Moving from US to Sydney next month - what's the best vpn for australia to access my US accounts/content?

First tip - stop calling it "Aussie internet" when you get here unless you want immediate eye rolls lol. NBN is hot garbage in most areas, I get 50mbps on a good day (paying for 100). Banking apps are your biggest headache, not streaming - they've gotten scary good at detecting VPNs. Venmo/CashApp straight up won't work here regardless of VPN tricks

Moved from Seattle 2 years ago. Forget VPNs for banking - call each institution BEFORE leaving and set travel notices for minimum 3 months. Most banks have gotten wise to VPNs and will still lock accounts if your phone's GPS doesn't match your IP. Streaming is easier to fool than financial apps

lololol another american about to discover the joy of australian internet... welcome to 2010 speeds! 😂 our gov spent billions on a network that was obsolete before installation finished. Prepare for random dropouts during important zoom calls - has nothing to do with your vpn, that's just life here

m8 just get a smart dns service instead of vpn? Cheaper + faster + works better for streaming. Vpns add encryption overhead you don't need just to watch netflix. Unless you're doing sketchy stuff online, smart dns solves geo-blocking without speed penalties

Lifehack that NOBODY mentions: keep a US credit card with US billing address. Many streaming platforms check payment method location NOT just IP address. My Amex with my parents' address as billing works on US sites even without VPN sometimes. Absolute gamechanger

Don't discount the time difference factor when choosing VPN servers. I've found west coast US servers (LA/SF) have less congestion during Sydney working hours because Americans are asleep, meaning better speeds for work calls

Been jumping between US/AUS quarterly for work. Honestly nordvpn has been surprisingly consistent despite being so popular. Tried boutique services that were "under the radar" but they disappeared/got acquired within months. At least with the bigger providers you know they'll still exist when you land

The biggest challenge most expats face is DNS hijacking during VPN usage. Australian ISPs implement aggressive DNS redirection techniques that can reveal your true location to streaming services even when the VPN tunnel appears functional. Always verify your setup with proper DNS leak testing tools

monthly vpn headaches, constant cat-and-mouse with detection, all for what... the same shows on different platforms? save yourself the stress mate. you're moving to australia, embrace it instead of clinging to american digital life

nbn's a lottery depending on your address... some places get fiber direct (amazing), others get hybrid coaxial (decent), most get fiber to node then copper to home (trash). Check NBN technology type for any apartment before signing lease!!! This determines your internet destiny

Tried staying connected to US services when moving last spring... absolute nightmare with expressvpn dropping connections every few hours and causing banking security flags. Ended up just making peace with being fully australian online. Mental health improved dramatically once i stopped fighting geography tbh

Smart DNS for streaming, secure VPN for banking/personal stuff, AND a US phone number (Google Voice) for verification texts. No single service does everything perfectly