SMART DNS Proxy
Moderators: Soner, Dragon, PoshinDevon
-
- Kibkommer
- Posts: 489
- Joined: Sat 23 Feb 2013 7:47 pm
SMART DNS Proxy
Some months ago I dabbled with SMART DNS Proxy on a month's free trial on my spare laptop. Before I laid up the spare laptop, I removed this program as it was not required. Now some months later, when I try to obtain The Daily Mail on line on the spare laptop, it comes up with this Smart Dns and invites me to sign in and pay, which I do not want to do. Having researched Smart DNS, I find that a lot of people have this problem and it is very difficult to stop it, even though it is not in my programs lists. I have tried everything that has been suggested to no avail. Today I have reinstalled windows 10, in an attempt to rid my laptop of this problem, I did the complete reinstall, deleting everything and guess what it is still there when I try to get the Daily Mail. Has anyone any helpful suggestions as to my next move? It is in both the browsers that I use, which are Firefox and Edge.
- erol
- Verified Member
- Posts: 3365
- Joined: Tue 01 May 2012 7:14 pm
Re: SMART DNS Proxy
You need to make sure that your tcp/ip setting are 'get dns sever automatically' - this is how most dns redirect based services work, by assigning a manual dns server. Putting the tco/ip setting back to 'get automatically' will usually 'remove' such.
If you are not sure how to do this try googling it or if you like pm me a number I can contact you on and ill try and talk you through how to do it.
If you are not sure how to do this try googling it or if you like pm me a number I can contact you on and ill try and talk you through how to do it.
- Xtreme512
- Kibkommer
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Mon 19 Jan 2015 8:19 pm
Re: SMART DNS Proxy
Lots of "DNS Redirect" posts are going on in this forum, like this one. Let me make you aware of, this is a fancy name of DNS hijacking which forwards your queries to some DNS server and that pretty much might be compromised with malicious re-directions, e.g. you type google.com and find yourself in some phishing site or malware site.
Use trusty solid VPNs like PIA or ProtonVPN.
Use trusty solid VPNs like PIA or ProtonVPN.
I Walk Alone
- erol
- Verified Member
- Posts: 3365
- Joined: Tue 01 May 2012 7:14 pm
Re: SMART DNS Proxy
There is nothing more or less safe with a VPN based service to by pass geolocation restrictions than a DNS redirect based one. The issue is with trust, not what kind of tech is being used to overcome geolocation restrictions. A VPN service provided by a 'bad actor' is just as insecure as a DNS redirect based service from a 'bad actor'. If anything a VPN based service from a 'bad actor' is potentially more risky than a DNS redirect based service. There are also potential risks even if you use 'trusted' DNS serves like say those from google, as even these have at times themselves been compromised by 'bad actors'.Xtreme512 wrote:Lots of "DNS Redirect" posts are going on in this forum, like this one. Let me make you aware of, this is a fancy name of DNS hijacking which forwards your queries to some DNS server and that pretty much might be compromised with malicious re-directions, e.g. you type google.com and find yourself in some phishing site or malware site.
Use trusty solid VPNs like PIA or ProtonVPN.
In my opinion the main protection against such risk is to understand the difference between http and https and to understand security certificates, what they are and how they work. I realise that for most people this is not 'viable'.
So the advise to use such services from 'trusted' parties is good advice but the implied idea that a VPN service is inherently more secure than DNS redirect based service is just misleading imo. Just trying to be clear, not looking for an argument or pissing contest.
- Xtreme512
- Kibkommer
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Mon 19 Jan 2015 8:19 pm
Re: SMART DNS Proxy
There are no real geolocation restriction bypass other than a VPN. Issue with trust (leakage or stealing info) is there for shady VPN services, however the technique used in DNS redirect is itself somewhat malicious as I explained above (DNS poising), therefore making it an improper alternative for the OP's goal. I didn't mention Google as a VPN server provider. Good proper VPN services are not even potentially risky, especially the ones I mentioned in previous post. Users also can test their VPN services in various leak tests, such as this one https://www.astrill.com/vpn-leak-test for state of mind.
Users do not have to understand the differences between those protocols, they only need to know the right way to accomplish their goals. Btw, https means that any interaction between server and client is encrypted, by no means it indicates that the data exchange between is virus-free, as the content might be malicious. a good VPN itself creates a secure TLS (say encrypted 443/TCP) tunnel on top of all traffic types like http/https, that includes encrypting your plain-text DNS queries from ISP's eyes.
My 5 cents for main protection is to use uBlock Origin with uMatrix or NoScript extensions on a browser, a good AV/firewall and a common sense, but that is a different topic.
Just trying to prevent people from using risky things, is all.
Users do not have to understand the differences between those protocols, they only need to know the right way to accomplish their goals. Btw, https means that any interaction between server and client is encrypted, by no means it indicates that the data exchange between is virus-free, as the content might be malicious. a good VPN itself creates a secure TLS (say encrypted 443/TCP) tunnel on top of all traffic types like http/https, that includes encrypting your plain-text DNS queries from ISP's eyes.
My 5 cents for main protection is to use uBlock Origin with uMatrix or NoScript extensions on a browser, a good AV/firewall and a common sense, but that is a different topic.
Just trying to prevent people from using risky things, is all.
I Walk Alone
- erol
- Verified Member
- Posts: 3365
- Joined: Tue 01 May 2012 7:14 pm
Re: SMART DNS Proxy
Is the same not true of 'good proper' dns redirect services ? I do not understand why you think that dns redirect is inherently more risky than vpn, if this is what you think. How risky either is, as far as I understand it, is entirely down to how trust worthy the supplier is or is not.Xtreme512 wrote:Good proper VPN services are not even potentially risky,
If their goal is to overcome geo location restrictions on something like a smart TV that is not able to have a VPN set up on it, then by far and away the easiest solution is to use a dns redirect based service from a trusted supplier of such.Xtreme512 wrote:Users do not have to understand the differences between those protocols, they only need to know the right way to accomplish their goals.
So the service that the OP quotes from https://www.smartdnsproxy.com/ - you think that is risky do you ? On what basis do you consider this service more risky than say the ones you recommend like https://protonvpn.com/ ? This is what I do not understand. It seems to me you are judging how risky a given service is based on if they offer dns redirect instead or as well as vpn or not ? This makes no sense to me ?Xtreme512 wrote:Just trying to prevent people from using risky things, is all.
-
- Kibkommer
- Posts: 3692
- Joined: Fri 16 Mar 2018 4:46 pm
Re: SMART DNS Proxy
Yesterday, i got an email from a prince in Nigeria. Due to the new data protection laws he asked me to confirm that I still want to receive his emails.
-
- Kibkommer
- Posts: 489
- Joined: Sat 23 Feb 2013 7:47 pm
Re: SMART DNS Proxy
Thanks for the offer Erol. I will keep trying and if I get nowhere I'll send you my number and enlist your help.
-
- Kibkommer
- Posts: 489
- Joined: Sat 23 Feb 2013 7:47 pm
Re: SMART DNS Proxy
Hi Erol,
I tried google and there was lots of advice there but nothing seemed to work (for me anyway). Then I introduced my Streamvia VPN to the spare laptop and that seems to have solved the problem. It must be overriding the Smart DNS, so as long as I keep Streamvia going I can do everthing I want to do and I intended to keep Streamvia anyway. So thanks for the advice and keep your fingers crossed for me. THANKSagain.
Mike
I tried google and there was lots of advice there but nothing seemed to work (for me anyway). Then I introduced my Streamvia VPN to the spare laptop and that seems to have solved the problem. It must be overriding the Smart DNS, so as long as I keep Streamvia going I can do everthing I want to do and I intended to keep Streamvia anyway. So thanks for the advice and keep your fingers crossed for me. THANKSagain.
Mike
- Xtreme512
- Kibkommer
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Mon 19 Jan 2015 8:19 pm
Re: SMART DNS Proxy
@erol Your questions are already answered in my posts as clear as possible. I can imagine frustration of yours. As you work for MM, you don't want to tell users to buy an extra VPN service or subscribe a paid/premium TV channel program which requires no VPN, because MM already takes reasonably high amount of fee for undetermined speed and daily quota from users. Considering that the problem, as far as I read, is MM's free VPN service which no longer works with users' TV channel program.
I Walk Alone
- erol
- Verified Member
- Posts: 3365
- Joined: Tue 01 May 2012 7:14 pm
Re: SMART DNS Proxy
OK if that is what you want to believe then so be it. I believe the evidence of my previous posts is very much at odds with your claims as to what my 'frustrations' are as well as my motivations for posting, but hey ho.Xtreme512 wrote:@erol Your questions are already answered in my posts as clear as possible. I can imagine frustration of yours. As you work for MM, you don't want to tell users to buy an extra VPN service or subscribe a paid/premium TV channel program which requires no VPN, because MM already takes reasonably high amount of fee for undetermined speed and daily quota from users. Considering that the problem, as far as I read, is MM's free VPN service which no longer works with users' TV channel program.
I still maintain that a DNS redirect service is no more or less inherently 'safe' than a VPN service. From a trusted supplier either is essentially just as safe as the other and from an un trusted one either is as 'unsafe' as the other. I maintain this because I believe it to just be a fact and not because I work for MM or as a result of any frustrations.