Looking to set up Private Internet Access on Roku?
It’s actually a straightforward process and won’t take much of your time.
Here are the quick steps you need to follow to use Private Internet Access on Roku:
- Subscribe to PIA (Don’t forget to use this exclusive discount).
- Install the Private Internet Access app on your PC.
- Open the VPN, sign in, and connect to your target server location.
- On your PC, go to Settings>Network & Internet.
- Click “Mobile hotspot” and switch on “Share my Internet connection with other devices” button.
In this guide, I’ll take you through the steps more comprehensively.
Does PIA Work With Roku?
Yes, PIA works reliably with Roku. However, as Roku does not support VPNs, you will need to set up the PIA on your router or install it on your computer and share your internet connection via a mobile hotspot. Let me show you how to do that.
But before that, it is important to check and confirm that your router is compatible with PIA. Here are some router firmware compatible with PIA:
- DD-WRT
- Tomato
- PfSense
- OpenWRT
- LibreCMC
- Gargoyle
- ROOter
How to Install Private Internet Access on Roku?
If you are using your router to set up PIA on your router, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Subscribe to PIA (save on PIA by using this discount).
Step 2: Type your IP address and open your DD-WRT admin page. “Set up”> basic set up (If you use a different router, follow these steps).
Step 3: Open configuration files where you will change static DNS to the following:
- DNS 1: 10.0.0.242
- DNS Streaming: 10.0.0.243
- DNS + Mace: 10.0.0.244
- DNS + Streaming + Mace: 10.0.0.241
Sep 4: Move to your network address server settings (DHCP) and set the following:
- Use DNSMasq for DHCP= Checked.
- Use DNSMasq for DNS= Checked
- DHCP (Default) = Checked.
Click on “Save” and “Apply” to ensure your changes are executed.
Step 5: Click on IPV6 and disable it.
Save and Apply
Step 6: Navigate to services. Make sure your DNS does not have a suffix and move to the DHCP server. Go to “used domain” and change it from WAN to LAN and WLAN.
Step 7: Under DNSMasq ensure local DNS is enabled.
- DNSMasq- Enabled.
- Local DNS- Enabled.
- No DNS Rebind-Enabled.
- Click Save and Apply.
Step 8: Go to “service” VPN and enable the last option which is “StartOpenVPN client”
Also, enable your advanced options and you will see a list of options.
Step 9: Change your server name to VPN address.
Server IP= us-west.privateinternetaccess.com.
To change location you can change your VPN address to another one from any part of the world.
(Insert list of available VPNs)
Step 10: Change your Hash Algorithm to SHA1 and input your password and username. Your fields should reflect this:
- Port = 1198
- Tunnel Device= TUN
- Tunnel protocol= UDP
- Encryption cypher= AES-128-CBC
- Hash Algorithm = SHA1
- User pass Authentication= Enable.
- Username, Password= Your PIA username and Password.
- TLS Cipher= None.
- LZO compression= Yes.
- NAT= Enable
Step 11: After your NAT is enabled, scroll down to additional configuration settings and key in the following:
- PERSIST- KEY
- PERSIST-TAN
- TLS- CLIENT
- REMOTE- CERT-TSL-SERVER
Step 12: In the additional configuration box, enter the following commands.
The server IP name which is also your server address.
Step 13: Download .CRT configuration. This file will be downloaded as a zip file.
Step 14: Open it on another app like notepad and copy then paste it on the CA Cert field.
Make sure you paste all of it. BEGIN…CERTIFICATE….END…
Save and apply your work.
Step 15: Reboot your router and add your Roku device to the Wi-Fi.
Connect Your Roku to Your VPN-Enabled WiFi!
You are a step closer to unlimited access to Roku channels.
On your Roku home page:
Step 1: Roku Home>Settings>Network. Click on Network then select Okay.
Step 2: Find the option wireless and click Okay.
Step 3: Type in your Wi-Fi password.
That’s it. You’ve now successfully set up PIA on your physical router.
How to Set Up PIA Via Virtual Router?
To use a virtual router, you have to install your VPN on your computer and share it from the mobile hotspot.
I will show you how to make this work on your windows PC:
Step 1: First, go to the Private Internet Access official website and sign up.
Step 2: Next, download and install PIA.
Step 3: Go to your windows settings and click on “Network & Internet”.
Step 4: On the left, find “Mobile hotspot” and switch it on.
Step 5: Select “Status”, which is still located on the left and change adapter options.
Step 6: Double click on the PIA VPN Adapter then select the sharing tab.
Step 7: You will see the command “allow other users to connect through this computer’s internet connection”. Check the box beside it.
Step 8: Find “home networking connection” and select the Wi-Fi you just set up.
Step 9: Connect to a US server location.
Step 10: Now all that’s left is for you to connect your Roku device to your windows hotspot and enjoy a whole new world of content.
How to Set Up PIA on macOS?
If you use a Macbook, you’ll need to follow the steps below:
Step 1: Sign up for PIA VPN.
Step 2: Find the app installer.
Step 3: MacOS will then prompt you with a security confirmation to allow the installer to make changes to your system. Click Open.
Step 4: Enter your computer “User Name” and “Password” Apple Admin Password to give Mac permission to run the installer.
Step 5: Open “System Preferences” and find “Network”.
Step 6: Add “new connection” by pressing the ‘+’ button on the lower left side.
Step 7: Key in the following.
- Interface= VPN
- VPN type= IKEv2
- Service Name= PIA VPN
Click on create.
Step 8: Enter preferred service name under service name.
Step 9: Select a US server.
Step 10: Open your authentication settings and key in your PIA password.
Under the same window, you will see:
“Machine Authentication” Select it
(Under shared secret, enter this is our key.)
Step 11: Click the advanced options button and check the box beside
“Send all traffic over VPN connection”
Step 12: Click okay and click apply
Step 13: Next, click connect and go back to system preferences and click on sharing.
Step 14: Mark the box next to the words “internet sharing”
Step 15: Click on Wi-Fi
Step 16: Now, click on Network Name and type in
- “Channel: (default)”
- Security WPA2 personal
- Password: type in your chosen password.
- Verify password. Which means type it again as you did the first time.
Step 17: Next. click okay.
Step 18: Check the box next to internet sharing and share your connection.
Step 19: Now you can finally open your Roku device and connect to your computer’s Wi-Fi network to stream.
I Can’t Access Netflix With PIA on Roku
If you can’t access Roku on your device you need to check whether your address using Private Internet Access matches a local one from the US.
Switching server locations on the PIA app is straightforward but if you want to do so your router, you should follow the steps below:
Step 1: Sign up for Private Internet Access.
Step 2: On your browser, type in your router IP address to open the DD-WRT home page.
Step 3: Input your DD-WRT password to log in.
Step 4: Find your router address and go back to the downloaded zip file on your desktop.
Step 5: Open the file you downloaded to see regions you prefer and select the region you would like to change to. Open the file on the region with your notepad.
Step 6: On your open file on notepad, you will see the address for that particular region. Copy it and go back to your DD-WRT home page.
Step 7: Delete your previous address and paste the regional one you copied from the available US-based servers you downloaded.
This helps change your location and you can now stream on Roku from any region.
If the server happens to be slow, use the same steps above to change location to another server and continue with your streaming.
Final Word
PIA VPN is a good choice for streaming on Roku.
The processes to set it up might be a little hectic but it’s worth your while.
If you find the need to change to another VPN, I recommend NordVPN because it also works reliably with Roku.
You can also check the list for available alternative VPNs to use on Roku here.
