PureVPN is one of the most debated VPN providers on the market. That is true and there is no debate on the fact that they are debated, but whether they are a good provider or not, that is a subject on which there is a heavy debate. What is the view we have here in the IP Address Guide?
To be honest, our experiences with PureVPN is in general very good. But, this article is not meant to share our views on PureVPN, but to explain what their SmartDNS service is about and how to use it. If you want to know more about PureVPN in general, read our PureVPN review.
What is SmartDNS?
Different VPN providers often use different names for this, but SmartDNS or VPN provider name + DNS is a frequent combination. A DNS is a Domain Name Server, and this is what helps you, almost like your phone book on your cell phone. Instead of remembering the IP address of every website you want to visit, or instead of remembering the phone number of everyone you want to call, you simply remember the name, and then the DNS server or your phone does the rest. Most ISPs (Internet Service Providers) will let you automatically use their DNS servers, but you can also manually use the Google DNS servers or OpenDNS servers. If you wonder how to setup DNS servers in Windows, read this article. That article speaks of the problem that some ISPs block you as you use a VPN provider, and the soluton is to use a different DNS provider, and that will solve the problem, and then it will of course explain exactly how to change the DNS servers.
When you use a SmartDNS you will use the DNS servers provided by your VPN provider. As you for example use SmartDNS from PureVPN and visit Netflix.com you will not be routed directly to www.netflix.com, but you will first be routed to a PureVPN proxy server which will make it possible for you to watch geo-blocked content on Netflix.com. In this way you will not loose speed as you would using a VPN connection, but be aware of the fact that your connection is not encrypted as it would be using a VPN, and you will still operate using your normal IP address, and not get a new IP address as you would using a VPN connection.
How to setup PureVPN SmartDNS?
It is important that you buy a PureVPN package with SmartDNS included, or include it manually. If you have the SmartDNS included you can see so as you visit the PureVPN control panel and click the SmartDNS button. If you see that you need to activate this and contact support for help, then it is not activated. If you have just activated or bought it, make sure to log out and log in to PureVPN panel for the changes to be activated. Now you are ready to go!
- Open PureVPN application in Windows and right click to open with Administrator rights.
- Click on SmartDNS and click I don’t have a SmartDNS addon.
- Click the Client Area button and log in to the PureVPN client area using your email address and password.
- Click the SmartDNS tab in the menu at the PureVPN website.
- Get your activation key which can now be seen on the PureVPN website.
- Open your PureVPN application again and go back and click “I have a SmartDNS addon.”
- Paste or type in your activation key and click activate.
- Now you can click the Power button on the SmartDNS part of the PureVPN application.
- The new DNS servers to be used by PureVPN will now automatically be set up in Windows, and you should be able to enjoy the services of PureVPN.
Be aware of the fact that you might have to restart your computer, at least it is worth trying if things do not work at once. A good way of checking if it works is by visiting for example www.netflix.com. If Netflix opens nicely, then it is working, but if you get an error message that Netflix is unavailable in your region, then something is wrong.
[stbpro id=”alert”]Once this is working you can enjoy this even without starting the PureVPN program. However, be aware of the fact that if you get a new IP address, you will need to do the set up over again. Some ISPs like changing your IP address frequently, while others let you surf the web with the same IP address for weeks, so this is just important to know. It is also important to know that in the moment you connect to a VPN server the SmartDNS function will stop working.[/stbpro]
A great thing is that PureVPN do have a live chat available, so if you get any problems and things do not work, just write, and they are normally ready online to help you within a few minutes!
Good luck, and enjoying using PureVPN SmartDNS service to watch TV shows and TV stations worldwide at super speeds!
If you do not have a PureVPN subscription yet you can visit their website clicking the button above and to sign up at once!
i setting dns server directly on my router so i have change the ip each time:(
i would like to use purevpn at router-modem-ap level so all my connected device will use vpn connection to go on internet. but i discovered that my beatufull fritzbox aren’t compatible with purevpn.
some user recommend me https://www.flashrouters.com:
flashrouter — fritzbox — my devices
hi, i would like to know if i use opendns and google dns i need also smartdns or this service is equivalent?
regards
luigi
Those are similar services, but still very different. The difference is the fact that PureVPN SmartDNS helps you fake your actual location, while GoogleDNS and OpenDNS reveals your true location. PureVPN SmartDNS can thus be used to watch US Netflix in other nations, BBC online and much more from outside those nations, while that can not be done with Google DNS and OpenDNS.
thanks for reply. i use an dynamic public ip so when it change i have to re-insert the new ip on purevpn smart dns service?
Yes, if your IP address keeps changing, then that needs to be updated. If you use the Windows software for PureVPN it will automatically whitelist your IP address as it changes though!