If your Netflix VPN is not working, you can end up with an E106 error, a proxy warning, or a catalogue that suddenly looks much smaller than expected. That is frustrating, but it usually does not mean there is anything wrong with your Netflix account.
The real question is why Netflix is detecting the VPN connection you are using, and whether there is a way to reach the US, UK or Canadian library that Netflix will not block in the first place.
This guide explains why VPNs keep failing, what the Netflix VPN error means, and why StreamLocator does not run into the same wall. It is built for streaming rather than for privacy, so it does not sit on the address ranges Netflix is blocking.
StreamLocator is not a VPN, so it does not sit on the data-centre address ranges Netflix blocks. There is nothing there for Netflix to flag, which is why the error does not come back. Free 7-day trial.
Netflix catalogues differ by country. Your Netflix account itself works wherever you are, but the shows and films you see are based on the location Netflix believes you are connecting from.
That is why people use a VPN to try another regional library. The problem is that commercial VPNs generally operate through large groups of IP addresses in data centres. Netflix can identify and block those ranges in bulk, which is why Netflix detecting VPN activity is such a common problem.
Netflix documents error code E106 with the message: “You seem to be using a VPN or proxy. Please turn off any of these services and try again.” If Netflix says it thinks you are using a VPN, it has identified the connection method rather than found an issue with your password or subscription.
You may also see searches referring to M7111-5059. That is an older code associated with the same type of Netflix proxy error. E106 is the code Netflix documents on its help page.
Netflix’s suggested fixes are designed to restore normal streaming from your physical location. It tells viewers to check whether a VPN is enabled, turn it off, reset network settings, restore a router to its defaults, or contact their internet provider if the issue continues. Those steps can remove the error, but they do not solve the problem if your aim is to choose a different Netflix catalogue.
Netflix’s help page does not mention account suspensions, bans or penalties for VPN use. It asks you to disable the service so streaming can continue. If you searched for “Netflix VPN ban”, the practical issue to fix is the blocked connection, not your Netflix account.
When Netflix is not working with a VPN, the usual advice is to disconnect, choose another server and try again. Sometimes that can appear to work temporarily, but it is not a dependable solution. The next server can be in a range Netflix has already identified too.
This is particularly familiar if “NordVPN not working with Netflix”, “ExpressVPN not working with Netflix”, or “Surfshark not working with Netflix” brought you here. These are large, widely used services, which means their address ranges are heavily used and easier to identify. A server that worked last month can be blocked this month.
Switching to another conventional VPN does not change the underlying issue. It is still a VPN connection built around data-centre IP ranges, so Netflix blocking VPN traffic can catch it in the same way. A free VPN does not offer a fundamental fix either.
If you are trying to work out how to bypass Netflix VPN block messages, server hopping is the fragile route. A better answer is to use a service designed for streaming location changes, rather than one designed primarily around an encrypted VPN tunnel.
The same pattern appears on other platforms too. Our guide to why F1 TV can stop working with a VPN covers the same kind of streaming problem on a different service. The issue is not limited to Netflix, which is why changing servers is rarely a satisfying long-term answer.
Before you change anything you pay for, these are worth ruling out. They take about five minutes between them.
If none of that fixes it, the problem is not your setup. Netflix blocks the data-centre address ranges that commercial VPNs run on, so every step above amounts to hunting for an address that has not been flagged yet. When you find one it works, until that one is flagged too. That is the treadmill, and it is why this stops being a troubleshooting problem and becomes a choice about which tool you use.
Only one of those routes stops the error recurring rather than postponing it. Here is what it involves.
StreamLocator is a streaming-built alternative to a VPN. It is built to change where supported streaming services think you are connecting from, rather than to provide the encrypted tunnel used by an ordinary VPN. Smart DNS is the technical term you may hear for this approach.
For Netflix, that matters because the block is applied to the address, not to you. StreamLocator does not use the data-centre ranges Netflix has flagged, so there is nothing about the connection for Netflix to recognise. You choose between the US, UK and Canadian catalogues, then sign in as normal.
This is useful if you want to get back to watching without spending your evening finding a conventional VPN server that still works. You can explore the UK Netflix option outside the UK, or choose the US or Canada instead, depending on the catalogue you want to use.
Because you already pay for Netflix, the full cost is your existing Netflix subscription + about $3 a month to StreamLocator on the two-year plan. StreamLocator also offers $6.99 monthly and $49.99 yearly plans, alongside the $69.99 two-year plan.
There is a free 7-day trial, so you can check it with your own device and Netflix setup before continuing. See the available options on the StreamLocator pricing page.
StreamLocator does not replace Netflix or provide a separate Netflix library. It is the layer that keeps the connection from being recognised, so what loads is the US, UK or Canadian catalogue rather than an error screen.
Netflix blocks address ranges it recognises as commercial VPN infrastructure. StreamLocator does not use them, so there is nothing for the block to match.
Setup is deliberately simpler than chasing another VPN server. First activate StreamLocator on the device you use for Netflix, choose the supported location you want, then open Netflix as normal.
An ordinary VPN fails because Netflix can recognise the data-centre IP ranges it uses. StreamLocator is built for streaming instead, so it does not present the same VPN signature. Whether you want to watch Canadian Netflix outside Canada, use the UK library, or use the US library, the process is the same.
If you use VPNs for more than Netflix, our guide to why a streaming-built service beats a VPN for MLB.TV makes the same argument for a different service. The same principle applies: a service intended for streaming access avoids the endless search for another conventional VPN server.
Netflix blocks the ranges of IP addresses that commercial VPNs run on. Those addresses sit in data centres rather than in homes, which makes them straightforward to identify in bulk. When Netflix matches your connection to one of those ranges it stops the stream and shows an error rather than serving you a different country’s catalogue.
E106 is the code Netflix shows when it thinks you are connecting through a VPN or proxy. The on-screen message reads “You seem to be using a VPN or proxy. Please turn off any of these services and try again.” The older code for the same problem was M7111-5059, which is why you will still find it in many search results.
Netflix’s own help page does not mention suspensions, bans or penalties. What it asks is that you turn the service off so streaming can continue.
Nothing has necessarily changed on your side. These are large, widely used services, so their address ranges are heavily used and easier to spot. A server that worked last month can be identified and blocked this month, which is why the usual advice is to keep hopping servers until one happens to still work.
Just the access layer, because you keep the Netflix subscription you already have. StreamLocator starts at about $3 a month on the two-year plan, and there is a free 7-day trial so you can check it works with your setup first.
Netflix’s catalogues differ by country because of licensing agreements, not because of any law aimed at viewers. This is about location rather than piracy: you are signing in to your own paid account and watching the official stream. It is worth reading Netflix’s terms of use so you know where you stand, and this is not legal advice.
A Netflix VPN error is usually not a sign that your subscription is broken. It is Netflix recognising the conventional VPN connection between your device and the service. Switching servers can leave you repeating the same process again and again.
With StreamLocator, you keep your own Netflix account and choose between the US, UK and Canadian catalogues through a streaming-built alternative to a VPN. Start with the free 7-day trial, set up the device you actually watch on, and get back to streaming.