When browsing the Internet there is a very important 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 article we are going to talk about Smart DNS. We are going to explain what it is and how it can help improve privacy, but without affecting the connection.
How Smart DNS works
DNS is used to link a domain name to an IP address. That is, when you enter the browser and put this article.net, for example, your system automatically “translates” that information and returns the IP that corresponds to that page. You don’t need to remember meaningless numbers, just the domain name.
But of course, by sending that DNS request we are sending information. They will know certain information about our team. That’s where Smart DNS comes into play. 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 like this, for example in Windows. But you can also use the DNS of services such as Google, Cloudflare or Quad9, among many others. However, when you use Smart DNS you are going to enter the Internet with its DNS, since it hides your real ones, the ones you have configured on your computer. It will change the DNS that you have configured locally for yours remotely.
However, you should know that it will not hide data such as your IP. In fact, this is what has caused a considerable increase in the use of this type of service. It is not a novelty, since it has existed for 10 years, but it is in recent times that we have seen great growth.
Differences with a VPN
We can say that there are big differences between a VPN and Smart DNS . You should not confuse what each service does, as you could have security and privacy issues. A VPN will hide the IP address and encrypt the data. This is very useful if you browse through 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 will not improve your security. Now, don’t VPNs also serve to bypass geo-blocking? Yes, it is true that they also have this function, but there are differences that make many users opt for Smart DNS.
One clear difference between VPN and Smart DNS is speed . It is a fact that when browsing through VPN the connection will be slower. They may even appear cuts 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 connection data . This means that it does not have an impact on the speed of the connection. You won’t have any problems, for example, downloading from the cloud at a good speed, streaming in high definition or playing online and seeing that the game constantly cuts out.
Of course, you should keep in mind that some VPN services also offer Smart DNS. That is, they will also change the DNS of your computer while encrypting the IP address and browsing data for greater security.
Advantages of using Smart DNS
After having seen how Smart DNS works and what its differences are compared to a VPN, we are going to see the most important advantages of browsing through this type of service.
- Also, another very important 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 navigate without those annoying limitations.
- In addition, they are usually quite simple to use and you can configure them on multiple platforms. This will allow you to browse through Smart DNS on your computer, mobile, etc. You will have a wide range of options in this regard.
There are both free and paid Smart DNS services. However, as is the case with VPNs, if you want an option that really works well, you 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.
Conclusions
You must bear in mind that they will not encrypt the connection , nor hide the IP address, as if a VPN service does. That must be present, since in this case the security when browsing the network will not be the same. If, for example, you are going to connect to a public network, your data could be in danger.
If you are also looking to improve privacy and security, you should know that there are VPN programs that also have Smart DNS. In this way you will have an “all in one” that can be very useful for surfing the net and not having any type of personal data leakage problem.
