How to Get an Australian IP Address in 2020: Heading Down Under

Aussies abroad probably miss watching their local television shows and the ability to access their online bank accounts. In this guide, we’ll show you how to get an Australian IP address to circumvent geoblocks and use the internet like you would back home.

If you want to watch Australian television abroad, you’ll find that your usual channels — such as Foxtel, 10Play or Nine’s Wide World of Sports — aren’t accessible. However, it’s not just entertainment sites that are blocked. Banks and government websites restrict access to their services if you’re outside the country as a way of combating fraud.

Your IP address holds information about your location and the device you’re using. By changing your IP address to an Australian one, you can trick websites into thinking you’re there. This opens up the possibility of accessing online services, Netflix and more.

How to Get an Australian IP Address

The easiest way to get an Australian IP address is via a proxy. Proxies often operate in your browser and fake your location by rerouting your internet traffic through a different exit point on the internet. For recommendations, read our best free proxy article.

That said, proxies aren’t safe or reliable. The connection isn’t encrypted, which means it still exposes your real IP address, making it easy for websites and online snoopers to know your location. 

We recommend using a virtual private network to not only secure your connection and avoid the prying eyes of secret agents and marketers, but to also bypass geoblocks. Our VPN vs. proxy. vs. Tor article explains more on the differences, but the core one is security.

Not all VPNs are created equal, though, so we selected three from our best VPN providers that’ll help you get an IP address for Australia without a hassle. 

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN tops our list of the best VPN providers. Its security is excellent, with features such as 256-bit encryption, a killswitch and a no-logs policy to keep your browsing and torrenting history private.

Users in Australia will appreciate the outstanding performance ExpressVPN provides due to its quick speeds that help when streaming. It also has more than 3,000 servers worldwide and offers four locations in Australia — Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth — so you’ll always get an Australian IP address, even if one data center goes down.

ExpressVPN reliably bypasses geoblocks, including Netflix’s, which earned it the top spot in our best VPN for Netflix list. You can install it on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and Linux platforms. Read our ExpressVPN review to learn more, and try it with its seven-day trial and 30-day money-back guarantee. 

NordVPN

NordVPN can also get you an Australian IP address. It has a large server selection and connects to most streaming services with fast speeds and reliability. It’s no wonder it ranks high in our best VPN for streaming piece. In addition to its network coverage, it protects your privacy and security using 256-bit AES encryption combined with the OpenVPN protocol to keep hackers and snoopers at bay. Plus, it doesn’t keep logs.

NordVPN’s customer support is quick and reliable with a responsive live-chat service and comprehensive knowledgebase. It’s available for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, and you can try it out with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Take a look at our NordVPN review for more.

CyberGhost

CyberGhost is a strong, easy-to-use, all-round VPN with a range of useful features. It boasts 76 servers in Australia, as well as more than 4,500 servers spread across 60 countries, which should serve you well when streaming content. 

When it comes to privacy and security, CyberGhost has got you covered. Besides not keeping logs, it provides a kill switch and specialized secure servers if you require extra-strong encryption. Its speeds are good, and there are no bandwidth caps.

You can install CyberGhost on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, plus simultaneously connect up to seven devices. Its user interface is also easy to use, although its tile design is a bit odd, so you may not find it appealing. For technical issues, you can get in touch with the customer support team via live chat or email, or use the extensive knowledgebase for more troubleshooting tips.

It has a seven-day trial and generous 45-day money-back guarantee, as well, if you just want to try it out. Read our CyberGhost review for an in-depth look at the service.

The Dangers of Using an Australian IP Address

Aussies generally enjoy high-quality and affordable access to the internet. Advocacy body Freedom House categorizes the internet landscape in Australia as “free,” although law enforcement agencies have unfettered access to user metadata.

Following the Telecommunications Amendment Act of 2015, companies are required to store this data for two years so the government can snoop on its own citizens (read more in our article about PRISM, Snowden and government surveillance) and intelligence agencies can view the data without a warrant. 

Australian federal police have used this information to target reporters working with asylum seekers and track down their sources using their internet or phone records.

Content is freely available online, however, and there aren’t any reports of filtering or blocking political and social information, unlike China and other countries that dictate the content citizens can access. There are excessive penalties for online defamation, though.

Australians have shared their concerns regarding their online privacy, but things aren’t as bleak as they seem because VPNs have got your back. With a VPN, you can access content from Australia and other parts of the world, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer and more. It also cloaks your real IP address and secures your connection, so you’re free from cybercriminals, your internet service provider and government surveillance, no matter where you are.

Final Thoughts

Getting an Australian IP address isn’t too difficult, and we hope this guide has eased the process for you. With the right VPN, you can stream content and watch live sports, local channels and Netflix to see what’s happening in the land down under.

Any of these VPNs do an awesome job of securing your connection, protecting your privacy, and unblocking streaming sites and online services. They also provide free trials and money-back guarantees so you can try them out and find the right one for you.

ExpressVPN is our favorite because of its fast speeds, strong network, reliability and ability to unblock streaming sites, like Netflix Australia and others. If you still need to shop around, check out our best VPN for Australia guide.

If you’ve tried getting an IP address from Australia, let us know how you did it in the comments below. As always, thank you for reading.