Review by our expert
Latest positive user review
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Review by our expert
With VPNs, you tend to get what you pay for. So when I saw Surfshark’s low prices, I was skeptical about its rave reviews. To see if it could actually live up to these claims, the team and I tested every aspect of Surfshark, including its speeds, security features, streaming abilities, network reliability, and device compatibility.
Can Surfshark be trusted? It can, and it is. The Financial T...
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Latest positive user review
Fast, reliable and unlimited
This VPN is fast and reliable. It has a lot of servers in different countries and can be used in an un... limited amount of devices (it supports Linux, which is something very important for me). The software and app get updated regularly: note that I experienced some bugs with the auto-connect feature on Android that have been solved since then. With this competitive pricing, I would definitely recommend it.
IMPORTANT NOTE: I am not including the customer support in this review, because I never had to use it. If I use it in the future, I will update this review with my experience. I recommend you to see other reviews that include it if it is important for you.More
Latest negative user review
Frustrating Experience with Surfshark - A Cautionary Tale
I’ve been a Surfshark customer for quite some time, but my experience with their service over the last... few months has been nothing short of frustrating and exhausting. After dealing with endless issues and subpar support, I feel it’s only fair to share my experience so that others can make an informed decision.
The Problems
I initially encountered serious issues with Surfshark’s version 5.13, which simply didn’t work properly. Rather than providing a real solution, the support team suggested I roll back to an older, less secure version, which obviously wasn’t a feasible option. And when version 5.14 was released, there were no guarantees that it would work smoothly either. This lack of reliability left me in the dark and without proper protection for my devices. As a user who’s been comfortable with VPNs for years, I expected better. Instead, the issues with Surfshark went far beyond just software bugs. The app had such a significant impact on my system’s configuration that I had to fully reinstall Windows twice, losing hours of my time in the process. After the system crash caused by the software, I found that I couldn’t even log in to my PC properly, rendering it unusable.
2. Port 443 Miscommunication
Another issue arose around port 443. Initially, Surfshark’s support team claimed that my port was closed, which would have been a security issue. However, after conducting tests and providing photo evidence, I proved that the port was actually open. The support team’s initial miscommunication and failure to acknowledge this only added to my frustration.
3. The Toll on My Health
Beyond the technical problems, this entire ordeal has had a significant impact on my health. I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, and the constant stress of trying to get this issue resolved has caused me to lose sleep and even feel physically ill at times. The level of support - or rather, the lack of it - has only made things worse. In the end, I decided to part ways with Surfshark. Despite having paid £70.96 for two years of service, I feel like I’ve received far less than I paid for, especially given the extensive downtime and constant problems. I reached out to Surfshark asking for a partial refund for the 18 months that I couldn’t use the service properly. Unfortunately, they flatly refused to even consider it. This lack of accountability speaks volumes about their disregard for customer satisfaction.More
Review by our expert
Smart DNS Proxy claims to offer a 3-in-1 service that includes a proxy, a VPN, and a SmartVPN. In reality, I found out it really only offers 2 services — the proxy and the VPN. The proxy claims to offer fast access to 400+ sites and services (by rerouting only your traffic to those specific sites), but doesn’t provide any online privacy or the option to change your IP address. The VPN encrypt...
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Latest positive user review
I'm happy with Smart DNS Proxy since 2016
I have used Smart DNS Proxy since 2016 on my Firestick (UK Prime) from Malaysia. It allows me to acces... s all UK content, including BBC iPlayer, NowTV, ITVx, Britbox, 4, 5, and PrimeVideo and Disney+ (US). I had to give up Disney+ access when I got NowTV(UK) due to the Region setting. I had no trouble accessing Netflix USA until I stopped watching Netflix on my tv and just used the tab when I travel. I found their Customer Service to be ok. They certainly helped me set up my router settings when I first signed on with them. After 2 bi-annual subscriptions, I went all in and got the Lifetime subscription in 2020. I didn't know SmartDNS was acquired by another company till recent when I found out that they are now based in Turkey. They were based in Mauritius or was it Seychelles up to then.More
Latest negative user review
Doesn't do half of what you say it does!
I have multiple devices (Fire TV, Apple TV, SmartTV, Computer, PS4 and an ISP-provided set-top box. T... he SmartDNS Proxy App only works on one of them - the SmartTV. I am actually not sure that the app is even supported any more, which is a shame because when I connect to one the their servers using the app, I can stream almost anything. However, it is a completely different story when using the config settings provided by SmartDNS service staff.
As has been started, it is overly complicated to setup. Your router must be configured to not use IPV6. If you don't know how to do that, stop right now.
You can then decide whether you want to set up the SmartDNS Proxy IP addresses in your router, or configure them on each individual device. The service staff have, over the years recommended BOTH!
You are told to use server IPs which are located closest to you. Yet when you have issues (which you will. A lot) the service staff tell you to use apparently random server locations.
It is impossible to set up SmartDNS Proxy on an Amazon Fire TV. This device WILL let you change to static APs but it has 8.8.8.8 (Google) and an IPV6 address HARDCODED into it - which the service staff would not acknowledge despite me sending screenshots of each setup page. So no matter which SmartDNS server IP address you use, Fire TV will know that you are using a VPN = no streaming.
BBC iPlayer is supported, for sure. But it works about 50% of the time, with the usual error message that basically tells you that BBC knows that you are not in the UK.
Amazon Prime is very similar.
SO do not plan to watch a TV series - I will guarantee that you will get halfway through before the streaming service drops you!
I am really at a loss to understand how some of these reviews contradict my findings. I have, over the last 5 years, spent HOURS with the service staff (which incidentally seems to have halved in number (and there is now NO live chat) and we have not got something to work. For example - I want to stream my favourite sporting fixture the Rugby 6 Nations. I can GUARANTEE that even though I will have been watching a program on iPlayer the day before, the second this sporting fixture starts, BBC iPlayer AND ITVX both stop working with Smart DNS Proxy.
The ONLY reason I am still with them is that I bought an extended membership. When that is up for renewal, I will drop this service like a hot potato.More