Geo-blocking
Restricting access to content based on the country your address appears to be in.
Glossary
Smart DNS
What is Smart DNS?
Smart DNS is a service that redirects only the DNS lookups used for region detection, without encrypting your traffic. It is faster than a VPN for streaming because the video itself is neither encrypted nor rerouted, and it works on devices that cannot run a VPN client.
Why it matters
It is faster than a VPN for streaming because the video itself is neither encrypted nor rerouted, and it works on devices that cannot run a VPN client.
What most explanations leave out
"Nothing is rerouted" is the part usually got wrong. Smart DNS works precisely by returning the operator’s own proxy for the hostnames a service uses to check your region, so that traffic does go through their infrastructure â in the clear. Only the video stream goes direct. It provides no privacy whatsoever, the operator can see the requests it proxies, and it should never be confused with the VPN itself.
Related terms
VPN detection
Techniques services use to identify and block traffic arriving from known VPN infrastructure.
DNS leak
When name lookups travel to your ISP’s resolver instead of through the tunnel, exposing every domain you visit.
Questions
- What is Smart DNS?
- A service that redirects only the DNS lookups used for region detection, without encrypting your traffic.
- Why does Smart DNS matter when choosing a VPN?
- It is faster than a VPN for streaming because the video itself is neither encrypted nor rerouted, and it works on devices that cannot run a VPN client.
- What do most explanations of Smart DNS leave out?
- "Nothing is rerouted" is the part usually got wrong. Smart DNS works precisely by returning the operator’s own proxy for the hostnames a service uses to check your region, so that traffic does go through their infrastructure â in the clear. Only the video stream goes direct. It provides no privacy whatsoever, the operator can see the requests it proxies, and it should never be confused with the VPN itself.
Terms are defined here because they appear in our scoring rubric or in provider reviews, not to fill a glossary.