How Do I Setup A VPN On My Smart TV?

Generally, Smart TVs do not support VPN service natively. There are a few ways that you can get a VPN connection on your Smart TV and they are as per below:

Download VPN app via Google Play Store
Share VPN connection from your computer to your TV
Setup VPN on a router
Setup Smart DNS on your TV

If you just want to watch region-restricted TV programmes, you will just need a Smart DNS service and not a VPN.

If a VPN service is what you looking for, below are the options for you.

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Download VPN App Via Google Play Store

If your TV is based on the Android system, you can simply open Google Play Store, search for a VPN app (i.e. hide.me VPN) and install it.

Share VPN Connection Over Hotspot

If you have a Windows-based computer, one worth looking at is the Connectify app. Basically using this, you can connect the VPN on your PC and share it via your wireless or wired network to your TV.

Once you’ve Setup Connectify on your computer, follow the instructions below to share your VPN connection.

Launch your VPN app and connect to the VPN.
Once you’re connected, launch the Connectify app on your computer.
Finally, choose your VPN provider as the Internet to Share and click on Start Hotspot.

That’s it! Any devices connected to your hotspot will be on a secured VPN connection and protected.

If you haven’t sign up for a VPN service yet, I would suggest that you try hide.me VPN as they are free.

Setup VPN On A Router

The last option would be to set up a VPN on your router which can be quite technical for some.

We would suggest you get a second router and configure a VPN service on it.

This method would leave you with your existing network which would be your local ISP and then a second router which would route your traffic via the VPN network. You would presumably then connect your TV or any devices to the VPN network.

Using a single router solution is not recommended. It can be done, but the problem is that if there are any problems or issues with it, you have lost your connection to the Internet.

If you set up VPN on a secondary router, then any issues with VPN setup will not impact your local internet connection.

We recommend that the second router supports an OpenVPN client feature or get a router that runs a custom firmware called DD-WRT.

If you have a spare router laying somewhere, you can flash it with DDWRT firmware. The list of the supported DD-WRT routers can be found here.

For DD-WRT, below are the routers that have been tested and appears to be working fine with VPN.

Linksys WRT54GL
Buffalo WHR-HP-G54
Buffalo WHR G300N (V1 Only)
Linksys E1200
Linksys WRT160NL
Linksys WRT54GS
Linksys E4200
NetgearAC 1900
Netgear WNDR 3700
Netgear WNDR 4000
ASUS RT-N16
ASUS RT-N66U
ASUS RT-AC66U

Please note, there are many other routers that are compatible with DDWRT and some of them come with pre-loaded DDWRT firmware such as Buffalo WHR-300.

However, please take note that you will still then need to flash the router with the firmware and your warranty will be considered void when you do so.

If you prefer a pre-configured router without worrying about bricking it and only require an internet connection to get started, I would recommend that you contact hide.me VPN via live chat support on their website for more information.

If you already have the router, please contact your VPN provider for further instructions on how to setup a VPN on it.

For a reliable VPN provider, I would suggest that you give hide.me VPN a try because they provide;

99.99% Uptime
Blazing Fast Speeds
Guaranteed Privacy

More reasons why hide.me VPN is better than others.

Features of the Best VPNs	hide.me VPN
Diverse VPN network	2000+ servers in 75 locations
Privacy Protection	Zero activity logs
Multiple VPN protocols	IKEv2, OpenVPN, SoftEther & SSTP
Strong encryption	AES-256 bit encryption with 8192-bit keys
Unlimited data	Unlimited data transfer with Premium Plan
Compatibility	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Routers, Consoles & TV
Multiple logins	10 simultaneous logins with the Premium Plan
IP leak protection	Complete protection against leaks (DNS, IPv4, IPv6, WebRTC)
Port forwarding	Dynamic Port Forwarding with our paid plans
Server switching	Unlimited server switching; no extra charges
Affordable pricing	Lifetime free VPN and 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Customer support	24/7 customer support

Setup Smart DNS On The TV

smart dns proxy channels — Popular Channels Supported by Smart DNS Proxy

If you just want to access region-restricted TV programmes, you will just need a Smart DNS service that can be set up directly into your TV.

We recommend Smart DNS Proxy because they support over 600+ TV channels and you can access it from anywhere in the world.

This is also a great service for those who want to cancel their expensive cable TV subscription and look for a cheaper alternative.

Once you’ve registered for a free Smart DNS proxy account, please setup you TV as per the instructions at the links below:

Finally, access your favourite TV apps! Simple as that.

Best Free VPN For Smart TV

If your Smart TV is based on Android, you can download hide.me VPN app into your TV and use their free service.

To get started, follow the steps below:

Register for a free hide.me account.
Next, go to https://hide.me/tv
Download hide.me VPN app
Now, launch hide.me app on TV and write-down the pin code.
Finally, enter the pin code into the Input your PIN code box and click on confirm

After a few seconds, the app will be logged in automatically on your TV and you should be able to use it.

Does Smart TV Have Google Play store?

If your Smart TV doesn’t use Android/Google as its operating system, you would not have Google Play Store. Therefore, you can only download apps via the TV’s official store. eg: Samsung Smart Hub etc.