Kodi is an excellent streaming service however our world has snooping government overreach along with powerful interest groups opposing what they call piracy, so this means using a VPN is a requirement for Kodi.
Using a VPN for Kodi
Naturally the first question you may ask is what is a VPN for Kodi; however, the answer is there’s no Kodi VPN. Instead there are several streaming services allowing Kodi to work without also earning the prying eyes of those you’d rather not deal with. The job of a VPN is taking the network connectivity of your device, encrypting it and running that through a proxy server. This is a fancy way of saying your connection will be disguised really well.
The way a VPN looks for you is everything going normally. You are able to stream, download and upload with no problem. However, on the side where the actual work is being done, any eyes will see you as based in a location of the proxy server. This means if you live in Miami, FL and normally connect via Miami servers, using a VPN means the prying eyes note your location as Bemidji, MN, for example.
US and EU Streaming and Piracy Laws
Obviously, streaming is not illegal however downloading content with the intent to sell is illegal. So, you may think a VPN is not needed – this is where you are wrong. Especially with American media companies, there is a movement to restrict how content is interacted with. Depending on who is in power, the laws can be altered so media companies can track you. And, in the US, it is already legal for ISP’s to save your browsing data.
Now that you understand what a VPN does, here’s why you need a VPN for Kodi and why it improves your experience:
Avoid Your ISP’s Wandering Eye
Your ISP is hell-bent on logging your browsing information, tracking your streaming, and finding out from where it is coming from. When using unofficial Kodi add-ons, it is imperative to make sure that you use a VPN so the data that your Kodi box is processing will be encrypted. Your ISP will not be able to see what you are doing, just that you are connected to a certain place on the internet.
ISPs, especially in the US, are constantly checking up on who pirates content and now that the US government lets ISPs sell your browsing history, having a VPN just so you can have a shred of privacy is definitely not too much to ask.
The bottom line is using Kodi improves because you can relax when you stream and download content because your ISP does not know what you are doing.
Do Your Streaming with Anonymity
Now that your ISP is blind to what you are doing, the next step is making sure that wherever you download from does not know that it is you doing the downloading. Depending on the source, your IP address can be tracked and hackers love to use these streaming areas for accessing your system. Since your IP address is masked, the servers don’t know who you are and where you’re located. All they see is the VPN proxy server. This makes you a hard target, and hackers like soft targets.
Also, if a site gets busted and has to give up their information, your IP address will not come up. Once again, the improvement to Kodi here is getting these eyes off of what you are doing frees you up to really enjoy all that the service has to offer.
Getting Outside of Geographic Limits
Unless you are in a country like the US or an EU country, the reality is you are constantly dealing with limitations based on where you are. The great thing about a VPN, especially when travelling with your Kodi, is you can connect to another nation that has looser rules on their internet. This allows you to do simple things like stream Hulu, Amazon, and Netflix. Many countries also block content because of proprietary reasons, so if you are in the US and watching your favorite UK show, then head to the UK and it is all of a sudden not available, you can simply use your VPN to connect back to the US and watch the show.
That being said, Hulu and Netflix are blocking VPNs, but Kodi has add-ons allowing you to bypass Hulu and Netflix if needed.
Get New Releases Early
For people who love video games, the reality is waiting is pretty lousy. However, a VPN allows you to bypass the waiting because in Asia, games are released early, meaning you can download and play them long before they come out in the US. This is something that is really simple but also enhances your Kodi experience greatly.
There are some other new releases with shows that could work this way as well. The key is connecting your VPN to the right country of origin.
How to Find the Right Kodi VPN
The reality is there are a ton of VPNs that will work for Kodi, so what you need to do is break down the differences between the VPNs to find the best one. There are several factors to consider when choosing a great VPN.
The first is you want to have a lot of different servers around the world. This is critical because your Kodi experience will not be enjoyable if you are simply stuck with a few servers in a certain country. The key is making sure there are plenty of servers for you throughout the world.
The next thing that enhances your Kodi experience is making sure that your VPN does not keep logs of what you do. This is very important, especially if you are streaming and downloading. Having a VPN that keeps logs is pointless to the use of a VPN. This may require you to go with a service outside of the US or UK.
Finally, you get what you pay for, so paying for a VPN service is highly advisable. This means you get a proper VPN experience with your privacy being the top priority instead of making money via ads.