Watch and Use Hulu, iTunes and TV Networks Outside the US

Here’s a free program/service that I found off “A New Mac Tip Everyday” Blog to help everyone who’s ever tried to watch iTunes, Hulu or the websites from the TV Networks (NBC, ABC, Fox, etc) from outside the US. If you are outside the US, all of the sites mentioned block you from watching shows. This free program enables you to use a “Virtual Private Network” (VPN) connection to hide your location. This is normally used for securing your connection when on public wireless networks, however you can use it for this purpose as well. This lesson will show you how to install and start using Hotspot Shield from AnchorFree.

 

Download Hotspot Shield from AnchorFree

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Open your web browser and go to: www.anchorfree.com. Click on the blue button that says “Download Hotspot Shield”.

Internet Explorer will Block Download

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If IE blocks the download, click on the yellow bar near the top of the window.

Download File

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And now select, “Download File” to complete the download of the program.

Choose Save

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When prompted, choose to “Save” the file to your computer.

Choose Save Location

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Choose where to save your file and select “Save”. In this example, we’ll save it to the desktop.

Open Downloaded Zip File

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The program is downloaded in a compressed file called a zip file. Double click on the file to open it.

Uncompress Install File

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To use the installation file, you’ll need to drag and drop the installation file from the Zip file to the desktop (or another location if you would like). Next doubleclick on the file to begin the installation.

Hotspot Shield Install Setup – Step 1

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When the installation wizard starts, select the “Next” button to begin the installation wizard.

Hotspot Shield Install Setup – Accept License Agreement

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Accept the license agreement by selecting “I Agree”.

Hotspot Shield Install Setup – Deselect Hotspot Shield Toolbar

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Choose to deselect the Hotspot Shield toolbar as it is not necessary for the program to work.

Hotspot Shield Install Setup – Accept Advertisements Option

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Since this product is free, it is supported by ads. Press the “Next” button to accept that you will see ads while using this program.

Hotspot Shield Install Setup – Installation Location

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Accept the default installation location by selecting the “Install” button.

Hotspot Shield Install Setup – Installing Files

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The wizard will now install the program.

Installation Completed

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Once the installation is completed, select the “finish” button to go ahead and launch the program.

Hotspot Shield Install Setup – Install Complete

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Once you are prompted that the installation is completed, press the “Next” button.

Status Icon Near Clock

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The status icon down near the clock in the taskbar will show you the current status of Hotspot Shield. Green means that Hotspot Shield is connected to the Hotspot Shield service. Red means that it is not connected. Yellow means that it is in the process of connecting.
I would recommend only using the Hotspot Shield service when needed (when watching Hulu or other sites), so leave it disconnected normally.

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Here’s a screenshot of the “Red” or disconnected icon.

Hotspot Shield – Properties Site

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This is the status website that you’ll initially see when connecting to the service. You can also use the “Disconnect” button on this site to disconnect from the service.

Test It Out!

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Once you’re “connected”, test it out by going to Hulu to verify you can watch the shows there (or you could go to another site like NBC.com or some other site that typically blocks non-US connections).

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