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Part of preparing for the upcoming holiday season that often gets forgotten or overlooked until the very last minute is ensuring that you’ve got all the best series, tv shows, and movies ready to go when you have your friends or family over at your place. There’s nothing quite like everyone sitting around the TV after dinner, and a good movie is a perfect way to end the evening!
For this reason, you might be looking to consider Roku to save the day, and we don’t blame you! With over ten generations of products to choose from, from light daily use to heavy 4K streaming, Roku has been a longstanding and reputable streaming device that you can trust and rely on. However, not many know that you can improve laptop performance and turn it into a virtual router to access all unlimited amounts of content and apps using a VPN! Keep reading below to find out how to utilize your laptop to the max!
What is Roku and What Does It Do?
You might have heard of Roku before if you don’t already own a device, but we can tell you just how much the small but mighty piece of hardware is capable of!
The primary purpose of Roku is to allow you to collate all the most popular and well-loved media streaming services into one place so that it’s easier to access, such as Netflix. These are all operated through Roku OS, which allows for such a range of apps and channels to be supported and to run smoothly.
However, as you know, unfortunately, depending on the region and area you are streaming from, not all content and apps are available because of regional restrictions and the fact that these channels are geo-locked, which means that only specific countries are able to access them.
Roku’s physical devices have now expanded to include: Roku TV, Ultra, Streaming Stick, Roku Express, Roku Premiere, and Roku Premiere+. But worry not! You can, in fact, bypass the issue of geo-locking thanks to the help of a VPN, and we’ll show you how.
Why Should I Use A VPN?
VPN stands for ‘Virtual Private Network,’ meaning that if you have one of these, you’re able to bypass any regional restrictions and even change the region or area that you’re in so that more content is available to you!
Not only can you access a vast library of another country and switch to other countries if you’re looking for a specific show, but it also means that you’ll be able to access all the streaming services that were previously unavailable in your region!
Another benefit of using a VPN with Roku is that even if you are traveling, you can still take advantage of all of your streaming channels and services, regardless of whether or not it is available in the country that you are going to. You’ll always have access no matter where you go!
How Do I Use My Computer To Connect To Roku?
Now that you know why so many users find VPN appealing, it’s time to see how you can take advantage of it yourself and get the most out of your Roku device.
Something that isn’t too commonly known by people, is the fact that you can actually utilize your laptop to act as a ‘virtual router.’ Not only is it able to connect to Wi-Fi networks, but it can also broadcast its own signal via a hotspot signal!
Thanks to the recent updates, this is possible with almost all laptops, Windows and Mac alike, as long as they aren’t too old.
How To Set Up A Connection
- The very first step is making sure that you have chosen an appropriate VPN provider of your choice and that it has been installed on your laptop.
- Make sure that your VPN connection has been set up and that you are connected to its network.
- Broadcast a hotspot connection from your laptop, and make sure it is visible to nearby devices; otherwise, it won’t be able to connect!
- Use your Roku to connect to the Wi-Fi hotspot that you broadcasted.
- And that’s it! Your Roku will now be protected by your laptop’s VPN and can stream channels and apps according to the location you have set for it! Happy streaming!
And just like that, in a few simple steps, all your streaming services are ready to go. And as long as the hotspot signal continues being broadcasted, your Roku device will continue to operate via your laptop’s VPN connection, protecting your location and allowing you to make adjustments depending on what you want to watch.
