If you’ve been watching Funimation with a VPN and it’s no longer working, if you’re coming across the “You have been disconnected from the network” error, then Funimation has managed to block the IP address your VPN has given you.
This has happened because your VPN is no longer able to stay one step ahead of Funimation’s VPN blocking techniques.
But don’t panic. There’s a number of fixes you can try to fix this problem.
This article will explain how you can fix Funimation not working with VPN and how you can prevent these issues from happening again.
See also:
- Syfy not working with VPN? Try these EASY fixes! (2023)
- BBC iPlayer not working with VPN? Here’s how I FIXED that! (2023)
Funimation not working with VPN: Quick Fixes
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Delete Cookies
Cookies are small files that online services use to make your experience better. You may have noticed some websites or apps ask you to accept Cookies.
They aren’t malicious. However, they sometimes contain information about your location. If the location stored on this information is different from the location you’re using with your VPN, Funimation will see this difference and know you’re using a VPN. It will then block your connection.
A good place to start when trying to fix Funimation not working with VPN is deleting your Cookies. It’s a good idea to do this, even if you don’t remember accepting Cookies.
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Change to a different server
If you’re still running into issues watching Funimation with your VPN, try changing to a different server.
If Funimation has stopped working and you’re coming across errors, the IP address your VPN has given you has been blocked.
Changing to a different server will give you a new IP address, and if that one hasn’t been blocked by Funimation, you’ll be able to watch Funimation with your VPN again.
The countries Funimation is currently available in are the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, Mexico, Brazil and New Zealand.
Try changing to a server in one of these locations.
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Upgrade to a better VPN
If changing to a different server didn’t fix the problem, then Funimation has managed to block all of your VPNs IP addresses.
From here, there are a couple of things you can do. First, you can wait for your VPN to release new IP addresses that Funimation hasn’t blocked. However, there’s no telling how long this will take. Also, seeing as you’ve run into this problem already, your VPN doesn’t have measures in place to stay ahead of Funimation’ blocks. And inevitably, the new IPs will get blocked as well.
The best way to fix Funimation not working with VPN is to upgrade to a VPN that’s still compatible with the streaming service.
ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) works well with Funimation this is because it plays a game of cat and mouse with the streaming service.When Funimation identifies an IP address provided by ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) it will close that IP address and open a new one.
This will prevent you from running into the issues you’ve come across with your current VPN, and it will allow you to watch Funimation reliably anywhere in the world.
Why am I getting the “You have been disconnected from the network” error?
If you’re getting the “You have been disconnected from the network” error when trying to watch Funimation, it’s a sign that the streaming service has blocked the IP address your VPN has given you.
Funimation blocks VPNs because it doesn’t have the rights to broadcast its content internationally. It’s only available in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, Mexico, Brazil and New Zealand.
If you’re using a VPN to watch Funimation outside these countries, it could result in Funimation breaching the copyright and licensing agreements it has with its content partners. Breaches like this often result in massive financial repercussions.
To prevent that from happening, Funimation blocks VPNs from accessing its service.
How does Funimation block VPNs?
Funimation blocks VPNs using three main techniques:
- The most common technique is to do with the IP addresses that your VPN can provide. VPN providers have more customers than the number of IP addresses they can provide; this means that customers can use the same IP addresses. Usually, only a household with a few devices uses the same IP address. When Funimation sees hundreds or even thousands of connections coming through on the same IP address, it knows that it is a VPN, and it blocks it.
- Funimation monitors for IP, DNS and WebRTC leaks that can tip the service off you are using a VPN.
- Funimation teams up with GeoIP databases like Maxmind to identify IP addresses. If the IP address your VPN provides is on one of these databases, Funimation will be able to find out where in the world you are connecting to the internet from, and it will block you.
Lesser VPN struggle to get around these blocks, and subsequently, all of their IP addresses get blacklisted by Funimation. This is what has most likely happened to your VPN, and it’s why you’re receiving the “You have been disconnected from the network” error.
Does Funimation still work with VPNs?
Funimation still works with VPNs. However, you need to use a VPN that can stay ahead of Funimation’s VPN blocks.
VPNs like ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) and NordVPN ($3.19/month) are very good at this. These VPNs work reliably with Funimation because they play a game and cat and mouse with the streaming service.
Inevitably Funimation will sometimes identify an IP address provided by ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) and NordVPN ($3.19/month); however, when these IP addresses are blocked, ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) and NordVPN ($3.19/month) will close them and open a new unblocked one.
This means there will always be an IP address for you to connect to, allowing you to stream Funimation from anywhere in the world reliably.
The best VPNs to watch Funimation
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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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. 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
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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.
Read our NordVPN review.
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3. 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
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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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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
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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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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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Is watching Funimation with a VPN legal?
Watching Funimation with a VPN is perfectly legal, so long as you aren’t in a location where VPNs are banned or restricted.
There are only a handful of countries that prohibit VPNs. China, Russia, Iran, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, North Korea, Iraq, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Egypt, Eritrea, Seychelles, Suriname, Namibia, Slovenia, Nicaragua and Tajikistan.
Fortunately, if you aren’t in one of these locations, watching Funimation with a VPN is legal; however, it’s essential to know that using a VPN to watch Funimation in a location where it doesn’t have the rights to broadcast its content goes against the service’s terms of use.
You automatically agree to this contractual agreement when signing up for Funimation. Here, there’s a list of rules and regulations that describe what you are allowed and are not allowed to do with the streaming service. Here it says, “You may not and agree not to: bypass, modify, defeat or tamper with or circumvent any of the functions or protections of the FDC Service including, but not limited to, mechanisms that protect or limit use or access to the FDC Service and Content.”
What this means is although it is legal to watch Funimation with a VPN, you may get your account banned for using one with the service.
However, given the wide-spread use of VPNs, plus the many legitimate and legal use cases for VPNs, it’s fair to suggest that banning customers for using a VPN would be an extremely costly policy for Funimation to enforce.
In theory, if you’re trying to watch Funimation in a region where it does not traditionally operate, you risk having your account banned. However, as the best VPNs use military-grade encryption, it’s impossible for streaming services to trace where you’re physically accessing its content from.
There’s one final thing to note on the subject: Funimation has never banned anyone from using a VPN to access its service.
For more information, you can check out our article answering Is streaming with a VPN legal?
