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 switch VPNs to start watching Peacock again.
Whatever it is, this article will go through all the scenarios and help you start watching Peacock again (from anywhere in the world) via a 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.
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.
How to fix Peacock not working with your VPN?
Don’t panic; this is a common problem, and the fix is straightforward. Follow the steps in the guide above and you’ll be watching Peacock again in a matter of minutes.
The best VPNs that will work with Peacock
1. NordVPN
The best (& fastest) VPN of 2021!
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 – $3.49/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
NordVPN is the most widely-used VPN in the world. And its 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 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 tunnelling 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.
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)
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
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.
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!
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
ExpressVPN is still one of the best VPNs you can buy. However, we’ve got it ranked in the number three spot for a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s the most expensive VPN on the market. This was understandable when it was also the fastest and most reliable VPN too. But now it’s not. NordVPN is. ExpressVPN has recently been struggling to unblock some big streaming sites – BBC iPlayer and BeIN Sports – too.
And importantly, it ALWAYS has servers that are open with major streaming sites such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video etc.
ExpressVPN is usually very good at playing Cat and Mouse with online streaming sites (apart from BBC iPlayer). 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 prevent its IPs from getting blacklisted for “abnormal” usage in the first place.
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
Number of servers: 25,000+ | Speeds: >75% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 70 in 74 countries | Devices supported: 10 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
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-days 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).
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
Number of servers: 6,000+ | Speeds: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 200 in 90 countries | Devices supported: 7 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
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.
