I’ve used ibVPN over the years but didn’t have a chance to test ibDNS until recently. As part of reviewing the Smart DNS service I tested content in the United States and United Kingdom. I’m pleased to share that ibDNS performs exactly as advertised. It will help you unblock geographic restrictions regardless of where you’re located.
The ibVPN team started offering proxy service in 2003 and in the years to come added VPN. They have since added Smart DNS with their ibDNS offering. Today I’ll focus on the ibDNS service. Along with the basics of their VPN service. You’ll find that both ibVPN and ibDNS are supported by a friendly, knowledgeable staff that is happy to help.
Pricing and Special Offers
Both ibVPN and ibDNS services are fairly priced. They each offer a lot of value. You can enjoy unlimited SmartDNS for $4.95 a month. That’s right in line with other providers like Unblock-Us and OverPlay. They offer discounted pricing on longer term sign ups. You can enjoy unlimited Smart DNS access for just $36.95 a year during their current promotion.
ibVPN offers a wide range of payment options. Those who like digital curreny can use Bitcoin or LiteCoin. They also support PayPal, credit card and SMS. The ibVPN team has partnered with payment services around the world to make signing up for thier service as simple as possible. They offer PaymentWall which also gives you payment options like AliPay, Yandex, PaySafeCard, Ukash, CashU, Giropay, Necard, Mercado Pago, MyCard Wallet, Qiwi, iDeal, Todito Cash, Mol Points, NeoSurf, Dotpay and more.
ibDNS Free Trial
I’ll start by talking about their 24 hour free trial. The team at ibVPN understands that you need time to test before committing money to the service. They offer everyone who comes to the site a 24 hour free trial of both VPN and SmartDNS. You can simply enter in your email address and use both services for 24 hours free. Note that the trial starts when you submit the form. There’s nothing to cancel if you don’t like the service and no credit card required for the trial.
What is Smart DNS and How Does ibDNS Work?
Whether we’re talking about ibDNS or any of our top 10 Smart DNS companies it helps to know what SmartDNS means and how it works. The goal of SmartDNS is to help users unblock geographic restrictions for sites like Netflix, Hulu and BBC, They open access to sites from anywhere in the world without decreasing the speed of your Internet connection. That’s different from a VPN which adds encryption but in turn decreases the speed of your connection
The ibVPN team will provide you with instructions. You can log into their site after you join. For now I want to quickly share how easy it is to get started. Once you sign up for a plan you can simply visit their site and change your DNS settings to those provided by ibVPN. From there you’ll have access to channels like Amazon Instant and Netflix.
If you sign up for bVPN’s Ultimate or Family plans you’ll receive an extra ibDNS connection to use on a second device.
Supported Devices
ibDNS supports a wide range of devices. They have a “How to Setup” section of their site with guides for your computer, game console, mobile device, set top box and router. You’ll want to make sure your specific device is supported. If you can manually configure the DNS settings then it’s likely going to work.
Here’s a list of supported devices:
- Computer – Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Mac OS X, Linux
- Mobile – iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire
- Set-top box – Apple TV, Boxee Box, Chromecast
- Game console – Playstation 4, Playstation 3, PS Vita, Xbox 360
- DD-WRT router
Setting up ibDNS on your router can help you use the service throughout your network with a single account.
Channel Line-Up
This is what it’s all about. What can you watch with the service? ibDNS has a full list of channels on their site. Note that you’ll still need a paid subscription for services like Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO Go and others. Smart DNS will help you get around any geographic restrictions but you still need a membership for premium channels.
Here’s a list of channels available through ibDNS:
- United States – Netflix, Hulu, Hulu Plus, ABC, Vudu, NBC, Amazon Video, VH1, VEVO, South Park Studios, Fox, CBS, AMC, PBS, Showtime, History, Syfy, Starz, Starz Play, Encore, Fox Soccer 2Go, Univision, The Simpsons, American Idol, X Factor, DramaFever, Crunchyroll, Crackle, Epix HD, NFL Game Pass, VidZone, Pandora, Radio.com, Spotify, iHeart, Rhapsody, Slacker, Songza, Music Unlimited, Rdio
- Canada – CTV, MTV, Discovery Channel, Discovery World, Investigation Discovery, Science Channel, Animal Planet, Radio Canada, TouTV, VTele, ZTele, Tele,Quebec, Addik, CanalD, Vrak, CanalVie, HistoriaTV, SeriesPlus, MusiquePlus, RogueFM, Radiorj, Myezrock, VirginRadio, Global TV, Global News, Food Network, HGTV, History, Showcase, Slice, ET Canada, Lifetime, DIT, Action
- United Kingdom – BBC iPlayer, ITV, UTV, Channel 4, 4OD, 4music, Wuaki.tv, Sky Go, Blinkbox
- Germany – Netflix, Watcheyer. RTL NOW, VOX NOW, SUPER RTL NOW, ZDF
- France – Netflix, FranceTV, FranceTV Pluzz, FranceTV Sport, FranceTV1, FranceTV2, FranceTV3, FranceTV4, FranceTV5, FranceTVO, TF1, M6, Wg, 6ter, Canalplay, myCANAL, L’EQUIPE21, Eurosport, Eurosport Player, beIN SPORTS
- Netherlands – Netherlands, FOX Sports, NPO, BVN
- Switzerland – Zatoo, RTS, RTS Un, RTS Deux, Wilmaa
- Finland – Netflix
- Australia – Ten, One, ABC iview
- Egypt – beIN SPORTS
- Brazil – Netflix
- Latin America – Netflix
- Worldwide – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
ibDNS will help you unblock access to all the channels listed above from anywhere in the world. You will still need a paid subscription for services like Netflix and Hulu Plus. Some may require an iTunes account in a specific country or a cable / satellite subscription.
ibDNS Speed Test
As I mentioned earlier the difference between a VPN and Smart DNS is encryption. A VPN uses encryption to secure your data. Unfortunately using encryption can slow down your connection. That’s where Smart DNS comes in. Smart DNS will unblock access to sites in other countries without the need for encryption. This method doesn’t slow down your Internet connection. I don’t experience any speed loss with ibDNS.
ibDNS Review : Conclusion
Whether you’re looking for Smart DNS or VPN service the team at ibVPN has you covered. They offer a wide range of account options and a very good service. You can enjoy ibDNS from just $3.07 a month or step up to their Ultimate plan and enjoy VPN + Smart DNS with two connections from just $6.91 a month.
Unblock sites around the world with Smart DNS. You can use ibDNS to watch popular streaming services like Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Video. Along with live sporting events regardless of where you may be traveling or living at the time. I enjoyed testing ibDNS and would recommend the service along with their VPN offering.
