The internet is global, but thanks to a complex set of pre-internet rules and legal agreements, there are virtual borders in place that restrict what you can see and do. Sometimes, it is also useful to appear as if you’re accessing the net from a different location than you really are. In both cases, the preferred tool is a VPN or Virtual Private Network.
The thing is, VPNs aren’t the only way to achieve this goal. If all you want to do is change your location on the internet and nothing else, a VPN is overkill, and you should consider a smart DNS instead.
VPNs are the default, but they can fall short
There are downsides to high walls
VPNs solve a bunch of different problems in one go, and the VPN industry has made them so easy to use it’s literally just the touch of a button. They encrypt your traffic and route it through a server in another country (or the same country, if you like), making it appear as though you’re browsing from that location.
But there are a few reasons you don’t necessarily want to do that. For one thing, you don’t want your bank to think you’re trying to access your account from the other side of the world, Some VPN’s offer s “split tunneling” feature where you can choose to only route certain data through the VPN, but this can be complicated to manage and unreliable.
Quiz
Cloud storage and self-hosting
Trivia challenge
From Dropbox to your own home server — how well do you really know where your files live?
CloudSelf-HostingProtocolsSecuritySoftware
Which company launched the first widely popular consumer cloud storage service, debuting in 2007?
Correct! Dropbox launched in 2007 and is widely credited with popularizing consumer cloud storage. Its simple file-syncing model set the template that almost every competitor would follow for years.
Not quite — the answer is Dropbox, which launched in 2007. Google Drive didn’t arrive until 2012, and OneDrive (then called SkyDrive) only became prominent around the same time.
Nextcloud is best described as which type of software?
Correct! Nextcloud is a free, open-source platform you install on your own server to get Dropbox-like features without relying on a third party. It supports file sync, calendars, contacts, and hundreds of community apps.
Not quite — Nextcloud is an open-source, self-hosted platform. It was actually forked from ownCloud in 2016 by founder Frank Karlitschek and has since become one of the most popular self-hosting projects in the world.
Which protocol does Nextcloud and many other self-hosted storage tools use to sync files between a server and client devices?
Correct! WebDAV (Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning) is an HTTP extension that allows clients to read and write files on remote servers, making it a natural fit for cloud-style file sync applications.
Not quite — the answer is WebDAV. While FTP, SFTP, and SMB are all valid file-transfer protocols, WebDAV is the standard used by Nextcloud, ownCloud, and many other web-based storage platforms because it runs over standard HTTP/HTTPS.
What does end-to-end encryption (E2EE) mean in the context of cloud storage?
Correct! With true E2EE, encryption and decryption happen on the user’s device, so the cloud provider stores only ciphertext and cannot read your files even if compelled to. Services like Proton Drive and Tresorit are known for this approach.
Not quite — E2EE means files are encrypted on your device before they ever leave it, so the provider only ever sees unreadable ciphertext. This is different from standard server-side encryption, where the provider holds the keys and could theoretically access your data.
What is a NAS, commonly used in home self-hosting setups?
Correct! A NAS (Network-Attached Storage) device connects to your home router and makes its hard drives accessible to every device on the network. Popular brands include Synology, QNAP, and Western Digital, and many run apps like Plex or Nextcloud.
Not quite — NAS stands for Network-Attached Storage. It is a purpose-built box with one or more hard drives that plugs into your router, letting all devices on your network access shared storage without needing a full PC running 24/7.
Which cloud storage service is natively built into macOS and iOS, deeply integrated with Apple’s ecosystem?
Correct! iCloud Drive is Apple’s built-in cloud storage service, tightly integrated into macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. It handles desktop and document folder sync, app data, photos, and more, all within Apple’s walled garden.
Not quite — the answer is iCloud Drive. While OneDrive, Google One, and Dropbox all have iOS and macOS apps, iCloud Drive is the service Apple built directly into its operating systems, making it the default for most Apple users.
Which open-source media server software is frequently self-hosted to stream a personal video and music library to any device?
Correct! Jellyfin is a fully free and open-source media server that you host on your own hardware. It streams your personal library of movies, TV, and music to browsers, apps, and smart TVs — with no subscription or tracking involved.
Not quite — the answer is Jellyfin. VLC and Handbrake are local playback and transcoding tools, while Kodi is a media center app rather than a server. Jellyfin (and its proprietary cousin Plex) are specifically designed to serve media over a network.
When self-hosting a service and exposing it to the internet, which tool is most commonly recommended to securely provide remote HTTPS access without opening router ports directly?
Correct! A reverse proxy like Nginx Proxy Manager or Caddy sits in front of your self-hosted apps, handles SSL/TLS certificates automatically, and routes traffic securely. This avoids exposing individual app ports directly and centralizes access control.
Not quite — the standard answer is a reverse proxy such as Nginx Proxy Manager or Caddy. Telnet is unencrypted and obsolete, RDP exposes the whole desktop and is a common attack target, and plain FTP lacks encryption, making all three poor choices for secure remote access.
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If you’re looking to consume media like streaming video, then a VPN can constrain your streaming quality or reduce your download speeds. Also, unless you have a fairly fancy router that can run a VPN on the router itself, getting a VPN set up on all the devices where you need it is a pain. It’s easy enough on a phone or desktop computer, but smart TVs and streaming boxes can be tricky. Apple only recently allowed some VPN services to work on its Apple TV streaming box.
- Brand
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Apple
- Operating System
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tvOS
You’ll get the full Apple experience with this streaming device. The A15 chip provides great hardware for all of your apps, Apple-exclusive or otherwise.
What Smart DNS does differently
When it comes to geo-unblocking, a smart DNS is like a scalpel versus the chainsaw of a VPN. Instead of routing all your data, it simply gives specific DNS (Domain Name System) responses to websites using a proxy server in the desired region. So there’s no VPN overhead, and services (like your bank) are completely unaffected.
Effectively, smart DNS gives you region switching, and region switching only. Of course, individual smart DNS services can also offer perks that go with switching away from your ISP’s DNS service, such as faster website loading. However, that depends on the service and these other benefits are not inherent to a smart DNS solution.
However, a smart DNS is easier to set up, especially at the router level. It’s no harder than changing your default DNS on your router or any other device. Since any router can use a smart DNS, it’s a good way to blanket your network with geo-unblocking for any device.
Smart DNS services are also cheaper, because you’re not paying for encryption and massive amounts of data center bandwidth. VPN prices keep creeping up, especially for the tiers you’d actually want for good performance.
Smart DNS isn’t unstoppable
You’ve probably noticed that some online stores and streaming services know when you’re using a VPN, because they keep a banned list of VPN server IP addresses. The only reliable way to get around this is to use a VPN with a dedicated IP address, which is indistinguishable from a regular computer on the internet.
Sadly, some services have also figured out how to bypass a smart DNS. Basically, all they have to do is perform a cross-check of some sort. If you’re listed as being in the US, for example, then why is the closest CDN in a different country? Why is your IP address somewhere else, why does the location service on your phone report a different country? That sort of thing can defeat smart DNS if a service wants to go to the trouble.
That said, with a little research (or by using a free trial) you can determine if it will work for your needs.
When you should still use a VPN
A smart DNS is just an alternative to a VPN when it comes to geoblocking, but since it offers no privacy protection, you should not use a smart DNS if you want to hide your traffic from your ISP or if you want to mask your real IP address.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
