Access streaming services in other regions — no DNS hacks needed
A French expat in Tokyo can't watch Canal+. A British grandparent in Spain can't open BBC iPlayer. An American on a German vacation finds the Netflix catalog cut in half. Smart DNS used to fix this; it's been broken for years. Here's the modern way: a WireGuard tunnel via WG Connect.
Why Smart DNS stopped working
For a while, services like Smart DNS worked by intercepting only the DNS lookup. They were cheap, didn't slow your connection, and didn't need a real VPN. That era is over. Modern streaming services geo-check based on the IP address of the device — not on what DNS resolver it used. Smart DNS leaves your real Spanish IP visible to Netflix even when the DNS says "I'm in the UK," and Netflix sees through the lie instantly.
The only reliable way to access a service from another region today is to actually have an IP in that region. That requires a real VPN tunnel.
Two paths, depending on what you want
Option A: A commercial VPN provider
Easiest. Get a WireGuard .conf from Mullvad, IVPN, ProtonVPN, NordVPN, or Surfshark for the country you want. Import into WG Connect. Connect. The Apple TV's IP is now in that country.
Caveat: streaming services maintain blocklists of VPN endpoints. The major providers play cat-and-mouse — Mullvad and IVPN are known to maintain working streaming endpoints; check your provider's status page.
Option B: Tunnel back to your own home router (most reliable)
If you're an expat or a frequent traveler and the region you want is your home country, this is the cleanest setup. You run WireGuard on your home router (any of: pfSense, OPNsense, UniFi, Firewalla, ASUS Merlin, Mikrotik, GL.iNet, or a Raspberry Pi). Your travel Apple TV connects back to it. Now your traffic exits from your residential home IP. Streaming services can't tell the difference between you on vacation and you in your living room.
See our home network remote access guide for the full setup.
Step-by-step: commercial VPN approach
- Choose a region. If you want US Netflix, you need a US WireGuard endpoint. Some providers list specifically which servers work for streaming.
- Generate a .conf file. On Mullvad: log in → "WireGuard configuration" → pick country → download. ProtonVPN: similar. Save the file to your phone.
- Import to WG Connect. Add Profile → Upload from Phone → scan QR → upload
.conf. Name it after the region (e.g. "US — New York"). - Connect and open Netflix or your target service. Your catalog now reflects the VPN region.
- Switch regions easily. Generate
.conffiles for multiple regions and switch between them in WG Connect's profile list.
Tip — Family Sharing
Set this up once on a primary Apple TV, and all family Apple TVs sharing your account get the WG Connect lifetime license via Family Sharing. Each device imports its own configs but the app license is shared.
What apps actually work?
- Netflix — works on most premium VPN endpoints. Catalog reflects exit-IP region.
- YouTube TV, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+ — work, but Hulu and YouTube TV check more aggressively. Tunnel-to-home is the safest.
- BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 — strict checks. UK home-tunnel works perfectly. Some commercial UK endpoints also work.
- Canal+, MyTF1, France.tv — French home-tunnel or French residential VPN.
- Apple TV+ — global, doesn't need a VPN, ignores it.
- Plex, Jellyfin, Infuse — your own media. Always works through the tunnel. See home network access.
Considerations
- Bandwidth. Commercial VPN endpoints are usually fast (1 Gbps shared). Home-tunnel is limited by your home upload speed.
- Audio language. Region affects more than catalog — French Netflix gives you French audio tracks by default. Useful for language learners.
- Subscriptions still apply. A US Netflix subscription is required to watch US Netflix, even with a US IP. The VPN unlocks region; it doesn't grant you a free account.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Smart DNS not work as well as a VPN?
Smart DNS only redirects the DNS lookup, leaving your real IP visible. Streaming services increasingly check IP geolocation directly, breaking Smart DNS. A WireGuard VPN moves the actual IP, which works against any geo-check.
Will Netflix detect that I'm using a VPN?
Some VPN endpoints are flagged. Premium providers like Mullvad and IVPN rotate exit IPs and offer endpoints that work for streaming. The most reliable solution is to tunnel back to your own home router — your home IP is residential and never flagged.
Can I use this on a hotel TV?
WG Connect runs on a real Apple TV — not on a hotel-supplied smart TV. Bring a small Apple TV with you, plug it into the hotel TV's HDMI port, and you have your home setup anywhere.
Is using a VPN to watch streaming legal?
VPN use is legal in most countries. Whether the streaming service's terms of use permit it is a separate question — Netflix's terms, for example, ask users to access from their home country. Check your local laws and the service's TOS.