Private Internet Access not working with All 4? Use these SIMPLE fixes! (September 2023)

If you’re trying to watch All 4 with Private Internet Access (PIA) outside the UK and it’s not working, All 4 has managed to identify and block the IP address PIA has given you.

This can be incredibly annoying, especially if it happens, even if PIA has been working with All 4 before. That means you can’t watch your favourite shows from the streaming service.

Don’t fret, as there are several ways to fix Private Internet Access not working with All 4. Sometimes, all it takes is a quick Cookie cleanup.

In this guide, we’ll help you find out how to fix Private Internet Access not working with All 4 and how to stop All 4 from not working with a VPN again in the future.

• How to make an All 4 account outside the UK: It’s EASY!
• How to watch BBC iPlayer abroad: The EASY 2-minute method!

Private Internet Access not working with All 4: Fixes

Try these fixes in order. If one doesn’t work. Move on to the next until you can watch All 4 with a VPN again.

Why has PIA stopped working with All 4?

PIA has stopped working with All 4 because the streaming service has managed to identify and block all the IP addresses PIA can provide.

The reason it does this is to protect itself from potential copyright and licensing breaches VPNs could cause.

Because All 4 only has the rights to broadcast its content in the UK, it tries to block VPNs from accessing its content. It does this because PIA can allow you to watch the streaming service outside the UK, and this could result in All 4 facing severe fines for breaching licensing agreements it has with its content partners.

How does All 4 block PIA?

All 4 monitors and scans every IP address that connects to its platform. Its doing this because it’s keeping an eye out for an abnormal number of connections coming from the same IP address. Normally, only a household of devices will connect to All 4 via the same IP address.

Because PIA is a popular VPN it has a lot of customers, and it can’t provide each with their own IP address. When this happens, PIA forces its customers to share IP addresses.

Now when hundreds or thousands of users connect to All 4 via the same PIA IP address, All 4 can see it’s an IP address provided by PIA and it blocks it.

Does All 4 still work with VPNs?

Although PIA has stopped working with All 4, there are VPNs that still work with the streaming service.

You need to use a VPN that has powerful measures in place to stay ahead of All 4’s blocks.

The best VPN for this is ExpressVPN ($6.67/month). ExpressVPN plays a game of cat and mouse with All 4. Although unlikely, if an IP address gets identified by All 4, ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) will close that IP address and open a new one. 

This seems like a simple measure; however it requires a significant amount of infrastructure and finance that most VPNs can’t handle. 

This will allow you to watch All 4 anywhere in the world reliably, and it will ensure you don’t come across the same errors you have with

The best VPNs for All 4

1. ExpressVPN 🥇

Why You Should Use ExpressVPN? It’s the fastest and MOST reliable VPN of 2023

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 ($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.

2. NordVPN 🥉

A very quick and trustworthy VPN

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 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.

3. Ivacy

A very quick and trustworthy VPN

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.

4. CyberGhost

A very quick and trustworthy VPN

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

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.