When internet users want to access geo-restricted content. In particular, shows and movies from streaming services based in other countries. They turn to various means to bypass these restrictions.
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While there is lots of marketing about which delivers the best experience, there are continual changes with these streaming services. What works today may no longer work tomorrow or the next day.
Netflix and BBC iPlayer being two of the most stringent services to access for any VPN service reliably.
Tunlr was a decent solution, but like many, Tunlr closed and left many users struggling to access their favorite movies and shows.
Read on to learn more about what Tunlr was, and what the best alternatives to Tunlr are now.
What Was Tunlr?
This is in no way a Tunlr review because it isn’t possible to test how this service works, what Tunlr was what they call a smart DNS service.
The way these work is to change your DNS settings and replace them with their own. In operation, this will spoof your location. By doing this, you can be sat in the UK or Australia, and connect to Netflix using the Tunlr DNS.
Once the platform checks where the connection comes from, it would think it was inside the USA, and so, enabling users to access this content.
Without any warning, Tunlr closed its doors and stopped delivering its services. The free DNS service was supposed to become a paid-for option, yet decided to halt all their operations.
Users now have two options for accessing restricted content. Use a smart DNS or choose a VPN service. Here we will look at what the differences are.
Smart DNS vs. VPN Service
You can find the argument of which service offers the best a continual thing. Each kind of service delivers benefits, although the ultimate consideration has to be how secure end-users will be.
Online privacy is a significant issue, and services such as Unlocator Smart DNS (one of the Tunlr alternatives), don’t do anything to maintain confidentiality.
A smart DNS service can be faster, yet you can’t download torrents, or do anything online, which you don’t want anyone to see.
A VPN, on the other hand, will keep your identity hidden by encryption, so you can download torrents, stream on Kodi, or anything that governments may frown upon.
Users also need to consider data retention from their ISP. A smart DNS offers no protection, whereas a VPN hides all this data.
In addition, the top VPN’s are now close to the speeds of DNS services, so there is little reason to go in that direction.
Here are three of the best premium VPN’s you can choose to equal any Smart DNS.
VPN Alternatives to Tunlr
Here are three quick reviews of top VPN’s that not only match what Tunlr used to offer but surpass its features in most areas.
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN has 3,000+ high-speed servers in over 94 countries and is the fastest streaming VPN, so both streaming and torrenting see the best gains. With Split Tunneling, you can access local and foreign content at once. You can use the MediaStreamer for devices that have no app.
256-bit encryption and OpenVPN support are standard; DNS leak protection and kill switch keep you secure. TrustedServer technology guarantees all data runs in RAM, so no data of users is saved on disk.
24/7 live chat support helps users who have issues, and a 30-day money-back guarantee means any user can test the service without paying.
2. CyberGhost
CyberGhost might be ideal if you are a new user. It offers a simplistic interface, although updated with the recent overhaul. It offers good encryption, zero logging, and a large server network comprising over 5,900 servers in 90 countries.
Apps don’t leak DNS and come with a kill switch, so it is safe and secure on seven devices at once.
There is an automatic connection to the quickest server and has dedicated servers for streaming to access Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, and others. You can smart rules and tailor connection features for Wi-Fi etc.
While not as fast as the above, CyberGhost’s download speeds are sufficient for buffer-free streaming (and downloading torrents). A 45-day money-back guarantee means you can check out this beginner-friendly VPN.
3. Surfshark
Surfshark is a relatively new VPN service, but it has already gained a reputation.
Being a relatively new provider offers an unlimited number of simultaneous connections. Add to that split tunneling, double encryption, and kill switch for full protection.
Users can also use the CleanWeb feature, which blocks advertising and prevents malware.
These include obfuscation settings and NoBorders mode and Camouflage mode. Internet service providers cannot see that you are using a VPN.
Surfshark’s network includes 1041 servers in 61 countries. By comparison, although it is a small network, it can still bypass many geo-restrictions of streaming services at a decent speed to prevent buffering.
Conclusion
Just looking at these the VPN providers, you can see they offer much more than any Smart DNS service will do in terms of security and privacy.
One of the key areas being the data retention most ISP providers carry out on their subscriber’s data.
Not only does this show what users have done for up to two years, but there is also the chance this data can be sold on to third parties for marketing purposes.
Smart DNS services are unable to prevent any of this, and the only real service they offer is restriction bypassing to watch overseas content. (Read our Unlocator Smart DNS Review)
It is a strong recommendation to give these DNS systems a miss and to use the services you know can deliver and will deliver for many years to come.
