Last week we wrote about a new SmartDNS service called DNS Eraser. Since then we’ve had a chance to put DNS Eraser through the paces and wanted to share our impression of the service. Anytime we test a VPN or Smart DNS while it’s in beta the bar isn’t set too high. With that said DNS Eraser did a fine job of unblocking content in other regioins. We were able to use the service to unblock and watch media in other countries.
When it comes to Smart DNS I’ve been using OverPlay for a long time. It works well so I haven’t spent much time using other services outside of testing them for our site. Trying out Smart DNS services isn’t like testing a new VPN. There just isn’t that much to test. With most services including DNS Eraser you simply authorize your IP address and change your DNS settings. From there the service will unblock sites in other regions.
Since we normally write about VPN I want to explain some of the differences between VPN and Smart DNS. With a VPN your data is encrypted. You can still access sites in other countries by connecting to a VPN server in that country. For example you would connect to a server in the UK to watch BBC iPlayer. VPN adds a layer of privacy protection but the encryption can impact your speed. A Smart DNS service on the other hand isn’t meant for privacy protection. It’s sole purpose is to unblock content in other countries. It will do so without the speed loss of encrypting your data. So it really comes down to which type of service better meets your needs.
Let’s give a quick example of how a Smart DNS can help you unblock channels in other regions. In this case take a look at what BBC iPlayer looks like when you connect from outside the UK:
Now take a look at BBC iPlayer while connected through a Smart DNS service. While you’re still physically located outside the UK the Smart DNS service will take care of unblocking the geographic restriction.
As you can see we now have access to watch Dr. Who through BBC iPlayer. The same is true for a number of channels in different regions. DNS Eraser has a supported channels page with an extensive list of channels that their service supports. The DNS Eraser service is currently in private beta. We have a few invites to share if you would like to test the service for free. If you’d like an invite please follow us on Twitter @VPNSP and send us a tweet. We’ll follow up with a direct message that includes the invite code.
