When surfing the Internet, there is a significant factor: privacy. We can use different tools to hide data such as IP or location. A clear example is the use of a VPN. However, there are other alternatives. In this post, we are going to talk about Smart DNS. Therefore, in this post, we will see what Smart DNS is and how it improves privacy when browsing the web.
How Smart DNS works
DNS is used to link a domain name to an IP address. That is, if you enter osradar.com in your browser, your system automatically translates that information and returns the IP that corresponds to that page. You don’t need to remember meaningless numbers, but simply the domain name. Logically, when we send that DNS request, we are sending information. They are going to know certain information about our equipment. That’s where Smart DNS comes in. In effect, what it does is hide the DNS address of our device when we redirect queries through a remote server.
Normally, you will use the DNS of the Internet operator you have. It will come automatically configured this way, for example on Windows. But you can also use the DNS of services such as Google, Cloudflare or Quad9, among many others. However, when using Smart DNS, you are going to enter the Internet with their DNS. In effect, it hides your real ones, the ones you have configured on your computer. It will change the DNS you have configured locally to theirs remotely.
More privacy does not necessarily mean more security
However, you should know that it will not hide data such as your IP, for example. It is not something that protects your security. It allows you to access content that is geographically restricted. In fact, this is what has led to a considerable increase in the use of this type of service. This is not a novelty, as it has been around for 10 years, but it is in recent times that we have seen great growth.
Think of a movie or series you want to watch from Netflix, but it is not available in the USA or in the country you are in. What Smart DNS does is to hide your DNS, to mask them, so you can access content that may be geographically blocked. In part, it will act as a VPN, but it is not the same.
Differences with a VPN
We can say that there are major differences between a VPN and Smart DNS. You should not confuse what each service does, as you could have security and privacy problems. A VPN will hide the IP address and encrypt the data. This is very useful if you browse over a public Wi-Fi network, as it will protect your security.
However, Smart DNS does not do that. It does not hide the IP, nor does it encrypt the connection. In fact, they are not going to improve your security. Now, don’t VPNs also serve to avoid geo-blocking? Yes, it is true that they also have this function. However, there are differences that make many users opt for Smart DNS.
A clear difference between VPN and Smart DNS is speed. It is a fact that when browsing via VPN, the connection will be slower. You may even experience outages or have problems accessing certain services if you use a program that is not very reliable, such as the free ones.
Smart DNS does not encrypt the connection data. This has no impact on the connection speed. You will have no problems, for example, downloading from the cloud at good speed, streaming in high definition. Or play online and see that the game is constantly cut off.
On the other hand, you should bear in mind that some VPN services also offer Smart DNS. In other words, they will also change your computer’s DNS while encrypting the IP address and browsing data for greater security.
Advantages of using Smart DNS
Having seen how Smart DNS works and how it differs from a VPN, let’s take a look at the most important advantages of navigating through this type of service.
- The main advantage is that you will be able to enter websites that are blocked. This is very useful if you want to enter certain platforms that may be restricted in your country. For example, some movies or series on services like Netflix. As well as enter social networks or use certain applications that are banned in other countries.
- Another crucial point is that it will not slow down the connection. Unlike what happens with a proxy or VPN, in this case you will not notice a drastic drop in Internet speed, both upload and download. You will be able to browse without those annoying limitations.
- In addition, they are usually elementary to use and can be configured on multiple platforms. This allows you to browse through Smart DNS on your computer, cell phone, etc. You will have a wide range of options in this regard.
There are both free and paid Smart DNS services. However, as in the case of VPNs, if you want an option that really works well, you will usually have to opt for a paid one. You will find services that offer Smart DNS, such as NordVPN, SmartDNSProxy, Unlocator or Ironsocket. Each of these options has its peculiarities, but basically the end goal is the same.
Conclusion
In short, we can say that Smart DNS is a very intriguing alternative to the use of VPN or proxy. Especially when you only want to access restricted content. For example, watching a Netflix video that is not available in one place or using any blocked application. In addition, it is important when you need the Internet speed to be adequate and to avoid outages.
However, you should bear in mind that they will not encrypt the connection, nor hide the IP address, as a VPN service does. This must be considered, since in this case, the security when surfing the net will not be the same. If, for example, you are going to connect to a public network, your data could be at risk. Goodbye!
