Using a VPN on LG Smart TVs

NordVPN is the best VPN for LG Smart TV for most users, particularly if you want to use the television’s existing webOS streaming apps without adding a Fire TV Stick or another external player. NordVPN has a SmartDNS setup that can be entered directly into an LG TV’s network settings, while a VPN-compatible router remains available when you need the television’s entire connection routed through a VPN. ExpressVPN is the strongest alternative if you want a similarly direct DNS setup through MediaStreamer or prefer a purpose-built VPN router. Private Internet Access is another useful LG option because its current Smart DNS implementation lets you generate a DNS address for “Other Smart TVs” and select a location before entering it in webOS.

The main limitation is that an LG Smart TV running webOS does not work like an Android TV. You cannot normally open the LG Content Store, install a standard VPN client, and switch servers from the television. A direct DNS configuration changes how supported streaming traffic is resolved but does not create a VPN tunnel. To put the LG TV itself behind a full VPN connection, the tunnel has to run upstream on a compatible router, travel router, or VPN-sharing computer. The television then simply connects to that network as usual.

Best VPNs for LG Smart TV compared

Why an LG Smart TV needs a different VPN setup from Android TV

The important distinction is webOS. LG Smart TVs use LG’s own television operating system rather than Android TV or Google TV. The normal LG workflow therefore does not include installing NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, or another conventional VPN client directly from the television’s app store.

That leaves three practical connection paths:

• Smart DNS in webOS: change the DNS server manually inside the LG network configuration.
• VPN router: run the actual VPN tunnel on the router and connect the LG TV to that network.
• VPN-sharing hotspot: let a computer establish the VPN and share that connection with the television.

LG itself exposes manual DNS configuration in webOS. On webOS 6.0 and later, the path is generally All Settings → General → Network → Wi-Fi/Wired Connection → Advanced Settings/Edit, where the automatically assigned DNS server can be replaced manually. Menu names differ on older webOS releases.

This is why the best LG Smart TV VPN should not be selected primarily by the quality of its Android TV app. A provider can have an excellent Google TV application and still offer little convenience on an LG OLED, QNED, NanoCell, or other webOS television. Direct Smart DNS support and practical router configuration are much more relevant here.

1. NordVPN – best VPN for LG Smart TV overall

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NordVPN takes first place because it supports both of the configurations that matter most on an LG television: SmartDNS directly in webOS and a full VPN connection upstream on a router.

NordVPN has an LG-specific SmartDNS procedure. You first activate SmartDNS from your Nord Account while connected to the same network as the television. NordVPN associates the feature with the network’s public IPv4 address. You then open the LG TV’s network configuration, change DNS mode from automatic to manual, and enter NordVPN’s SmartDNS resolver.

That makes it significantly more convenient than a provider that requires a router for every LG installation. If your objective is streaming through the television’s native webOS apps, there is no VPN client to maintain on the TV and no external HDMI device required.

The limitation is equally important: SmartDNS is not the same as putting the LG TV behind NordVPN. It does not create an encrypted tunnel between the television and a NordVPN server. If you specifically need the public IP used by all LG TV traffic to be the VPN server’s address, configure NordVPN on a compatible router instead.

Best fit: LG webOS users who want the choice between an easy DNS-based streaming setup and a genuine router-level VPN without changing providers.

2. ExpressVPN – excellent for MediaStreamer and Aircove

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ExpressVPN is particularly well matched to LG Smart TVs because it explicitly treats webOS as a platform that cannot run its normal VPN client.

Its direct-TV solution is MediaStreamer. On recent webOS versions, you open the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection, choose Advanced Settings/Edit, disable automatic configuration for the relevant field, and enter the MediaStreamer DNS address supplied by ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN’s current LG instructions were written specifically around webOS and also explain how to restore automatic DNS later.

MediaStreamer should not be mistaken for an ExpressVPN connection. ExpressVPN explicitly describes it as a DNS service rather than a VPN; the TV’s traffic is not encrypted by MediaStreamer and the interface does not provide ordinary VPN server switching.

ExpressVPN becomes more interesting if you want the opposite setup. Its Aircove routers move the VPN function out of webOS entirely. The LG television connects to the router over Ethernet or Wi-Fi, while the router handles the VPN connection upstream. That avoids the fundamental limitation that there is no ExpressVPN webOS client.

Best fit: LG owners who want a polished direct DNS configuration now but may later move to a dedicated router-based VPN setup.

3. Private Internet Access – strong Smart DNS control for webOS

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Private Internet Access is one of the more interesting options specifically for native LG webOS apps because its current Smart DNS implementation lets you generate a DNS address for Other Smart TVs and select a location in the PIA control panel.

The workflow matches what webOS actually allows. Generate the Smart DNS address in the PIA account, open the LG TV’s network configuration, switch DNS from automatic to manual, enter the address, save the connection, and restart the television if necessary.

That is a more relevant LG feature than application-level split tunneling or other desktop controls because those features cannot run inside webOS in the first place.

As with NordVPN and ExpressVPN’s DNS solutions, PIA Smart DNS does not replace the TV’s public IP with a VPN endpoint and does not encrypt the LG TV’s entire internet connection. The benefit is compatibility with a television that cannot install the PIA client.

Best fit: users who primarily intend to use the native LG streaming apps and want a Smart DNS service with selectable location options.

4. CyberGhost – dedicated Smart DNS support for LG webOS

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CyberGhost earns its position because it still maintains an explicit Smart DNS configuration for LG Smart TVs running webOS rather than providing only a generic router guide.

The DNS addresses are obtained from the CyberGhost account dashboard. On the LG TV, the existing IP address, subnet mask, and gateway remain in place while the DNS Server field is replaced with the CyberGhost address. The television can then reconnect using the new DNS configuration.

That distinction matters when troubleshooting. If you accidentally replace the TV’s gateway or IP settings while attempting to configure Smart DNS, the television may simply lose internet connectivity. Only the DNS field needs to change for the direct webOS method.

CyberGhost also remains usable through a router if you need genuine VPN tunneling, but the direct Smart DNS path is the feature that makes it especially relevant to LG rather than just another router-compatible provider.

Best fit: LG owners who want explicit webOS Smart DNS documentation and prefer configuring the TV itself instead of rebuilding the home network around a VPN router.

5. Surfshark – good for routers, but no longer for SmartDNS

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Surfshark needs to be evaluated differently in 2026 because older LG VPN guides may still tell you to configure Surfshark Smart DNS.

That advice is now outdated. Surfshark discontinued its SmartDNS service on February 2, 2026. Surfshark specifically tells former LG SmartDNS users to return the TV’s DNS setting to automatic or replace the retired SmartDNS address, because leaving the obsolete configuration in place can prevent the television from reaching the internet.

For a current LG TV, Surfshark therefore means router or hotspot. Its LG-specific instructions recommend either configuring Surfshark on a VPN-capable router or sharing a Surfshark connection from a Windows PC and connecting the LG television to that hotspot.

The router approach has one major advantage over the discontinued SmartDNS method: it is a real VPN connection. webOS still has no Surfshark app, but it does not need one because the router performs the encryption and server connection before the TV’s traffic reaches the internet.

Best fit: users who already plan to operate Surfshark on a router or Windows virtual router and do not need direct Smart DNS configuration inside webOS.

6. ProtonVPN – best suited to a VPN-capable router

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ProtonVPN is a better choice for a technically controlled router installation than for somebody hoping to configure a DNS address directly in an LG television.

Proton supports router connections through platforms including AsusWRT, AsusWRT-Merlin, OpenWrt, DD-WRT, FreshTomato, MikroTik, OPNsense, pfSense, and GL.iNet. Depending on the router, WireGuard or OpenVPN can be used. Proton explicitly positions router installation as a solution for devices such as smart TVs that cannot run its VPN application directly.

For an LG television, the useful architecture is therefore:

LG webOS → home router → ProtonVPN tunnel → internet.

The television itself remains configured as an ordinary Ethernet or Wi-Fi client. Server changes, VPN credentials, WireGuard profiles, and tunnel state are managed from the router rather than from the LG Magic Remote.

This also means the router hardware matters. Encryption occurs on the router CPU, so an older ISP-supplied gateway can become the bottleneck even when the television itself has no problem playing high-bitrate video. Proton notes that many ISP routers do not support VPN-client configurations at all.

Best fit: LG users with a WireGuard/OpenVPN-capable router who want the television’s full network path tunneled rather than relying on Smart DNS.

7. IPVanish – useful when the LG TV is part of a whole-network setup

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IPVanish makes the most sense when you are not trying to configure webOS itself and instead want the television to inherit the same VPN route as other devices in the house.

That is an important distinction on LG hardware. There is no practical benefit in choosing IPVanish because of features inside its phone or desktop client if the TV cannot run that client. The useful configuration is to place the VPN upstream and let the LG TV remain an ordinary network endpoint.

This works particularly well in a separate-TV-network design: create a VPN-routed SSID or router profile for the television and streaming devices while leaving phones, work computers, smart-home hardware, and other devices on the normal WAN route.

Best fit: households where the LG TV is one endpoint in a larger router-based VPN configuration rather than the only device requiring a different internet route.

Smart DNS vs a real VPN on LG Smart TV

The two methods can look similar from the sofa because both can involve changing how streaming services behave. Technically, however, they are very different.

With Smart DNS, the LG TV still connects directly through your normal internet connection. Only the DNS resolver is replaced with the address provided by NordVPN, ExpressVPN, PIA, CyberGhost, or another supported service.

With a VPN router, webOS never needs to understand VPN protocols at all. The LG TV sends ordinary packets to its default gateway; the router then encapsulates the relevant internet traffic into the VPN tunnel.

This distinction is why checking the television’s public IP is useful after a router installation but misleading after Smart DNS. A Smart DNS configuration can be working correctly while an IP-checking service still reports your normal ISP address.

Why changing the VPN location may not add an app to the LG Content Store

LG has a second location layer that is separate from your network IP: LG Services Country.

On webOS 6.0 and later, this is generally found under:

Settings → All Settings → General → System → Location → LG Services Country.

On webOS 5.0 and older models, the country setting is normally under General → Location. LG states that the apps and services available on a TV can vary according to the selected service country and, on some hardware, the region in which the television was sold.

That creates an LG-specific distinction:

• VPN or Smart DNS location: affects the television’s network path or DNS handling.
• LG Services Country: affects which apps LG makes available through webOS.
• Streaming account region: may be controlled separately by the streaming service.

Connecting a router to a US VPN server therefore does not automatically make a missing US-only webOS application appear in the LG Content Store. Conversely, changing LG Services Country does not create a US network connection.

This is one of the most common reasons an LG VPN setup appears to “work” in an IP test while the expected television app is still unavailable.

How to configure Smart DNS directly on an LG Smart TV

The exact wording changes between webOS generations, but current LG documentation follows the same basic structure.

For webOS 6.0 and later:

1. Press Settings on the LG remote.
2. Open All Settings.
3. Select General → Network.
4. Open the active Wi-Fi Connection or Wired Connection (Ethernet).
5. Select Advanced Wi-Fi Settings or Edit.
6. Disable automatic configuration for the DNS field if necessary.
7. Enter the Smart DNS server supplied by your VPN provider.
8. Select Connect.

LG documents manual DNS editing directly in webOS, while NordVPN, ExpressVPN, PIA, and CyberGhost all use this capability for their respective TV DNS configurations.

Do not randomly replace the IP address, subnet mask, or gateway when the provider only instructs you to change DNS. An incorrect gateway can prevent the television from reaching the router at all.

How to use a real VPN connection with LG webOS

If you need the LG television’s public traffic to originate from an actual VPN server, Smart DNS is not sufficient.

The most permanent solution is a VPN-compatible router:

1. Configure the VPN client on the router.
2. Select the VPN server or country at router level.
3. Connect the LG TV to that router by Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
4. Open a webOS app and test connectivity.

The LG TV requires no VPN software in this arrangement. The router becomes its default gateway and decides whether the TV’s traffic travels through the VPN.

A second option is a Windows VPN hotspot. The computer establishes the VPN connection, shares that connection through its network adapter, and the LG TV joins the shared Wi-Fi network. Surfshark explicitly recommends this as one of its current LG alternatives.

A hotspot is useful for testing whether VPN routing solves a particular LG streaming problem before buying or reconfiguring a router.

Why the LG TV may stop connecting after changing DNS

Manual DNS configuration is persistent. webOS can continue using the manually entered resolver long after you have forgotten that it was changed.

That became especially relevant when Surfshark retired SmartDNS in February 2026. Surfshark warned LG users that leaving the discontinued SmartDNS address configured could result in the TV being unable to reach the internet. Its recommended fix is to return DNS to automatic or replace the obsolete DNS address.

The same diagnostic principle applies to any LG Smart DNS setup. If Netflix, YouTube, the LG Content Store, and every other internet service on the television stop working simultaneously after a DNS change, test automatic DNS before reinstalling individual apps.

Why an LG streaming app may work while the Content Store does not

Different LG services do not necessarily depend on exactly the same backend or location state.

An already-installed streaming application can communicate with its own provider while app discovery and installation depend on LG’s Content Store, LG Account state, television model, and LG Services Country.

LG specifically notes that an app may fail to appear or install when the account is not signed in, the selected LG Services Country is inappropriate, the app is unavailable for that region or model, or the TV lacks storage.

Therefore, a successful VPN or Smart DNS connection should not be used as proof that a missing webOS application ought to become installable.

What to do if your LG Smart TV behaves differently with the VPN setup

The TV has internet, but the streaming app still detects the normal region

First establish whether you are using Smart DNS or a real VPN router. If you configured only DNS inside webOS, an IP checker should still show your ordinary public IP. That is expected.

If you intended to use a full VPN, verify that the LG TV is actually connected to the VPN-routed router or hotspot rather than another saved Wi-Fi network.

The VPN works on my laptop but not on the LG TV

A working desktop VPN client does not automatically affect the television. The LG TV has its own network connection. Unless the computer is explicitly sharing its VPN connection, the TV continues using the router independently.

Move the VPN to the router or configure a VPN-sharing hotspot.

I changed country on the VPN but cannot find the app in LG Content Store

Check LG Services Country. The Content Store’s available apps are influenced by LG’s own regional configuration and TV model, not just the public IP used by the network.

The TV lost internet after I entered a Smart DNS address

Return the DNS field to automatic. If internet access returns immediately, the manually configured resolver was the problem.

This is particularly important for obsolete Surfshark SmartDNS addresses, which should no longer be used after the service was retired in February 2026.

Streaming buffers only when the TV uses the VPN router

Test a geographically closer VPN endpoint first. With an LG TV, the bottleneck may also be the router rather than webOS. Encryption is performed by the router CPU, and lower-powered hardware can limit throughput when processing OpenVPN or WireGuard traffic. Proton specifically warns that router processing power can affect VPN performance.

The LG TV works through Smart DNS but not through the VPN router

That isolates the difference to the full VPN route. Smart DNS leaves the TV on its normal ISP connection, whereas the router VPN changes its public network path.

Try another VPN endpoint or, if your router supports multiple protocols, another router configuration before changing LG Services Country or reinstalling webOS apps.

Which VPN should you choose for LG Smart TV?

For most LG webOS users, NordVPN is the strongest overall option because it provides a direct LG SmartDNS setup for native webOS apps while still supporting router-based VPN configurations when you need a genuine tunnel.

Choose ExpressVPN if MediaStreamer and the option of moving to an Aircove router appeal more, or Private Internet Access if selectable Smart DNS locations are particularly useful for your television setup.

CyberGhost is also one of the better choices for a direct webOS DNS configuration. Surfshark, meanwhile, should now be selected primarily for router or hotspot use because its SmartDNS service was discontinued on February 2, 2026.

If your priority is putting every connection generated by the LG television through an actual VPN tunnel rather than simply changing DNS behavior, a router-focused setup with ProtonVPN is the more technically appropriate approach.

Frequently asked questions

Can I install a VPN app directly on an LG Smart TV?

Not on standard LG televisions running webOS. Unlike Android TV or Google TV, webOS does not normally provide native applications for conventional consumer VPN clients. Use Smart DNS, configure the VPN on a router, or share a VPN connection from another device instead.

Which VPN is best for LG Smart TV?

NordVPN is our first choice because its SmartDNS service has an LG-specific setup and can be entered directly in the television’s manual DNS configuration. A compatible VPN router can be used instead when you need a full VPN tunnel.

Does Smart DNS give my LG TV a VPN IP address?

No. Smart DNS changes the DNS resolver used by the television but does not route all LG TV traffic through a VPN server. PIA and ExpressVPN explicitly distinguish their Smart DNS services from a full VPN connection.

Can I change DNS manually on an LG Smart TV?

Yes. LG webOS exposes a manual DNS Server field in its network configuration. On webOS 6.0 and later, it is generally accessed through All Settings → General → Network and the settings for the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection.

Why doesn’t changing my VPN server make a new app appear in the LG Content Store?

LG maintains a separate LG Services Country setting that affects available apps and services. A VPN changes the network route; it does not automatically change the television’s LG Services Country or its model-specific app availability.

Does Surfshark Smart DNS still work on LG TVs?

No. Surfshark discontinued SmartDNS on February 2, 2026. Current LG setups should use Surfshark through a compatible router or a VPN-sharing hotspot instead. Any old Surfshark SmartDNS address should be removed from the TV’s DNS configuration.

Should I use Smart DNS or a VPN router with my LG TV?

Use Smart DNS when you specifically want the simpler webOS-compatible DNS method and do not need encryption or a VPN public IP. Use a VPN router when the LG television’s complete internet connection needs to pass through the VPN server.

Can changing LG Services Country replace a VPN?

No. LG Services Country determines which regional LG services and applications are presented to the television. It does not route the TV’s traffic through another country or change the public IP supplied by your ISP.