Can You Use ExpressVPN With DirecTV in 2024?

Yes, you can use ExpressVPN with DirecTV to unblock the streaming service seamlessly and enjoy super-fast connections for a smooth streaming experience.

Luckily, the VPN works with all DirecTV-compatible devices – even platforms that don’t usually support VPNs, like Roku and Chromecast.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to use ExpressVPN with DirecTV on your specific device.

Let’s get started!

Watch DirecTV STREAM With ExpressVPN in Minutes!

Here’s how to use ExpressVPN with DirecTV (AT&T TV Now):

Sign up for ExpressVPN.
Download and install the ExpressVPN app on your DirecTV STREAM device.
Open the VPN app and log in.
Connect to a VPN server in the US.
Launch DirecTV and start streaming.

How to Watch DirecTV With ExpressVPN?

The ExpressVPN-DirecTV setup process varies from device to device since not all work directly with ExpressVPN.

Depending on your streaming device, you can unblock DirecTV Now with ExpressVPN via the following methods:

Using the ExpressVPN VPN app
Configuring ExpressVPN Smart DNS
Connecting to an ExpressVPN-enabled router
Sharing your ExpressVPN connection via PC

I’ll walk you through all the setup methods below.

Unblock DirecTV With the ExpressVPN App

This method works with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Amazon devices, and you can view the specific compatible devices below.

Amazon	iOS	Android	Windows	macOS
Amazon Fire TV Amazon Firestick Amazon Fire TV Edition Smart TV Amazon Fire TV Cube	iPhone iPad iPod Touch	Android TV Smartphones Tablets	Desktops Laptops Tablets	MacBook Mac Mini

Here are the steps to install ExpressVPN on your DirecTV streaming device:

Click here to sign up for ExpressVPN.

Select your preferred subscription plan and enter your email address. I recommend the 12-month plan because it’s much cheaper in the long term.

Select your preferred payment method to complete the signup process. The provider supports credit cards, PayPal, Bitcoin, Union Pay, Qiwi, SOFORT, and many others.

Hover your cursor over the “Download VPN” tab on the ExpressVPN website and select the right installation file for your device.

Install the app and sign in with your ExpressVPN account details.

Go to “Locations” and click on a United States server location. Wait for the VPN to connect.

Open the DirecTV app (best for mobile users) or go to the web player on your browser (best for PC users).

Watch DirecTV STREAM via ExpressVPN’s Smart DNS

ExpressVPN’s Smart DNS (MediaStreamer) allows you to unblock DirecTV directly on devices that can’t download a native VPN app, like Apple TV and Samsung Smart TV.

Note that SmartDNS delivers faster speeds than the VPN service and is ideal for users with low bandwidth, but it lacks encryption and can’t prevent your internet service provider from throttling your streaming traffic.

That said, ExpressVPN’s Smart DNS proxy is easy to set up, and here are the steps to follow:

Sign up for ExpressVPN.
Open the ExpressVPN website and log into your ExpressVPN account.

Select the DNS Settings tab and click “Register my IP address.”

Note: If “Automatically register my IP address” is enabled, the “Register my IP address" button is grayed out, and you can skip this step.

Scroll down to the DNS Configuration Checker section and click “Configure DNS on this device.”

You’ll be provided with two ExpressVPN MediaStreamer IP addresses. Copy or note them down.

Turn on your DirecTV device and enter the ExpressVPN MediaStreamer IP as your new DNS address. I’ll use Apple TV for this demonstration.
On Apple TV, click Settings.

Select Network.

Select your active connection and click “Configure DNS.”

Select Manual configuration and enter your ExpressVPN MediaStreamer IP address.

That’s it! Open the DirecTV STREAM app on your Apple TV and watch your favorite channels from anywhere.

Unblock DirecTV With ExpressVPN via Router

While you can directly unblock DirecTV with ExpressVPN on Android, iOS, Firestick, PCs, and select Smart TVs, you can’t do the same on Roku.

That’s because Roku supports neither ExpressVPN nor MediaStreamer.

Thus, using a VPN router is the best way to unblock DirecTV on Roku with ExpressVPN.

ExpressVPN supports multiple router firmware and has an easy-to-use native app for the following router models:

Asus RT-AC56(U/R/S)
Asus RT-AC68U (up to v3)
Asus RT-AC87U
Linksys EA6200
Linksys WRT1200AC
Linksys WRT1900AC(S)
Linksys WRT3200ACM
Linksys WRT32X
Netgear R6300v2
Netgear R6400v2
Netgear Nighthawk R6700v3
Netgear Nighthawk R7000
Netgear Nighthawk R7000

If your router is compatible, follow the steps below set up the ExpressVPN firmware:

Purchase an ExpressVPN subscription. You can save more with these one-time discounts.
Open the ExpressVPN firmware download page and select your router model.

Click “Download Firmware.”

Connect your computer to your router via WiFi or Ethernet cable.
Enter http://192.168.1.1 in the address bar and sign into your router’s dashboard.
Go to Advanced > Administration > Router Update and select “Browse” to upload the ExpressVPN firmware.
Wait for the firmware to install. After the installation is complete, your router will restart automatically.
Connect your device to your ExpressVPN router’s network and go to expressvpnrouter.com.
Click “Get Started,” and when prompted, enter your ExpressVPN activation code.
Change your VPN location to the United States.
ExpressVPN is now active on your router. Connect your streaming device to your router’s WiFi network.
Open DirecTV and stream with ExpressVPN from outside the US.

Besides using the ExpressVPN router app, you can also set up the VPN manually on the following router firmware:

DD-WRT
Asus
D-Link
Netduma
Sabai
Tomato
TP-Link
Xiaomi

Here’s a quick setup guide for the most popular router firmware – DD-WRT.

Go to the ExpressVPN manual setup page.
Copy or note down the unique username or password provided on the page. You’ll need this information later.

Click your preferred US location to download the .ovpn file.

In your browser’s address bar, enter 192.168.1.1 to access your router’s admin panel. You’ll be asked to enter your router’s username and password to log in.

Note: For DD-WRT routers, the default username and password are admin.

Go to Services > VPN > OpenVPN Client and enable “Start OpenVPN Client.”
Enter the following information:

Server IP/Name: Open the .ovpn file you downloaded earlier and paste the server name here.

Port: Enter the four-digit number next to the server address in the .ovpn file.

Tunnel Device: TUN
Tunnel Protocol: UDP
Encryption Cipher: AES-256 CBC
Hash Algorithm: SHA512
User Pass Authentication: Enable
Username: Enter the auto-generated unique username you noted down earlier.
Password: Enter the associated password.
Advanced Options: Enable
TLS Cipher: None
L2O Compression: Adaptive
NAT: Enable
Tunnel UDP Fragment: 1450
Tunnel UDP MSS-Fix: Enable
nsCertType verification: Enable

Enter the following commands in the Additional Config field.

				
					persist-key
persist-tun
fragment 1300
mssfix 1450
keysize 256

Open the .ovpn file and copy the content between <tls-auth> and </tls-auth> tags into the TLS Auth Key field.

Copy the text between <ca> and </ca> tags into the CA CERT field.

Copy the content between <cert> and </cert> tags and paste it into the Public Client Cert field.

Copy the content between <key> and </key> tags and paste it into the Public Client Key field.

Click Save, then click Apply settings.
You’ve successfully configured ExpressVPN on your DD-WRT router. To check the connection status, go to Status > OpenVPN.

Connect your streaming device to your ExpressVPN-enabled WiFi connection to unblock DirecTV Now.

Unblock DirecTV Via PC Mobile Hotspot

While I recommend using a physical router since it’s more reliable, you can also unblock DirecTV through your PC.

Here’s how:

Install the ExpressVPN app on your PC.
Log in and connect to a United States server.
Go to Settings > Network & Internet on your PC and select Mobile Hotspot.

Enable the “Share my internet connection with other devices” option.

On the same window, click “Change adapter options.”

Right-click on the active ExpressVPN Local Area Connection and select Properties.

Select the “Sharing” tab and check the box next to “Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection.”

Open the “Select a private network connection” drop-down menu, and select the mobile hotspot connection you created earlier.

Quick Tip: Your mobile hotspot’s Local Area Connection is denoted with an asterisk. In my case, it’s Local Area Connection* 10.

Click OK to save the changes.
Connect your streaming device to your ExpressVPN-enabled mobile hotspot network and access DirecTV anywhere.

Why Is ExpressVPN Great for Watching DirecTV?

After using ExpressVPN to stream DirecTV, here are some reasons I recommend the VPN:

It’s fast. Of all the VPNs I’ve tested with DirecTV, ExpressVPN offers the fastest connections, allowing you to stream without interruptions.
The VPN works reliably with DirecTV. It unblocks the DirecTV streaming service on the first try on any US server, and its connections are stable.
ExpressVPN supports Smart DNS, enabling you to unblock DirecTV on Apple TVs and smart TVs if you don’t have a compatible router.

What Can I Watch on DirecTV With ExpressVPN?

ExpressVPN provides access to the entire DirecTV STREAM catalog, including movies, TV shows, and live TV. The basic DirecTV package has over 75 channels, including regional sports networks and local channels (FOX, ABC, CBS, and NBC affiliates).

Sports	Entertainment	Kids
ESPN ESPN2 MotorTrend FS1 AT&T SportsNet Altitude Sports MASN MASN 2 Bally Sports MSG Plus NESN NBC Sports SNY Root Sports YES Network	Comedy Central AMC A&E Animal Planet BET Lifetime TBS TLC Paramount MTV USA TNT	Nickelodeon Disney Disney XD Disney Junior Cartoon Network Teen Nick PBS Kids

ExpressVPN Not Working With DirecTV? Try These Five Fixes

I had a smooth experience using ExpressVPN with DirecTV. Still, if you run into any issues, the following tips should help you:

Switch servers: If you’re getting a proxy error, it may be that DirecTV has blacklisted your ExpressVPN IP address. You can easily fix this by changing to a different ExpressVPN US server location. This allows you to obtain a new IP address – possibly one that isn’t blacklisted.
Clear browser cookies: DirecTV may have stored a geo-location cookie in your browser, showing that you’re not in the US. Delete your browser cache and always connect to the VPN before visiting the DirecTV website. Alternatively, use a different browser.
GPS location: In addition to your IP address, the DirecTV mobile app also uses your GPS location to tell if you’re in the US. If the two don’t match, ExpressVPN won’t work with the streaming service. This mostly affects live TV streams, and you can get around it with a GPS spoofing tool.
Use a US billing address: If using an Amazon device, ensure your account is set to the US. You can find US ZIP Codes online with a simple web search.
Contact customer support. Still stuck? I found ExpressVPN’s customer support team quite friendly and helpful. You can contact them anytime (live chat is available 24/7) for personalized support via live chat or email.

ExpressVPN Alternatives for DirecTV

ExpressVPN provides a premium VPN service that works incredibly well with DirecTV.

But it’s also one of the most expensive VPNs on the market.

And while DirecTV allows unlimited simultaneous streams on your home network, ExpressVPN supports five simultaneous connections.

So, if you’re considering an alternative, I recommend the following VPNs:

NordVPN: Another excellent DirecTV STREAM VPN, NordVPN delivers a largely similar performance without being as costly. Its apps are also better designed and easier to use.
Surfshark: Offers the best value for money of all VPNs I’ve used with DirecTV. Plus, it offers unlimited simultaneous connections, enabling everyone in your home to enjoy DirecTV on their devices.
CyberGhost: Has DirecTV-dedicated streaming servers, which work without fail. On top of that, CyberGhost has a no-questions-asked 45-day money-back guarantee – the most generous on the market.