How to Install IPVanish On Kodi – The Easy Tutorial

Those of you who use Kodi will likely have heard the warnings that you should use a VPN with the software. While the Kodi software itself is totally legal to download and to use, it is open source meaning anyone can write their own add-on for the software. Many of the popular add-ons that you’ll see recommended here and elsewhere operate in a legal grey area, allowing you to stream content for free.

If you’re going to use these add-ons, then you need a VPN like IPVanish to keep you safe. But not everyone know how exactly they are supposed to install and use a VPN on their Kodi device. In this article, we’ll show you how to install IPVanish on Kodi, and delve into the specifics of why it is important to do so.

The Importance Of A VPN For Kodi Users

Many of the most popular add-ons for Kodi allow you to stream movies and TV shows through your Kodi system for free. This is really handy, but it is also illegal in many countries as it is against copyright law. There is a risk that if you use such add-ons over an unsecured connection and your ISP catches you, they could kick you off their network or even pass your details onto law enforcement which can lead to a fine or prosecution.

When you use a VPN, all of the data that your Kodi device sends over the internet is encrypted so that no one can see what you are doing online. The sites you visit, the files you download, and the content that you stream are all totally hidden from your ISP and from any other outside observers.

Another advantage of using a VPN for Kodi is that it allows you to get around regional restrictions. If you want to watch content from the BBC iPlayer, for example, normally you have to be located within Britain or the videos will not play. But with a VPN, you can spoof your location so that it looks as if you are in the UK even when you are actually located elsewhere. This way, you can watch all of the BBC iPlayer content that you want. You can use the same technique to spoof your location in the US or in Canada so that you can watch content like CBC or Canadian sports.

IPVanish – Great For Kodi Users

IPVanish is our most recommended VPN for Kodi users thanks to its super fast connection speeds which makes it perfect for streaming video in high definition with no buffering or waiting for load times. As well as speed, the service has excellent security with strong 256-bit AES encryption and one of the strictest no logging policies on the market.

There are a wide range of servers available if you want to get around regional restrictions (over 1000 servers in 60 countries). You can see the full list of servers available at: https://www.ipvanish.com/servers/

IPVanish has extra security features like the option for a kill switch, DNS leak protection, periodic IP address change, and DNS configuration. The software is available for Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and Android.

Read our full IPVanish review here.

IPVanish offers a 7-day money back guarantee which means you have a week to test it risk-free. Please note that Addictive Tips readers can save a massive 60% here on the IPVanish annual plan, taking the monthly price down to only $4.87/mo.

How To Install The IPVanish Software On Windows

As previously mentioned, IPVanish is available on a wide variety of platforms. For purposes of this tutorial, we’re going to show you how to install the VPN software on Windows machines. Mac and Linux users can find instructions on the IPVanish website, while iOS and Android users can download dedicated applications from their respective apps stores. If you use one of these other operating systems, skip down to the next section to see how to configure the software for use with Kodi.

Here is how to install the software on Windows:

1. Open up your browser and go to https://www.ipvanish.com/
2. Click on Apps at the very top menu
3. Now to go Windows in the next menu down
4. Click the large orange button which says Download Windows App
   
   
5. The will link to a .exe file. Your browser will ask you what to do with the file, and you should opt to Save it to your desktop
6. Once the .exe file has finished downloading, double click to run the program
7. The opens up the IPVanish Setup Wizard. Click Next on the first page and then check the box to indicate that you accept the terms before clicking Next again
8. Choose where to install IPVanish (the default location is fine if you don’t need to change it), click Next again, then click on Install
9. Once the installation process is complete, you can select Run IPVanish and the program will start

How To Use The IPVanish Software With Kodi

Once your IPVanish software had been installed onto your device, you can use it to connect to a server. Then, all of the data that your device sends out – whether it’s from your web browser, Kodi, or another app – will be encrypted so that no one can spy on it or see what you are doing online. You can also use your VPN to connect to a server in another country if you want to access content from that country.

Here are step by step instructions for configuring and using IPVanish with Kodi:

1. Before you open up Kodi, begin by opening the IPVanish software
2. When you first open the app, you’ll see a warning that the application was downloaded from the internet. Click Open to continue
3. Now you’ll see a login screen where you should enter your username and password, then click Login. You may also want to check the Remember Me box so that you don’t have to enter your details again in the future
   
4. Now you’ll be taken to your IPVanish home screen. You’ll see a menu on the left with:
   • Quick Connect
   • Server List
   • Account Details
   • Settings
   • Information

   On the far right will be a circle in grey that currently says OFF (when the VPN is connected it will say ON.) To the left of this is information about your current IP address and location (this should currently show your real IP address and your real location, though when you connect to the VPN you will see the new IP address and location here). Below this is a graph that shows the incoming and outgoing data of your VPN, which is useful when you want to see how much data is being transferred over your connection. Below the graph is information about your connection like Time Connected, Protocol, Server, Data Up, and Data Down. To the right of this section there is the server selection boxes, where you can choose the country, city, and specific server that you will connect to. Below this is the green Connect button that establishes the VPN connection

   If you’re new to VPNs and you don’t know what all of this means, don’t worry – you don’t need to change anything here to get the VPN to work. This is just information that might be useful!

5. We’ll assume that you want to connect to a server in a particular country. For example, maybe you want to connect to a server in Australia so that you can watch Australian content on your Kodi system. In this case, click on Server List on the left hand menu
   
6. This brings up a big list of all the different servers that are available, and you can choose to sort by country, response time, load, or favourited. There’s also an option to search in the box on the right. In the list of servers, you see the country and its flag on the left, then the city in which the server is located in the middle, and a number in a circle on the right. This number indicates the number of servers that are available in that particular location.
   • You can simply click on the name of a city to connect to a server in that location. Alternatively, click on the number in a circle to bring up information about the specific servers, such as their ping and load. This option is helpful for online gamers who need a low ping, but regular Kodi users can connect to any server with a relatively low load and it should be fine
7. If there is a server that you use very often, click the star symbol and that server will be added to your favourites so that you can access it again quickly
8. There are alternative ways to look at the list of servers. If you click MAP at the menu at the top you will see a map with green circles indicating where the servers are and how many servers are available in that location. Just click a green circle to connect to the server in that location. Otherwise, if there is a specific type of server that you want to connect to (such as one with a very low latency), you can use the FILTER option from the top menu to filter the server list by specific features
9. Once you’ve identified the server that you want to use, click on the name of the city and you’ll see a popup that says Connecting… It should only take a few seconds to connect
   
10. Now you’ll see a graph of your VPN activity and the button at the bottom will turn red and now say Disconnect. This means that your VPN is up and running and you are protected
    
11. Before we move on, we’re going to adjust some settings so that the IPVanish software starts up and connects automatically whenever you turn your computer on. This will make your life easier as you won’t need to go through the connection process each time when you want to use Kodi. To do this, start by clicking on Settings in the left hand menu
12. Look in the GENERAL tab, and then in the System Startup section
13. You’ll see an option for Start IPVanish when Windows starts. Enable this and the software will start automatically each time you turn your computer on
14. Now look in the next section, titled IPVanish Startup. There are options here for Do not automatically connect, Connect to last connected server, Connect to fastest server, or Connect to fast server in the country of your choice. We’ll choose the Connect to last connected server option as this should be the easiest and most consistent. Enable this setting
15. Now we’re ready to start using Kodi. When you use Kodi, all of the data it uses will be encrypted and sent via the IPVanish server, so your data will be private and secure. You can also connect to a server in another country if you want to get around regional restrictions
16. Simply open the Kodi software and use it as normal, knowing that your data is now safe

Conclusion

With the basic Kodi installation you can view movies, TV shows, music, and pictures. But Kodi gets even better when you use the community developed add-ons that are available for things like streaming content over the internet. However, some of these add-ons are not fully legal and using them could get you in trouble with your ISP or law enforcement.

That’s why we recommend that Kodi users get a VPN service like IPVanish in order to keep them safe while using Kodi. With a VPN connected, all of the data that Kodi sends over the internet will be encrypted so that no one can see what you do online – not even your ISP. IPVanish is a great choice of VPN for Kodi users thanks to its impressive speeds and many configuration options. We’ve shown you how to install the VPN software and how to configure it so that it will keep you safe when you use Kodi.

Do you use a VPN for Kodi? Have you tried out IPVanish, and what did you think of it? Let us know in the comments below.

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