Technologies

Easily Stream TV With a VPN Using These Devices

Safely and securely stream TV with any of these devices.

Using a virtual private network to stream videos on your standard or smart TV sounds complicated and burdened by technical know-how. Never fear — there are a few devices that make using a VPN on your TV as easy as using your favorite phone app.

There are a few reasons why you might want to use a VPN to stream shows and movies on your TV. It will help keep your viewing habits private, and it will give you access to more streaming content from different parts of the world.

If either of those reasons sound enticing to you, then we have three devices that easily let you stream your favorite shows while using a VPN. And if you aren’t sure which VPN is right for you, check out our picks for the best VPNs.

Amazon, CNET

Amazon Fire TV Sticks

Cheap way to stream with a VPN

Amazon Fire TV Sticks can be as cheap as $30, are easy to set up on your TV, and are one of the simplest ways to stream TV with a third-party VPN app.

Once you’ve plugged your Fire Stick in to your TV and followed the on-screen setup, you can download apps for some of CNET’s best VPNs for Fire Sticks, like Surfshark, NordVPN and ExpressVPN. If you don’t subscribe to any of those VPN services, no worries. Each offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try each one risk-free until you find the right one for you.

Here’s how to download a VPN app onto your Fire Stick.

1. Open your Fire Stick on your TV.
2. Open the app.
3. Open Search.
4. Type in the name of the VPN you want to download.
5. Click Get.

After you’ve downloaded a VPN app onto your Fire Stick, go back to your home screen to open the app and log in to your account. Then, you can connect to a VPN server in the country or region where you want to unlock specific content, or you can connect to a local VPN server for better private streaming speeds. After connecting to a VPN server, you’re all set to securely watch shows and movies in privacy.

$32 at Amazon

You’re receiving price alerts for Amazon Fire TV Sticks

Amazon

Amazon Fire TVs

Best if you want to replace your TV

Amazon Fire TVs come built-in with all the same capabilities of a Fire Stick, meaning you get all the same features without having to use a precious HDMI slot. Even the Fire TV’s interface is the same as the Fire Stick. To use a VPN through a Fire TV, follow the same steps as above to download a third-party VPN app, log in to your account, connect to the VPN server you want to use and start streaming TV.

However, Fire TVs can cost between $370 and $1,100. So buying a Fire TV to stream shows and movies through a VPN is like buying a new car because you want a new paint job. If your TV works and it can use a Fire Stick, save yourself the money and buy a Fire Stick. But if you’re in the market for a new TV, and you want to use a VPN to stream content, consider a Fire TV to upgrade your streaming experience.

$470 at Amazon

You’re receiving price alerts for Amazon Fire TVs

Chromecast with Google TV (HD) and its voice remote are displayed against an orange background.

Google/CNET

Chromecast With Google TV

Inexpensive and easy to use

Chromecast with Google TV, like the Fire Stick, is another easy to use device that lets you stream TV through a third-party VPN app for around $40.

After you’ve plugged your Chromecast with Google TV in to your TV and followed the setup instructions, you can download most VPN apps, like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, onto your device. If you don’t have a subscription to a VPN service, most offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try them out risk-free until you find one you’re happy with.

Here’s how to download most third-party VPN apps onto your Chromecast with Google TV.

1. On your Chromecast device, go to the Apps tab.
2. Select Search for app under App categories.
3. Type in the name of the VPN app you want to download.
4. Select Install.

After installing your VPN app, open it from your Chromecast with Google TV’s home screen and log in to your account. Then, connect to a VPN server in the country or region you want to unlock content from. You can also connect to a local VPN server for better private streaming speeds. After that, you’re set to securely watch shows and movies.

$40 at Amazon

You’re receiving price alerts for Chromecast With Google TV

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN’s Aircove router

Provides whole-home VPN protection

ExpressVPN’s Aircove router costs less than $200, and it allows you to run all your internet traffic through a VPN, not just your TV. The router has built-in VPN protection, a range of 1,600 square feet, and it allows unlimited simultaneous connections. These unlimited connections can be organized in up to five different groups, too, so if you live with four other people, each person in your house can be connected to a different server location at the same time.

However, you need an ExpressVPN account to use the router’s VPN capabilities. That means you’ll have to switch to ExpressVPN if you have an account with another VPN service. You’ll also need to use your laptop or smartphone to set up your router. That makes setup on the Aircove slightly more complicated than Fire Stick and Fire TV, which you can simply plug in and follow the on-screen instructions.

But once you’ve finished the Aircove’s initial setup, you’ve thrown a blanket of protection over all the internet traffic that runs through the router, which makes it a good option for people looking to run other devices at home through a VPN.

$190 at Amazon

You’re receiving price alerts for ExpressVPN’s Aircove router

Coming Soon: Apple TV

Apple also announced in the follow-up to its WWDC keynote that TVOS 17 will support third-party VPN apps, like Surfshark, NordVPN and ExpressVPN, when it comes out this fall. That means you’ll be able to download VPN apps onto your Apple TV, and you should be able to use them in the same way you’d use them on your Fire Stick.

For more on VPNs, check out CNET’s best overall VPN services of 2023, the best VPN for your smart TV and how to set up a VPN on your smart TV.

Watch this: Top 5 Reasons to Use a VPN

02:42

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Sept. 6

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Sept. 6.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword is extra-long, as usual on Saturdays. And a couple of the clues were stumpers! Need answers? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: U.S. prez who served four terms
Answer: FDR

4A clue: Hurry, in Shakespearean English
Answer: HIE

7A clue: Only country to have a musical instrument (the harp) as its national emblem
Answer: IRELAND

9A clue: Big name in rum
Answer: BACARDI

10A clue: She holds the record for most #1 Billboard hits by a female rapper (5)
Answer: CARDIB

11A clue: Ancient time-tracking device
Answer: SUNDIAL

12A clue: Ctrl-___-Del
Answer: ALT

13A clue: Opposite of SSW
Answer: NNE

14A clue: Used to be
Answer: WAS

15A clue: Jupiter or Saturn, primarily
Answer: GAS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Small lie
Answer: FIB

2D clue: Whom Count von Count of «Sesame Street» is a parody of
Answer: DRACULA

3D clue: Takes back, as testimony
Answer: RECANTS

4D clue: 1920s U.S. president
Answer: HARDING

5D clue: Home to the W.N.B.A.’s Fever
Answer: INDIANA

6D clue: Weed gummies
Answer: EDIBLES

8D clue: Cooking grease
Answer: LARD

11D clue: Observed
Answer: SAW

Technologies

Researchers Discover 18 Popular VPNs Are Connected: Why This Matters

All are owned by 3 separate groups but CNET’s recommended VPNs are not on the list

Virtual private networks are popular ways to keep your online activity private and hide your physical location from your internet service provider and apps. But it’s obviously important to choose a safe and secure VPN.

Three university researchers have discovered that 18 of the most widely used VPNs have shared infrastructures with serious security flaws that could expose customers’ browsing activity and leave their systems vulnerable to corrupted data. These VPNs are among the top 100 most popular on the Google Play Store, comprising more than 700 million downloads.

Read more: Best VPN Service for 2025: Our Top Picks in a Tight Race

The peer-reviewed study by the Privacy Enhancing Technologies Symposium found that these VPNs, despite calling themselves independent businesses, are actually grouped into three separate families of companies.

None of CNET’s recommended VPNs — ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN and Mullvad — are on the list. (If you currently don’t have a VPN, here’s why you might want to start using one.)

According to the findings, these are the three groups that contain the 18 VPNs:

Family A: Turbo VPN, Turbo VPN Lite, VPN Monster, VPN Proxy Master, VPN Proxy Master Lite, Robot VPN, Snap VPN and SuperNet VPN
Family B: Global VPN, Inf VPN, Melon VPN, Super Z VPN, Touch VPN, VPN ProMaster, XY VPN and 3X VPN
Family C: X-VPN and Fast Potato VPN

Researchers determined that the VPNs in Family A are shared between three providers linked to Qihoo 360, a firm identified by the US Department of Defense as a Chinese military company. The VPNs in Family B use the same IP addresses from the same hosting company.

Know your VPN’s parent company

It’s a cautionary tale about why it’s important to know who’s behind the VPN you’re using, says CNET senior writer Attila Tomaschek.

«It’s also crucial to know what kinds of data the VPN provider is sharing with its parent company and affiliated entities,» Tomaschek said. «Some of these companies may even be compelled to log customer activity and share it with authorities, depending on the jurisdiction in which they operate.»

Despite the warnings, Tomaschek says it’s not so easy to figure out who controls your VPN. But he says there are measures that customers can take.

«Users can do a few things to help ensure the VPN they’re using is reputable,» Tomaschek says. «Check the privacy policy — specifically for terms like ‘logging,’ ‘data sharing’ or ‘data collection.’ A Google search of the provider can help determine whether the VPN has been involved in questionable activity. Read detailed, unbiased reviews from reputable sources. Be especially wary of signing on with a free VPN, even if it’s listed as a top choice in your app store.»

The PETS researchers examined the most downloaded VPNs on Android, looking for overlaps among business paperwork, web presence and codebase. After identifying code similarities, they were able to group the 18 VPNs into three groups. The study was initially spurred by VPN Pro’s own findings, «Who owns your VPN? 105 VPNs run by just 24 companies.»

CNET’s Tomaschek has advice for anyone who has been using one of these 18 VPNs.

«I’d recommend deleting it from your device immediately,» he said. «If you suspect that any sensitive personal data may have been compromised, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on your credit report and look into services like dark web monitoring or identity theft protection.»

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Sept. 6, #348

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Sept. 6, No. 348.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition was a stumper. But if you play cards, the green group is a fun one for sure. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Racket time.

Green group hint: Ante up!

Blue group hint: NY signal-callers.

Purple group hint: Coach’s CV.