Watching movies and shows from your favorite streaming services is easy with a streaming device or smart TV. These devices can give you access to thousands of live and on-demand streaming options with the push of a button or even a voice command. If you set up a VPN on your smart TV or streaming device, you can unlock a world of streaming options far beyond what would normally be available in your location.
With a VPN, streaming services can register your internet connection as originating in another part of the world, allowing you to unblock geographically restricted content. On top of that, you’ll keep your streaming activity private from your internet service provider and other online snoops because a VPN encrypts your online traffic.
While some streaming devices like Fire TV Stick and Apple TV offer native support for VPN apps, allowing you to download the VPN app directly to the device, Roku devices do not. So, you’ll need to take an alternate route to set up a VPN on your Roku device. Although not nearly as straightforward as downloading the VPN app directly to your device, getting a VPN set up on Roku is relatively easy — and there’s a good chance that you already have the necessary equipment to make it work.
There are a few ways you can go about setting up a VPN on your Roku device, depending on what equipment you have on hand. For my setup, I have a VPN-enabled router that I use for whole-network coverage — which is the most straightforward way to use a VPN on Roku. Alternatively, you can share a mobile hotspot from your Windows or Mac computer. Either way, you can use a VPN on your Roku and keep your activity private while vastly expanding your access to international streaming libraries, even if the device doesn’t natively support VPN apps. Here’s how.
Use a VPN router
You have several options if you want to use a VPN-compatible router with your Roku — some potentially more complicated than others but all incurring extra costs. If you don’t already have a VPN-compatible router, then you’ll need to purchase one, which can cost anywhere from $50 to $250 for a decent model or even upwards of $1,000 for something extremely high-end.
If you’re budget-minded, then you can purchase a compatible router and install (or “flash”) special firmware onto it to make the VPN work. However, even though many VPNs have tutorials on how to do this on a variety of router models, it can still be a tricky process and probably risky to try if you’re not particularly technically inclined. For one, if you botch the process, you run the risk or “bricking” your router — in other words, making it as useful for your VPN purposes as an actual brick. You also may end up voiding the warranty on your router. So if you do choose to flash your own VPN router, make sure you know what you’re getting into before doing so.
Another option is to go with a company like FlashRouters, who has partnerships with various VPN providers including NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark and Proton VPN. FlashRouters sells routers that are already flashed with the firmware you need and work right out of the box with your VPN provider. The catch is that you’ll need to tack on about an extra $100 to the purchase price of the router you choose. If you already have a compatible router, FlashRouters can also flash your existing router remotely — for about $75 to $100 depending on your router. But if that’s in your budget, it’s an easy way to go and eliminates the risk of turning your router into an expensive paperweight.
If you’re an ExpressVPN user, you can purchase its Aircove router, which comes in a portable version for $170 or a standard size for $190. The Aircove router is probably the easiest router solution to set up and use, but it’s limited to ExpressVPN subscribers, whereas a router purchased from FlashRouters can be configured for a variety of VPN services.
Besides giving you the ability to use a VPN on your Roku, a VPN router setup allows you to protect all of your devices at once. Simply connect your Roku or any other device (whether it supports VPN apps or not) to your VPN router network and you’re good to go. This gives you whole-network coverage and can also help you get around simultaneous device limits imposed by VPN providers because the router connection counts as a single connection.
Share your VPN connection with your Roku through your Mac computer
If you’re a Mac user and don’t want to use a VPN router, you can create a Wi-Fi hotspot from your Mac computer and connect your Roku to it. When you connect to your VPN on your Mac, your Roku will use your Mac’s Wi-Fi connection, and its traffic will go through the VPN server you’re connected to.
Here are the steps you’ll need to take:
- Download your VPN app to your Mac.
- Connect your Mac to your Wi-Fi router using an Ethernet cable.
- Go to System Preferences → Sharing.
- Click on Internet Sharing.
- Select your VPN connection from the Share your connection dropdown menu.
- Tick Wi-Fi in the To computers using box.
- Click on Wi-Fi Options.
- Set a network name and password for your Wi-Fi hotspot.
- Select WPA2 Personal in the Security field and click OK.
- Click on the box next to Internet Sharing and then click Start.
- Open your VPN app on your Mac and connect to a server.
- On your Roku, navigate to Settings → Network → Set up connection → Wireless.
- Select your mobile hotspot from the list of available networks and enter the password you set for your mobile hotspot.
- Stream your favorite content like you normally would on Roku.
Share your VPN connection with your Roku through your Windows computer
Setting up a VPN on your Roku using a Wi-Fi hotspot on your Windows computer is essentially the same idea as with Mac, but the process is a bit different.
Here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Download your VPN app to your Windows machine.
- Go to Settings → Network and Internet → Mobile Hotspot.
- Toggle Mobile hotspot to the On position.
- Click Edit under Network properties to edit the hotspot name and password if desired.
- Go to Control Panel.
- Click on View network status and tasks under Network and Internet.
- Click on Change adapter settings in the left panel.
- Right-click on the adapter that lists your VPN provider and click on Properties.
- Click on Sharing.
- Check the box next to Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection.
- In the drop-down menu under Home networking connection select the Local Area Connection* that corresponds to the Local Area Connection number with Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter listed underneath in the Network Connections window.
- Connect to a VPN server.
- On your Roku, navigate to Settings → Network → Set up connection → Wireless.
- Select your mobile hotspot from the list of available networks and enter the password you set for your mobile hotspot.
- Stream your favorite content like you normally would on Roku.
What VPNs work with Roku?
Using one of the methods outlined above, most any VPN would technically work with your Roku device. However, not all VPNs are created equal and some work better than others when it comes to things like streaming, privacy and fast speeds. Any one of CNET’s top VPN picks is a solid choice and should work smoothly for streaming on your Roku, but the one you choose is up to you and can depend on factors like your budget, server locations, speeds, device compatibility and overall feature set.
If you want the best VPN for streaming overall, ExpressVPN is a great option. If you’re after the fastest download speeds, I recommend going with NordVPN because it was the fastest VPN in our most recent VPN speed tests. If you’re on a budget, Surfshark and Private Internet Access are both excellent choices because they deliver premium VPN performance at wallet-friendly prices. Each of these VPNs is a well-rounded option for streaming, gaming, boosting your privacy and pretty much any other online activity. Each one also offers a money-back guarantee, so there’s little risk in trying a few options to see which one works best for you.
