Channel 4 not working with VPN

If you’re trying to watch the Channel 4 streaming service outside the UK with a VPN and it’s not working, chances are the IP address your VPN has given you has been blocked by the streaming service.

This has happened because Channel 4 has started to implement stringent VPN blocking techniques and your VPN either doesn’t have measures to get around these blocks, or the measures it does have are no longer working. In other words, your VPN isn’t good enough to work consistently with Channel 4.

The good news is there’s a number of fixes you can try to resolve this issue.

This article will explain how to fix Channel 4 not working with VPN so you can continue watching your favourite content outside the UK reliably again.

See also:

Channel 4 not working with VPN: Fixes

To fix Channel 4 not working with VPN, follow these steps.

If one doesn’t work, move on to the next one until you can watch Channel 4 with a VPN again.

  1. Delete Cookies

    Cookies 1

    A good place to start when trying to fix Channel 4 not working with VPN is deleting your Cookies.

    Cookies are small files used by your device to streamline your online experience. Not having to login to Channel 4 every time you visit the app or website is an example of what a Cookie does.

    They aren’t dangerous files, but they can sometimes cause issues when using a VPN. This is because some Cookies contain information about your location and if this information is different to the location you’re selecting with your VPN, Channel 4 can figure out you’re using a VPN.

    To stop this from happening, try deleting your Cookies.

  2. Change to a different UK server

    Windscribe UK Servers

    If your VPN was working with Channel 4 and now its not, the streaming service may have identified and blocked the IP address your VPN has given you.

    The good news is Channel 4 cannot block a VPN entirely, it can only block the IP addresses a VPN provides.

    This means Channel 4 may not have blocked all of your VPN’s IP addresses and changing to a different UK server will give you a different UK IP address. If this one hasn’t been blocked, your VPN will work with Channel 4 again.

  3. Change to a different protocol

    Protocols

    A VPN protocol defines how your VPN transmits your data through its servers and then on to Channel 4. Essentially, they’re the set of rules that define how your VPN works.

    There are many different VPN protocols, some are fast, some are more secure, some are a bit of both.

    Your VPN might not be working with Channel 4 because the protocol your VPN is using is no longer compatible with the streaming service.

    Check to see if your VPN supports multiple protocols and try changing to a different one to see if that fixes Channel 4 not working with VPN

  4. Update your VPN

    VPN update

    It’s always a good idea to keep your VPN up to date.

    The reason for this is because a lot of VPNs monitor when their software isn’t working with a specific streaming service, and will release an update to fix the problem.

    Your VPN provider might be aware that the VPN is having difficulties working with Channel 4 and could have resolved the problem in an update.

    Make sure your VPN is up to date to ensure you have these sorts of fixes.

  5. Upgrade to a VPN that works with Channel 4

    ExpressVPN Rank

    If the above fixes haven’t resolved Channel 4 not working with VPN, then your VPN isn’t good enough to ensure you can watch Channel 4 outside the UK reliably.

    This has happened because your VPN either doesn’t have measures in place to ensure it can work consistently with the streaming service, or the measures it does have are no longer working.

    From here you can wait to see if your VPN will fix the problem, or you can use a VPN that won’t come across these sorts of issues.

    We recommend the latter. ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) is one of the best VPNs for watching Channel 4 outside the UK. We’ve been using it to watch the streaming service in New Zealand and we’ve never run into any issues.

    The reason ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) is so good is because it has a massive international server base, it has a serious amount of financial backing and most importantly, it has measures in place to ensure it will work reliably with Channel 4.

    To fix Channel 4 not working with VPN, the best thing you can do is use a VPN that has a good track record with the streaming service and from our tests the very best for this is ExpressVPN ($6.67/month).

Why has my VPN stopped working with Channel 4?

The reason your VPN has stopped working with Channel 4 is because the streaming service has managed to block the IP address your VPN has given you.

This has happened because your VPN isn’t good enough to work reliably with the streaming service.

Channel 4 is constantly scanning for and trying to block IP addresses provided by VPNs. It does this because someone using a VPN to watch Channel 4 outside the UK could result in the streaming service being found guilty of breaching international copyright laws.

These sorts of breaches are often met with severe fines and to protect itself, Channel 4 tries to block VPNs.

How does Channel 4 block VPNs?

Channel 4 blocks VPNs using three main techniques:

1. Online services check for IP, DNS and WebRTC leaks. This is a basic test that good VPNs don’t fail. However, if you’re using a cheap VPN there’s a chance your connection might not be fully watertight. Making it insecure. And detectable.

2. GeoIP databases, such as MaxMind, also verify the IP address you’re connecting from. If your VPN is using an IP address that’s on one of these lists you won’t be able to use Channel 4.

3. Channel 4 also performs its own IP checks. If Channel 4 detects an abnormal number of simultaneous connections, or internet traffic, coming from the same IP it will blacklist that address too.

Channel 4 not working with VPN

Does Channel 4 work with a VPN?

Yes, Channel 4 works with VPNs; however, you need to use a VPN that has the ability to work reliably with the streaming service, i.e. you need a VPN that can get around Channel 4’s VPN blocking techniques explained above.

Lesser VPNs, especially free VPNs, struggle to get around these blocks; however, there are some VPNs that have the infrastructure and financial backing to ensure they will work reliably with Channel 4. These are ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month).

ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) work well with Channel 4 because they both have fast UK-based servers, they’re both incredibly secure, and most importantly, they have measures in place to ensure they work reliably with Channel 4.

It’s almost impossible for a VPN to prevent all of its IP addresses from being identified by Channel 4. The key differentiator between a good VPN and a bad VPN is what it does if an IP address gets blocked by Channel 4. ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) play a game of cat and mouse with the streaming service. If an IP address gets blocked by Channel 4, both ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) will close that IP address and open a new one. 

This will allow you to watch Channel 4 anywhere in the world without running into the same issues you’ve come across with your VPN.

The best VPNs for Channel 4

1. ExpressVPN 🥇

Why You Should Use ExpressVPN? It’s the fastest and MOST reliable VPN of 2022

ExpressVPN UK screenshot

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
Best VPN list - ExpressVPN

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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
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  • All 4 icon
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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!

Best VPN list - PIA

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
Best VPN list - PIA

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
  • Netflix icon
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  • FuboTV icon
  • ShowTime icon
  • Discovery Plus icon
  • ABC icon
  • All 4 icon
  • NowTV icon
  • CBS icon
  • NBC icon
  • Sky Sports icon
  • BT Sport icon

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

NordVPN US screenshot mobile

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
Best VPN list - NordVPN

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
  • Netflix icon
  • BBC iPlayer icon
  • ESPN icon
  • Hulu icon
  • HBO Max icon
  • Disney icon
  • Amazon Prime Video icon
  • YouTube TV icon
  • Apple TV Plus icon
  • FuboTV icon
  • ShowTime icon
  • Discovery Plus icon
  • ABC icon
  • All 4 icon
  • NowTV icon
  • CBS icon
  • NBC icon
  • Sky Sports icon
  • BT Sport icon
  • ITV Hub icon
  • Spark Sport icon
  • CBC Gem icon

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

Ivacy US screenshot mobile

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
Best VPN - Ivacy on Mac

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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
  • Netflix icon
  • BBC iPlayer icon
  • ESPN icon
  • Hulu icon
  • HBO Max icon
  • Disney icon
  • Amazon Prime Video icon
  • YouTube TV icon
  • Apple TV Plus icon
  • FuboTV icon
  • ShowTime icon
  • Discovery Plus icon
  • ABC icon
  • All 4 icon
  • NowTV icon
  • CBS icon
  • NBC icon
  • Sky Sports icon
  • BT Sport icon
  • ITV Hub icon
  • Spark Sport icon
  • CBC Gem icon

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

CyberGhost UK screenshot

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
CyberGhost
CyberGhost

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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
  • Netflix icon
  • BBC iPlayer icon
  • ESPN icon
  • Hulu icon
  • HBO Max icon
  • Disney icon
  • Amazon Prime Video icon
  • YouTube TV icon
  • Apple TV Plus icon
  • FuboTV icon
  • ShowTime icon
  • Discovery Plus icon
  • ABC icon
  • All 4 icon
  • NowTV icon
  • CBS icon
  • NBC icon
  • Sky Sports icon
  • BT Sport icon

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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