If you are an everyday streamer, you might have heard about Plex.
Plex is the best choice for organizing, managing, and streaming your preferred media, including videos, music, and other types of content. It’s one of the wonderful media center platforms out there.
For those who have just heard about Plex or are new to it and curious about why many users pair it with a VPN. Follow the guide and continue to read on as we delve into the details.
What is Plex & How Does it Work?
Plex is similar to Kodi (open source piece of media center software) but is more advanced and contains two elements.
The first one is The Plex Media Server, which simply organizes your media files and makes them easy to stream through various players. You can also stream all your media material on your chosen devices.
The media center is normally used on a computer but is compatible with almost all smartphones and smart TVs. Moreover, it can work on some video game consoles and set-top boxes.
If you plan to watch a bunch of media on different devices, Plex is the best choice. When you’re away from home, it is also very handy in getting online access to your media library.
Why use a VPN for Plex?
You must be thinking, why would you need a VPN for using Plex? You will run into some problems while using plex without a VPN.
- Bandwidth Throttling
Sometimes Internet Service Providers do not want you to stream content because streaming consumes a large amount of Bandwidth. So, to reduce traffic, they intentionally throttle your Bandwidth.
If you are a victim of bandwidth throttling while watching a video on Plex, then you need a VPN because it will safeguard all your data with 256-bit encryption and will also disguise your traffic, so ISP won’t be able to throttle you.
- Privacy Protection
In this day and age, the privacy of an individual can be very easily compromised because whatever we do on the internet is tracked and often sold to others by our ISP.
To avoid this and to keep your privacy, a VPN can be a great option since it is end-to-end encrypted. So, whatever you do use a VPN is completely protected and cannot be sold to any other individual or a third party.
- Region-Locked Content
When you finally set plex, you would want to watch content from several sites such as HBO now, BBC iplayer, Pandora, etc. unfortunately, you cannot view all this because of geo-restrictions.
To overcome this problem, you would once again need a VPN because a VPN will connect you to a server in some other country. Hence by having a VPN, you would be able to access content from all over the world by bypassing geo-restrictions.
- Local Censorship
In some countries, laws are quite strict for the citizens when it comes to the content that they can view because some content can be very graphic. Due to these restrictions, you may not be able to watch a few great movies or seasons.
To avoid this problem, you need a VPN because a VPN will let you change your IP address to a country where laws regarding watching content are relaxed.
The Best VPN for Plex – ExpressVPN!
ExpressVPN is one of the best VPNs out there since it checks all the boxes regarding high-quality service.
Following are great reasons to use ExpressVPN with Plex:
Global Server Network
ExpressVPN has a server in more than 94 countries with more than 300,000 anonymous IPs making it great for overcoming geo-restrictions.
Cross-Platform Compatibility
Plex can be downloaded on several different platforms, so you would need a VPN that can work on cross platforms. Luckily ExpressVPN provides this service and can work perfectly for anyone on any platform.
Fast Speeds
ExpressVPN has special servers dedicated to streaming, so when you are watching a stream, you will not face buffering.
Foolproof Security
ExpressVPN is known throughout the world for providing great security to its users. ExpressVPN has features like an internet kill switch and military-grade encryption to ensure your data is safe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Plex Work with a VPN?
Yes, Plex works perfectly with a VPN. It is recommended to use Plex with a VPN because then all your data is end-to-end encrypted and is completely safe.
Do I Need a VPN for Plex?
Plex is a great platform to stream content online, but there are several roadblocks, such as censorship, throttling, etc. to avoid these problems, you will need a very good VPN. ExpressVPN is recommended in this case.
When you How Do I Set Up Plex Remote Access?
It is quite a simple process to enable remote access. After configuring with a Plex server, go to settings and click remote access and then enable remote access.
Is it possible to use Plex with a free VPN?
Well, there are some very good free VPNs out there, but it is not recommended to use them since free VPNs are known for selling users’ data. Hence using a paid VPN is recommended.
Can I Watch Netflix on Plex?
Yes, you can use Netflix in Plex. To view Netflix, you would need a plugin named Silverlight, but this is only present with macOS.
Is Using Plex Illegal?
Plex is legal to use, but it can be used for illegal purposes like any other software out there.
Can I watch free movies on Plex?
If you download Plex, you will get access to many movies and seasons for free, but if you want more, then you will need to download other plugins.
Wrapping Things Up
Now that you have seen how important a VPN is when you use Plex. Go ahead and subscribe to ExpressVPN.
