IPTV services are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to expensive cable subscriptions. But as awareness increases, so does the pressure from ISPs and other content providers. The result is that ISPs throttle or even block IPTV services. Fortunately, there is a really simple solution to this problem: a VPN.
What is a VPN?
The term VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. A VPN is a secure and private service that allows anyone to browse the internet anonymously and securely. The VPN service is provided by a service provider such as ExpressVPN or 6IPTV through their VPN servers. These servers are highly encrypted using the latest encryption technology. This ensures that the data transmitted via the VPN servers cannot be manipulated or intercepted by anyone.
A VPN has the following tasks;
- Protecting your identity by hiding your activity from your ISP (Internet Service Provider).
- Allows you to unblock censored content in your region.
- It helps you disguise your location so you can access content not intended for people in your area.
Most users who want to subscribe to a VPN do not know how a VPN actually works. I have explained the basic working principle of VPNs below.
When you surf the Internet, you are usually first connected to your Internet service provider. Your ISP, in turn, connects you to the Internet. Because the ISP connects you to the Internet, it can control the websites you visit. This gives them an advantage as they can easily deny you access to content. They can also view all internet traffic for you as it passes through their servers. If the website you are visiting has blocked the IP address of the internet service provider you are using based on its location, you will not be able to see content as content can be geo-blocked.
When the VPN comes into play, things are different. Instead of connecting to websites or other services directly through your ISP, you first connect to the VPN server using an encrypted connection between your ISP and the VPN server. The encrypted connection at both ends is often referred to as a "VPN tunnel". From the VPN server, your internet activity is then forwarded to the destination as coming from the VPN server. Suffice it to say that you are now browsing anonymously, although your VPN service providers may keep logs of your activity if country laws require it. The websites and services you use through your VPN connection see your location as the location of the VPN server. For example, if you live in South Africa and use a VPN server in the US, the websites you visit will see your location as the US.
If you're experiencing blockages or a throttling connection, a VPN should be a priority for you. Use the 6IPTV app with included VPN without exclusive ones.
4 reasons to use an IPTV VPN
Below I have given 4 reasons why you should get a VPN for IPTV streaming. I will explain them in more detail.
- Bypass IPTV service throttling by ISPs
- Protect your privacy
- Bypass ISPs blocking IPTV services
- IPTV VPNs can improve streaming performance due to routing issues
1. Bypass ISP throttling of IPTV services
It's not news that most internet service providers have at some point throttled internet service for their users. Surprisingly, most users are unaware of this unfair action by ISPs. That's probably because most don't know what throttling is. Simply put, throttling is the deliberate reduction in the speed of your broadband Internet connection by your ISP.
Internet service providers claim that they want to reduce network congestion and regulate data traffic on a network. While that claim is true, you certainly didn't pay for it. Imagine streaming content on a 60Mbps plan and only getting 30Mbps after throttling. Or imagine that you initially download at a speed of 56 Mbit/s and then the speed drops to 12 Mbit/s. This is the result of throttling. It can prevent you from watching your videos without buffering.
With a VPN, you can prevent your ISP from throttling your traffic. This allows you to stream your favorite content without worrying about a drop in data transfer speed. Because throttling is typically based on the type of content you access through your ISP, with a VPN service, your ISP cannot know what type of data you are transmitting.
2. Protect your privacy
As I mentioned before, if you don't use a VPN when streaming video online, your ISP can monitor you. Without a VPN, your internet service provider can see the websites you visit and the type of content you stream. If such content is illegal in your area, your ISP could inform the authorities and you could end up in jail.
When you use a VPN, you keep your ISP's prying eyes off your activity. The reason for this is the encrypted end-to-end connection of the VPN. Your location is not revealed, nor is your main IP address. With a VPN, you can guarantee the security of your identity when streaming content online, be it from an IPTV provider or any other service.
By protecting your privacy online, IPTV VPNs also save you from being sued for copyright infringement. That way you can at least save yourself from being sued. That's no excuse for pirated software, by the way.
With internet freedom coming under increasing attack in some regions, a VPN for IPTV can help you fly under the radar and access blocked websites.
3. Bypass ISPs blocking IPTV services
IPTV streaming is increasingly being targeted by cable operators and their lawyers. This has led to some IPTV services being blocked by ISPs. A well-known example is the blocking of IPTV providers, which is regularly observed at Premier League matches in the UK.
Some IPTV services are able to bypass this. The easiest and most reliable way to ensure you can keep streaming despite ISP bans is to use a VPN. An IPTV VPN is the best way to ensure your streams are not blocked or interrupted.
4. VPNs can improve streaming performance due to routing issues
Can a VPN increase your internet speed? The answer is: no. Why not? VPNs are just part of the medium you use to connect to the internet. But VPNs can and will improve your streaming performance. They do this when the connection is routed to a more powerful and less congested server.
If the VPN server is located near the country where the content you want to watch is located and the server is not overloaded, the streaming can be much smoother than without a VPN connection.
Since VPNs help you overcome throttling issues by redirecting traffic through their servers, it can slightly increase streaming performance.
However, there is one thing you should do before subscribing to a VPN. Find out if the IPTV service allows VPNs. Although most IPTV providers allow this, it doesn't hurt to inquire.