If you’re looking for tips on how to get an IP address from Australia, one of the quickest and easiest ways is to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
All the data coming to and from your device is encrypted by a VPN and it routes it through a server in an intermediary location. This means it appears as though you’re looking at the internet from a destination that’s different to your present location.
A lot of esteemed VPN companies have Australian servers, meaning you can still get an Australian IP address when you’re somewhere else in the world.
This guide will explain how to use a VPN to get an Australian IP address, alongside a few other alternative methods – including a free one.
What’s involved in getting an Australian IP address?
A paid VPN service is the most straightforward way to acquire an IP address in Australia. And we’ll discuss some of these recommended services in this article.
Regardless of where you are in the world – the UK, Germany, Canada, the US, the Philippines, China, or elsewhere – a VPN simplifies the entire process of getting an Australian IP address.
How to get an Australian IP address in 5 easy steps:
- Register for your chosen VPN service before downloading its app to your device. (ExpressVPN is our recommended service).
- Clear all of your cookies before restarting the device.
- Connect to the VPN using your desktop or mobile app.
- Choose one of its Australian servers and wait for it to establish a connection.
- Now you’ve got your Australian IP address, you can start enjoying unrestricted access to a variety of content and websites.
GET A TOP-TIER VPN FOR FREE: Often, to secure the cheapest price for a top-tier VPN service, you’ll need to sign up for at least a year. Not many people require a VPN service for this length of time, however.
Therefore, if you need a VPN service because you’re on vacation or just need to access Australian content for less than a month, we recommend taking advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee on offer with ExpressVPN.
While you will need to pay upfront, if you cancel your contract within 30 days, the refund is issued – no questions asked. And we’ve not heard of any instances where this hasn’t been carried through, meaning it’s essentially a risk-free way of having a VPN for less than a month.
How can I obtain an IP address in Australia?
To put together this list of the best VPNs for an IP address in Australia, we’ve used the following key points:
- Easily unblocks geo-restricted content
- Has several Australian servers
- Provides apps for iOS, Android, MacOS, and Windows
- Protects your data through rigid encryption protocols
- Doesn’t track user behavior
- Is great value for money
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a huge favorite among customers.
Why?
It offers fast speeds, a reliable service, and an easy-to-use interface. It also has over 1,500 servers that are high-speed and are located all over the world. This means it boasts an abundant number of servers in Australia, as well as nearby countries, such as Singapore, Indonesia, and New Zealand.
One of the standout features of ExpressVPN is its ongoing ability to unblock content that’s restricted by location, including BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Netflix, Sky, Fox, and many more.
To ensure your connection is always secure and encrypted, it utilizes military-grade encryption protocols. For example, alongside perfect forward secrecy and HMAC authentication, ExpressVPN boasts 256-bit AES-CBC as its standard default encryption. Also included is a “network lock,” which is its term for an internet kill switch. This means your connection is continually encrypted even if the server’s connection drops suddenly.
ExpressVPN also has a strict policy that it will not store any detailed traffic logs, just a little metadata (but this essentially helps improve the quality of its services for users). Individual IP addresses aren’t logged.
Apps are available for iOS, Android, MacOS, and Windows.
EXCLUSIVE DEAL: With ExpressVPN’s annual plan, get 3 months free. This includes the 30-day, no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee if you’re not happy with the service provided.
2. NordVPN
193 of the 4,500+ servers NordVPN operates are located in Australia. Available in a total of 62 countries, this service is highly customizable, fast, and features all of the additions you’d expect from a state-of-the-art VPN.
NordVPN is esteemed at easily unblocking geo-restricted content – and is one of the few VPNs that work with Netflix and various other streaming providers to offer support.
The customizable features available through NordVPN include the ability to choose a server based on how you’re accessing the internet, e.g. anti-DDoS, ultra-secure privacy, streaming TV, and more.
Its encryption standards are robust and resilient. By default, it uses 256-bit AES protocol teamed with 2,048-bit SSL keys. No user data or information that’s personally identifiable is stored by the service, allowing you to remain hidden online without any worries about data loss. DNS leak protection is also enabled.
Apps are available for iOS, Android, MacOS, and Windows.
66% DISCOUNT: When you sign up for NordVPN’s 2-year deal, you can save 66%, making this great service just $3.99/month.
3. CyberGhost
In the past, CyberGhost was a bog-standard service that offered a limited number of servers and had weak encryption. However, the service has improved dramatically in recent months.
Having gone through a phase of rebranding, CyberGhost has firmed up its encryption standards, improved its server network, and invested in streaming capabilities.
Today, it has 50 Australian servers, part of its 2,300 worldwide servers that are located in 60 countries.
When it comes to streaming services like Netflix, CyberGhost is able to evade restrictions. And it also features a variety of cool add-ons, including anti-tracking, anti-malware defense, and an ad blocker.
On the OpenVPN protocol, a 256-bit AES encryption secures traffic by default. This is further bolstered by an internet kill switch and perfect forward secrecy.
What’s more, as the company’s registered and based in Romania, it isn’t governed by the laws that require VPN providers to retain data on a mandatory basis.
Apps are available for iOS, Android, MacOS, and Windows.
DISCOUNTED DEAL: Save more than 70% on CyberGhost’s 2-year subscription.
4. IPVanish
With a global network of more than 1,000 servers in over 60 countries, IPVanish has 61 servers located in Australia. It also has 4 in nearby New Zealand.
The server is private, quick, and has minimal downtime. IPVanish emphasizes privacy, security, and speed, working seamlessly with a number of streaming services. These include HBO Now, Sling TV, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer.
Thanks to its encryption standards, it comes out as one of the best top-tier VPNs. This is because, on OpenVPN, it uses 256-bit encryption as default, a DHE-RSA 2,048-bit key exchange and SHA512 authentication – and it’s complete with perfect forward secrecy.
IPVanish is also a completely logless provider thanks to its nil data storage policy.
This particular VPN service is sought after by Kodi users as it allows them to download the Android APK straight to their device. And for Kodi devices that lack a mouse and keyboard, the IPVanish interface is very easy to use and is remote-control-friendly.
Apps are available for iOS, Android, MacOS, and Windows.
READER DEAL: Up to 60% discount on IPVanish plans, including a risk-free period of 7 days where you have a full money-back guarantee.
5. PrivateVPN
Compared to the aforementioned providers, PrivateVPN doesn’t have as many server locations. However, that shouldn’t detract from the service it offers, which includes a 30-day money-back guarantee on each one of its packages.
In total, PrivateVPN has slightly over 80 servers located globally in 56 different locations, one of which is in Australia.
This VPN provider can unlock a number of popular streaming services, such as ITV Hub, BBC iPlayer, Netflix, and many more. Plus, its privacy and speed are as top-notch as the other services we’ve mentioned above.
On the OpenVPN protocol, it uses industry-leading standards with its 256-bit AES encryption and perfect forward secrecy. It also offers an internet kill switch and doesn’t take part in any data mining or store any user logs. Furthermore, it’s very cost-effective.
Apps are available for iOS, Android, MacOS, and Windows.
5 MONTHS FREE: Save over 70% and get 5 months free on PrivateVPN’s annual plan.
Can I get an Australian IP address with a free VPN?
When you start your search for an IP address in Australia, it’s more than likely you’re going to stumble across numerous adverts for “free” VPNs.
They offer you the chance to sign up without committing to a long-term contract or inputting your credit card details, which can be incredibly tempting. But these perks are usually all you’re going to enjoy.
Why?
These free services are often highly unreliable and can intrude heavily on your privacy.
With weak encryption standards, a limited choice of servers, and throttled connections, free VPNs aren’t all they’re cut out to be. What’s more, some have even been caught stealing data from their users to sell on to advertisers.
So while you may get lucky connecting to an Australian server, you won’t enjoy a hassle-free, secure, and safe browsing experience.
Ultimately, if you want to access financial services or stream content through an Australian VPN, there are huge risks involved in using a free VPN.
As with most “free” things, there’s usually a catch involved. These providers are going to be making their profits somehow, whether it’s through frequent downtime or an insane number of popup adverts to try and get you to upgrade to their “premium” service.
Overall, we don’t recommend these providers as they’re more trouble than they’re worth. You’re far better opting for a tried-and-trusted brand from our recommended list above.
I want to use a VPN, what should I do next?
Before you opt for a particular provider, we recommend you read each of the reviews we have for the service. Then sign up for the service of your choice (using the link beneath our mini-reviews, for example).
After you’ve input your credit card details, you should receive an email that confirms your subscription and includes your login information. This will also feature the apps for the service, which you can download directly from the relevant app store or the provider’s website.
Once installed, reboot your device.
You should receive a list of all the available locations once you’ve authenticated your details. Scroll through these until you find options for Australia. Here, some will let you choose by city while others will be based solely on the country itself.
Typically, a green icon in the top corner of your device’s screen or in the taskbar of your desktop will confirm that you’ve secured a connection. This connection is private and will now allow you to start browsing online with an IP address in Australia.
Why do I need an Australian IP address?
“Australians generally enjoy affordable, high-quality access to the internet and other digital media” suggests Freedom House, an advocacy body. It also says that the internet is categorized as being “free” in Australia.
This means, in Australia, accessing the internet is a human right and the government generally permits free speech among its citizens and won’t censor content – so long as it isn’t deemed “libel.”
However, it is illegal to torrent copyrighted material. So while this rule is hardly ever enforced, it is still best to err on the side of caution. For example, ISPs were ordered to block BitTorrent tracker sites by an Australian federal court in 2016.
Having an Australian IP address helps you access the open web, which isn’t typically available to residents of countries like Russia, China, Iran, and the UAE, where the state dictates what content people can access.
If you’re traveling abroad, you may benefit from acquiring an IP address from down under. This helps you stream content from channels like ABC, 7plus, Foxtel, Netflix, and SBS. You may also access even more fab content from around the world, including Sky Go, BBC iPlayer, and US Netflix.
Disclaimer: Computer Performance by no means encourages the use of a VPN to stream or download pirated content, so please check local laws before doing so.
How to use a DNS server in Australia
When a website determines your physical location, your IP address is just one of the things it uses.
A Domain Name System (DNS) works like a hybrid registry that uses IP addresses to verify domains (web names). When you try to look at content that’s restricted in a particular region or country, the app or website you’re using will check the origin of the DNS request. If your DNS request and IP address don’t match, the website blocks you. Therefore, you need them both to look as though they’re coming from the same location.
DNS leak protection is offered by all of the VPNs we’ve recommended in this article. And all of them include a robust structure so that, when you’re connected to the VPN server, your DNS requests are also run through the same encrypted channel. This means the ISP isn’t able to spy on your web browsing by looking at DNS requests. These VPNs also have their own private DNS servers.
Some free VPNs will use an encrypted tunnel to send your DNS requests but, once they’re on the other side, they’ll use a public DNS service. This allows the DNS provider, often Google, to track what websites you visit.
How else can you get an IP address in Australia?
As well as paid VPNs, there are some other ways you can obtain an Australian IP address.
This includes choosing to enlist the help of a proxy server, such as a SOCKS or HTTPS proxy. These are quite similar to free VPNs in so far that they have a small number of locations, data caps, and questionable privacy policies. And Netflix and other streaming providers are continuing to block proxies, so it’s highly likely you won’t be able to use them for what you need to do anyway. Equally, your traffic isn’t encrypted which leaves you open to hackers and other data breaches.
