Because these third-party companies can make even more money by restricting access. If anyone in the world could access their TV shows and movies from anywhere, they wouldn’t be able to make even more money by selling rights to their content to streaming providers throughout the world.

Whether or not you’re using a VPN, if HBO Max detects that you’re trying to access their content from outside of the United States, you’ll be blocked from accessing their sweet, sweet movies and TV shows.

How HBO Max Blocks VPN Users From Their Content

To understand how HBO Max blocks VPN users, you have to understand how a VPN works.

When you connect to one of a VPN’s servers, the server hides your true IP address and gives you a new, temporary IP address from the country where you connected.

So, even if you happen to be in, say, Croatia, if you connect to a VPN server located in the U.S., the internet will think you’re really located in the U.S. and not Croatia.

However, you’re not the only one using this IP address. Typically, many users are using the same IP address to perform their various online activities. This is called a “shared IP address.”

How this works is that the VPN server acts similarly to your home WiFi router, showing the world a single IP address while routing the respective requests and information to the proper users.

Shared IP addresses are a boon to users who prize anonymity. If many users are using the same IP address, that makes it more difficult for any person or entity to trace online activities back to the individual user.

However, there is a downside. A shared IP address is actually a handicap if many customers using the same IP address try to connect to the same streaming service. That streaming service will eventually realize that many users are connecting with the same IP address and begin to suspect that the IP address belongs to a VPN.

Once this happens, the streamer will immediately add that IP address to a “blacklist,” meaning that the streamer will block that IP address from ever connecting to the service’s content.

The VPN provider will eventually catch wind of this, and if the VPN is worth its salt, it will replace the old, blocked IP address with a new, unblocked IP address for its customers to use.

But then the video streaming service will detect that this new IP address belongs to a VPN provider, and it will block the new address. The VPN will again replace the newly blocked IP address, and around and around it goes.

However, as you likely realized from your faulty VPN provider, not every VPN provider is capable of or willing to keep up with this virtual game of whack-a-mole. Thankfully, some VPNs do keep up with the game and offer excellent access to geo-restricted streaming services.

Best Blocked-HBO Max Workaround: NordVPN

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NordVPN offers reliable access to HBO Max from almost anywhere around the globe. In addition to HBO Max, NordVPN offers international access to Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+ and many others.

You can check out a full review of NordVPN and how we test VPN providers.

1. Connection Speeds

Connection speed is critical when you’re streaming. Especially if you prefer HD or 4K video streaming, slow speeds can require you to stream in a lower resolution. That’s not to mention the buffering times and pauses in streaming that slow connections cause.

Thankfully, NordVPN offers super speedy connections, being one of the fastest performers in my most recent speed tests. You can stream HD and 4K content with no buffering or pauses (depending on your usual, ISP-provided speeds, of course).

NordVPN offers unlimited bandwidth to all of its subscribers, in addition to no data caps of any kind.

2. Global Server Coverage

HBO Max is restricted to viewers in the United States, but all the same, you may one day find that you want to access streams in another country. This makes a wide server network an important thing to consider for any VPN provider.

5,400+ NordVPN servers can be found all over the globe in 60 countries, the U.S. included.

HBO Max will be available to you, as well as other streaming sites, gaming sites, financial services, and other sites and services that you normally can’t access from abroad.

3. Online Security & Privacy Protection

The internet is a dangerous place. It’s full of people and entities looking to spy on your online activities and steal your personal information. Thankfully, VPNs provide many security and privacy protections to keep you safe online.

NordVPN protects your connection with government-grade 256-bit AES encryption, an automatic kill switch and IP/DNS leak prevention. NordVPN also offers a new NordLynx protocol, based on WireGuard, that offers improved speed and security.

The provider also takes your privacy seriously, never saving any logs of your online activities and allowing you to pay with Bitcoin to protect your financial information.

Plus, the provider runs all server operations completely from RAM, writing no data of any kind to a physical hard drive. This means all data gets totally wiped from the server whenever it is rebooted.

In addition, NordVPN is currently in the process of moving all of its server operations to its proprietary facilities. This keeps third-party contractors away from your precious private information.

4. Multi-Platform App Support

HBO Max is available on many platforms, including mobile, desktop and streaming platforms. To fully take advantage of HBO Max’s offerings, you need a VPN provider that offers support for all kinds of devices.

There’s native app support for the Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Amazon Fire and Android TV device platforms. Chrome and Firefox browser extensions also make the scene.

PlayStation (4 and 5), Xbox (One and Series S & Series X) and smart TV owners can also access geo-controlled content thanks to NordVPN’s SmartDNS service. Just keep in mind that DNS services don’t encrypt your internet connection like VPN services do.

Up to 6 devices can connect simultaneously to NordVPN’s servers on one account. You can gain even more connections if you opt to take advantage of the provider’s router support. You can get ready-to-go NordVPN routers from FlashRouters.

5. Customer Support

No matter which VPN provider you opt for, it’s likely you’ll need to contact customer support at some point, even if it’s just with a billing question. Reliable and speedy customer support is invaluable.

NordVPN offers customer support in the form of 24/7 live support chat, email support and a self-service support library.

Talking to customer support has always been an enjoyable experience, with quick and knowledgeable replies. The support library has plenty of useful information, too.

6. Pricing

NordVPN surprisingly doesn’t charge a high price for its high level of service. The deal is especially nice for a 2-year subscription.

A 30-day money-back guarantee provides plenty of time to make sure NordVPN is the right VPN provider for you.

Methodology for Assessing a VPN for Netflix

Not all VPNs can provide reliable access to Netflix and other geo-blocked streaming sites. In the list below, you’ll find some of the VPN features I consider when determining a provider’s ability to deliver reliable access to Netflix:

• Connection Speed: If you’re a streaming fan, you know that fast connections equal a more enjoyable streaming experience. VPNs with daily or monthly data caps or that throttle their users’ connections can ruin things mid-binge. NordVPN delivers some of the fastest “no-cap” connections in the VPN industry.
• Server Network: A VPN with a large number of servers stationed around the globe improves the odds that you’ll successfully access and view your favorite TV shows and films. Providers should ideally have multiple servers in each location, as it helps prevent putting a heavy load on any single server. This helps ensure better server performance.
• Value: A VPN’s true value is arrived at by comparing its asking price to the feature set it offers. The providers that I recommend in my articles (such as NordVPN) offer an excellent return on investment.
• Ease of Use: If you’re a first-time VPN user, you may be in search of easy-to-use apps that work with your favorite devices. NordVPN offers easy-to-use apps for most popular device platforms. You’ll also have access to browser extensions and comprehensive router support.
• Security and Privacy: Any VPN worth your consideration should protect you from having your online activities monitored and tracked by nosy third-parties. All VPNs should offer banking-level encryption, a kill switch, and other security and privacy protections. Malware and virus protections, ad blocking, and other features are icing on the cake. Also,providers should never save any type of identifying server logs.
• Streaming: VPNs should provide reliable unblocking of geo-controlled content, such as that offered by Netflix, FuboTV, Peacock and other streaming services. The VPNs that I recommend for streaming all offer reliable content-unlocking abilities.

The features listed above are just some of the factors that I consider during my comprehensive VPN testing methodology. My approach provides a better understanding of these VPN providers and the services they offer. This means that I can recommend only those VPNs that are a good fit for your particular needs.

HBO Max VPN FAQs

Conclusion

HBO Max viewers in other countries can still enjoy all that HBO Max has to offer from the comfort of their own, foreign homes by using a reputable VPN provider.

NordVPN is the optimal choice. The provider offers speedy connections to a worldwide network of servers, as well as superior digital privacy and security protections. There’s plenty of app support for all of your favorite devices, plus top-notch customer support.

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