How to set up a VPN on Virgin Media

Virgin Media prides itself on its connection speeds, but thanks to the UK’s data-retention laws and increasingly anti-privacy stance, it’s unable to offer any meaningful level of online anonymity. This is one major reason you may want to consider using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) at home. As an added bonus, your VPN will allow you to use Virgin TV Go while traveling abroad.

So what exactly is a VPN, and how does it work? These services first encrypt your activities, meaning they can’t be intercepted by your ISP or whoever owns the network you’re on. Next, they send your data through servers in another country. This hides your real IP address from website owners and allows you to spoof your location so that you can access platforms that normally aren’t available where you are.

In this article, we’ll list the best VPNs for Virgin Media, plus explain how to use them and answer some common VPN questions. You can find more detailed information about each provider further in this article. But for now, here’s a quick summary.

Best VPNs for Virgin Media

1. NordVPN: Our #1 pick for Virgin Media customers. An extremely fast, security-focused VPN that supports more than a dozen router firmwares. Over 400 servers in the UK and over 7,000 worldwide. Includes a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it risk-free.
   TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for Virgin Media.
2. Surfshark: The best budget VPN for Virgin Media. Boasts consistent speeds and an ever-evolving security toolkit. Doesn’t keep logs of activities and comes with an unlimited connection allowance.
3. Total VPN: A fast and well-respected service that works well for any day to day task. Works well with Virgin Media routers and doesn’t log your activities.
4. ProtonVPN: This privacy-first VPN is very fast, boasts a huge network, and can access almost any geo-blocked site. It’s also highly-customizable.
5. ExpressVPN: This industry veteran has its own router firmware and ultra-fast connections, making it a natural choice for Virgin Media customers. Strong on privacy, with 24/7 support and a stellar reputation.
6. IPVanish: Security-conscious and capable of protecting all of your devices at once. This zero-logs VPN has step-by-step installation guides for popular router firmware. Works great with Virgin Media.
7. CyberGhost: A simple, versatile VPN with a large network presence and over 700 servers in the UK, ideal for Virgin Media. One of the fastest services around, speciality streaming servers and live chat support.
8. PrivateVPN: A no-logs VPN that puts your privacy first without compromising on speed or usability. Great for safe torrenting and streaming on Virgin Media. Further, it works with seven types of router firmware.

How to use a VPN with Virgin Media

There are a few different ways to secure your Virgin Media connection, and we’ll explore all of these in more detail a little later. For now, this is a guide to getting started as quickly as possible.

Here’s how to use a VPN with Virgin Media:

1. Start by signing up for a reliable VPN service – We strongly recommend NordVPN.
2. Download the app onto any device you use often. Most providers permit around five simultaneous connections, but the exact limit differs from one VPN to another.
3. Log in and select a server in the location of your choice. In order to access Virgin Media, you’ll need a UK IP address, so connect to a UK server.
4. Your data is now encrypted and hidden from the watchful eyes of Virgin Media, and you should be able to browse freely.
5. If you’re having any issues with your connection, try clearing your cookies to remove any existing location settings. Alternatively, you can connect to a different VPN server in the UK to find one that works.

Need more help? You’ll find more detailed step-by-step guides further on in this article after we look at the best VPNs for the job.

How we found the top VPNs for Virgin Media

There are plenty of VPNs out there, but not all of them are a good choice for Virgin Media customers. To find the best of the best, we performed hands-on testing to better evaluate what each VPN offered in five crucial areas. You’ll find these, and a short description of each, below:

• Speed: Torrenting, streaming, and video calling all require a speedy connection. Our team tests each provider’s servers multiple times to measure both their speeds and gauge their level of reliability.
• Server availability: We look into how many British server locations each VPN has, as well as how many countries its network covers in total. Then, our experts check to see how many major streaming sites they can access.
• Security and privacy: We’ll never recommend a service that can’t keep you safe. At a bare minimum, we expect AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, and leak protection, as well as a no-logs policy.
• Ease of use: We’re big fans of providers that go out of their way to be accessible to novices. They might offer task-specific servers, 24/7 support via live chat, or simply well-described settings, for instance.
• Value for money: It’s not enough to be a versatile, speedy, secure service — they also have to be affordable and fairly priced for the functionality on offer.

You can read more about how we test and rank the VPNs we recommend in our methodology section below. For now, let’s take a look at the ones that made the cut. 

Virgin Media VPNs compared

We’ve compared the most important features of the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for Virgin Media.

The best VPNs to set up on Virgin Media

Here’s a list of the best VPNs for Virgin Media:

1. NordVPN

Sep 2025

NordVPN is our top choice for anyone with Virgin internet. It has more than 7,400 servers in 100+ countries and over 400 in the UK. In our professional opinion, this is one of the best providers for streaming. It works with services like Virgin TV Go, Netflix, and BBC iPlayer, and since you can connect 10 devices at once, you’ll be able to watch whether you’re at home or on the go.

There are many things to consider when choosing a VPN, but speed is one of the most critical. To find out how fast NordVPN is, we tested its British servers at three times of day. This approach also allows us to see how much of a hit its performance takes at peak times. Let’s take a look:

NordVPN provided an average speed of 199.62 Mbps and was the fastest service we tested. This is an exceptional result, meaning you’ll be able to perform data-intensive tasks like streaming and torrenting without any issues. Best of all, there was just 6 Mbps of variance throughout three tests, so it’s highly stable too.

This provider values user privacy and has repeatedly been audited to prove its no-logs policy is legit. More recently, it’s added a threat protection feature that scans files for malware and prevents your apps from tracking you. The apps also include 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, leak protection, and a proprietary protocol that’s based on WireGuard. Users can pay in three different cryptocurrencies, with support staff on-hand 24/7 via email and live chat.

NordVPN has its own Android, Windows, iOS, macOS, and Linux apps. It supports a huge range of router firmware as well, making it fairly easy to get working with a Virgin SuperHub.

BEST VPN FOR VIRGIN MEDIA:NordVPN is our first choice. This provider offers top-tier protection, particularly high speeds, and the ability to securely access any service you might care to use. There’s even a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you’d like to try it risk-free.

Read our full NordVPN review for more details.

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2. Surfshark

Surfshark is the best budget VPN for Virgin Media customers. Despite its low price point, this service stands shoulder-to-shoulder with better-established rivals. We’ve had no issues securely accessing services like Now TV, Sky Go, or BBC iPlayer with this VPN, and as there are no bandwidth or connection limits, you’re free to watch as much as you want across all of your devices.

In past tests, Surfshark has routinely delivered higher speeds than most other VPNs on the market. Periodic retesting is important, though, since services are always tweaking, optimizing, and expanding their networks. The chart below shows Surfshark’s British server speeds at three different times of day:

First off, note that there’s just 7 Mbps of difference across all three tests. That’s exceptional and means you won’t even notice any impact when browsing at peak times. With an average speed of 193.47 Mbps, Surfshark is the second-fastest VPN in our list and more than capable of handling any day to day activity, from playing online games to using P2P networks.

This budget provider offers a strong security toolkit as well. Your data is kept secure using a kill switch, 256-bit encryption, and protection against IPv6 and DNS leaks. There’s also a special stealth mode that allows you to browse freely while in countries with strict digital censorship. Surfshark follows a strict no-logs policy and accepts Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple. Live chat-based support is available 24/7.

Surfshark provides apps for iOS, Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows. Further, its website has detailed setup instructions for all of the most common router firmware.

BEST BUDGET VPN:Surfshark is our favourite low-cost pick for Virgin Media. It offers surprisingly strong performance, plus an ever-expanding range of security and privacy features. Doesn’t limit the number of devices you can connect. All plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Interested? Find out more in our complete Surfshark review.

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3. Total VPN

Total VPN is a highly-versatile provider with more than 1,800 servers in 80+ countries including the United Kingdom. It’s a strong choice for anyone new to VPNs thanks to its clutter-free interface, simplified settings menu, and the fact that it can access popular platforms like Netflix from anywhere. You can protect five devices at the same time and get help via a 24/7 ticket system if anything goes wrong.

Now, you’ll need a VPN that’s quick enough to handle anything you throw at it. Our experts ran several speed tests on Total VPN’s servers in the UK, measuring both their speed and consistency throughout the day. Below, you can see just how well this provider held up:

Total VPN achieved an average speed of 179.1 Mbps, putting it in our top three fastest providers. Not only that, it was one of the most consistent, speeds varying by just 6 Mbps across three tests. As such, it’d be a great choice for any day to day task, whether it’s torrenting, gaming, watching TV, or making video calls.

If you’re looking for a hands-off service that still delivers a high degree of privacy, look no further. Total VPN keeps you safe using 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch on all platforms exception Windows, and automatic DNS and IPv6 leak protection. It also refuses to keep logs of your activities, allowing you to browse with total peace of mind. Split tunneling functionality is included, and you can even swap to the Hydra protocol if you’d like to hide the fact that you’re using a VPN.

Total VPN apps are available for iOS, MacOS, Android, and Windows. Unfortunately, though, this service can’t be installed on a router.

SIMPLE YET EFFECTIVE:Total VPN is a novice-friendly service boasting high speeds, strong security, and first-class unblocking ability. A great choice for day to day browsing. One year plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee though there’s also a 14-day guarantee on shorter subscriptions.

Check out our in-depth Total VPN review.

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4. ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is known for its expansive network, with more than 700 servers in the UK and thousands more spread across a further 120 countries. This service boasts exceptional versatility, allowing torrenting and handily unblocking even the most stubborn streaming platforms. There’s even a generous 10-device limit and 24/7 assistance via live chat.

Let’s talk about performance. Slow speeds cause all sorts of problems, from sites that load forever to videos that simply refuse to play. To see what ProtonVPN was capable of, we tested its British servers using a standard 250 Mbps connection. The chart below shows how quick this provider was at various times of day:

ProtonVPN delivered an average speed of 146.79 Mbps, making it a highly-competitive service. Its speeds varied by 11 Mbps, which is pretty typical and shouldn’t even be noticeable. Whether you’re hoping to stream your favorite shows, play online games, or torrent, this VPN is up to the task.

This service is known for its strong commitment to user privacy, having been created by the team behind Proton Mail. Its security toolkit includes unbreakable encryption, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, a kill switch, automatic ad and tracker-blocking, and a professionally-verified no-logs policy. What’s more, ProtonVPN is one of the only providers that supports split tunneling and port forwarding as standard.

ProtonVPN has its own apps for Windows, Linux, MacOS, Android, and iOS. It can also be manually configured to work with most routers.

CUSTOMIZABLE SECURITY:ProtonVPN is packed with powerful security tools, allowing you to tailor your setup to your needs. It’s also extremely fast and versatile, plus every paid plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

For more details, read our complete ProtonVPN review.

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5. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is a mainstay of the industry, garnering a great reputation for its large network (105 countries at the time of writing) and commitment to your privacy. Whether you’re looking to watch Virgin TV abroad or torrent safely, it’s an excellent choice. This VPN works in high-censorship countries like China, offers 24/7 support over live chat, and can secure up to eight devices simultaneously.

This service has historically ranked very well in our industry-wide speed testing. However, we wanted to see what its British servers were capable of, so we tested them at multiple points throughout the day. You’ll find the results in the chart below:

ExpressVPN’s average speed was 132.44 Mbps, which is well above what you’ll need for everyday tasks like browsing the web, watching TV, or making video calls. We were impressed by its stability too; there was just 6 Mbps of difference between its highest and lowest results. This means that you’re all but guaranteed a high-speed connection regardless of when (or where) you use the service.

Users have lots of security tools to take advantage of. For instance, there’s 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and leak protection, plus ExpressVPN follows a no-logging policy for enhanced privacy. One of its newest features is called Threat Manager: this prevents your other apps from communicating with known trackers and scam sites. Users can get in touch with support staff, day or night, using the 24/7 live chat service.

ExpressVPN has apps for Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS. It also offers its own custom router firmware, plus model-specific instructions for getting everything up and running.

EASY ROUTER INSTALL:ExpressVPN is the only service in our list with its own router app. Not only that, it’s extremely fast and suitable for any day-to-day task. This security-conscious provider even comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Check out our in-depth ExpressVPN review.

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6. IPVanish

IPVanish has always been a solid choice, but in the last few years, it’s worked hard to prove it’s worthy of your attention. It scrapped the connection limit, expanded its network to cover over 100 countries, and now works flawlessly with virtually every streaming service out there. Customer support can be reached 24/7 using either email or live chat.

When it comes to performance, IPVanish is one of the best around. That said, most testing focuses on the US servers, and we wanted to see how good its British offering was. Our team tested the UK servers at three times of day (morning, noon, and afternoon) — check the chart below for the results.

IPVanish sits firmly at the higher end of the performance spectrum, delivering an average speed of 155.34 Mbps. In practical terms, this means you’ll be able to download a 1GB file in under a minute, and that you shouldn’t notice any problems when streaming, video calling, or playing online games.

It’s clear the IPVanish values your privacy, though. It doesn’t keep any logs whatsoever and allows you to automatically reconnect if your connection drops unexpectedly. This VPN also includes security features like a kill switch, LAN traffic blocking, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, and 256-bit AES encryption. Just recently, it added a link-safety checker as well, which goes a long way to helping you stay safe.

IPVanish has user-friendly apps for Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS. It must be manually installed on Linux devices as well as ASUSWRT, DD-WRT, Asuswrt-Merlin, and Tomato routers. Its newly-released Advanced plan lets you bundle the VPN with secure file storage and an anonymity-focused cloud browser.

NO-STRESS SECURITY:IPVanish lets you secure all of your devices, even without installing it on a router. It’s also one of the speediest providers we’ve seen, with great streaming potential and a real focus on user privacy. The annual plan includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Check out the full IPVanish review.

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7. CyberGhost

CyberGhost is an excellent choice for anyone new to VPNs. First off, it has one of the largest networks around, with over 11,000 servers in 100+ countries, including plenty in the UK. Better still, these are separated into categories, making it easy to tell at a glance which servers are best for streaming, privacy, or torrenting. Live chat-based support is available, day and night, at no added cost.

CyberGhost is a strong contender, but that doesn’t mean much if it’s too slow to actually be usable. Our team of experts performed multiple speed tests on its UK servers so we could chart its performance over the course of a typical day. Take a look at the results in the chart below:

One thing’s for sure: CyberGhost is more than capable of handling tasks like torrenting, making calls and streaming. In fact, with an average speed of 150.76 Mbps, you could queue up nearly a dozen 4K videos without noticing any slowdown. Further, its lowest result was just 5 Mbps slower than its highest, making this one of the most consistent providers on the market.

From a security perspective, there’s a lot to like. The apps all make use of 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and leak protection, plus users have the ability to connect via a random port (which may help beat some VPN-blocking systems). There’s even a smart rules menu that lets you decide when and how the VPN should connect itself automatically. CyberGhost doesn’t log any data that could identify you.

CyberGhost offers apps for iOS, macOS, Android, Windows, and Linux. It also has detailed setup guides that explain how to manually install this VPN on your wireless router.

NO GUESSWORK:CyberGhost clearly labels its servers, allowing you to choose one that’s perfectly suited to your needs. What’s more, it has a huge network, outstanding speeds, and a solid security toolkit, plus 24/7 support. This VPN even has a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Why not read our complete review of CyberGhost?

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8. PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN might only have around 200 servers across 60+ countries, but it owns and hosts these itself, plus it recently began acting as its own ISP for maximum privacy. This service is capable of beating virtually any online restriction, allowing you to stream or even access the internet safely in places like China. There are setup instructions for a variety of firmware, but even if you’re not looking to install a VPN directly on your SuperHub, you can still connect up to 10 devices at once.

This VPN has historically had a bit of a problem reaching the same raw speeds as its rivals. That’s to be expected, as it has a much smaller network. Still, to find out just how fast PrivateVPN’s British servers are, we tested them at three times of day. Here are the results:

PrivateVPN provided an average speed of 58.37 Mbps. That’s a bit lower than the others in this list, but still well above what you’ll need to stream or browse the web safely. We were pleased to see how reliable its speeds were, though — there was less than 6 Mbps of variance across a full day of testing. As such, you’re unlikely to notice any issues stemming from sudden fluctuations in speed.

As you might expect, given its name, this service follows a zero-logs policy. It also accepts Bitcoin payments, which gives you a little extra anonymity during the signup process. PrivateVPN’s security tools include 256-bit encryption, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, an app-specific kill switch, and a stealth mode that lets you access the wider internet in places with strict internet restrictions. Support is available most (but not all) hours of the day over live chat.

Private has its own macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android apps. It can be manually configured for use with some Linux distros, as well as seven different types of router firmware.

GREAT EVERYDAY VPN:PrivateVPN has the speed, security, and reliability needed to stream and browse safely. With a high connection limit, great unblocking ability, and an unwavering commitment to privacy, this VPN is well worth a look. Also includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our comprehensive PrivateVPN review.

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How to set up a VPN on Virgin Media

There are three main ways that Virgin Media broadband customers can take advantage of a VPN. Below, we’ll run you through these, listing the pros and cons of each so that you can decide which best fits your needs.

Method 1: Install a VPN directly on your router

This method is fairly involved and requires a second router. If you’re looking for an easier setup, we’d recommend moving on to method two below. 

Installing a VPN on a router ensures that any device on your network can reap the benefits. There’s no need to worry about connection limits, accidental disconnection, or device compatibility. The trade-off is that this takes a bit more time and is significantly more complex.

First things first: Virgin SuperHubs don’t support VPN connections. You can, however, switch them to modem mode and connect a second, VPN-compatible router. If you have a spare DD-WRT, Tomato, or Asus-WRT router lying around, you should be able to do this in an afternoon.

The exact setup process is different for every router, and it’s very easy to accidentally brick your hardware or misconfigure your VPN, leaving you unprotected. That’s why we recommend asking your VPN’s support team to walk you through the process. After all, they deal with situations like this every day and can ensure you’re properly protected moving forward.

Method 2: Install the VPN on each device individually

If you’re only concerned about connecting a few devices at a time rather than securing a whole network, it’s much easier to just install the VPN where it’s needed. Most major providers have apps for desktop and mobile, with Linux support and Firestick apps becoming increasingly common.

The disadvantage of this approach is that you could find yourself having to disconnect from one device to browse safely on another. Still, this can be avoided by choosing a VPN provider with a high (or non-existent) connection limit.

Method 3: Share a VPN connection from another device

Once you’ve installed a VPN on one device, it’s actually possible to share that secure connection with other devices. This is called creating a virtual router, and we’ve put together guides for doing this quickly and easily on Windows and macOS. Unfortunately, both Android and iOS prevent you from sharing a VPN connection using the personal hotspot feature, so unless your device is rooted, this won’t work.

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Using a free VPN with Virgin Media

While you may find a free VPN that works with Virgin Media, we wouldn’t recommend it for a few reasons. First off, free VPNs tend to suffer from poor performance. This is understandable since they have too few servers and too many users. You’ll therefore experience buffering and lag when trying to use a free VPN to watch Virgin Media or streaming services. You’re also unlikely to find a knowledgeable customer service team on hand to help you if you run into an issue or need help installing your VPN on a router.

Plus, VPNs should also provide you with improved online privacy. Unfortunately, this is not the case with many free VPNs, which spam users with inappropriate and annoying ads and infect devices with malware. What’s more, some free VPNs actually log your data and activity and sell it to third parties. Poor performance and poor privacy are the reasons why free VPNs simply aren’t worth it.

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Virgin Media VPNs: FAQs