How to Get American Netflix on Roku in Australia (Guide for 2022)

Looking for a solution to get American Netflix on Roku in Australia? You’re in the right place.

As you already know, Netflix USA is region-locked to the United States. If you try to stream it from Australia on your Roku device, it won’t run. Instead, Netflix will show you the AU version, which has many of the US titles missing from its catalogue. Think of The Walking Dead, Taxi Driver, Breaking Bad, CoCo, Family Guy, The Departed, and more. That doesn’t mean, though, you can’t do anything about these geo-restrictions. With the help of a reliable VPN, you can spoof your location on Roku and access all the US-based Netflix movies and TV shows from Australia.

Of course, you’ll need an active Netflix subscription too. If you aren’t subscribed to Netflix, we would recommend doing that first. Make sure to sign up using your computer. Also, you’ll need a US Roku account to watch American Netflix in Australia. 

Here is a step-by-step guide to help you get started with all things Netflix on Roku.

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Installing VPN on Roku via your router to watch US Netflix

There are no native VPN apps available for Roku in the market. Therefore, the only way to get VPN protection on your Roku device is to first configure the VPN on your home router. Once done, you can then connect your Roku box to the router network and enjoy your favourite US content without any geo-restrictions. 

Most VPN companies maintain up-to-date resources for how to use their service with a router on their website. For example, ExpressVPN offers separate guides for Asus, Linksys, and Nightgear routers. So look for information on your service provider’s website. If you can’t find anything there, reach out to customer support for help.

If you aren’t interested in a DIY setup, you can also purchase pre-configured VPN routers from the market. This will help you save both time and effort. A good VPN router typically costs between $149 and $400. You can shop for these from any trusted online tech marketplace. We recommend Flashrouters.

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The best VPN to get American Netflix on Roku in Australia

ExpressVPN is our favourite VPN to watch American Netflix in Australia on Roku. We’ve been using it for a couple of years now. It has over 3000 servers in 94 countries, including 300+ servers in the US. These servers are spread across 24 different locations. They provide fast and stable connections. You can stream Netflix on any of them. However, try avoiding the Los Angeles – 3 servers, as these often show inconsistency while streaming Netflix. On average, we get download speeds of around 54 Mbps with a 65 Mbps base connection, more than enough to watch American Netflix in UHD buffer-free. 

ExpressVPN is also a safe VPN to use. It’s headquartered in the British Virgin Islands. So you never have to worry about the government spying on you. No activity logs are stored either, which is again crucial from a privacy standpoint. Your web traffic is secured with the help of OpenVPN tunneling protocol and AES 256-bit cipher keys. The company allows up to five multi-logins on a single subscription.

You can use ExpressVPN with a wide variety of routers. We have an Asus RT-AC68U. Other ExpressVPN-compatible routers include:

• Asus RT-AC56(U/R/S)
• Asus RT-AC87U
• Linksys EA6200
• Linksys WRT1900AC(S)
• Linksys WRT3200ACM
• Linksys WRT1200AC
• Netgear R6300v2
• Netgear R6700v3
• Netgear Nighthawk R7000
• Netgear Nighthawk R7000P, and more

ExpressVPN costs a modest AU$10.38/mo (US$ 6.67/mo) - Save up to 49% with exclusive 1-year plans + 3 months free. Sign up today and get 3-months absolutely free. A 30-day money-back trial is included. Such prices and other features let to access NBC on Roku and get Disney+ Hotstar on Roku in Australia. 

In case you want more details about this provider, make sure to go through the ExpressVPN review.

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Other top VPNs for Roku to watch US Netflix

If you are looking for a cheaper alternative to ExpressVPN, you can try Surfshark or NordVPN.

Surfshark

Like ExpressVPN, Surfshark is also headquartered in the British Virgin Islands. It operates 500+ servers in the US. While it’s not as robust or fast as ExpressVPN, clocking an average streaming speed of 46 Mbps, it does a decent job of unblocking American Netflix on Roku from Australia.

The amazing thing about Surfshark is it lets you connect an unlimited number of devices at the same time, allowing you to share your VPN subscription with your family and friends, even if they may not live with you. It has a strict no-activity log policy. You get complete protection from man-in-the-middle attacks thanks to military-grade encryption and Open VPN tunneling protocol.

Surfshark supports a wide range of routers. These include Asus RT-AC88U AC3100, Asus RT-AC86U AC2900, Asus RT-AC5300, Synology RT2600AC, GLiNet GL-MT300N-V2, TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750, and NetDuma R1 among others. You can also buy a pre-configured Surfshark router.

The company offers three plans, with the cheapest plan available for AU$3.88/mo (US$ 2.49/mo) - Save up to 77% with exclusive 2-year plan + 30-day money-back guarantee. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

NordVPN

NordVPN is a Panama-based VPN service. It operates 1500+ servers in the US, the highest of any VPN on this list. More servers mean you get more switching options, which can be quite useful on high-traffic days. Our recommended servers for watching Netflix include #8139, #8022, #8021, and #6254. You can expect speeds of around 49 Mbps on a 65 Mbps connection. 

On the security front, you get OpenVPN tunneling protocol and AES-powered algorithms. Together, they protect your communications from all possible interception attempts. The company keeps no records of your online activities and uses advanced controls to prevent IP leaks.

With NordVPN, you get support for up to six simultaneous connections. Compatible router models include Netgear R7800, Netgear R9000, Linksys WRT3200ACM, Linksys EA8500, Asus RT-AC3200, Asus RT-N18U, and Asus RT-AC66U. Check out the complete list here. Pre-flashed NordVPN routers are also available for sale.

You can get NordVPN for AU$6.21/mo (US$ 3.99/mo) - Save up to 63% with exclusive 2-year plan + 3 months free for a friend on a 2-year plan. All NordVPN purchases are secured by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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Can you use a free Roku VPN to stream Netflix?

Completely free VPNs can be unsafe to use and are not the best in terms of reliability and overall performance. Moreover, some free Roku VPNs have been found to store and sell user data to third-party companies. So, we wouldn’t recommend using them at all. 

If you want to save money on your VPN purchase, you can go for a free trial VPN or a paid service that offers an unconditional money-back guarantee. With the latter, you can hack the money-back guarantee offer, use the VPN to watch Netflix, and when you reach the end of the guarantee period, simply cancel your subscription and get your full payment back.

How do you add Netflix to Roku?

To add the Netflix app on your Roku device:

1. Navigate to Streaming Channels (or Channel Store if you’re using Roku 1) and select Movies & TV
2. Find Netflix and select Add Channel
3. Open Netflix and select Sign In
4. Enter your Netflix username and password to finish the setup. (P.S: For Roku 1 users, there is an additional step. When you sign in to Netflix, you’ll receive an activation code. Go to the Netflix website with the VPN connected, and enter this code to link your Netflix account with your Roku device)

Which Roku devices work with Netflix?

You can stream Netflix on Roku devices 1 or higher, which include Roku 2, Roku 3, Roku 4, Roku MHL Stick, Roku Streaming Stick, Roku TV, Roku Express, Roku Express+, Roku Premiere, Roku Premiere+, and Roku Ultra.

Does Roku give you free Netflix?

Yes, the Netflix app is free to download on Roku. However, you need to have an active Netflix subscription to watch movies and shows.

What are the available Netflix resolutions on Roku?

You can stream Netflix on Roku in different resolutions depending on the version of your Roku device. The following chart summarizes the different available Netflix resolutions for different Roku devices: