It’s frustrating when VPNs stop working with Peacock. Annoyingly, there’s no single reason why this happens. It could be a little problem such as old cookies giving Peacock conflicting information about the location of your internet connection, or, worst-case scenario: your VPN has been blacklisted by Peacock’s technical team – see below for more info – and you need to switch VPNs to start watching Peacock again.
If you’re coming across the “It looks like you don’t meet the US roaming rules,” error. You’re VPN is no longer working because Peacock has identified all of its IP addresses.
This article will go through all the scenarios and help you fix Peacock not working with VPN.
See Also
- ESPN+ not working with VPN? Here’s how to fix that!
- YouTube TV not working with VPN? Here’s how to FIX that!
- How to watch PBS outside of the US
- Betfair not working with your VPN? There’s a simple fix!
How to fix Peacock not working with VPN
These three steps will show you how to fix this issue; however, I recommend that you read the rest of the article so you can understand why your VPN has suddenly stopped working with Peacock.
Further down, I will also explain how you can prevent this from happening again, so you can stream Peacock reliably from anywhere in the world.
Total Time: 3 minutes
Delete Cookies
The best place to start is with your cookies. In some cases, when you go on the internet, the website will ask you to accept cookies. And it’s these cookies that can hold information about where in the world you are connecting from.
This can potentially alert Peacock that you are trying to use its service outside of the US. Deleting all of your cookies is a good place to start to make sure that Peacock cannot identify your location.
Connect to a different US server
If, after deleting your cookies, you are still running into the “sorry, accessing Peacock through a VPN is restricted,” error. You should try to connect to a different US server.
By connecting to a different server, you will be given a different IP address and Peacock may not have blacklisted this IP address, meaning you will be able to use the streaming platform.
Upgrade your VPN
If the first two steps don’t work, you need to upgrade to a more reliable VPN. I recommend using a high-end streaming VPN such as NordVPN ($3.49/month) or Ivacy ($1.33/month) as these have the best setups for unblocking major streaming services like Peacock.
Both of these VPNs will have numerous servers and IP addresses for you to use, and they play a game of Cat and Mouse with major streaming services, where they replace any blacklisted IP addresses with fresh, undetected IPs – therefore allowing users to stay one step ahead of streaming sites’ blacklisting techniques.
There is also a 30-day money-back guarantee with NordVPN ($3.49/month) and Ivacy ($1.33/month), and they both have excellent support networks so that you can be comfortable upgrading to their service.
Why does Peacock block VPNs?
Streaming platforms blocking VPNs isn’t something new. Major streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, STARZ and more, have been doing it for years.
Peacock is slightly different to these streaming services. It is operated by the streaming division of NBCUniversal which is owned by Comcast and it has three subscription tiers: a free tier that limits what you can watch, a USD$5 a month tier that unlocks all content but has ads, and a USD$10 a month tier that unlocks all content and doesn’t have ads.
Although Peacock is different to other streaming services like Netflix, it still blocks VPNs. Peacock is owned by the US telecommunications conglomerate Comcast and it only has the rights to broadcast its content in the US. Comcast has paid a lot of money for these rights and it protects its investment by enforcing geo-restrictions with Peacock. This is why Peacock is not available outside of the US.
As an example, in Canada, Peacock’s original programming rights have been sold by Peacock’s parent company, NBCUniversal to Corus Entertainment. In Canada, Corus Entertainment has the rights to the content, not Peacock. That is why Peacock won’t work when you try to stream it in Canada (or anywhere else outside of the US.)
How is Peacock blocking my VPN?
Just like other major streaming platforms, Peacock uses three techniques to identify and block IP addresses.
- Peacock monitors your connection for IP, DNS and WebRTC leaks. This is a simple test that not all VPNs pass.
- Peacock uses GeoIP databases like Maxmind to identify IP addresses. Maxmind is a digital mapping company that provides location data for IP addresses. If your VPN is using an IP address on Maxmind’s database, you’re connection will be blocked.
- VPNs have more customers than they do IP addresses. This sometimes creates a scenario where too many customers use the same IP addresses from the VPN servers. When this happens, it is flagged as abnormal behaviour by Peacock.
Normally, only a single household with a handful of devices will be on the same IP address. When hundreds or even thousands of connections come from the same IP address, Peacock can tell that this is an IP address provided by a VPN and blocks it.
What VPNs will work with Peacock?
Although your VPN may have stopped working with Peacock, other VPNs like NordVPN ($3.49/month) and Ivacy ($1.33/month) still work.
To continue watching Peacock outside of the US, you need a VPN that plays a better game of Cat and Mouse with the streaming service.
VPNs like NordVPN ($3.49/month) and Ivacy ($1.33/month) are industry leaders at this game. Whenever Peacock blacklists an IP address, these VPNs will close that IP address and open a new one. This means there will always be an IP address for you to connect to, allowing you to stream Peacock from anywhere in the world consistently.
“It looks like you don’t meet the US roaming rules”
If you’re coming across this error when watching Peacock with a VPN, basically it’s a sign that your VPN is no longer working.
Don’t panic; this is a common problem, and the fix is straightforward.
The steps laid out in the guide above will address this error.
If Peacock has only managed to block the current IP address your VPN has given you, changing to a different US server will fix the problem, if that doesn’t work you’ll need to upgrade to a better VPN that won’t run into these errors.
The best VPNs that will work with Peacock
1. NordVPN
The BEST VPN of 2021
Pro
- 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 – $3.49/month
2. Ivacy
The BEST low-cost VPN
Pros
- Fast servers
- Thousands of IP addresses
- Dedicated streaming servers
- 5-simultaneous connections
- 24/7 Live Chat
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Only 5 devices
- Sometimes runs slow
- Occasionally blocked by streaming sites
SPECIAL OFFER: 7-DAY TRIAL ($0.99)
3. ExpressVPN
A very reliable and fast VPN
Pros
- Fast servers
- Thousands of IP addresses
- 10-simultaneous connections
- 24/7 Live Chat
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Easy-to-use app
Cons
- Expensive
SPECIAL OFFER – 3-MONTHS FREE!
4. Private Internet Access
The BEST mid-range 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 – SAVE 82%!
30-day money-back guarantee
5. CyberGhost
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
SPECIAL OFFER – 1-DAY FREE TRIAL
30-day money-back guarantee
