How to Get an Omani IP Address in 2020: Muscat Movements

If you’re leaving Oman for business or vacation, you might need to make preparations if you want to stream the latest episode of the show you follow at home. Similarly, if you want to access your bank account from outside of Oman, you’ll likely run into a geoblock. You need to change your IP address to get access, so we’ll show you how to get an Omani IP address.

If you want to stream Omani Netflix from outside Oman, you’ll likely get blocked because of territorial licensing and copyright laws. Netflix has different libraries in each of the 190 countries in which it operates. Some programs are exclusive to one country because of cultural and language differences, while others are everywhere. Learn more in our Netflix VPN ban guide.

An Omani IP address will help you bypass streaming restrictions and government censorship on the internet so you can access your favorite TV shows and online services. Plus, you’ll be able to log in to online banking services, which are often region-restricted as a way to combat fraud in the financial sector.

How to Get an Omani IP Address

There are several ways to get an IP address for Oman, but the two most popular ones are proxies and virtual private networks. Proxies are free to use and can get you an Omani IP address, but as you can read in our VPN vs. proxy vs. Tor comparison, they’re unreliable, lack security, easily detected and blocked and they can be traced back to you.

The best method  to use is a VPN. Though VPNs function like proxies by connecting you to a remote server that replaces your real IP address, they also offer security features, such as encryption, to hide the source of your connection. They ensure your identity remains anonymous online and that you’re not blocked by detection systems, too.

We’re going to make two recommendations that have server locations in Oman, can get you an Omani IP address, offer security and enable you to access to the content you want.

HideMyAss

HideMyAss can get you an Omani IP address. It has good security, a kill switch and over 900 servers across 190 countries, including Oman. That said, it has an issue with privacy because it keeps logs of connections and disconnections for up to 30 days. Its speeds are okay and there are no bandwidth caps.

You can install HideMyAss on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, and the clients are easy to use. You can reach the company’s friendly and helpful customer support staff via live chat or email. A handy knowledgebase is available for fixes on most common issues.

If you want to try the service before subscribing, you can use the seven-day trial to see if you like it, but remember to cancel within that period or you’ll be billed for a one-year subscription. Read our HideMyAss review for more details.

PureVPN

The only reason we’re mentioning PureVPN is because it has servers in Oman. If your online activities are sensitive in nature, we don’t recommend using it. That said, it has a good server network and the security is okay, but you have to set it to 256-bit encryption. It also offers a kill switch, but its privacy policy is quite inconsistent, as you can read in our PureVPN review.

Its speeds are good and there are no caps on bandwidth. You can install it on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, though its tiled interface looks odd. Compared to HideMyAss, PureVPN is a much cheaper option, and it has a 31-day money-back guarantee and 24/7 support.

Dangers of Using an Omani IP Address

There’s no danger in using an Omani IP address, but there are things to keep in mind.

The internet in Oman is tightly controlled, as it is in many countries, but not as much as it is in China. Websites that contain gay and lesbian material, pornography, some dating websites that had sexually explicit images and content to relating to illegal drugs are blocked. That may be overbearing to expats, tourists or anyone traveling to Oman and hoping to use the internet.

Internet service providers in Oman also have strict terms and conditions in their agreements over the kind of activities that are allowed. Activities that contradict the political, social, religious, economic or cultural values of the monarchy or could harm a third party are unlawful. Failure to comply with those regulations can lead to service termination and a criminal or civil lawsuit.

It’s also illegal to use Skype, WhatsApp and FaceTime. That applies to internet cafes, most of which have been raided, resulting in people being arrested, imprisoned or charged hefty fines for offering VoIP services (our best VPN for Skype piece can help).

Though Oman’s constitution guarantees freedom of opinion and expression within the limits of the law, speech that criticizes the monarchy or government or deviates from Islam isn’t allowed. Many journalists, bloggers and other citizens censor themselves to avoid interrogations, arrests or jail terms for speaking against the ruling family on social media. 

For example, in 2016, renowned writer and activist Abdullah Habib was sentenced to three years in prison and fined 2,000 Omani rials ($5,200) for publishing Facebook posts on political and human rights issues.

The government also monitors the private communications of its citizens, including email, mobile phone and chat rooms. That, combined with the dangers of using public WiFi and cyberattacks, poses a great risk to anyone using an IP address from Oman.

Thankfully, you can use one of the VPNs we’ve recommended to get an Omani IP address and access to what you’re used to back home.

Final Thoughts

We hope this helps you get an Omani IP address. A VPN is the best method to use because it offers good security, frees you from intrusive surveillance and censorship, keeps your real identity hidden and unblocks media streaming services. 

Either option we’ve recommended is more than enough to get started, but HideMyAss is our pick because of its good security and excellent customer support. Plus, you can use its seven-day free trial and 30-day refund period to see if you like it. If you’d like more options, take a look at our best VPN for Oman piece.

If you have experience getting an Omani IP address, we’d love to hear your recommendations. Tell us about them in the comments section below. Thank you for reading.