HMA not working with SlingTV

SlingTV is arguably one of the best TV streaming services. A SlingTV subscription grants you access to a massive selection of live TV shows and video-on-demand content. It really is an excellent service, but it does have a rather significant caveat: SlingTV is only available from inside the United States. That is unless you use a VPN to bypass this limitation.

Not every VPN provider out there will support SlingTV or other streaming sites. But many do, such as Hide My Ass (HMA). You’re going to have to check a few things to get things working, but nothing too complicated. It’s all pretty straightforward, and we’ll guide you through all the steps.

So If you’re having issues accessing SlingTV while using HMA, don’t sweat it; we’re going to fix that. This post explains how to get SlingTV working with HMA.

Why isn’t HMA letting me access SlingTV?

To be able to broadcast content, SlingTV signs agreements with the rights holders of that content. And those agreements generally limit its broadcast rights to the United States. So SlingTV has no other option but to restrict the availability of its service (geo-block) in any country other than the United States. Most, if not all, legal streaming services are bound by similar terms. So this isn’t specific to SlingTV.

Once you connect to a HMA server in the United States, your original ISP-assigned IP address (presumably a non-US IP address) will be changed to a US IP address. From then on, when you access a site or service over the internet, your queries will appear to originate from the US. If all goes well, you’ll be streaming Sling TV from wherever you are.

But you need to remember that accessing streaming sites over VPN is going to entail some trial and error. It’s not a “set and forget” type of deal. So, if you’re having trouble accessing SlingTV over HMA, it’s likely to be for one of the reasons below:

  • The HMA VPN server you chose is not located in the United States. This is the most critical point.
  • SlingTV could be aware that your IP address belongs to a VPN server, and as per its terms of service, it blocked your connection.
  • SlingTV placed a cookie in your app or browser. Cookies can reveal your actual location to websites and online services. If SlingTV dropped one of these cookies on your device, it likely blocked your connection after accessing your cookies.
  • You could be leaking DNS, which would expose your ISP’s (non-US) DNS servers’ IP address(es). ISPs usually assign their own DNS servers to customers by default. And if you’re reading this, your ISP’s DNS servers are probably not US-based and will hence be blocked by SlingTV.

But we can fix these issues easily.

How to fix HMA not working with SlingTV

If you’re suffering from any of the issues listed above, work your way through these steps until you’re problem is resolved:

  • Make sure you’re connected to a US-based HMA VPN server. If you’ve double-checked (or triple-checked) and you know for sure that you’re connected to a US server, then try a different US-based server. The IP address of your first server may already have been identified as a VPN server and blocked.
  • Clear your browser’s cache and cookies.
  • Try enabling private/incognito mode in your browser. You can also try a different web browser.
  • You can run a DNS leak test to ensure you’re not suffering from a DNS leak. Follow the link to learn how to do this – it’s not complicated.
  • HMA supports split tunneling in all of its apps. Split tunneling lets you choose which applications go through your ISP gateway and which go through the VPN tunnel. So you want to ensure the feature is either disabled or you haven’t configured your browser/app to go through your ISP gateway. These settings are found in the HMA app.
  • Restart your device.
  • Restart and update the HMA app.

If you’ve tried all the steps above and still can’t get HMA working with Sling TV, you might want to try a different VPN provider. We particularly recommend NordVPN, it’s a secure, reliable provider that has a proven track record of accessing Sling TV.

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How to sign into SlingTV with HMA

Once you’re connected to a working US-based HMA VPN server, signing in and using SlingTV is very simple.

  1. If you don’t already have a subscription, sign up for a HMA account. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so there’s no real risk in trying it.
  2. Download and install the HMA app for your device.
  3. Sign in to the HMA app and connect to a US-based server.
  4. Go to the SlingTV website – it should work now.
  5. If it doesn’t, follow the steps above.

HMA & SlingTV: FAQs

Which are the best VPN providers to stream SlingTV?

VPNs and streaming are a bit of a mixed bag. Some work with just about every streaming site available, while others support just a handful. And others still choose not to support any streaming services at all. So you want to be sure that you select a VPN that explicitly supports streaming. Below are some of the VPN providers we recommend:

  • NordVPN is one of the best VPNs for streaming in general. It offers excellent privacy, security, and speeds to its customers. And it supports almost every streaming service you can think of.
  • Surfshark is another VPN provider that provides a fantastic streaming experience. It’s also one of the cheapest high-quality VPNs you can find. Surfshark provides extensive streaming support and a large VPN network at very low prices.
  • ExpressVPN is another VPN provider we highly recommend for streaming. Its privacy and security practices are top-notch, and it supports most streaming sites.
  • CyberGhost is another great choice. It offers excellent streaming and support in a novice-friendly format. 
  • IPVanish may be lesser-known than the other VPN providers on our list, but it works well with many streaming sites and allows for unlimited simultaneous connections.

Check out our best VPNs for Sling TV article to see the whole list. 

What can I watch with SlingTV?

SlingTV offers a huge selection of live TV shows and on-demand content. Below are some of the channels available:

Are there any free VPN services that work with SlingTV?

You may well find a few. But you won’t find very many. Free VPNs aren’t ideal – even if you find one that works with streaming sites. The overwhelming majority of free VPNs usually have very small networks. So you won’t have many options regarding US servers. And it also means that large numbers of users will be on the same VPN servers. Having large amounts of traffic coming from the same IP address is a hint that the traffic is coming from a VPN server. And so those users are more likely to be blocked by streaming services. Remember that most free VPNs have unsavory speeds and questionable security practices, so we don’t usually recommend them.

How does SlingTV know I'm using a VPN?

SlingTV might know you’re using a VPN as soon as it “sees” your IP address. Whether on VPN or not, when you go out onto the internet, you’re assigned an IP address, which can reveal your location (that’s how VPNs can spoof your location) and your VPN use. 

There are lists of VPN server IP addresses that anyone can download. Because SlingTV is legally obligated to block connections from IP addresses known to belong to VPN servers, it’s safe to argue that it uses these lists to filter out VPN users.

Will using a VPN slow down my connection?

Yes, it will. And there’s nothing you can do about it.

When you connect to a VPN, the VPN server represents an extra hop for your connection as it makes its way to its destination. The VPN server sits between your device and the internet and will inevitably add latency to your connection. If you stop at a shop on your way to work, you’ll get there later than if you just went straight to work. 

Also, when on VPN, all your traffic needs to be encrypted and decrypted. So a slowdown is inevitable. But a good VPN provider will limit the slowdown as much as possible – potentially to the point where you won’t even feel it. You want to make sure you choose a reputable, high-quality VPN provider so that your speed hit is limited.

Can I install HMA on my router instead of using the app?

Not all VPN providers support routers. But HMA does.

Configuring a VPN connection on your router will give you two big advantages:

  1. You’ll be able to connect to your VPN without using a dedicated app. You only need to connect to your router, and your traffic will be tunneled through the VPN.
  2. A VPN connection on your router will also allow you to bypass your VPN provider’s limit on simultaneous connections (HMA limits this to five or ten simultaneous connections, based on your subscription). By configuring the VPN on your router, you can connect as many devices as you like to your router, and it will only count as one connection as far as your provider’s concerned.

Take a look at our guide on VPN routers if you’d like more information on the subject.

Is it legal to use a VPN to watch SlingTV?

Yes, connecting to a VPN server and accessing the internet is entirely legal. But even though it’s not illegal to use a VPN, that doesn’t mean it’s allowed by SlingTV’s terms of service. Indeed, as mentioned above, SlingTV’s terms of service state that the service should only be accessible from within the United States. If SlingTV believes you’re trying to access SlingTV from outside the United States with a VPN, it will block your connection. It’s unlikely that SlingTV would go as far as banning your account, but it will block your connection – count on it. If this happens, change your IP address by switching servers. 

Does HMA keep any logs?

In the past, HMA’s privacy policy made it pretty clear that it was collecting quite a bit of user data. HMA was even caught handing over a user’s VPN logs to the FBI in 2011. Thankfully, it has since updated its privacy policy, and its collection practices are now much leaner. 

It now only collects:

  • The day of connection
  • Rounded amount of transmitted data
  • Connection events
  • Application events
  • App crash reports

Still, some may find HMA’s past off-putting. And that’s reasonable. But today, HMA’s privacy policy is essentially in line with the rest of the industry.

You can look at our complete HMA review for more details.

Will my ISP know if I'm using a VPN?

Yes, your ISP will know you’re using a VPN because everything is happening over your ISP’s network. Your ISP will obtain the following information on your VPN use. It will know:

  • That you’re using a VPN
  • The VPN provider
  • The port and VPN protocol you’re using
  • Your connection times
  • Your consumed bandwidth

But you’re still making privacy gains by using a VPN, because your ISP won’t be able to see the following:

  • The websites you visit
  • The videos you stream
  • The files you download
  • Your DNS requests (just make sure your DNS isn’t leaking).

See also:Â