Smart DNS Proxy Review 2024: Before You Buy, Is It Worth It?

Slow Speeds on Far Away Servers

The Smart DNS Proxy service’s speed is not the best but neither is it the worst among the competition. I found that the service offered satisfactory speed levels when connecting to servers that were located nearby, but it did noticeably slow down when connecting to servers that were far away.

I did not observe any significant discrepancies in performance while browsing the internet or streaming content. I was able to watch various movies and shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube without any buffering delays, and the quality was up to par with UHD standards. Additionally, even during online gaming, my Ping consistently maintained a reasonable range. As an example, while playing PUBG, my pings varied from 33 ms to 170 ms.

Speed Test Results

To establish a benchmark, I connected to my UK-based ISP and recorded 320 Mbps downloads, 13.07 Mbps uploads, and 33 ms pings on my 1 Gbps connection. Then, I tested a local server and found an 80% drop in download speed and an 89.43% drop in upload speed. After this, I wanted to see how Smart VPN Proxy would perform on servers farther away from my location. So, I ran multiple speed tests on different long-distance servers.

First, I connected to a server in New York, about 7505.72 km away, and achieved a download speed of 102.06 Mbps, an upload speed of 8.61 Mbps, and 96 pings. Then, I connected to a server in Mumbai, India and achieved a download speed of 117.73 Mbps, an upload speed of 7.26 Mbps, and 162 ms pings. Finally, I connected to a server in Paris, France and achieved a download speed of 60.16 Mbps, an upload speed of 9.20 Mbps, and 39 ms pings.

Smart VPN Proxy’s speeds may not look great on paper, and the results were inconsistent during testing. However, in actual real-world performance, I did not experience unbearably low speeds. If you have a sufficiently fast internet connection, you may not even notice Smart VPN Proxy running in the background.

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Server Network — Narrow Server Network

Smart DNS Proxy has a small number of servers available, with approximately 40+ servers in 26 countries around the world. Most of these servers are located in North America and Europe, but some are also found in Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America.

I conducted several experiments to evaluate the servers’ ability to handle daily tasks like web browsing, video streaming, and online gaming. Some servers were slow, but I was able to find a reliable server that provided enough speed to stream videos in standard definition. Additionally, switching servers is easy in case of any connection issues.

Smart DNS Proxy has specialized servers for streaming and torrenting, allowing you to stream popular sites like Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer. However, the servers may not always work correctly, as I experienced difficulties with streaming on Hulu and HBO Max when I tested them.

Compared to CyberGhost’s coverage of 100 countries, Smart DNS Proxy’s network is relatively limited. As a result, it may be wise to consider CyberGhost if you require a more extensive selection of servers.

Security — Limited Security Features

While lacking in advanced features, Smart DNS Proxy offers fundamental capabilities to ensure your utmost online security. With its reliable protection, you can rest assured that your network traffic remains unmonitored, and your IP address evades detection from potential trackers.

Some of the key security features of Smart DNS Proxy include:

• Military-grade encryption – Smart DNS Proxy prioritizes the protection of your data by implementing the highest level of encryption – AES 256-bit encryption, a military-grade encryption standard widely adopted by reputable institutions such as banks and the military. With this encryption, rest assured that your data is highly secure as it would take even the most skilled hacker an unimaginable one billion years to decode.
• Secure protocols – the provider offers access to several encryption protocols such as L2TP, IKEv2, and OpenVPN. The custom clients of Windows and Android allow users to access OpenVPN encryption and select between UDP and TCP. However, Mac and iOS solely provide native access to IKEv2, thereby necessitating the use of a third-party client for connecting via OpenVPN.
• Kill switch – the kill switch is a feature that makes sure your apps and internet connections stop working if your VPN connection goes down. This helps protect your information from getting leaked out. I tried it out and it worked just like it was supposed to.
• DNS leak protection – the primary function of DNS leak protection is to prevent your device from unintentionally exposing your browsing activities to your internet service provider (ISP) or other prying eyes.

Seeing that it offers DNS leak protection, I tested Smart DNS Proxy to see if it had any leaks, and it turned out to be totally safe with no DNS, IP, or WebRTC leaks. I tried different tools to check its security, and it all seemed good.

Privacy — Unclear Logging Policy

Smart DNS Proxy’s privacy policy page is brief and does not provide any information about what the company logs. The company clearly mentions that it collects personally identifiable information from users through online forms, service orders, and voluntary data sharing, only when it’s reasonably necessary to provide users with the requested service and manage account notifications.

While the provider promises to secure the collected data with industry-standard security systems, it admits that it cannot guarantee complete security for data submitted, transmitted, or stored on its systems, which poses a potential risk of unauthorized access.

It’s crucial to note that Smart DNS Proxy’s privacy policy doesn’t mention anything about logging, recording, monitoring, or storing user activity, which is a significant factor to consider, particularly when the service involves accessing restricted content. Lastly, the company has a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal activities on its platform, and accounts that breach its policy will be terminated.

Based on its questionable policy, I would recommend exercising caution when using Smart DNS Proxy. Additionally, it is noteworthy that their law firm is located in Canada, which indicates that despite being registered in Seychelles, it might actually be operated from Canada. As you are probably aware, Canada is a member of the 14 Eyes Alliance, an international surveillance coalition composed of several countries worldwide. These nations cooperate to collect and exchange mass data of their citizens when requested by authorities.

I would have felt better if Smart DNS Proxy made it clear on their website what their policies are. Also, VPNs are starting to hire renowned companies to check that their services are secure for users — it would be great if Smart DNS Proxy did the same.

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Torrenting — P2P-Friendly

Smart DNS Proxy offers torrenting access on a select number of servers located in Canada, Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland, which can be easily accessed from the dropdown menu. Although these servers are optimized for torrenting, the VPN may not be the fastest option available.

During my testing, I didn’t encounter any issues while downloading files due to the excellent initial speed. However, if your speed isn’t sufficient, the VPN may experience slow and irregular performance due to the limited number of servers available. Additionally, it is worth noting that Smart DNS Proxy operates in a jurisdiction that is not particularly privacy-friendly, and its data retention policy is unclear, so caution is advised when using its services.

If you desire a VPN that provides both rapid speed and dependable security for maintaining your privacy, my recommendation would be to give ExpressVPN some serious thought for file sharing. Note that my team and I do not support nor encourage illegal torrenting, thus it’s vital that you familiarize yourself with your country’s laws and regulations to avoid any potential consequences.

Does Smart DNS Proxy Work in China? No!

While I wasn’t able to do an in-person investigation due to my location, the Smart DNS Proxy support team confirmed that the service cannot be used in China due to geographical restrictions. I wasn’t surprised by this finding as the VPN service doesn’t have any methods of disguising its traffic which would have made it easier to get around such restrictions.

If you plan to visit China and wish to access content available only in specific regions, you will require a VPN. ExpressVPN is a good choice since it functions effectively in China, despite the country’s ongoing efforts to enhance its Firewall. It’s worth noting that the Chinese government does not allow unauthorized VPNs, but no incidents have been reported regarding travelers being penalized for utilizing them. Instead of targeting individuals who use VPNs, China generally blocks them through technological means.

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Smart DNS Proxy is known for its exceptional customer service, which is available 24/7. The service only offers live chat support, but it stands out from others by providing immediate assistance from a representative within seconds. I confirmed this during my review, as the live chat team was consistently available throughout the day.

For those who prefer to troubleshoot or set up the VPN themselves, Smart DNS Proxy has an extensive knowledge base with online tutorials. These tutorials cover all common issues and questions that users may have, and they are well-written and helpful. By using the knowledge base, you can easily resolve any problems without needing to contact the support team.

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