How to Get a Canadian IP Address in 2020: Connecting Back Home, Eh?
Your IP address basically dictates what you are able to view online. You may see it as a bunch of numbers, but it tells websites and online services your location, which can lead to you getting blocked from accessing the content you want. That’s one of many reasons to get an IP address from another location. In this article, we’re going to show you how to get an IP address in Canada.
Perhaps you’re out of the country and want to watch your favorite show on CraveTV or a local news channel. If you get hit with an error message, it’s because of geoblocking. Due to licensing agreements, many Canadian websites are only able to stream in Canada.
The Canadian version of Netflix may also be calling to you. Netflix is restricted to showing certain shows in certain countries, so you may find your weekly fix is not available where you are. Our piece on the Netflix ban explains that in more detail. Read our best VPN for Netflix guide to see how you can get past those restrictions.
You may have a different reason for wanting a Canadian IP address. If you want to check the funds in your Canadian bank account, you could find that you can’t access it with an IP address outside of the country. If you like to gamble, you might want to access the online casinos ran by the Canadian government.
Plus, Quebec is a French-speaking province and requires some websites to default to French by law. If a website owner doesn’t comply, they can receive a warning from the government and may get fined. Some have decided to block Quebec residents rather than pay for translation, so you may want to get your IP address out of there, but still access other Canadian content.
How to Get a Canadian IP Address
You can get a Canadian IP address through a couple of methods. The easiest way is to use a proxy — you can find suggestions in our best free proxy guide — but it isn’t the best way. Proxies can be unreliable.
Plus, they don’t provide security, so you’re leaving yourself vulnerable to many online dangers, such as cybercrime and the possibility of having your true IP exposed. Our VPN vs. proxy vs. Tor article has more on the subject.
The best method is to use a virtual private network. By using a VPN, you’ll not only be able to obtain a Canadian IP address, you will also be able to secure your connection and stay anonymous. You could just pick a provider from our list of best VPNs, but you want to make sure it’s the best choice for Canada.
If part of your reason for getting one is to access Canadian Netflix, you’ll need to make sure it is able to get past its VPN detection system. There are only a handful that have what it takes to do so. Read our Netflix proxy error piece to learn more.
NordVPN
NordVPN is a great provider that has top-notch security and doesn’t keep logs, so you know it takes privacy seriously. It has unlimited bandwidth and good speeds, though they can get slow over long distances. It will get you in to streaming services, such as Netflix, and it got the top spot in our best VPN for torrenting guide, too.
It has more than 5,000 servers around the world and 364 of them are in Canada, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding one that’s suitable. You can install it on the most popular operating systems and it’s clients are easy to use. There’s a 30-day refund policy, too, which means you can make sure you like it before committing. Read our NordVPN review for more.
Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access is another decent choice with good security. It’s set to 128-bit encryption by default, but you can easily increase it to the more secure 256-bit. Its speeds are good, but upping the security will slow them down, and it has unlimited bandwidth. It doesn’t keep a log of your activities.
There are thousands of servers globally and it has 214 in three Canadian locations. You can use PIA on all major operating systems, including Linux (it’s our best VPN for Linux), and the clients are easy to use. It has a seven-day money-back guarantee so you can make sure it’s right for you.
One thing to note about PIA, though, is that it is based in the U.S., so you may want to skip it if your activities are sensitive. Our piece on government surveillance gives more details on the matter. Have a look at our PIA review for more about the company.
CyberGhost
Another decent provider is CyberGhost which has good security and a strict no-logs policy. Its speeds are okay and there are no bandwidth limits. It will get you into streaming services, such as Netflix, as well. Read our CyberGhost review for more details.
It has thousands of servers worldwide and 160 of them are in Canada, giving you plenty of choices for changing your IP address. You can use it on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, and it’s one of our best VPNs for multiple devices because you can connect up to seven at a time. Take advantage of the seven-day trial and money-back guarantee to see if you like it.
Dangers of Using a Canadian IP Address
There’s no real danger in using a Canadian IP address. You just need to make sure you’re protected when doing so. That said, there are things you should know.
Canada has invasive data privacy laws and it has expanded its surveillance capabilities. Information can be collected and shared between government agencies thanks to the Anti-Terrorism Act, though, despite the law’s name, it doesn’t necessarily have to have anything to do with terrorism.
It has also been reported that the Communications Security Establishment shared data and communications metadata that was being retained by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, even though it did not get authorization to do so. Check out our best VPN for Canada for a better look at the country.
It’s also a good idea to check where the provider is based if your activities are of a more sensitive nature because some jurisdictions have harsher rules than others. Read our piece on privacy laws for more on the subject.
Plus, cybercrime is a problem in many countries and you’re more at risk if you use public WiFi. It has increased in Canada, too, with consumer fraud being a common example. Many Canadians have been targeted by scams, so you need to make sure you are as secure as possible when changing your IP address.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you now know the best way to get a Canadian IP address and disguise your true location. Whether you want to stream the latest movies or for other online services, using a VPN is the most secure solution.
VPNs easy to use and you can rest assured in the knowledge that you are protected. NordVPN is the best one to use for the Canada and, with its 30-day money-back guarantee, you may as well give it a try.
If you have tips for getting a Canadian IP address, let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading.
Sandra Pattison is from the rolling hills of the United Kingdom where, when she’s not enjoying that one day of summer, she researches and writes on online security and censorship around the world. Writer by day, mother morning, noon and night, during her little free time she enjoys photography and likes to be spontaneous, but mostly ends up sipping tea with her pinky out.