Private Internet Access not working with Hulu? Here’s some EASY fixes to try! (September 2023)

If you’ve been watching Hulu outside the Us with Private Internet Access (PIA) and it’s stopped working, the VPN blocking methods Hulu uses to stop VPNs from accessing its platform has managed to block all the IP addresses PIA can provide.

This has happened because PIA’s measures to stay one step ahead of Hulu’s VPN blocks are no longer working, or it didn’t have measures like this in the first place.

The good news is although PIA isn’t working with Hulu, there are a number of fixes you can try to resolve the problem.

This article will explain how to fix Private Internet Access not working with Hulu. And if you read to the end, you can find out why your VPN’s not working with Hulu and how to stop it from happening again in the future.

See also:

• How to watch Hulu in Mexico: The EASY way! (September 2023)
• How to watch Hulu in the UK: The EASY way! (September 2023)

Private Internet Access not working with Hulu: Fixes

Why does Hulu block Private Internet Access?

It’s pretty straightforward, Hulu blocks PIA because it can potentially allow users to watch the streaming service in locations where it doesn’t have the rights to broadcast its content.

If Hulu allowed customers to access its content outside the US, it would be breaching the copyright and licensing agreements it has with its content partners. This can result in massive financial repercussions, which, obviously, it doesn’t want to face.

Because PIA can potentially allow you to watch Hulu outside the US, it could be the reason for Hulu getting fined.

To protect itself, Hulu tries to block PIA or, at the very least, needs to be seen trying to block the VPN.

How does Hulu block Private Internet Access?

Hulu monitors and scans every IP address that connects to its platform. It’s doing this because it’s keeping an eye out for an abnormal number of connections coming from the same IP address.

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

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

If PIA doesn’t react over time, Hulu will be able to identify and block all of PIA’s IP addresses.

Does Hulu work with VPNs?

Yes, it does, but you need to use a VPN that can get around Hulu’s VPN-blocking methods.

To do this, the VPN needs to be fast, needs to be secure, and it needs to have measures that are currently working to ensure it stays one step ahead of Hulu’s blocks.

The best VPN for this is ExpressVPN ($6.66/month).

I’ve been using ExpressVPN ($6.66/month) to watch Hulu reliably overseas, and I have never come across any issues.

It has several fast servers based in the US, it’s incredibly secure, and it has reliable measures in place that ensure it works reliably with Hulu. 

These measures will ensure you can watch Hulu anywhere in the world, and you won’t come across the same issues you’ve run into with PIA.

The best VPNs for Hulu when PIA isn’t working

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.