Unblock-US Review

Unblock-US for streaming is not a VPN and even not a proxy. Technically, it does not change an IP-address, as well as it does not create a VPN tunnel or encrypts bandwidth. That tech has nothing in common with Virtual Private Network technology.

But that is not all. Unblock-US has a “real” VPN called “Smart VPN”. It also does not encrypt traffic in order to be as fast as possible and does not mask an IP-address for some reason. The purpose of this feature remained incomprehensible to me.

How does it unblock streaming services then?

In what cases does it work?

What is their SmartVPN for?

How much does it cost and how to use Unblock-Us for free?

Keep reading and I will answer these and other frequently asked questions about Unblock-Us.

Use quick navigation for easy access to the necessary sections:

• Unblock-US Features
• Specifications of use
• Unblock-US Pros
• Unblock-US Cons
• Plans and prices
• Information about the owner
• Conclusion
• Top 3 Alternatives

Functions and Capacities of Unblock-US

Main features of a DNS service

Unblocking streaming services

Additional features of a DNS service

DNS Masking requests from ISP (Internet Service Provider)

Main features of a VPN service

Unblocking streaming services

Additional features of VPN service

None

Special Features of Unblock-US

The main mission of Unblock-US is to unblock geo-restricted content for watching the following services and channels:

113 TV channels (BBC, ITV, Sky Go, and others) and 11 music channels are also available for streaming.

The full list of all channels you can find here.

How does it work?

Unlike ordinary site visits, a video stream is transferred differently, directly from a video server to a viewer's device. The accustomed “slow” TCP/ IP protocol is needed to organize the launch of that stream. But this protocol does not involve in the optimization of the viewing process itself and it means that an IP-address is not transmitted.

But how does the geo-restriction work? Everything is simple: the IP-address of the client`s DNS server is analyzed. These servers, which are provided by ISPs, transform site names into IP addresses. A video player analyzes this address and the system determines the country where the viewer is located.

What does Unblock-Us do?

It provides DNS servers located in the regions that you need to view the content. Changing the DNS addresses, from those that the ISP provides, to new ones, allows streaming videos from another region.

This technology does not mask your IP address, so when selecting a video on a video service site, you may face a limited number of movies. You need a full-fledged VPN or proxy for complete unblocking.

There are 27 countries to choose from with the paid plan and 16 countries with the free one.

And what about their SmartVPN?

This is an additional service for those who need not only to change the DNS but also hide the fact of viewing video services from the ISP.

The VPN is available only in the form of configs for an Open VPN client and instructions for configuring the VPN protocols built into an OS. You must be able to install OpenVPN and import configuration files into it or set up a VPN through the system setting of your device to use it. Unblock-Us doesn’t offer VPN applications.

This VPN is not good at protecting your data and reliable masking of the websites addresses that you visit. It is good only for viewing Netflix and other services.

Your IP will not be changed!

Read more about the nuances of the VPN service in the next section.

Specifications of use

In this section, I will give you some recommendations for the effective use of Unblock-Us.

Use of SmartDNS

Providing DNS servers is the main service of Unblock-Us. It is not difficult to find information on the official website on how to configure it on any device.

In a nutshell, you need to change the DNS server for the IPv4 connection manually. It is not difficult to perform but rather laborious.

There is one peculiarity that Unblock-Us hides. In most cases, you will be obliged to change the DNS every time you establish an Internet connection (if you connect via Wi-Fi).

Otherwise, no actions besides selecting a location are required.

I noticed that there is no information about the number of locations that are offered by Unlock-US on the official website.

The following locations are available for a free trial:

There are these and 11 more locations are available with the paid plan. The total number is 27.

You may change locations through the user panel on the official website. However, you do not need to change DNS settings.

Moreover, you can see the status of your device on the panel whether it needs DNS reconfiguring or not.

If all the sectors are green, then everything is set up correctly.

After all the settings are selected, you can watch Netflix or any other streaming service.

If you saw a proxy error message:

You have to go back to the Netflix main page, refresh it and run the movie again.

How to use SmartVPN

The Unblock-Us VPN is truly “smart”. It has no applications for better usability and no traffic encryption.

How to use Unblock-Us VPN?

Installation and configuration instructions are available for all platforms on the official website:

The instructions include information on configuring only standard VPN protocols for a certain platform. But I always recommend using an open-source OpenVPN protocol, which is characterized by maximum reliability.

The first thing you have to do is to download and install an OpenVPN client, then import the downloaded configs into it.

But it does not work with the OpenVPN latest version!

It is not difficult to fix the bug. You need to open the configuration file c: \ Users \ {username} \ OpenVPN \ config \ uu-config \ uu-config.ovpn.

If you use any other OS apart from Windows, it is much easier to change the downloaded file first and then import it into the OpenVPN client.

Then you have to replace the block shown with the string “auth-user-pass” in the figure.

It is supposed to be like this:

After that, when you connect, you will be asked for your login and password. Enter your email address and password, which is specified in your panel here.

But…

The whole thing was done in vain because I couldn't manage to unblock movies for the US region.

Well, the movies were still unavailable through the search. Consequently, the region has not been changed after the launch of the VPN. So it failed the test.

Unblock-US Pros

SmartDNS Performance

Everything related to streaming services works great. After spending some time configuring the DNS on the OS, I was able to watch Netflix and do normal tasks as if there were no settings at all, and Netflix simply allowed US content in my region.

It has no influence on other apps either on the PC or on the mobile devices - no additional applications running, no decrease in speed.

It is a very effective solution, I confirm. 

Fastest speed

A VPN technology reduces the maximum speed provided by your ISP by 15-25%. You can feel it more clear if you use weak devices and cheap routers. 

SmartDNS does not affect the speed at all. That's because the technology does not imply traffic modification, tunneling, and encryption. No more actions from a computer, smartphone or router are required.

Moreover, the traffic does not pass through additional servers but goes directly, as well as without SmartDNS.

It sounds unbelievable, but the fact is that you may change the region for streaming without a decrease in speed. 

I did not carry out any speed tests because there is no sense to measure something that depends on my ISP and Netflix.

In other words, speed is practically unlimited.

Wide range of locations

Nowadays there are many VPNs available for Netflix, but none of them have such a choice of streaming locations.

Unblock-US provides up to 27 countries:

You can change the country on the main page but you have to log in using your password first. It is no need to change the OS settings on your device. 

Unblock-Us VPN, on the contrary, does not support changing locations. I could not change either IP or DNS.

Wide range of devices

Unblock-Us supports more devices than any of the best VPN service. This is due to the fact that the SmartDNS technology does not need the support of the VPN device to work correctly.

It is enough to register new DNS servers. Here is a list of all supported devices:

Moreover, you are not limited by the number of connected devices.

In the settings of the router, you can unblock Netflix and other services for all devices on a WiFi network at once. This is especially convenient when you are at home. Moreover, unlike a VPN, the router will not be overloaded and there is no need to buy an expensive and powerful one. The cheapest router is enough. Furthermore, since you change location through the site, the router has to be configured just once.

So the list of the Unblock-Us benefits is quite impressive. But do not forget to learn more about the cons before start using it.

Unblock-Us Cons

Lack of applications. Manual settings

The manual configuration of OS is inconvenient for a great number of users. You may need:

• a lot of time (depending on the features of the OS)
• frequent follow-up settings
• reinstalling of the system to fix unexpected bugs.

Is it worth all that stuff for just watching movies? There are a lot of VPN applications for Netflix, which are managed with 1-2 taps but make your browser and all other applications protected from interception. They allow you to stay safe when using the Internet in public places and much more.

No IP masking

What is a VPN without IP masking? Except perhaps access to Netflix. The ONLY thing an Unblock-Us user can do is watch geo-restricted content.

Unblock-Us is useless in those countries or private networks where Netflix is not available, as it does not bypass firewalls.

Theoretically, SmartVPN might be helpful but, as you can see, it could not unblock Netflix even without a firewall.

Why should you pay $5 per month if cross-functional VPNs starts from $1.99 per month? Moreover, these VPNs reliably unblock streaming services due to their configured in a special way servers and also allow you to enjoy all the benefits of VPN technology.

No choice of payment methods

Unblock-Us accepts only Visa and MasterCard. There are no other cutting-edge payment methods there.

Plans and prices

Unblock-Us has a free trial plan and a paid plan. Here are the prices:

$4.16 per month with an annual subscription ($49.90 per year)

$4.99 with a monthly subscription.

Unblock-Us supports the following methods of payment:

• Visa and MasterCard.

You can return the money within 30 days with an annual subscription.

Information about the company owner

Unblock-Us launched in 2016.

The owner of the Unblock-Us trademark is UU Inc., registered in Barbados. At the same time, according to the Terms of Use, Netprotect Inc., Barbados is the copyright holder. Moreover, NetProtect Ltd., registered in Cyprus, is specified as an interlocutor on the main page.

UU Inc Address:

21 Pine Road, Belleville, St Michael, BB11113, Barbados

Netprotect Inc Address:

283 Cashew Row, Sunset Crest, St. James, Barbados

NetProtect Ltd Address:

236 Strovolos Avenue, Strovolos, 2048, Nicosia, Cyprus

Phone: +1 (602) 515-0930

website: www.unblock-us.com

Conclusion

If you want to get the most effective solution for Netflix and you know how to set up a router, Unblock-Us is the right choice for you.

In other cases, this VPN is quite controversial. Firstly, there are a lot of cheaper and user-friendly services. Secondly, buying a DNS replacement service, you cannot circumvent censorship, bypass blockings in private networks, and feel protected when using public hotspots. So you can not enjoy many other benefits of a real VPN.

Moreover, I did not understand what the cut-down SmartVPN is used for. Unlock-Us does not only fail to hide an IP but also still doesn't make it possible to change the DNS location from the US to another country. It is a completely meaningless service, which seems to have been added for marketing purposes.

So, what is Unblock-Us good for and what is not?

It is good for:

• Bypassing the geo-restrictions and getting access to streaming services, especially when using a router

Not suitable for:

• IP masking
• Unblocking sites
• Bypassing censorship
• Data protection
• Protection when using public WiFi networks
• Torrenting
• other VPN functions

Due to the fact that in recent years the issue of protection from surveillance with the use of Internet technologies has become more acute, I advise you to use a real VPN. Only then you and your devices will be protected enough.

Top 3 Alternatives

NordVPN is the best Netflix VPN for unblocking sites and more. 5000+ servers in 60 countries, high speed and traffic obfuscation for $3.49 per month. Moreover, there is a trial period.

CyberGhost VPN is a cross-functional VPN service with a trial period and some special servers for streaming and anonymous torrenting. It is great for KODI. It costs only $2.75 per month, and more than 5900+ servers in 90 countries are available.

Surfshark is the most affordable of the best VPNs. OpenVPN obfuscation allows you to watch Netflix even in China. There are applications for all platforms, and a wide range of payment methods is provided.

Besides, you can read our VPN comparison with the other best providers for 2022.