Innovation and convenience are some of the reasons why the Amazon Firestick has become such a popular solution when it comes to streaming media. This device can be plugged into your TV and as long as you are connected to the internet, you will be able to download a great selection of media and leading apps such as Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Netflix and Kodi, just to mention a few. Although there are many alternatives to Amazon Firestick, this device stands out thanks to its versatility and ease of use. You can have developer options and create apps, or install apps created by others. It is a flexible platform that gives you many options to enjoy the best entertainment in the world.
In order to enjoy the Firestick securely and take your streaming experience to the next level, it is important to use a VPN that protects you from eavesdroppers. A VPN helps you to recover your online freedom because it can bypass the restrictions that prevent you from accessing the content that you want. You can forget about geographical blocks and censorship and enjoy videos, websites and anything you want, from any location. VPNs also protect your online activities, keeping them private and ensuring that not even your ISP can see what you are doing. ISPs won’t be able to monitor you or slow down your connection, thanks to the encryption that a VPN applies.
Why should you use a VPN?
There is no doubt that the Amazon Fire TV Stick is a fantastic device, but like other platforms, it is affected by some security issues. Its operating system is based on Android, which has some vulnerabilities. While Android stands out thanks to its flexibility, it is more prone to malicious apps than iOS. Thankfully, you can add a solid layer of protection to your connection with the help of a VPN service. This technology redirects your internet traffic through a secure connection, preventing malware and hackers from spoiling your online experience.
Although public WiFi networks are very practical, they are not safe and there are many threats lurking around when you use the internet connection in a coffee shop, public transport, etc. Your information could be intercepted by hackers, since the security in these networks is not strong. Once they can break into your connection, they will be able to see your personal information. They will be able to access the information that you browse, see what content you access and more. A VPN encrypts your online data, so others won’t be able to see what you are doing. In addition, VPNs let you overcome restrictions so you can easily access content that usually is only available in other countries. You can bypass geographical blocks or censorship and enjoy more content than ever.
Does a VPN affect the speed of your connection?
Although in general, a VPN tends to slow down your connection due to the encryption that is applied, there are advanced VPN solutions that are capable of supporting stream, gaming and other activities that require good speeds. Of course, you also need to make sure that your internet connection is fast and it is important to keep in mind that the speed is also affected by your location. You will notice better speeds if you connect to a VPN server that is closer to where you are. Apart from that, choosing a VPN known for offering fast performance is also important. NordVPN, is one of the most secure options available, but it also has servers that will allow you to stream content seamlessly.
How to set up NordVPN on Firestick
There are two methods to install NordVPN on Amazon Firestick. While the first option that we present here is more complicated, it is the most effective one in the end. Besides, this method can be used not only with NordVPN, but also with other providers that support OpenVPN and that provide downloadable configuration files. The issue with this method is that you need to have an Android device. The second method is faster and it doesn’t require an Android device to complete the installation. However, you will need to use a mouse with your Firestick controller, which can be a bit of a pain. Will start with the option that involves an Android device.
Method 1
For this installation option, you need an Android smartphone or tablet, an internet connection, and of course, a subscription to NordVPN and an Amazon Firestick or Fire TV device. You need to ensure that your device is connected to the same WiFi connection as your Firestick.
- The first step is to make sure that your Fire stick or TV can accept apps from unknown sources. You can check this by going to Settings, then Device, Developer Options. Enable Apps from Unknown Sources, if it is not enabled already. On your Amazon Firestick/TV, go to Search and type “Es file”, then click on the word to look for it. This should open ES File Explorer. Download it to your Firestick, but don’t open it by now.
- Now get the Android device and go to the Play Store. You need to search for three apps: Apps2Fire, Es File Explorer and OpenVPN for Android. The next step is to go to Apps2Fire and find setup on the menu. Enter the IP address of your Amazon Firestick into the field. In order to find the Fire stick or Fire TV IP Address, you need to go to your Firestick and go Settings > Device > About > Network and you will see your IP address.
- After connecting your Firestick by entering in the IP address, you will be able to send the “OpenVPN for Android” app to your Firestick. Go to Local Apps on the top menu of “Apps2Fire” all the way on the left-hand side. Scroll down to see the OpenVPN app. Click it and then select Install. The app will be installed on your Amazon Fire stick TV, you have to see it from the list of apps under Settings> Applications > Manage Installed Applications. You don’t need to go to it yet.
- On your Android phone, go to https://nordvpn.com/ovpn/ to find a list of configuration files. Each of them is prefixed with a country code, so just look for the option that refers to the country you want to connect to. You will see that there are some that have TCP and some with UDP at the end. You can use a TCP one first since TCP is generally a more reliable choice. If that is not working, you can go with a UDP.
- Now, you need to go to ES File Explorer on both your Android phone and your Firestick. In the phone, you will need to g to the Apps section and in the Firestick, go to Settings, then Applications, Manage Installed Applications and then ES File Explorer. Then go to the Android device and in the ES File Explorer, click the hamburger menu at the top left and go to Local, then Download. You should see here the server config file you previously downloaded from the NordVPN website. Then down in the bottom right, click “More” with the three dots and then select Send.
- Now ES File Explorer will look for another device on the network. If you opened ES File Explorer on your Firestick/TV, then you will see one device on your mobile phone or tablet screen. Click on that device and the check your TV screen fro a confirmation message. Click OK to download the config file you are sending from your phone. Leave the application on your Firestick once it has been downloaded. It is not necessary to go to the file.
- On the Firestick, return to Manage Installed Applications and click on OpenVPN for Android. Right click the small download icon with the down arrow. In case the open from dialog menu doesn’t open up instantly, click the menu on the top left and click internal storage. You should see the config file here. If you can’t find it, click on ES File Explorer, which is under Internal Storage and locate the file in the folder where it was saved. Then, it should go automatically into internal storage.
After that, you just need to click the file to start the process. Go to the opening screen of OpenVPN for Android and click profiles. Then click on your VPN config file. You will have to log into your NordVPN account at some stage here. After that, go to Settings at the top and you probably want to check the boxes to Connect on Boot automatically and anything else you want. That is all, you should be connected and ready to go. Now, you are ready to run a VPN on your favorite streaming apps on FireStick.
Method 2
For the second option, you just need the Amazon Firestick or Fire TV, as well as am online connection and a NordVPN subscription.
- To get started, if you haven’t done it previously, ensure that your Fire stick or TV can accept apps from unknown sources. You can find this under Settings, Device and then Developer Options. Enable Apps from Unknown Sources. Go to your Amazon Firestick/TV, go to Search and enter Downloader, after that click on the word to search it.
- Now you should see the Downloader app. You can download it to the Firestick and open it up.
- Enter this into the URL text box: http://bit.ly/NordVPNAPK on the home screen of Downloader. You need to ensure that you type it just like this with capital and lowercase letters as previously shown. Then press Go. It is also possible to type: https://downloads.nordcdn.com/apps/android/generic/nordvpn-sideload/latest/NordVPN.apk but this may take too long. Your download will begin instantly and once it is downloaded, you will be asked to install the app.
- Click Install at the bottom right of the screen. It is possible that you see something like Network Access, Launch Automatically or prevent sleeping. You don’t have to open the application at this time. The first thing is to ensure that the mouse is working.
- Return to the Home screen and look for another app, just like you did before with downloader. Look Mouse Toggle for Fire TV. It is possible that it shows as a suggestion before you need to type the whole sentence. Now you can download this and open it from the app list Settings, then Applications, Managed Installed Applications, Mouse Toggle for Fire TV, Then, you need to enable the mouse.
- Once the mouse has been enabled, you can open up the NordVPN app from your app list Settings> Applications > Managed Installed Applications and then NordVPN. You need to double tap the play/pause button on the Firestick remote in order to activate the mouse on the screen. In some cases, your mouse indicator, which is a small circle will appear off the screen so you need to hold up or down to try to make it appear on the screen.
Last, but not least, you need to log into your NordVPN account. Check out NordVPN’s website to see the latest deals. Their prices are very affordable, but they regularly run special discounts so you will be able to save money while getting strong protection and flexibility to bypass online restrictions. You can select your favorite servers and mark them with the heart icon. That way, you can quickly select the servers that you have previously selected.
