Unlocator not working with ITV Hub? Try these EASY fixes! (June 2022)

If you’ve been watching ITV Hub with Unlocator and suddenly cannot play any content, Unlocator isn’t currently able to provide any IP addresses that work with the streaming service.

This is happening because ITV Hub constantly monitors for and tries to prevent VPNs from accessing its service.

Follow these simple steps to fix Unlocator not working with ITV Hub. You can also read to the end of the article to find out why this is happening and how you can prevent it from happening again in the future.

See also:

• IPVanish not working with ITV Hub? Here’s some EASY ways to fix that! (June 2022)
• ExpressVPN not working with ITV Hub? Try these EASY fixes! (June 2022)

Unlocator not working with ITV Hub: Fixes

Below is a list of fixes you can try to resolve Unlocator not working with ITV Hub. Try each fix in order. If one doesn’t work, move on to the next until you can watch ITV Hub with a VPN again.

Why does ITV Hub block Unlocator?

The reason ITV Hub blocks Unlocator is all to do with broadcast rights. 

ITV Hub has strict agreements with its content partners regarding where in the world it can broadcast its content. It has the rights to broadcast in the UK, but it doesn’t have international broadcast rights.

If ITV Hub breached these broadcast agreements and allowed customers outside the UK to access its content, it could face severe financial punishments. Because Unlocator is a well-known way of watching ITV Hub libraries outside of the UK, using it could constitute ITV Hub breaching its content agreements. 

To prevent this from happening, ITV Hub tries to block Unlocator users from accessing its service.

How does Unlocator block ITV Hub?

ITV Hub uses three main techniques to block Unlocator:

1. The most common technique is all to do with the IP addresses Unlocator can provide. Unlocator has more customers than IP addresses, and this results in customers having to share IPs. ITV Hub 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 an Unlocator IP address, and it blocks it. 
2. ITV Hub monitors for IP, DNS and WebRTC leaks that can tip the service off you are using a VPN.
3. ITV Hub teams up with GeoIP databases like Maxmind to identify IP addresses. If the IP address your VPN provides is on one of these databases, ITV Hub will be able to find out where in the world you are connecting to the internet from, and it will block you.

These restrictions are used to prevent all VPNs from operating, but the top VPNs, such as ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or NordVPN ($3.49/month), have methods to circumvent these bans. These safeguards will enable you to watch ITV Hub using a VPN from any location in the globe with confidence.

Does ITV Hub still work with VPNs?

Yes, ITV Hub will still work with a VPN, but you need to use a VPN that has IP addresses that are still compatible with the service. That means you need a VPN that hasn’t had all of its IP addresses blocked by ITV Hub and that can stay ahead of ITV Hub’s blocks. 

To fix the problem, you need a VPN that plays a game of cat and mouse with ITV Hub. You need a VPN like  ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or NordVPN ($3.49/month)

When ITV Hub identifies and blocks an IP provided by  ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or NordVPN ($3.49/month), they will close that IP and open a new one. This will allow you to reliably watch ITV Hub from anywhere in the world, and it will help to prevent the errors you’ve run into from happening again.

The best VPNs to watch ITV Hub

1. ExpressVPN

The fastest and MOST reliable VPN of 2022

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 the best VPN. 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.

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 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.

3. Ivacy

The great low-cost VPN option

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. Private Internet Access

The BEST mid-range VPN for streaming! 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

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.