The new router might have disrupted Hulu's functionality.
The new router might have disrupted Hulu's functionality.
Hello Everyone, This is a weird one for me. I do not live in the U.S. at the moment, however where I am located I've never needed to use a VPN to access Hulu. I've used it for 2 years up until this point without a single issue. However, I recently bought a new Asus RT-AX86U router to take over router function from the modem router combo provided by my ISP and after getting it set up I suddenly get blocked from Hulu and told I cannot access it while using an anonymous proxy even when I am not. I do have a VPN but that does not work either when I try. I've looked through the settings and the only ones I've enable are QoS and OpenNAT which I can't see causing this issue. Has anyone else had this issue before or any idea how it may have happened? Thanks in advance!
OpenNAT poses a security risk in my opinion, so I’d turn it off immediately. QoS might help in certain cases but only when multiple users share the same connection, which can lead to problems in some games. I’d disable all router features that come with it. I own the same model, but it failed during a lightning storm, so I’m reverting to the reliable N66U. It includes built-in AV protection—make sure that’s turned off too. I’m aware some routers have problematic firmware updates (perhaps intentionally), which can affect VPN clients. Upgrading to Merlin firmware would be better; it’s a fork that removes many of the issues ASUS sometimes introduces. Here’s the link.
I turned off all those features, and AI Protection was disabled by default. The problem still exists. I moved between different PIA servers, including ones supposedly located in the state they claim, but nothing changed. I also switched the DNS to Cloudflare (1.1.1.1), but it didn’t work. I’ll likely reach out to Hulu support later—no idea if they’ll help, since technically I should be able to access them even outside the US, though others have gotten mixed responses.
I saved the correct version on the first try when I asked for the link. I also have the proper firmware installed. Note: I received a newer update but the problem persists.
I currently don't have Hulu, but I use PIA and can access it from the EU to the US without problems. I suspect the problem isn't with Hulu itself but possibly with your router settings or ISP modem. It might not be related to the router connection to your modem via the dedicated WAN port (my port was blue). If your ISP modem has a firewall, consider disabling it as well, or check the ASUS router's settings. I’ll need to review the settings later when I’m home. I recall setting DNS to Google, but that seems to be the only adjustment I made.