Getting American Netflix from the UK is a brilliant way to expand the amount of content you've got to watch. While our main guide on how to get US Netflix works for most devices, the Chromecast, Nexus Player, Roku Streaming Stick and Roku 3 and the latest version of the Android Netflix app aren't as easy to get working. In fact, it would be fair to say that they're a massive pain to get working.
The problem comes from the way that the devices lock down their network settings, so you can't change the DNS server settings in order to use a smart VPN service, such as the excellent Unblock-Us. Services like this require you to change your DNS servers on each device you want to use. Domain Name Servers (DNS) are the address books of the internet, where your computer, tablet, smartphone or other internet device look-up human-friendly names, such as Netflix, and are given the computer-friendly unique IP address of where that service lives. When you change your DNS settings to use a smart VPN, your traffic is automatically routed through a tunnel to the US, making it appear as though you're in America, giving you access to the wider range of content that Netflix has there.
With the products we've listed, they're all hard-coded to use Google's DNS servers. This means that even if you make network-wide changes to use a smart VPN, all of these devices ignore your settings and just connect to Google's servers instead. To fix the problem, you need to make some changes to your router, which we'll explain below. First, it's important to note that with the Chromecast (and Nexus Player if you're Casting to it), both it and the device that you cast from (your iPhone, or Android phone, for example) both have to be configured to access US Netflix. This is because of the way that casting works: your source device merely passes over to the Chromecast the location of the stream that it has to play. If your iPad, for example, is set up for US Netflix, but your Chromecast isn't, the Chromecast can't connect to the proper stream.
A secondary method involves re-routing the Google DNS servers to point to your VPN's servers, but this is only an option if you have a router with OpenWrt or DD-WRT firmware; this generally involves hacking your router, so it's not for the faint-hearted and doesn't work with all models.
A word of warning
Before you start, it's important to understand that the changes you make here are made network-wide. So, try and watch Netflix on any device in your home and it will connect to the US version. Secondly, these smart VPN services require you to register your home IP address so that they know it's you that's connecting (otherwise anyone could use their service for free). As your internet connection changes its IP address regularly, you might find that it's annoying to use certain services on some devices. For example, power on your laptop and try and watch iPlayer and you might get an error message until you update your network's IP address with the VPN provider.
Not all routers are capable of making the changes that we're going to suggest. For example, the BT Home Hub is extremely locked down and won't let you do any of the necessary steps. In this case, the only option is to replace the router. With BT connections, any ADSL router will do the job; if you've got Infinity, you can plug any Cable router into the OpenReach modem. In both cases, you need to use the username broadband.user@btbroadband.com; only enter the password of BT if your router requires it. See the BT support site for more information.
Finally, be wary of free Netflix DNS codes, which are 'free' ways of accessing US Netflix. We've seen reports that hackers are giving out free addresses, fooling you into using their DNS servers and then stealing your information. See, are free Netflix DNS codes dangerous?
Method 1: Blocking Google and assigning new DNS servers
Using this method you need to block the Chromecast and Roku players from accessing the Google DNS server addresses. This forces them to fall back and use the DNS addresses that your router hands out (see below for more information). Note that this method does not work for the latest version of the Android client, and you have to use Method 2 below.
The easiest way to block access to the Google DNS servers is by using a static route rule in your router. This is an option that not all routers support; if yours doesn't, you won't be able to get US Netflix on these devices. Static routes are a way of telling your router how to access a specific IP address. What we're going to do is force access to the Google DNS servers to go into a loop, preventing anything on your network from accessing them.
Go to your router's web-based management page (type its IP address into a web browser) and look for the static route option, which is usually in advanced settings. Create a new static route and enter the destination IP address as 8.8.8.8, the subnet mask as 255.255.255.255 and the gateway address as your router's IP address, such as 192.168.0.1. If required, enter the Metric as 2. Repeat, but this time change the destination IP address to 8.8.4.4.
Now, you need to change your network's DHCP server settings so that all of your devices receive the DNS address of your chosen unblocking tool. We're using Unblock-Us for this example, which uses the IP addresses 208.122.23.23 and 208.122.23.22 for primary and secondary DNS. You can read our guide on how to configure a router or separate DHCP server. This guide is primarily about how to avoid DNS issues with your ISP by switching to Google's DNS servers; where instructed to enter new DNS addresses, use the Unblock-US addresses above (or the ones your alternative service provides).
Method 2: Using IP routing tables in a DD-WRT or OpenWrt router
If you have either a DD-WRT or OpenWrt router, you've got a much easier option using IP tables. These basically reroute one IP address to another, so when the Chromecast or Roku player thinks it's connecting to Google's DNS servers, it's actually connecting to your VPN service. This trick works with the latest version of Netflix on Android. The good thing about this method is that you don't have to alter any of your other network settings, so every other device continues to use the default DNS servers. If you've changed your network to use Google's DNS servers, you might want to consider using a different choice, such as OpenDNS instead.
For DD-WRT connect to your router's web-based management page and go to Administration, Commands. Enter the two lines below into the Commands box and then click Save Firewall. Make sure that the two lines are still in the Commands box (recopy and paste them if not) and then click Save Startup. Finally, put the two lines back into the Commands box and click Run commands. For OpenWrt, connect to the router's web-based interface and go to Network, Firewall, Custom Rules. Enter the two lines below and click Submit.
iptables -I PREROUTING -t nat -p udp -d 8.8.4.4 --dport 53 -j DNAT --to-destination 208.122.23.23
iptables -I PREROUTING -t nat -p udp -d 8.8.8.8 --dport 53 -j DNAT --to-destination 208.122.23.22
You can change the IP address after destination to alternative VPN service's addresses if you're not using Unblock-Us. You may have to reboot your router and Chromecast and Roku devices to get them working. If you want to make the change network wide, follow the instructions in Method 1 for changing your DHCP server settings to hand out the Unblock-US (or alternative) DNS servers.
Activating the service and changing region
Now, you need to make sure that your VPN service is activated for your network. We'll show you how for our service of choice: go to the Unblock-Us homepage using a computer connected to your home network, click Login and enter the email address that you registered with. You should see an orange box on the page, click the link within it to activate your new internet connection. You can also use the Netflix Region Picker to change country, although you'll have to reboot most devices for the change to take effect. With the Chromecast, just unplug its USB cable and plug it in again to cycle its power. Cycle the power on your Roku media streamer.
Now you can cast Netflix to your Chromecast, provided you follow one simple rule: both the Chromecast and the device you're casting from must be configured to use the VPN's DNS servers, otherwise they'll see different content and will not work together. With Roku devices you only need to fire up the Netflix client to have it connect to the US version.
