This material is almost always some sort of Internet entertainment. Below you are presented with answers to important questions that might be problematic for those not well acquainted with smart DNS yet. Furthermore, there are some similarities between a smart DNS and a VPN (Virtual Private Network), a more well-known kind of online service. Some of the terms you can come across (like proxy or man-in-the-middle attack) might also come as new, which is why we recommend consulting our glossary whilst going through this FAQ.
Most of NordVPN’s servers can unblock Netflix, although the majority will redirect you to the US version even if you’re connected to another country. Thanks to a low monthly price and the option to connect up to six devices at one time, NordVPN is a great budget option especially if you share an account with friends or family. Despite its low price, NordVPN doesn’t skimp on security or privacy. It’s pretty good at unblocking other popular streaming services as well, like BBC iPlayer and Hulu. Unlocator is a service that can provide access to US Netflix.
We are going to spare you from the complex technical details about them and instead, we are going to signify how they are important. Unlocator is a pretty powerful software solution that provides its users with Smart DNS and VPN services.
MediaStreamer can unblock Netflix on devices that don’t normally support VPNs, such as Apple TV, PS4, and Xbox One. Smart DNS is an excellent choice for those who want to unblock access to channel content in other countries. For example, if you have a subscription and want to watch Netflix (US) or Hulu shows from outside the United States then Unlocator would be a great solution. The same is true for watching BBC iPlayer from outside the UK and many other channels.
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Similarly, AirVPN redirects many international users to US Netflix regardless of their VPN server’s IP address. This approach worked for a few months until it caught the attention of Netflix, and a subsequent crackdown blocked most smart DNS proxy users.
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By changing a device’s DNS address, you make it think that it has access to another country’s or region’s online content. The fist time you hear about smart DNS, you will understandably have a number of questions about this nifty technology. Smart DNS is most often specialized in providing access (or unblocking) restricted (blocked) content online.
It is famous for supporting unlimited simultaneous connections, recording no logs, and offering a generous trial period and a money-back guarantee. It is one of the rare online security services that guarantee complete anonymity to all its users. CyberGhost makes it easy to unblock Netflix in just a few clicks.
He believes a combination of techniques is used to block them. One of those techniques, says LiquidVPN CEO Dave Cox, is by identifying connections coming from data centers instead of residences. He goes on to explain that the Netflix apps combat SmartDNS services by forcing you to use a public DNS server and frequently change the URLs that do geolocation for their content. This makes it impossible for services that could support thousands of customers streaming at a time by only forwarding the geolocation packets through their servers.
If it detects a DNS request for Netflix, it sends all the browser traffic for that request through the server to an American Netflix server, thereby changing both your IP address and DNS server. ExpressVPN unblocks Netflix on every platform tested, including Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Linux, and certain wifi routers. ExpressVPN lets you connect up to five devices at a time. Plus, every ExpressVPN subscription comes with the MediaStreamer smart DNS proxy.
Today, a handful of smart DNS proxy services can still unblock Netflix, but the only one that’s consistently worked for us is ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer service. MediaStreamer is a smart DNS proxy service that comes with every ExpressVPN subscription. It’s used by default when you connect to the VPN, or you can set it up separately so that it’s used on its own. A smart DNS service is a product, or a selection of products that are primarily involved in providing you access to various online entertainment channels.
Is Unlocator com safe?
Unlocator’s Smart DNS Proxies are essentially DNS servers but with a twist. They go further than the average DNS server to resolve queries, so speed is of the essence. And Unlocator is running a great service. Streaming traffic is routed through their Smart DNS, but the rest of your data is encrypted through a VPN.
The app’s streaming section lists servers by what they unblock, instead of just their location. Netflix is clearly listed right at the top, and clicking it will turn on the VPN and even open Netflix on your behalf. Users can give instant feedback as to whether a particular server works with Netflix with simple thumbs up, thumbs down buttons. This will allow you to unblock a streaming service on your Apple TV from the UK while also unblocking a US streaming service on your laptop. Thus, we are now going to put a smart DNS proxy server in the context of other online safety solutions, so that you can see where it stands, and then evaluate if it is secure enough for you.
- Thanks to a low monthly price and the option to connect up to six devices at one time, NordVPN is a great budget option especially if you share an account with friends or family.
- Despite its low price, NordVPN doesn’t skimp on security or privacy.
- Most of NordVPN’s servers can unblock Netflix, although the majority will redirect you to the US version even if you’re connected to another country.
First of all, it is important to state that a smart DNS proxy server is not encrypted. This lack of encryption means that you are generally further away from a perceived “complete” online protection. Furthermore, the smart DNS servers themselves are in a position to conduct DNS hijacking or a man-in-the-middle attack – both harmful activities to you. Thus, we suggest that you always closely examine the privacy policy of any smart DNS company you wish to affiliate yourself with. Smart DNS is a great way to access online services that are blocked, however in order to gain privacy it is necessary to use a VPN.
Opening Netflix while connected to any other country through NordVPN will return the US version. And though Surfshark users can access Netflix on any server, they all redirect to the US version except France, India, Japan, the Netherlands, and the UK.
Users can unblock Netflix either using the Smart DNS servers or with the VPN. The service also unblocks a lot of other popular services such as BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and many more. Morgan says Netflix probably isn’t targeting isolated VPN providers.
Doing so shunts your DNS requests through the VPN company’s servers, which in most cases are more secure than what you’d get from your ISP. Cloudflare may be the biggest internet company you’ve never heard of. With a sprawling, worldwide collection of servers, it offers websites internet security and protection against Distributed Denial of Service attacks, among other services. Last year Cloudflare made secure DNS available, at the very memorable IP addresses of 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1. More recently, the company embarked on a plan for its 1.1.1.1 mobile app to replace VPN protection.
If you need the extra layer of privacy protection offered by encrypting your connection then I would recommend a VPN service. OverPlay offers both VPN and Smart DNS which makes them a great alternative if privacy is an issue. The downside of VPN is that the encryption can slow down your connection and the price is higher.
This makes Smart DNS a better choice for anyone who does not need the online privacy and anonymity of a VPN connection. A few VPNs bundle smart DNS proxies with their subscriptions, and some of those DNS proxies can unblock Netflix (e.g. Ironsocket DNS, Keenow Unblocker, ExpressVPN MediaStreamer). Due to time constraints and practicality, however, we elected not to test smart DNS services and instead solely focus on VPNs. Some VPNs redirect users to the US version of Netflix regardless of server location. NordVPN, for example, can unblock Netflix when connected to any country, but uses a DNS proxy to route Netflix requests to the US version, except for Australia, Canada, Japan, Netherlands, and UK.
The good news is that Unlocator provides access to both technologies to give subscribers everything they might need. The network settings for your computer, router, or access point allow you to specify which DNS servers—primary and secondary—to use. By default, these are likely set by your internet service provider, but there may be faster ones you can use.
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Smart DNS proxies like Unotelly, Overplay, Unlocator, and Unblock-US were a flash in the pan during Netflix’s war on proxies. After Netflix blocked connections from most VPN servers, many users switched to these services instead. A smart DNS proxy is a server that monitors any DNS requests sent from your device. DNS requests are a means of looking up which domain names (e.g. “netflix.com”) are associated with which servers.
Is Unlocator legal?
always secure & safe. We use Unlocator while travelling outside of Canada and would not use any other VPN. Always works great and the service is excellent.
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As for your mobile devices, Android versions before 9 (Pie) and all versions of iOS just don’t support a global change to your DNS preferences. You have to reach in and make the change any time you connect to a new Wi-Fi network, and you can’t touch the DNS settings for the cellular network. It’s true that on both platforms, you can buy an app to automate that change, if you wish. But if you’re going to buy an app, I’d suggest you simply run a VPN on those devices.