If you’re trying to watch ABC with a VPN and it’s not working, the IP address your VPN has given you has been identified and blocked by ABC.
The reason this is happening is because of licensing. If ABC allowed customers to access its platform with a VPN, it would devalue the licenses and agreements it has with its content partners.
To prevent that from happening, ABC tries to block VPNs. But don’t panic. The good news is there are several fixes you can try to get around these blocks.
This article will explain how to fix ABC not working with VPN.
See also:
- Acorn TV not working with VPN? Try these EASY fixes (September 2023)
- Philo not working with VPN? Try these EASY fixes! (September 2023)
ABC not working with VPN: Fixes
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Delete Cookies
Cookies are small files stored on your device to enhance your online experience. ABC uses Cookies to streamline your use of the platform. An example of a common Cookie used by ABC is storing your login information, so you don’t have to log in each time you access the streaming service.
They aren’t malicious files that will harm your computer, but on some occasions, Cookies contain information regarding your location. If you don’t use a VPN permanently, this location will be your actual location.
ABC can potentially access this location information stored on your Cookies. If it finds the location is different from the location you’re selecting with your VPN, it knows it’s a VPN and blocks the connection.
Try deleting your Cookies to fix ABC not working with VPN.
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Change to a different US server
Because VPNs are a well-known way to watch ABC outside of its broadcast zone, it tries to block VPNs.
Your VPN is potentially not working with ABC because the streaming service has been able to identify and block the IP address that your VPN has given you.
ABC does not have the capability to block a VPN in its entirety. It can only block the IP addresses your VPN provides.
Just because it’s blocked your current IP address, it doesn’t mean it has blocked all of your VPN IP addresses.
Changing to a different US server will give you a different IP address, and if ABC hasn’t blocked that one, you’ll be able to watch its content with your VPN again.
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Change protocol
Check to see if your VPN supports multiple protocols.
These are the rules by which a VPN reroutes your online data through its own server.
Some protocols are fast, while others are more secure. ABC might not be working with your VPN because the protocol you’re using isn’t meeting the requirements set by the streaming service.
If possible, change between protocols and see if a different one works.
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Update/reinstall your VPN
It’s always a good idea to keep your VPN updated. The reason ABC might have stopped working with your VPN could be due to an error with the VPN software.
Most of the time, these errors are known to the VPN, and they will release a fix in an update.
Try updating or reinstalling your VPN to ensure you have the latest version, along with any error fixes.
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Upgrade to a VPN that works reliably with ABC
If the above fixes didn’t resolve the problem, then ABC has managed to block all of your VPNs IP addresses.
This has happened because your VPN can no longer get around ABC’s VPN blocking techniques.
The best way to fix ABC not working with VPN is to upgrade to a VPN that has effective measures in place to stay ahead of these VPN blocks.
ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) works well with ABC. This is because it plays a game of cat and mouse with the streaming service.
When ABC identifies an IP address provided by ExpressVPN ($6.67/month), ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) will close that IP address and open a new one that hasn’t been blocked.This will prevent you from running into the issues you’ve come across with your current VPN, and it will allow you to watch ABC reliably anywhere in the world.
How is ABC detecting my VPN?
Before 2016, you could use any VPN to stream any online geo-locked content in the world. Which meant watching ABC from outside the US was easy. Those days are over, as Netflix led the way with its VPN blocks in mid-2016.
Since then, more and more online broadcasters have followed Netflix’s lead. Which is why you’re having difficulty watching ABC via a VPN.
The way ABC (and Netflix) detect and blacklist VPNs is simple. VPNs have a large number of customers and a much smaller number of servers in the US. When too many VPN users connect to ABC at the same time, it’s easy to detect IP addresses that are actually VPN servers.
ABC then blocks these IP addresses. This is why you may be seeing an error message when trying to watch ABC with a VPN that used to work.
Does ABC still work with VPNs?
Yes. ABC can be watched anytime, anywhere in the world.
However, not every VPN will work with ABC. If you are using TunnelBear, IPVanish, Hotspot Shield, VyprVPN, Windscribe, CyberGhost, Buffered, or Hide My Ass! You may run into problems.
This is because ABC has started detecting and blocking some VPNs from using its servers.
It does this by monitoring the IP addresses that connect to its platform. If it notices an abnormal number of connections coming from the same IP address, it knows it’s an IP provided by a VPN, and it blocks it. This is happening because most VPNs don’t have enough IP addresses, so all their customers get their own. When this happens, they force customers to share IPs.
To get around this, you need to use a VPN that has measures in place to ensure it works reliably with ABC. We recommend, ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month)
ABC Not Working With VPN? How To Fix
The workaround is very simple. You need to buy a different VPN. One that isn’t blocked by ABC. And won’t get blacklisted by ABC in future.
To do this, you need a VPN that is winning the game of Cat and Mouse with ABC. ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) are the best for this.
I’ve been using ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) to watch ABC since May this year. ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) are services that focus on managing the problem of blocked streaming sites abroad. Other VPNs sell themselves on the number of servers they have in the US, while ExpressVPN relies on its powerful software and infrastructure to fix the problem.
ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) have hundreds of servers in the US and thousands around the world, just like other VPNs advertise, but it manages those servers better than other VPNs.
This stops individual servers from being overloaded. Which also prevents servers from having too many users. And in turn, this stops the VPN from being identified and blocked by ABC.
The best to watch ABC outside the US
1. ExpressVPN 🥇
Why You Should Use ExpressVPN? It’s the fastest and MOST reliable VPN of 2023
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
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Get 3 extra months free when you sign up for a 12-month ExpressVPN plan. That’s 15 months in total for the price of 12.
Number of servers: 3,000+ | Speed: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 160 in 94 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $6.66/month for 15 months
- $9.99/month for 6 months
- $12.95/month for 1 month
ExpressVPN ($6.66/month) is still the best VPN. And importantly, it ALWAYS has servers that are open with major streaming sites such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, etc.
ExpressVPN is usually very good at playing Cat and Mouse with online streaming sites. Meaning, whenever one of its servers is blacklisted it creates a new one – giving its users a constant stream of servers that aren’t blocked. Needless to say, this is a valuable attribute if you’re looking for a VPN to unblock streaming sites.
Its app is easy-to-use and free to download on pretty much any device you can think of. Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, FireStick, Android TV, Roku, PS4, Xbox, Linux, even Apple TV (with a workaround). It’s got it all covered.
The app is another main reason this VPN is so good at unblocking TV streaming sites (that claim they block VPNs) is that its software takes a pragmatic approach to user management. While other VPNs tempt customers by promising them access to hundreds/thousands of servers in multiple countries, ExpressVPN does things differently.
With ExpressVPN you only have a handful of server locations to choose from. Once you select your location the app takes care of the rest. Assigning you to the fastest available server that’s not oversubscribed. This simple technique is so important, as it keeps ExpressVPN’s servers operating at lightning-fast speeds and prevents its IPs from getting blacklisted for “abnormal” usage in the first place.
Check out our full ExpressVPN review.
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2. Private Internet Access 🥈
The BEST low-cost VPN for streaming!
Pros
- ✅ Fast and reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Only 48 server locations
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 25,000+ | Speed: >75% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 70 in 74 countries | Devices supported: 10 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.03/month for 3 years
- $7.50/month for 6 months
- $11.99/month for 1 month
Private Internet Access is one of the leading no-log VPN services with over 1-million paying customers.
This VPN is one of the best in the industry at beating streaming sites’ VPN bans. It provides reliable connections with US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+ Amazon Prime Video, etc. It also allows 10 simultaneous devices to be connected to its servers at the same time, so you can share the account with your close friends.
If – for whatever reason – you’re not happy with Private Internet Access, there’s a 24/7 live chat support available to assist you with your problem. PIA also offers the industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee.
From my tests (from New Zealand) I was able to get download speeds of 70 Mbps while connected to a UK server using the Private Internet Access VPN (my non-VPN speed is 100 Mbps).
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3. NordVPN 🥉
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ No logs
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 6-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ No refunds for purchases from iTunes/App store
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 5,000+ | Speeds: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 62 countries | Devices supported: 6 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $3.49/month for 2 years
- $6.99/month for 1 year
- $11.95/month for 1 month
NordVPN is the most widely-used VPN in the world. And it’s easy to see why. It’s a polished app that delivers fast connections (more on this later) to a massive network of VPN servers.
It’s the most reliable at unblocking popular streaming services too – US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. This is because NordVPN hired a full-time technical team (that’s responsible for monitoring its servers’ connections with popular TV streaming services) and has been aggressively investing in its network of IP addresses in key locations.
Another interesting thing to note is that NordVPN is an industry leader in its development of Nordlynx technology. Nordlynx is built using the WireGuard, a new VPN tunneling protocol designed to outperform current standards (OpenVPN and IPSec). The benefits, according to NordVPN, are dramatically faster transfer speeds while connected to a VPN. My tests – New Zealand to London – confirm that Nordlynx is currently the fastest VPN on the market. However, the difference isn’t dramatic, a few Mbps is all.
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4. Ivacy
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ Dedicated streaming servers
- ✅ 5-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
Cons
- ❌ Only 5 devices
- ❌ Sometimes runs slow
- ❌ Occasionally block by streaming sites for several days
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for Ivacy and enjoy a 7-day trial with no strings attached
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $1.16/month for 5 years
- $3.50/month for 1 year
- $9.99/month for 1 month
If you’re looking for an excellent VPN, with an even better price tag, Ivacy ($1.16/month) is a great option.
This VPN has all the features you need to stream BBC iPlayer, in HD, from any country in the world. I’ve been testing the app recently on Mac, PC, Android, iOS and FireStick and the results have been impressive – unlocking BBC iPlayer, US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. with ease.
The Ivacy app is a little different in regards to its UX (user experience). Instead of just selecting a UK server, you need to select the specific BBC iPlayer server. Don’t worry, this isn’t a bad thing – by connecting to a dedicated BBC iPlayer server, it simply means that you’re connecting to an IP address that Ivacy knows works with BBC iPlayer.
For an extra $1.99/month (£1.74) you can add-on a dedicated IP. This will buy you sole access to an IP address in a country of your choice, meaning you won’t have to share your IP (and speeds) with any other use. I don’t recommend this though, using the regular Ivacy servers is enough 95 per cent of the time.
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5. CyberGhost
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ 1-day free trial
- ✅ Reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 7-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
- ❌ Average speed scores
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Take advantage of CyberGhost’s 1-day FREE TRIAL!
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.75/month for 3 years
- $3.69/month for 2 years
- $5.99/month for 1 year
- $12.99/month for 1 month
CyberGhost is one of the more established VPNs on the market. It has a well-established, and well-tested global network of servers that perform well.
From my tests over the past several months, CyberGhost has no trouble at unblocking major streaming services – US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max etc. This VPN performed well at maintaining download speeds, well above 65 per cent of my regular (non VPN) ISP speed.
That said, there’s nothing really unique about the service. Which forces you to look at its price-point. And there’s nothing special here. Its short-term $12.99/month price tag puts is well above the industry average of $10.10/month. Similarly, its long-term $2.75/month for 3 years deal isn’t much of a “deal” either.
Oddly, CyberGhost’s most unique feature is its a 1-day, no obligations, free trial. This is an appealing offer to customers who are new to VPNs. However, it’s important to remember that most reputable VPNs will offer customers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so try not to be too seduced by the offer.
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