Is HBO Max not functioning with VPN? Here are 8 tried-and-true alternatives

HBO Max is a video streaming service that is currently only available for people living in the United States. It has been gaining popularity with online users all over the world, but unfortunately, it’s not accessible to everyone. Moreover, HBO max works by using a VPN which can be found on many different websites and apps. However, sometimes Hbo max doesn’t work when you’re using a VPN- so what do you do? This article will teach you 8 tried-and-true alternatives to HBO Max if your VPN isn’t working!

HBO Max is a popular streaming service that includes HBO programming, as well as other content. It’s quite a famous streaming service right now because it has a wide range of video material. However, if you’ve attempted to use it from outside of the United States, you’ve probably come across an error notification that says something like this:

It’s a shame, given that HBO subscriptions aren’t restricted to residents of the United States and that HBO Max is available for free to subscribers of HBO.

HBO Max is geo-blocked in certain countries, so a VPN may help you Unblock HBO Max in Canada, Uk, Australia and etc. without harm. Sometimes, however, a virtual private network may not unblock HBO Max as expected. Furthermore, when attempting to use HBO via a VPN, the same problem occurs.

If you discover yourself in this scenario, then this manual is certainly for you.

Why doesn’t your VPN work with HBO MAX?

HBO Max is known in the United States, individual U.S. regions (American Samoa, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands), Europe, and Latin America today.

Shortly, Netflix plans to expand its assistance to additional locations. Nonetheless, you must find a method to get around Netflix’s restrictions until then, and a VPN appears to be the most dependable technique available.

Users, however, may report that they are incapable of viewing HBO Max with a Virtual private network in a variety of circumstances. This might be because your system is incorrectly set up or because you used a VPN to circumvent its ban.

You might be notified that you’re not in HBO Max’s service region if it detects that you’re using a VPN, as illustrated in the picture below.

You are also told to turn off your proxy or VPN. HBO Max does not want you to use a VPN since it views this as an exploitation of its assistance, as it is only intended to be utilized in the places and provinces where it is officially permitted.

To identify VPN usage, the service employs advanced detection technology. When you link to a Virtual private network server, your IP address is shared with everyone else using that server.

If HBO service notices numerous users with IP addresses arriving from the exact VPN server, it will barricade them.

Then, by the exact principle, it will also blacklist other IP addresses from different VPN servers as well as that provider’s IP addresses.

While VPNs hide your area, they are not enough to allow you to access HBO Max from anywhere. Several VPN services are easily recognized by HBO Max, so if you utilize a non secure and unstable VPN, you’ll most likely be banned.

Use a different server

If you can’t get HBO Max to recognize your VPN connection, you may want to change servers.

It is a simple fix that only requires you to temporarily cut off your VPN connection while searching for a new place. There’s a critical detail you should be reminded of: when selecting a different server, make sure it’s in the United States.

If you live in Europe and HBO Max isn’t working without a VPN, selecting a European server won’t do the trick.

If you’re currently linked to a US server and HBO Max still isn’t working, try connecting to another one.

A simple hint: Select the server with the lowest latency and move on to the next best one if necessary.

HBO Max is a great way to watch Game of Thrones without any buffering and interruptions.

 SmartDNS

Because Netflix and HBO have fought a worldwide campaign against VPN users, it’s only natural that it wouldn’t work at times. A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts your traffic and re-routes it, making it easy to identify.

You can, however, access HBO Max without a VPN by utilizing SmartDNS.SmartDNS proxies merely replace your ISP-assigned DNS with theirs and remove all location data from your requests.

According to some, SmartDNS services are superior to VPNs at accessing geo-restricted services since they are quicker.

The speed difference between them is because they don’t use encryption, and they don’t conceal your IP address.SmartDNS, on the other hand, is a good option if you simply want to view HBO Max and aren’t concerned about your privacy.

Public DNS

1. Go to Start and right-click it.

2. Choose Network Connections.

3. Click the change adapter option.

4. Right-click your active Internet connection to go to the advanced settings menu.

5. From the context menu, select Properties.

6. Double-click the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) box.

7. Use the following DNS server addresses that should be selected. Click the Use the Following DNS Server Addresses radio button.

8. Type 8.8.8.8 in the Preferred DNS field and 8.8.4.4 in the Alternate.

Although we’ve established that ISP-assigned DNS may be restricted, you can’t modify them.

Changing your ISP-assigned DNS might help you avoid throttling, improve your connection speed, and even get around restrictions.

If your ISP-assigned DNS was the reason why HBO Max could not connect to your VPN, it should now be working. To check if there’s any improvement, connect to a US server and try watching HBO Max.

Flush DNS

While online, you may be using numerous services that can be harmed by cached data build-ups. One example is cached DNS data, which might prevent you from accessing certain sites entirely.

Although the concept of purging your DNS may appear odd, it is quite simple to accomplish. Cached data build-ups can hurt various services you may be using while online.

Cached DNS data is one such example, which can lead to even being unable to access certain websites altogether.

Although the concept of flushing your DNS may sound a bit alien-like, it’s quite easy to do it.

1. Hit the Windows key, then type cmd.

2. Click on Run as administrator.

3. Type the following commands, one by one:

• ipconfig /flushdns
• ipconfig /registerdns
• ipconfig /release
• ipconfig /renew
• netsh winsock reset

4. Restart your computer.

After your PC reboots, try connecting to a US VPN server, then try accessing HBO Max.

If cached DNS build-ups were the issue, HBO Max should now work without a hiccup.

Use a different VPN protocol

We can’t walk you through the process of changing protocols because each VPN supports a variety of ones. It should be simple to find and modify protocol settings, but we’re not sure if that’s the case for all VPNs. The majority of VPNs have them in the General or Connection menus.

Make sure to check out all supported protocols as well as experiment with ports, if feasible. HBO Max may block particular ports automatically, which is why changing ports (as well as protocols) is important for this stage.

Pick a VPN with obfuscation features

If your VPN doesn’t include obfuscation features, consider switching to one that does. Obfuscation disguises your VPN traffic so that it appears to be regular internet traffic.

Even though VPN traffic is private, it’s fairly simple to spot. Obfuscation-ready services can significantly reduce the likelihood that HBO Max will notice your VPN traffic on their side.

Clear cache and cookies

We’ve addressed how cached data build-ups can cause issues with certain websites on your system in the past. This is precisely why we advise you to clear your browser’s cache entirely if HBO Max is refusing your VPN.

To get the most out of your VPN, make sure to save all of your traffic data on your device, including browsing history, cookies, and any other cached material. We recommend you use a different browser to test HBO Max if it’s compatible with your VPN.

Also, reset your internet browser to see if this resolves the issue.

Paid VPN

This may be something you’ve never considered before, but premium VPN are expensive services for a few good reasons. First and foremost, they function far better than their free counterparts. Then there’s the fact that they provide superior privacy protection.

However, we’re here to address any HBO Max VPN connection problems, so let’s set privacy aside for a moment. If you’re employing a free VPN, proxy, or any other location-spoofing technology, you shouldn’t be shocked that HBO Max detects it. Simply get rid of them as soon as possible and move to a reliable, paid-for service.

Conclusion

In the end, HBO Max not working with your VPN could be a real pain at times. However, we’ve included a large number of possible solutions for you to test. We recommend that you try our fixes one at a time and avoid any of them if possible. We believe you will be able to figure out a solution that allows HBO Max to work with your VPN.