ProtonVPN is one of the most user-friendly VPNs out there, and setting up the VPN on Roku is a breeze.
I’ve been using Roku with VPNs since basically its inception, and few services have been as consistent as ProtonVPN.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the setup process step by step on how to use ProtonVPN with Roku.
Ready? Let’s get started!
Pricing | Basic: $3.29/mo (2 year) Plus: $6.63/mo (2 year) Visionary: $19.96/mo (2 year) |
Money-back Guarantee | 30-Days |
Streaming Speeds | Very Fast (Premium Account) |
Avg. Time to Set Up ProtonVPN on Roku | 8 Minutes |
Does ProtonVPN Work With Roku?
Yes, ProtonVPN works with Roku.
Besides supporting the media player, the VPN service also unblocks virtually all geo-restricted channels, allowing you to access lots of new content.
However, you can’t install ProtonVPN directly into your Roku device. That’s because Roku lacks basic VPN functionality.
So how do you set up ProtonVPN on Roku?
There are two ways you can go about it:
- Physical router – Configure VPN on your router and connect to the WiFi network.
- Virtual router – Install the app on your computer and share your connection.
Set Up ProtonVPN on Roku Via Physical Router in Minutes
Before we get started, you should first check whether your router is compatible with ProtonVPN.
Generally, you can only install the service on routers that support IKEv2 or OpenVPN as a “client.”
Here are some of the firmware that work with ProtonVPN:
- AsusWRT
- DD-WRT
- OpenWRT
- pfSense
- Tomato
- Vilfo
- Invizbox
Keep in mind the setup process differs from one router firmware to the next.
You can find installation guides for all compatible routers on ProtonVPN’s website.
I’ve included a quick, simplified setup guide for DD-WRT, the most common router firmware.
Now that you’ve confirmed that your router is compatible with ProtonVPN, follow the steps below:
1. Get a ProtonVPN Account
If you already have a ProtonVPN account, you can skip to step 2.
ProtonVPN offers both free and premium versions.
Unlike most providers, their pricing plans vary in both the billing cycles and the available features.
Personally, I would recommend the 2-year Plus plan since, unlike the basic plan, it comes with streaming service support.
It also offers good savings and excellent value for money.
Plus, you don’t really need the ProtonMail Visionary account offered in the pricier “Visionary plan” to stream Roku.
Also, the free plan won’t help you much with Roku.
While sufficient for simple browsing, it has servers in just 3 countries and offers below-average speeds, making it unsuitable for streaming.
After selecting your subscription plan, enter the following to create your ProtonVPN account:
- Username
- Password
- Email address
2. Configure Your Router With ProtonVPN
Once you’ve created your ProtonVPN account, you can now go ahead and install the VPN on your router.
How to Install ProtonVPN on DD-WRT Router?
Here are the steps you need to follow to configure your DD-WRT to work with ProtonVPN:
- Type in http://192.168.1.1/ on your browser to log into your DD-WRT administrative panel.
- Go to the Setup tab and click Basic Setup.
- Under Network Address Server Settings (DHCP), configure your DNS values with ProtonVPN DNS addresses:
Keep in mind that the ProtonVPN DNS address you enter will depend on the OpenVPN transfer protocol you want to use, UDP or TCP.
If you need to use TCP, enter the following DNS values:
- Static DNS 1: 10.7.7.1
- Static DNS 2: 0.0.0.0
- Static DNS 3: 0.0.0.0 (default)
- Use DNSMasq for DHCP: Checked
- Use DNSMasq for DNS: Checked
- DHCP-Authoritative: Checked
If you’re using UDP, enter the following DNS values:
- Static DNS 1: 10.8.8.1
- Static DNS 2: 0.0.0.0
- Static DNS 3: 0.0.0.0 (default)
- Use DNSMasq for DHCP: Checked
- Use DNSMasq for DNS: Checked
- DHCP-Authoritative: Checked
- Now, we will need to get rid of potential IP leaks. To do so, navigate to Setup>IPV6 and select Disable.
Click Save and Apply Settings.
- Log in to your ProtonVPN dashboard, select Downloads, and then “OpenVPN configuration files.”
Under Platform, select Router and then the transfer protocol you’re going to use.
- Download your preferred .ovpn configuration file and open it with a text editor.
As you can see below, I chose the US-NY#6 (us-ny-06.protonvpn.com.udp).
- Navigate to Services>VPN to configure the OpenVPN service. Under OpenVPN Client, set “Start OpenVPN” Client to “Enable.”
- On the same window, set the following fields as indicated below:
- Server IP/Name: Enter the value in the line starting with “remote,” excluding the port number.
- Port: Type in the value behind the server IP ( 4569).
- Tunnel Device: TUN
- Tunnel Protocol: UDP (But if you entered 10.7.7.1 or 10.7.0.1 as your “Static DNS 1”, then select TCP).
- Encryption Cipher: AES-256-CBC
- Hash Algorithm: SHA256
- User Pass Authentication: Enabled
- Username: Your ProtonVPN username
- Password: Your ProtonVPN password
- Advanced Options: Enable
- TLS Cypher: None
- LZO Compression: No
- NAT: Enable
- Firewall: Enable
- You should leave the rest of the fields with their default settings.
- In the Additional Config box, copy and paste these commands:
tls-client
remote-cert-tls server
remote-random
nobind
tun-mtu 1500
tun-mtu-extra 32
mssfix 1450
persist-key
persist-tun
ping-timer-rem
reneg-sec 0
#log /tmp/vpn.log
# auth-user-pass /tmp/openvpncl/user.conf
- Copy the CA Cert text from the .ovpn you downloaded earlier and paste it into the CA Cert box.
- Copy the TLS Auth Key text into the respective field. Be sure to enter the entire text, from —–BEGIN OpenVPN Static Key V1—– to —–END OpenVPN Static Key V1—– lines.
- Click Save and Apply Settings.
- Go to Administration>Management and click Reboot Router.
That’s it! You’ve successfully installed ProtonVPN on your router.
You will now be able to access any channel on Roku and since ProtonVPN is fast, you’ll be able to stream 4K content without any interruptions.
Read Also: The Most Reliable VPNs for Roku Reviewed
3. Connect Roku to Your Router
To unblock Roku, simply connect your Roku device to your new ProtonVPN-enabled WiFi network. Here is a quick walkthrough:
- On your Roku home screen, select Settings and go to Network.
- Press “Set up connection” and click Wireless.
- From the list of WiFi networks, select and connect to the ProtonVPN-enabled WiFi you created earlier.
You can now open any channel and start streaming.
But note that to access country-specific content on Roku, you will need to make sure your Roku account is set to that particular country, be it the US, UK, or Canada.
Don’t worry if this sounds a bit complicated. I’m going to dive deeper into this later on and show you how to change your Roku region.
Solution 2: Setting Up ProtonVPN on Roku Via Virtual Router
If setting up ProtonVPN on your router sounds too tech-savvy for you, you can alternatively set up the VPN on Mac and Windows and share your connection via mobile hotspot.
Follow the steps below to set up ProtonVPN on Roku through a virtual router on Windows 10:
- Sign up for ProtonVPN.
- Download and install the application on your Windows PC.
- Next, go to Settings and select Network & Internet.
- Navigate to Mobile Hotspot on the left sidebar and toggle on “Share my Internet connection with other devices.”
- On the same window, click “change adapter options” located in the top right corner.
- Find and double click on ProtonVPN TUN to open properties.
- Click the Sharing tab and check the box next to “Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection.”
- From the drop-down menu under “Home networking connection,” select the ProtonVPN-enabled hotspot you created earlier.
- Launch the ProtonVPN app and connect to a US, UK, or Canadian server location (I recommend US server locations since there are many US exclusive channels and content on Roku).
Now open Roku and connect to your Windows mobile hotspot.
Sharing your ProtonVPN connection through a MacBook isn’t any more complicated than with a PC. Just plug in your Ethernet cable and follow the steps below:
- As usual, you will need to get a ProtonVPN account.
- Press the Apple logo and navigate to System Preferences>Network.
- Click on the (+) button to add a new connection.
- Type in the following in the indicated fields.
- Interface: VPN
- VPN Type: IKEv2
- Service Name: ProtonVPN.
After you enter the above details, click Create.
- Next, you’ll be prompted to enter your Server Address and Remote ID. In both fields, type in the hostname of your preferred server (for example, de-04.protonvpn.com).
- On the same window, click Authentication Settings and enter your ProtonVPN credentials. Click OK.
- Next, click Connect and then Apply to establish your ProtonVPN connection.
- Go back to System Preferences> Sharing and select Internet Sharing.
- Next, configure the following:
- Share your connection from: ProtonVPN
- To computers using: Wi-Fi
- Click Wi-Fi and configure the following and click OK.
- Network Name: Enter any name.
- Channel: Leave as default
- Security: WPA2 Personal
- Password: Type in your chosen password
- Verify: Retype the password
- Finally, click the box next to Internet Sharing, and if prompted, press Start to activate the hotspot.
With your macOS hotspot up and running, you can now connect Roku to the WiFi network and unblock the streamer from anywhere in the world.
How to Change My Roku Region to the US?
To access US exclusive channels and content on Roku, you should first make sure your region is set to the US as well.
Otherwise, you won’t be able to unblock US content even with a VPN service enabled.
So, how do you go about it?
Here are the steps you should follow:
- On your Roku device, go to Settings>System>Advanced System Settings and click Factory Reset.
- Launch ProtonVPN and connect to any US server.
- On the same device, go to my.roku.com/signup to create a new account.
- When asked to choose a payment method, you can skip this step without providing any payment information.
FAQ
Is ProtonVPN Good VPN for Streaming on Roku?
Yes, ProtonVPN is a great VPN for streaming. It provides fast server speeds and works with all the popular Roku channels.
Is YouTube TV Available on Roku?
No, YouTube TV is no longer available on Roku.
On April 30th 2021, the popular streaming hardware maker pulled the app from its channel store following a disagreement with Google.
Conclusion
That’s it! I hope you are now able to set up and use ProtonVPN with your Roku device.
After using the VPN with Roku for over a week, I can say I was impressed with how well it works with Roku.
ProtonVPN unblocks all US Roku channels, including Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max.
Its speeds are incredible, too, so you won’t have to worry about buffering when streaming in HD
New to ProtonVPN? Here is their latest deal so you can check it out at a discount!
