When compared to VPN products, SmartDNS has a number of advantages and disadvantages. Some of the main ones are listed below:
Advantages of SmartDNS over VPN providers
Disadvantages of SmartDNS over VPN providers
With SmartDNS, only traffic to a supported website or service is re-routed and other browsing is unaffected. This means that, for example, when you attempt to access internet banking or email accounts, this data is not re-routed through the product’s servers.
Each SmartDNS product on the market has a different number of supported channels or services, depending on the location of their servers and a number of other factors. Therefore, users are advised to check with an individual SmartDNS provider to make sure that the service they want to use is supported.
Some of the most widely supported services include Netflix, Hulu, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, Youtube and BBC iPlayer. Various sports services are also popular, including NFL GamePass, Fox Soccer 2Go and the WWE Network. Moreover, some SmartDNS providers offer support for social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.
The question of whether to use SmartDNS or VPN products is not straightforward, because both have their advantages and disadvantages and both are suited for different types of use. It is also worth noting that SmartDNS only works on supported websites, so if the website you wish to use is not supported, VPN is the only option.
SmartDNS does not come with the same security features, so if you are looking for added security, use VPN. Similarly, if privacy is a concern, if you do not want your ISP to see what you are doing (for example P2P file sharing) or if you want to be anonymous online, VPNs are again the best option.
Especially for filesharers who use bittorrent or similar systems to download files, privacy is vital. All big media corporations try to catch copyright infringers with the help of ISPs, the only way to be sure they cannot analyse your web traffic is through a TorrentVPN – this means that the VPN Provider must allow filesharing / bittorrent traffic – which is not always the case.
However, if you are planning on using the service for streaming video content or music content, with no major security concerns, SmartDNS technology is the better option. This is because the technology is geared towards this kind of usage, it is cheaper, and SmartDNS is not affected by the same sort of speed issues which can plague VPNs.
If you want to try a VPN connection in comparison – just take a free Trial.
One of the major plus points of SmartDNS technology is its range of compatibility. Due to the fact that no software is required and all that is needed is for DNS settings to be altered, SmartDNS services are available on the vast majority of different devices and operating systems.
Common devices used for SmartDNS streaming include PCs, Macs, mobile phones, tablets, Smart TVs and games consoles like PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Additionally, many wireless routers can be setup to use SmartDNS, meaning that all connected devices will benefit.
Nonetheless, users are advised to check with individual SmartDNS providers to make sure that the device they wish to use is supported. Many SmartDNS products on the market also offer free trials, which are ideal for testing if your particular devices work with the technology. You can find Setup Tutorials for most Devices and Smart DNS Providers on our device-specific comparisons.
SmartDNS is relatively new and somewhat similar to VPN technology, in that it allows users to bypass geographically restricted content online. In particular, it is widely utilised to circumvent regional restrictions on streaming video and media services, such as Netflix, Youtube, Amazon Instant Video and Hulu.
The technology works by re-routing a user’s DNS queries through a server in another part of the world, disguising their true location. So, for example, if the DNS queries are re-routed to a server in the United States, websites will believe that the user’s internet activity is originating from the US.
As a consequence, websites which restrict their content to US citizens only will become available. The same process can be used to access content in other parts of the world. The technology is easy to configure and works automatically on supported services, meaning that other internet browsing is completely unaffected.
Dont mess up SmartDNS with just changing your DNS Servers – like 8.8.8.8 – the famous DNS Server of Google. Normal DNS Server do not unblock any content or reroute your traffic. If you just need a new DNS Server to gain access to a website because its DNS entry is blocked in your country or network – just go to BestDNS and youll find a list of the best free DNS Servers – no need to pay for that.
SmartDNS actively reroutes your traffic through Servers in the country of the content provider to your location – without the content provider noticing it.