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Private Internet Access not working with BBC iPlayer? How to fix: The EASY way! (December 2021)

December 1, 2021

If you’re trying to watch BBC iPlayer with Private Internet Access and it’s not working, don’t panic. There’s a number of fixes you can try to resolve this issue.

The reason it’s not working is because BBC iPlayer has managed to identify and block all of the IP addresses Private Internet Access currently has available for you to use.

Below is a list of fixes you can try to fix Private Internet Access not working with BBC iPlayer. Follow these in order. If one doesn’t work, move on to the next one until you can watch BBC iPlayer again.

Private Internet Access not working with BBC iPlayer: Fixes

Delete Cookies
Some websites ask you to accept Cookies. These are small files designed to streamline your online experience.
BBC iPlayer uses these to make your online experience faster and more accurate. However, in order to do this, Cookies need to contain information about your physical location.
Whether you’re using Private Internet Access or not, the BBC can potentially access this information, and if it finds you’re outside of its broadcast zone (the UK), it will block your connection.
To make sure this isn’t the cause of Private Internet Access not working with BBC iPlayer, delete your Cookies.
Change to a different UK server
The most probable reason Private Internet Access isn’t working with BBC iPlayer is because the IP address it has given you has been identified and blocked by the streaming service.
The good news is, the BBC cannot block Private Internet Access completely. But it can block the IP addresses it provides.
Changing to a different UK server will give you a new IP address, and if that one hasn’t been blocked by the BBC, Private Internet Access will work with the streaming service again.
Upgrade to a better VPN
If deleting your Cookies and changing to a different UK server doesn’t fix Private Internet Access not working with BBC iPlayer. Then the BBC has managed to identify and block all of Private Internet Access IP addresses.
This has happened because the measures Private Internet Access has in place to stay ahead of the BBC’s VPN blocking techniques are no longer working.
You can wait for Private Internet Access to release new IP addresses that haven’t been blocked. However, that could take a long time. And, the VPN would need to upgrade its techniques to get around the BBC’s blocks because if it doesn’t, the new IP addresses will inevitably get blocked as well. And this can take even longer.
To fix the issue properly, you need to upgrade to a VPN that’s still compatible with BBC iPlayer. We recommend NordVPN ($3.49/month) or Ivacy ($1.33/month).

Why has BBC iPlayer blocked Private Internet Access?

The BBC tries to prevent VPNs from connecting to iPlayer because of the copyright and licensing agreements it has with its content partners.

The BBC only has the rights to broadcast its content in the UK. It does not have international broadcast rights.

To prevent copyright and licensing issues from arising, the BBC blocks users outside of the UK from accessing its content.

Because Private Internet Access allows you to watch BBC iPlayer outside its broadcast zone, the BBC blocks IP addresses provided by the VPN from connecting to its service.

These blocks are why Private Internet Access is no longer working with BBC iPlayer.

How does the BBC block Private Internet Access?

The BBC is constantly trying to block VPNs. This isn’t unique to Private Internet Access. It happens to all VPNs.

Private Internet Access may have been working with BBC iPlayer reliably. However it constantly needs to stay one step ahead of the BBC’s VPN blocking techniques. If it’s no longer working, Private Internet Access is no longer doing that.

The BBC blocks Private Internet Access, using three main techniques:

The most common technique is all to do with the IP addresses Private Internet Access can provide. Private Internet Access has more customers than IP addresses, and this results in customers having to share IPs. The BBC monitors for an abnormal amount (more than a standard household) of connections coming from the same IP address. When it sees hundreds or thousands of connections coming from the same IP, it knows that this is a Private Internet Access IP address, and it blocks it.
The BBC monitors for IP, DNS and WebRTC leaks that can tip the service off you are using a VPN.
The BBC teams up with GeoIP databases like Maxmind to identify IP addresses. If the IP address your VPN provides is on one of these databases, the BBC will be able to find out where in the world you are connecting to the internet from, and it will block you.

Private Internet Access not working with BBC iPlayer 1

Does BBC iPlayer still work with VPNs?

Yes, BBC iPlayer still works with VPNs. However, you need a VPN that is still compatible with the streaming service. NordVPN ($3.49/month) or Ivacy ($1.33/month) are good options.

Both of these VPNs have plenty of UK IP addresses, they have fast UK servers, and most importantly, they’re very good at getting around the BBC’s VPN blocks.

When the BBC blocks an IP address provided by NordVPN ($3.49/month) or Ivacy ($1.33/month), these VPNs will close that IP address and open a new one. This simple process will allow you to watch BBC iPlayer reliably anywhere in the world. And it will prevent you from running into the same issues you have come across with Private Internet Access.

The best VPNs to watch BBC iPlayer

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

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$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 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.

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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

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$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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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

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$6.66/month for 15 months
$9.99/month for 6 months
$12.95/month for 1 month

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.

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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

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$2.19/month for 3-years
$3.33/month for 1-year
$11.95/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-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).

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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

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$2.75/month for 3 years
$3.69/month for 2 years
$5.99/month for 6 months
$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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