VPN vs Smart DNS Proxy to Bypass Location Restrictions
VPN vs Smart DNS Proxy to Bypass Location Restrictions
VPN vs Smart DNS Proxy, what to choose.
Both solutions can be setup in seconds, and both solutions do have certain advantages. It is up to you to choose which one suits you best. I will describe what differences I found when I did compare VPN vs Smart DNS proxies, what services I used and leave you to make a decision. Please see the VPN vs DNS comparison below.
VPN to bypass location restrictions.
- Easy to set up, just signup get your username and password and follow the instructions
- All your traffic is encrypted and masked, virtually speaking no one can eavesdrop on you.
- You will notice that your Internet is slower if you do use a low-quality VPN service, I am using Express VPN and it is working great for me though.
- VPN does provide Apps for IOS, Android, MAC and PC, which makes it really easy to setup and use.
- If you are living in Denmark, and you use a VPN server in the USA, all USA sites are unblocked. However, your local sites will not work anymore.
- There are more than 300 servers. Globally distributed anywhere.
- Your Smart TV and a few other devices will not work with VPN unless you have a router that supports VPN.
- The safest solution to protect you from MITM Attacks and Hijacking of your DNS Traffic.
Below, you’ll find a table that lists the top VPN providers.
- Best for streaming and privacy
- High speed servers in 160 VPN locations
- Works for Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu
- 24/7/ live chat support
- 3 extra months free on annual plan
- UltraHD streaming
- Free Smart DNS proxy
- Unblocks all major streaming services
- Limited Time 72% Discount
- Unlimited VPN connections
- Over 1000 servers
- Ad-blocking feature available
- User-friendly application
- Exclusive Smart VPN feature
- Standalone Smart DNS subscription available
- Extra security features
- Extensions for Firefox and Chrome
- Split-tunneling available
Smart DNS proxies to bypass location restrictions.
- All your devices will work, all you have to do is either change the DNS IPs on your devices or on your router.
- Easy to set up, just signup, authorize your IP and change the IPs. See Video and Picture guides for setup here.
- Your Internet speed will not be affected, as only relevant traffic is piped through the Smart DNS proxy service provider.
- Not all sites work. Unlocator the Smart DNS proxy service I use, does support Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora, Amazon Instant Video and many more.
- Your local sites will keep working.
- You can change regions without doing any configuration changes of your devices, watch BBC Iplayer as if you are in the UK, while watching Netflix Brazil.
- If you are unlucky enough to have an ISP which does actively apply DNS Hijacking or Transparent proxies, Smart DNS proxies will most likely not work for you.
Smart DNS Supported Devices
- iPhone Ipad
- Android
- Smart TVs
- Blue Ray Players
- Playstation 3 4
- Xbox One 360
- PS Vita
- Wii
- Amazon Fire TV
- Chromecast
- Roku
- Apple TV
- WDTV
- Sky+ boxes
- NowTV boxes
VPN vs Smart DNS: Bypass Location Errors
Having said that, it is up to you to choose either VPN Service, Unlocator Smart DNS Proxy or similar services. I did post these two services because they actually do work for me. If you have other service you have used successfully or do have any other comments. Please post below.
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About The Author
William Reeves
A technical wizard of 10 year experience. Certified in Linux, Ethical Hacking and all sorts of technical stuff . I did work on projects around the world worth millions of dollars. My aim is to free you the reader from location restrictions and protect your privacy.
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Which VPN will unblock BBC iPlayer VPN?
it is not easy to unblock it
I’m using BulletVPN to access BBC iPlayer from outside the UK at the moment.
According to Unlocator site, they offer both DNS & VPN access that have slight overlapping between the 2. I have enquired about this difference between the 2 directly from Unlocator for clarification.
Meantime I came across this thread & see several times a recommendation for this company & am curious about personal evaluation of this particular service. Specifically when you have recommended it, is it mainly for DNS or VPN service? Prior comments & questions are skewed towards 1 or the other based upon the desired outcome of the person. Obviously wanting to bypass geo restrictions ONLY, one option is better than for those who want security over just a bypass.
Now this thread has answered some of my questions posed to Customer Support already, yet now has me wondering which is the better for my home now. Currently have 2 Androids, 1 iOS (possibly a 2nd coming), a Samsung Smart TV from 2013-14 & a PC running Win 10 version 1709. My wife is using an older Android for Torrent’s (making use of the security paid for until mid 2019 & since her beloved iOS isn’t compatible with all her selected provider’s) which unfortunately is unable to mirror onto the TV despite both being Samsung. She has decided we need a Chromecast device now. Given the age of the TV it is beyond any updates to actually stream on it’s own now so it may be an option. Although if can solve this by way of Unlocator (either VPN or DNS) it can affect ALL of the device’s instead of just trying to fix for 1 or 2.
Hello there. At the moment, Unlocator purely is a Smart DNS proxy service. The VPN service they offer isn’t a traditional VPN per se. It is a “Smart VPN” which only allows you to enforce Unlocator DNS servers in instances where you might not be able to manually configure these DNS servers on your device such as when you’re using your mobile Internet connection.
Hello,
I’m pretty new to the streaming community and have to ask someone for recommendations who knows more than me.
Question #1 I’m using a Netgrear C3000 can a VPN or Smart DNS be installed to a router/modem combo?
Question #2 I’m using a HP Pavilion with windows 10 as a PLEX server that I want to start using to stream more (I also have a ROKU and a broken Android box that get used for most watching). I want to start streaming specifically MLB with my PLEX computer. In your opinion which would work better for a computer that’s also being used as a server a VPN or DNS?
Thanks for any advice you can give
Maybe you can help me. I installed smart DNS on 2 android devices. A minix android tv box and a samsung tablet. Installed them both the same way. Have green checkmarks to say it has been set up correctly. The Samsung tablet lets me watch Gamepass but the Minix says my region is not authorized. Is there anywhere else besides the DNS settings that I can look at?
It all comes down to whether the Gamepass app on your Minix uses the same URLs as the one on your Samsung tablet. Most Smart DNS proxy services do not support Android TV Boxes.
I am accessing it through the browser. that is how I do it on my tablet.
None of these work for Netflix on Apple TV.
No one can figure out how to consistently unblock Netflix outside of the US.
Because of Netflix’s constant attempts to block VPNs, it’ll always be a game of cat and mouse I am afraid.
Thank you for all your advice. I have been successfully using Unotelly Smart DNS for about three years but have been researching possible alternatives as this service seems to be dying. I liked the look of Unlocator and I note your recommendation.
My question is a general one prompted by BBC planning to introduce password controls as part of an initiative to crack down on licence dodgers. If I use Unlocator will the host (BBC, ITV, etc.) be able to see the IP Address. Netflix and Now TV block me, but Amazon, Sky, BBC, ITV and Channel 4 do not.
I just installed ExpressVPN per your suggestion and when I went into Netflix, it immediately told me it sees that I’m using a proxy or unblocker. Any way you can help? Your website pop up and strong rec for ExpressVPN made it seem too good to be true…
Hi Daryl. I’ve just tried ExpressVPN and can confirm I can watch American Netflix using their VPN servers. Contact their support team and they fill the fix the proxy issue.
mytv website (http://mytv.tvb.com/tc/live/inews) keeps blocking even though I am using PureVPN. The technical support from PureVPN could not solve the problem.
Hi Mike. Have you tried connecting to different Chinese VPN servers? You might try changing your device’s timezone to China as well.
Hi Isso
First although Hong Kong is now part of China, in terms of media restriction they are totally different. Of the hong kong tv websites, I don’t have problem with HKTV, just problem with mytv (which is TVB). But for the china websites, almost all are blocked (I’ve tried PureVPN, SmartDNS, Zenmate etc).
Thanks Ali. I’m looking at Unlocator for set and forget, plus a VPN for occasional torrents. At a high level, what would be the process for setting them up and then switching between the two as needed?
Hi Rom. In theory, you could setup Unlocator on your PC/Mac or router and then connect to a VPN server when you want to download torrents. Keep in mind not to update your IP address in you Unlocator account as long as you’re connected to VPN.
Thanks for the quick response Ali. That sounds a lot more straightforward than I’d expected!
Yeah it isn’t that complicated. The only downside is that you cannot use Unlocator as long as you’re connected to VPN.
Thanks for the information. I am in Ecuador and all I really need to do is watch American sports (ABC, NBC, CBS, ESPN and Watch ESPN). Which would be best for me?
I”m in Korea with the same issue. I use smart DNS at home because I have a smart TV connected to the internet via wifi, but on the go I use VPN on my mobile.
Hi,
Great articles and site, thanks a lot! My main question is a smart DNS service secure in any way like a VPN is? I am testing Unlocator for watching the Olympics and it’s working excellently, however I also download a lot of torrents. Will the DNS mask my location or will only the VPN do this? I haven’t quite grasped how the DNS server decides which traffic to send through it.
Thanks for your help!
Hi Jules. Smart DNS neither encrypts your traffic nor hides your real IP address. Only URLs of the streaming channel that expose your location are rerouted. That’s why you can only unblock channels which the Smart DNS proxy service you are using supports. The upside here would be that your Internet speed does not drop. When downloading torrents, using a VPN connection is highly recommended.
Answers my question perfectly. Thanks a lot! :)
The other upside is that you don’t need a VPN-capable router if you want to do stuff like watch Hulu or ESPN on your internet-connected TV. Smart DNS is much lower maintenance and works for your whole network for the services it targets.
I live in Spain and have a very fast 4G internet connection.
I use a VPN to download torrents and when I want a secure connection (bank etc).
I want to watch the BBC iplayer which is not accessible via the VPN as the BBC block VPN connections.
I am considering using a combined VPN smart DNS to overcome the no BBC iplayer access.
I am well aware that you can’t use both a VPN and SDNS at the same time.
I understand that you use the VPN for downloading torrents and a SDNS to overcome geo blocking and not for downloading torrents or for a secure connection.
So the question is – How do I stop my PC from using the SDNS and start using the VPN and vice versa, is there a simple switch i.e. click and switch.
This might sound like a simple question but i have googled the above question a 1000 times and still cant get an answer
Hi. You are right. Smart DNS and VPN do not go well together. The main reason behind this is the fact that the Smart DNS service you are using needs to see your real IP address in order for it work properly. When you connect to a VPN server, your real IP address is hidden.
Most Smart DNS proxy services offer a Smart VPN feature. It basically allows you to enforce the Smart DNS server addresses without having to manually configure them on your streaming device. Smart VPN does not encrypt your traffic like conventional VPN services.
When you want to unblock BBC iPlayer, connect to Smart VPN. When you want to encrypt your traffic/hide your online identity, connect to conventional VPN.
Just make sure you do not update your IP address in your Smart DNS service account while connected to the conventional VPN server.
Netflix is currently not working with any SmartDNS provider. FYI.
Unlocator Smart DNS has been tested and is working.
Hi Alinux,
Thanks for the sharing. In my case, I can’t use smartDNS trick because perhaps the ISP’s transparent proxy/DNS hijack/else, not really sure. I had to use VPN. But now, not all vpn work anymore to watch US Netflix, Hulu. Netflix just blocks me from streaming they said because I’m using vpn/proxies.
Do you happen to know which VPN(s) that work to watch US streaming such as Netflix, Hulu, showtime, nba?
Thanks.
Hi Andy. At the moment, I’m using ExpressVPN without issues. You might wonna give them a try.
Hello! Thanks for all the answers above. I have a question not yet covered – Can I use a VPN and SmartDNS at the same time? I’ve been happy with PIA but Netflix is now on to us. If I also get a smartDNS will that help, or does it have to be one or the other? I’d like to just leave my both on so I never have to think about it. Thanks!
Hi Jon. As far as I am aware, Smart DNS is not compatible with VPN. Hence, you have to disconnect your VPN connection in order to get Smart DNS to work.
Thanks Isso – I’ll keep searching for a solution!
good day..i live in jordan middle east..i have a netfilx account ..but im trying to see netflex usa and HBO…would unlocator smart dns work with me?….
Hi. Yes, Unlocator should allow you to unblock both channels unless your ISP uses transparent proxies. Unlocator does offer a free 7-day trial so there’s no harm in trying.
Thanks a lot for your quick response. .i already took the one week free subscription. ….for my laptop and smart TV. ..the laptop . Worked ok since yesterday. .but very very slow yo start..then its oj…the smart tv worked for half an hour then stopped ..any advice
I live in Spain and want access to UK TV and other restricted sites. I have used VPN for a number of years now, I have 50/60 mb fibre optic broadband but still get some buffering. Could you explain the possible causes for this? Thanks
Hi Glyn. Given the fact VPN rechannels all your traffic through a VPN server and encrypts it as well, your Internet speed is bound to drop by around 10 to 15%. However, if you are using a bad VPN provider, your Internet speed might drop by even more than that.
Thanks Alinux for your valuable info. Also, using Smart DNS will allow me to access all netflix or only from the country my router identifies itself from? Let´s say there are some shows from Netflix US but also from Netflix MX that I want to watch. How does the system differentiates which one I want or how can I select which Netflix I want to use?
Hi. If you are using a Smart DNS service like Unlocator, you can switch to Netflix regions like USA, UK, Mexico Netflix from within your Unlocator account.
Hola from Mexico. Am looking at both VPN and DNS service. VPN requires I buy a router & VPN service (already have Hide My Ass). It is confusing which would be the best service for us with computers and Samsung Smart TV’s. Do not want any thing that will slow down computers or TV’s. Any suggestions? Thanks.
Hi Sandy. If you want your Internet speed to stay unaffected, I’d suggest using Smart DNS. It can be setup directly on your Smart TV, PC, or on your router.
Good day, I live in South Africa and I would like to watch Brazilian programs. I subscribe for a Brazilian channel, but there are restrictions to certain videos and streaming because I am out of the Country. My question is do you think I would be able to bypass these restrictions by subscribing Unlocator ? I am asking because I don`t know whether it works for Brazilian programs. Another question is if using Unlocator, my pc, tablet or mobile would be vulnerable to hackers. How secure is that ? Thanks
Unlocator is a great service for sure but they don’t support Brazilian channels apart from Netflix. I’d think you’d be better off using a VPN provider with servers in Brazil such as ExpressVPN.
Thank you for this! I just want to know if either dns or vpn will work with the new Amazon Fire TV that will be released next week. I’m having it pre-ordered to Egypt and want to make sure they will work.
Hey. Yeah these steps should work on the new Amazon Fire TV.
Hi There my name is ahmer and I am in the process of purchasing a smart TV and i want to watch BBC and US flm channels. I am a UK expat based in Indonesia. Your information on caomparing DNS vs VPN has been vert helpful indeed. What I would like to know is that once I sign up for a DNS service can I use on multiple devices e.g. on my imac, smart TV , laptop-or doe I have to purchases and download on each specific device which would mean I have several accounts.
Which is the best DNS for LG smart TV for UK and US channels
Yes you can use one DNS account for multiple devices as long as they are all connected to the same network. Regarding the best DNS, I’d suggest Unlocator as their support is particularly impressive.
If you consider use of Hola, you should check this out first https://youtu.be/Xw1u8oggkpc
I have a VPN currently (for torrents, general security online) but have recently got a roku stick for which i’d like to access geo-blocked apps like Netflix US etc.
Do I need to use a DNS aswell as the VPN?
Hi
One option is enough, either VPN or DNS
Do VPNs open you up to having your data hacked on your computer.
It depends on VPN provider you choose. Trusted VPNs can increase your data privacy and security
Hey
Nice info here, in not good with all this computer stuff at all. I came to this website because I’ve been told I can bypass restrictions on nba league pass. That’s the only reason why I’m here; mainly want it for nba league pass an Netflix. I have comcast & strong internet. What’s best? VPN or DSN? Thanks
Smart DNS is quick and easy, try Unlocator they do have a 7 day free trial, so you can give it a test.
Going to live in Uganda, would like access BBC iPlayer and Netflix, how do I do this and can I do it. Thanks
First try a free trial with Smart DNS, nothing to loose there, if that does not work out due to ISP restrictions switch to VPN. Both have detailed setup guides and you can refer to their customer support for setup help if needed.
ITV Player has just been launched on Roku Uk. I’ve been trying to get it with smart DNS but with no luck so far. I have the dns installed on my router, and can access ITV player on ipad, but not on Roku. Any ideas on going about getting it on the TV?
That is an interesting scenario, I did contact Unlocator support about this, as I have no idea about any provider supporting this. And they promised to run this out shortly. I will update this ticket if I get more info.
I do not care for BBS channels. I am American and want USA channels…It looks like Unlocator is a BBC dns…Is there DNS set up for USA ???
Actually there is an easy 50 US channels including HBO , all Netflix regions, WWE Network, Fox, ABC,Hulu and more on Unlocator, see http://thevpn.guru/unlocator/channels.php
Can you give me some advice please, I am going to work in azerbaijan and would like to be able to access netflix and bbc I player etc. What would you suggest for me to use ?
Hi
It really depends on your ISP, if you end up with an ISP that does DNS hijacking, you will need VPN otherwise use the SmartDNS solution above which is easier to use and setup.
Thanks
Hi I didn’t get how Smart DNS does work?
Doesn’t BBC check the client IP address location?
Does Smart DNS play a proxy role betwwen the destination and client?
Yes just as you said, I am not fully aware of the internals but from reading I have done online it is proxying of specific parts of traffic. I will do a more elaborate article after some more research on the intervals.
Is that like Hola?
Yes but these guys at Unlocator do have a very robust infrastructure with a lot of servers worldwide and more importantly Hola works only for browser, while Unlocator works an all devices
alinux
Are you sure it’s my Roku’s? It is happening on both of them. I upgraded firmware on my Samsung blue ray player and it did it on that as well. How do I upgrade firmware on the Roku’s? I thought it did it automatically.
Thank you
I really cant be sure, but yes two devices simulating the same behaviour is a bit odd. Did you try to use either VPN or SmartDNS “in free trial mode” to see if it makes a difference ? In your case, I guess Smart DNS would be better give you are facing the issue on your devices.
I really cant be sure, but yes two devices simulating the same behaviour is a bit odd. Did you try to use either VPN or SmartDNS “in free trial mode” to see if it makes a difference ? In your case, I guess Smart DNS would be better give you are facing the issue on your devices.
I have been having horrible streaming with netflix the past couple of months. Prior to that I didn’t have any problems. I used to only have 1mbps, and I now have around 50 mbps. I have Comcast as my isp. The weird thing is that I have the problem streaming Netflix on my Roku or my Samsung blue ray player. However, if I stream directly from my laptop I don’t have any problems. So you might think it is my Roku, however, I am able to stream any of the other channels on my Roku without any problems. So my question is if I were to use the methods that you mentioned they would only affect my laptop which I am not having problems streaming with, correct?
Hi Stacey
Actually SmartDNS works on all devices, so you might want to try with that. VPN also works on all “supported” devices, so you need to check if you device actually supports VPN. Or you need a router that does support VPN. Having said that, it does sound like you have an issue with Roku though, did you try upgrading it’s firmware ?
Regards
I did leave a reply a few minutes ago and promptly received an email for me to click to confirm my interest. My mummy told me it was unwise to click on links in emails as they may result in a virus being introduced into my PC. So I hereby confirm my interest here.
This is definitely not a Virus, it is a legitimate reply to help you out with your BBC issue, now I am starting to think you are a bot :)
No mention of which system – if any – can download from the BBC (I know streaming is easy, but downloading is not. You need downloading so that you avoid the buffering problem when streaming)
Hi Ron
From which country are you having streaming issues and what is your BW speed ? I know for a fact that BBC Iplayer streaming with SmartDNS is uninterrupted, I.e. it buffers up the first few seconds but then it is fluent.