When you take your trip this summer did you know that it's still possible to access your Hulu account from your iPad even though you're not in America? Even though Hulu only allows access to its database of TV shows and movies from inside the US borders, with a special download you can still watch Hulu outside The USA on iPad. Last summer when I went on a trip to Costa Rica I was disappointed to find out that I had not properly prepared and I was unable to watch TV through my Hulu account because I was trying to access the site from Costa Rica. This year however, I'm prepared. This is how you watch Hulu outside The USA on iPad.

You need a PPTP or L2TP VPN. This may sound confusing, but if you don't worry to much about what they actually are and how they work, you can get one set up in about ten minutes by following some simple instructions. If you want to understand this technology, it's going to take some research on your part. I'm pretty lazy so I don't want to figure everything out. I just want something that works.

I use a L2TP VPN. They are more secure than PPTP, but both work. If you're worried about the security of your Internet connection or want to protect yourself against http-jacking, then definitely get L2TP. If your only requirement is that you can watch Hulu outside The USA on iPad, then PPTP will also be fine - it works differently but the result is the same.

Download the VPN and type the username, password, secret, and server name provided by the VPN company into the General Settings > VPN area. Connect to the Internet, and then to the VPN. Congratulations, you now have an American IP address and you can now watch Hulu outside The USA on your iPad. That was easy, wasn't it?

They key here is that you sign into a VPN server in The US. This will give you the American IP address needed to access Hulu's TV while you're in Costa Rica, China, Russia, Europe, or anywhere else. This is a great solution for Americans traveling or even for someone not from America who likes watching American TV. There are rumors that Hulu is going to go international one day, but there is nothing official yet. For me, instead of waiting for something that may come in a year or even never, I'd rather watch Hulu outside The USA on my iPad now with a VPN membership.

Using the L2TP VPN for iPad is a great choice to stream Hulu because an iPad screen is bigger than an iPhone, but not as bulky as a laptop. Hulu hasn't finished their Android app yet, so although you can get a VPN for Android devices, you can't watch Hulu on them. You can do this same VPN trick on stuff like Xbox, PS3, and Apple TV, but they're not as mobile as an iPad. Basically, if you can connect to the Internet and stream Hulu on it, you can watch Hulu outside The USA with a VPN.