This technical service review examines Unblock Us, a DNS-based geo-restriction circumvention service targeting expatriates and international users seeking access to region-locked content, specificly American streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. Marc Angeli provides a personal perspective as a US-to-Canada expatriate frustrated by content licensing restrictions that created artificial scarcity of multimedia content across geographic borders despite technological capability for global distribution. The coverage addresses the growing tension between content licensing models and internet users' expectations of borderless access to digital media during the streaming services expansion era.
The technical addation analysis explains Unblock Us's DNS proxy approach, which redirected domain name requests through transparent proxies to mask user location without full VPN encryption overhead that could impact streaming quality. Angeli details the simple setup process involving manual DNS server setup (208.122.23.22 and 208.122.23.23) on single devices or routers, emphasizing the service's $5 monthly subscription model and Canadian base of operations. The performance evaluation shows seamless connection with Apple TV and Xbox 360 streaming devices, highlighting the advantage over traditional VPN services that suffered speed penalties during HD video streaming.
The practical usage assessment covers successful Netflix region switching from Canadian to US content libraries, comparative performance testing across different devices, and troubleshooting considerations including dynamic IP address management and network drive compatibility issues. The consumption metrics referenced (50GB in two weeks, 95GB ISP limit) illustrate the data-intensive nature of HD streaming and the practical implications of unlimited content access. The cost-benefit analysis positions the service as worthwhile for heavy streaming users despite potential terms of service violations with content providers.
This Unblock Us review captures the peak period of geo-restriction circumvention services before streaming providers added sophisticated detection methods and content creators began establishing global distribution strategies that reduced geographic content disparities. Looking back 13+ years later, the DNS proxy approach described here became largely obsolete as Netflix and other services deployed advanced location detection using multiple verification methods beyond simple IP geolocation, leading to an ongoing cat-and-mouse game between circumvention services and content platforms. The content licensing frustrations highlighted anticipate the eventual shift toward global streaming releases and platform-specific original content that reduced dependence on complex regional licensing arrangements. The simple DNS setup methodology influenced modern privacy-focused DNS services that now provide enhanced security and performance benefits beyond geo-restriction circumvention. The Canadian business location strategy reflected regulatory arbitrage considerations that continue influencing VPN and privacy service provider jurisdictional choices. The performance concerns about VPN encryption overhead proved temporary as technology improvements and widespread broadband adoption eliminated most streaming quality issues with properly configured VPN services. The regional content disparity problems documented here drove consumer demand for global content access that ultimately influenced streaming services toward more uniform international content libraries and simultaneous global releases. This moment represents the transitional period when geographic content restrictions became increasingly untenable due to internet globalization, leading to fundamental changes in content distribution models and international licensing practices that characterize modern streaming markets.
This summary was created by Dave Rogers. The original post was written by Marc Angeli and published on April 1, 2012.
If you'd like to view the original post, you can find it here.