Ever watched The Returned? Well, if you haven’t, then you must tune in to A&E now and see what an amazing show that is. And it’s not just The Returned. There are tons of great shows to stream on A&E, but all of that is only possible if you live in the US.
People living abroad in countries like the UK, Canada, and Australia have no access to the channel. But that’s about to change. In this guide, we’ll be showing you how to bypass geo-restrictions and get A&E anywhere you are in the world. Read on.
Unblock A&E – The Easy Way
Time needed: 4 minutes
To access A&E outside of the United States, the following steps should be taken:
- Subscribe to a VPN service.
Sign up with a VPN provider; we highly recommend you use ExpressVPN.
- Get the VPN app.
Download and install the VPN application on your Android, iOS, PC, or Mac.
- Activate the VPN application.
Sign in with your VPN account and connect to a US server.
- Launch the A&E website or application.
Sign in with your TV provider’s credentials.
- Enjoy A&E anywhere.
Since you’ve gotten rid of the ban, you’ll get to watch the best original drama series on A&E.
A&E – American to the Core
Your access to the internet is always controlled by your location. In other words, your physical whereabouts determine which content you get on the internet.
Websites and services use geo-blocking, a way to determine your location by examining your IP address. If your IP shows that you’re outside their coverage area, you’ll be banned almost instantly.
Now, A&E is no different, and it requires a US IP address to operate. If you live outside the US, that’s exactly what you lack, and the channel will block you.
According to the official website:
“Full episodes can only be viewed in the United States.”
Unfortunately, that’s only half of it. This is something you read on their website, but to experience an error message is the actual frustrating encounter. Here’s what you get when you try to stream A&E outside the US:
“This content is not available in your location.”
As seen in the image above, the whole issue lies in your IP address, as it’s the main factor for determining your location. Well, that won’t be a problem for long, as we’ll be giving you the right tools to unblock A&E overseas.
Unblock A&E Outside the US with a VPN
So, since a US IP address is required to access A&E, all you need is a tool that can change that. If you make use of a VPN, you’ll be able to circumvent the restrictions and get a hold of the full library that A&E offers.
A VPN is, first and foremost, a security tool that enhances your security and anonymizes your internet browsing.
With military-grade encryption, no third parties can intercept your connection, even if you’re using public networks.
Also, a Virtual Private Network grants you access to servers around the world, including American ones.
When a connection to a US server is established, you’ll take on an IP address from the USA, making you virtually present there so that whichever service reads your IP, in our case A&E, will think that you’re browsing from its region, granting you full access to its content in the process.
You can always check the best VPN providers for the USA in the table below. That’s in case you didn’t like the recommended VPN.
- 30-Day Money-back Guarantee
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- Apps For All Your Devices
- 24/7 Live Support
A&E with a Free VPN – Is It Safe?
Many free VPNs make money by selling your data to third parties, meaning they don’t have the strong encryption and no-logs policy that premium services provide. Besides, most free VPNs are unreliable for streaming, due to their limited server locations and bandwidth.
Nonetheless, others can be reliable alternatives if you don’t want to break the bank. The best one we’ve tested so far is QamoVPN, offering more than 10 server locations worldwide, including the US, Canada, Brazil, Japan, and Europe. High-speed connections and larger bandwidth caps make Qamo ideal for streaming and gaming. We connected to the Miami server and watched A&E outside the US instantly.
Furthermore, Qamo is one of the few VPNs that focuses on user privacy and security. It uses military-grade encryption, follows a strict zero-logging policy, and offers a kill switch to prevent data leaks. As a result, it’s a safe and reliable option to stream A&E outside the USA.
Pros
- Over 10 server locations
- High bandwidth cap
- Strong streaming support
- Military-grade encryption
- No user data logs
- Kill switch
Cons
- Less servers than premium VPNs
- Bandwidth cap
- Only available on Android devices
- App supports ads
- No 24/7 live-chat support
Unblock A&E Anywhere – Second Method
While a VPN is an excellent way to access A&E abroad, it certainly isn’t the only one. No matter how credible the VPN you use is, speed loss is inevitable due to encryption.
When you establish a connection, your traffic will take a longer route to reach its destination, resulting in an impact on your speed.
That’s why most streamers resort to Smart DNS, an alternative technology that aids them in accessing geo-restricted content while maintaining their connection speed at the same time.
Smart DNS only reroutes the parts in the traffic that showcase a user’s location. No encryption is applied, which guarantees excellent speeds.
Moreover, Smart DNS, unlike VPNs, is compatible with a wider selection of devices, ranging from gaming consoles to TV boxes, where VPNs have no native apps.
Also, Smart DNS doesn’t change one’s IP address, allowing the user to stream both local and unblocked channels simultaneously.
Setting Up Smart DNS – The Steps
All the VPNs in the table above offer Smart DNS for free as part of their subscription. However, we’ll be using Unlocator as an example in the steps below for several reasons that we’ll be covering in a bit. Here’s what you need to do:
- First, subscribe to Unlocator. You’ll get a 7-day free trial if you’re a new customer.
- Next, follow the setup guides provided on the websites according to the platform you’re operating.
- Once configured, restart your device.
- Stream A&E wherever you may be.
We picked Unlocator because it’s the only provider that has a Smart DNS subscription. You don’t need to pay more for a VPN if that’s not what you’re looking for.
Aside from that, Unlocator offers a 7-day free trial, which requires no credit information whatsoever.
Furthermore, once the trial ends, you’ll also benefit from a 30-day refund policy, giving you enough time to test their service before opting for any long-term deal.
A&E – The Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need additional information on what A&E is all about and what does it offer? Here’s everything we know:
Is A&E Free?
To access A&E, you should sign in using your local cable provider’s credentials. We’re referring to the likes of Xfinity, Cox, Spectrum, and Verizon Fios.
Can I Watch A&E without Cable?
Of course, you can. All you have to do is subscribe to any of these services (No Cable provider needed):
- Sling TV
- Philo
- Hulu with Live TV
- DirecTV Stream
- Fubo TV
- Xfinity Stream
What Devices is A&E Available on?
Device compatibility is very important when it comes to streaming content. Not all of us like to watch their series on small screens such as mobile devices and computers.
A&E is well aware of this and has provided access to its service on all sorts of platforms, including:
- iPhone
- iPad
- Android
- Apple TV
- Roku
- Android TV
- Amazon Fire TV
- Chromecast
- PC
- Mac
What Can I Watch on A&E?
Don’t know your way around? Here are some of the titles you’ll be getting once you unblock A&E:
- Storage Wars
- The First 48
- Bates Motel
- Hoarders
- Nightwatch
- Born This Way
- Duck Dynasty
- Longmire
- The Returned
- The Killing Season
- Unforgettable
- The Glades
- Parking Wars
- American Justice
- CSI: Miami
- Bad Ink
How Popular is A&E?
A&E is available in more than 95,968,000 pay television households in the US, and we all know why. A channel that provides excellent content will easily harness that many viewers.
How to Watch A&E Outside the US – Summing Up
A+E is one of the top channels in the United States, mostly known for its drama and thriller genre series. It has a mix of different shows that appeal to viewers from many different backgrounds.
But what good is this channel for people living abroad if it’s not accessible overseas? We need to make use of a VPN to get A&E across the US borders. That way, we’ll get to tap into exclusive high-quality TV content straight from the USA.
If you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to contact us in the comment section below. We’ll be happy to get in touch.
