VPN Guide
Iâve been asked to put together a VPN guide, especially since Emmerdale episodes are being uploaded to YouTube. This guide will also works perfectly well for accessing ITVX and the BBC iPlayer.
What is a VPN?
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a service that helps you stay private and secure online by creating a secure, encrypted connection between your device and the internet. For this purpose, we're interested in the fact that VPN's can bypass geo-restrictions and allow you to access things you wouldn't normally be able to.
Which VPN should I use?
There are plenty of VPNs out there. I'll be giving three options. Everything I mention here is something Iâve personally used or that my partner's used and tested. While there may be other great options available, I wonât recommend anything I can't vouch for.
As far as I'm concerned, if you can afford to invest in a VPN, I would because I think it's worth the money. I use it alot while out in public, when accessing public wifis, such as in cafe's and airports to protect my data. It does a lot more than just bypass geo locations.
ExpressVPN
I've been using ExpressVPN since 2014, long before I moved to the UK. This is the VPN I used during 2014-2019 era to watch Emmerdale. While it's not the cheapest option out there, I think it's worth every penny because the customer support is great.
Pricing: Starts around âŹ6.40/month (billed annually)
Pros: Fast, reliable, great customer service
Cons: Pricier than others
ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN offers both a free and paid plan. While the free version is useful, it's very limited, you can't choose your server location, which makes it tricky if you're trying to access specific content. For streaming or location-specific browsing, you'll need the paid plan.
Pricing: Paid plans start around âŹ4.99/month
Pros: Strong privacy reputation, has a free option
Cons: Free plan is very restricted
Surf Shark
My partner swears by Surf Shark. Itâs the most affordable of the three, with plans starting at just âŹ1.99/month. Despite the low cost, heâs never had a single issue with it so far.
Pricing: From âŹ1.99/month (with long-term plans)
Pros: Budget-friendly, reliable performance
Cons: Slightly fewer server options than premium VPNs
** add on **
Windscribe
@srtazombie has recommended Windscribe, which has a free version, that let's you use up to 10GB monthly.
Tutorial
For this tutorial I'm going to use Surf Shark because it is the cheapest of the three options.
Open your browser and go to: https://surfshark.com
Click on âGet Surfsharkâ on the homepage.
Youâll see 3 plan options. The 2-year plan (âŹ1.99/month) is the cheapest.
Click âSelectâ under your preferred plan.
Enter your email address.
Choose a Payment Method. You can pay with: Credit/debit card, PayPal, Google Pay and Apple Pay.
Enter your payment details.
Click âComplete Purchaseâ.
Youâll get a confirmation email right after purchase.
After payment, youâll be directed to a page to download the Surfshark app.
Choose your device: Windows / Mac / Linux, Android / iOS or browser extension (Chrome, Firefox, Edge). You can also find Surfshark in the App Store or Google Play Store.
Open the Surfshark app.
Enter the email and password you used when signing up. If you didnât set a password during checkout, check your email, Surfshark will have sent you a link to create one.
Connect to a Server. Inside the app, click âConnectâ to use the fastest server. Or choose a country from the list (e.g., US, UK, Germany, etc.).
For the UK you can pick from: London, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Then try it out and go to YT and see if it works. If one server is down, just change between them until one works.
Personally, I havenât come across any free VPNs that work well for changing your geo-location to stream regularly. Most either donât let you choose the country, or they have extremely limited monthly data, making it impossible to watch shows like Emmerdale, which airs five days a week. For that reason, free VPNs just donât cut it for daily streaming.
Iâve also heard that Mullvad is also good and affordable option. However, I canât personally recommend it since I havenât tried it myself. If anyone has experience with Mullvad and wants to share more info, please feel free to add to this post! Also, if there are free VPNs which work, please let me know!
