How to Install SmartDNS on Windows 10

SmartDNS is a domain name resolution tool that allows you to browse blocked websites and access region-restricted content. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of installing SmartDNS on Windows 10.

Step 1: Download SmartDNS from GitHub

To download SmartDNS, go to the following link on GitHub: https://github.com/pymumu/smartdns. You can download the latest release of SmartDNS as a zip file by clicking on the "Code" button and then selecting "Download ZIP".

Step 2: Extract the ZIP file

Once the ZIP file has finished downloading, extract it to a folder on your Windows 10 computer.

Step 3: Configure SmartDNS

Before you can start using SmartDNS, you need to configure it. Open the folder where you extracted SmartDNS and double click on the "smartdns.exe" file to launch it.

Once SmartDNS has launched, right-click on the SmartDNS icon in the system tray and select "Edit SmartDNS Config File".

This will open the configuration file in Notepad. Here, you can configure which DNS servers SmartDNS should use for domain name resolution.

For example, if you want to use Google's public DNS servers, you can add the following lines to the configuration file:

server {
    nameserver 8.8.8.8
    nameserver 8.8.4.4
}

Save the configuration file and close Notepad.

Step 4: Start SmartDNS

To start SmartDNS, double-click on the "smartdns.exe" file in the folder where you extracted the SmartDNS files.

Once SmartDNS is running, you should see the SmartDNS icon in the system tray. Right-click on the icon to access the SmartDNS menu.

Step 5: Configure your Network Adapter

Next, you need to configure your network adapter to use SmartDNS for domain name resolution. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Right-click on the network icon in the system tray and select "Open Network & Internet settings".
  2. Click on "Change adapter options".
  3. Right-click on the network adapter you are using and select "Properties".
  4. Select "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" and click on "Properties".
  5. Select "Use the following DNS server addresses" and enter the IP address of your computer (usually 127.0.0.1) as the preferred DNS server address.
  6. Click on "OK" to save the settings.

Step 6: Test SmartDNS

Now that SmartDNS is installed and configured, you can test it by trying to access a geo-restricted website. For example, if you want to access content that is only available in the US, try accessing a website that is only available in the US.

Congratulations, you have successfully installed and configured SmartDNS on your Windows 10 computer!

If you want to self-host in an easy, hands free way, need an external IP address, or simply want your data in your own hands, give IPv6.rs a try!

Alternatively, for the best virtual desktop, try Shells!