How to Watch iPlayer Abroad

If you are living abroad or on holiday and can't bear to live without your favorite British TV shows, then there is a solution. BBC iPlayer is one of the most popular platforms to watch UK TV shows. But there is a problem, it only works in the UK. If you have ever tried to watch iPlayer abroad then you will find that it simply says "Not Available In your Area".

The reason the BBC doesn't allow you to watch these channels abroad is because of the license fee. This means that programs can only be watched by people within the UK. But there is quite a simple way around this, and the best solution is to use something called a VPN.

What is a VPN?

A VPN is a special tunnel through the internet to connect two networks together. This means that the computers behave exactly as if they were connected to a Local Area Network. VPN's were first used by businesses to allow employees access to their computer networks from other locations, however they can also be used to help you watch iPlayer in a foreign country.

UK VPN

There are VPN servers located all around the world. If you want to watch UK TV while abroad then you will need to use a UK VPN. These services work by allowing you to connect using your foreign internet connection to the VPN Server which is based in the UK.

This means that your computer will behave in the same way as if you went all the way to the data center where the VPN server is located and plugged your computer into a network socket. The only difference is, that you can be hundreds, or even thousands of miles away. The advantage of this is it will give you a UK IP Address.

The IP Address is the unique address that your computer has on the internet. It's possible to use this address to work out where in the world your computer is located. That's why connecting through a UK VPN to watch iPlayer is so important. By connecting through one of these VPN servers it is possible to get yourself a UK IP address and access iPlayer because the service will think you are from the UK.

Video

When you are choosing a VPN server it's worth bearing in mind that not all VPN services are the same. If you are planning to watch streaming video online from services like iPlayer then you will need to choose a VPN which specializes in allowing expats to watch iPlayer. Not all VPN's are fast enough and some of them are only designed as a way of allowing you to access other UK based services such as bank accounts.

Choosing a VPN

If you are interested in using a VPN to watch iPlayer while abroad then you will need to choose a suitable VPN service. There are so many to choose from that this can be a little difficult. Make sure you choose one with a money back guarantee so that you can get your money back just in case it doesn't work fast enough for you to watch iPlayer.

If it's not quick enough, then it's also possible to check that the firewall on your computer and router are allowing you a fast enough connection to the internet. It's also worth testing some of the different VPN servers which are also in the UK and available under your subscription because these might be faster.