What is this Global Mode you speak of?!
So what is (was) Global mode? Global Mode is a technology that makes it look like you're surfing the internet from a different country to the one you're actually in. It was adopted by some New Zealand ISPs such as Orcon, Slingshot and Call Plus until it's legalities were questioned by Sky TV, Spark and Vodafone NZ. Legal action was threatened and it looked like one of those drawn out legal battles, which takes place on shaky, ambiguous, legal ground. The type of legal battle that only makes the lawyers richer and the other parties poorer. So, Slingshot and co. decided to give up without a fight and as of September 1st 2015, Global mode in NZ ceased to exist.

Here's a video that quickly explains why you would want a DNS Proxy and how to get one.

Why would I want it?
Global Mode enabled New Zealand internet users access to overseas content. Most commercial content (movies/TV etc.) is licensed to companies based on their geographical location. For instance, CBS may license Star Trek to Sky TV NZ exclusively, meaning that in New Zealand only Sky TV could broadcast Star Trek, not TVNZ, TV3, Lightbox, Quickflix, Netflix etc., ONLY Sky TV! It also means that some movies/TV shows haven't been licensed to any NZ broadcasters and that means there's no legal way to access it unless you buy the DVD's, or subscribe to an overseas streaming service such as Netflix or Hulu. To stop this from happening, content providers like Netflix are often 'geographically locked,' which means that people trying to access them from outside their intended region are blocked and quite simply cannot access their services :-(
So, as you can see, Global Mode literally opened up the world of entertainment to NZers. Thankfully, there are other legal ways around this. You can make it look like you're surfing the internet from an overseas location by using a DNS proxy. It's super cheap and super simple to set up (despite it's super geeky name.)
How can I watch overseas Netflix and stuff?
Just follow the simple steps listed below... Some of the information below is aimed at the NZ market, however, to the best of my knowledge SmartDNSProxy.com should work in pretty much any country and with pretty much any router.

First of all...
1 - You'll need to subscribe to a DNS Proxy service. Personally, I use SmartDNSProxy.com, as do a number of my friends and colleagues. It's a paid service, however, they're very cheap and very, very good, with a simple set up and 24/7 support, should you come unstuck (you shouldn't, it's very straight forward). 

2 - Once you've signed up (there's a free trial option if you like, but they're so good I upgraded after 2 days of my trial), click on the "HOW TO SETUP" link at the top for their site. On this page you'll want to select your modem from the pull down list. Don't panic if you don't see your modem in the list, just choose "General Router Instructions (ALL ROUTERS)" for generic instructions. Follow the instructions for your modem. (Some of more commonly used routers are at the bottom of this page, if you see your one there, you can click on it for the instructions to set up the DNS Proxy)

3. Once you've set up your modem and restarted it, log in to the SmartDNSProxy.com site (if you're already logged in, then click on "My Account" in the top Right hand corner of the page. You should see something like...
If you have all green ticks you're good to go! If not, you probably have a red "X" beside the "IP Activation" line. If this is the case, simply click on the "ReActivate" link on the right and a green tick should appear.

Yes! It's that easy!


Setting up your router with the DNS Proxy, will enable all devices on your network to use overseas content. Devices such as...
Apple TV
Playstation
XBOX 360
ROKU
Smart Televisions
Smart Phones
iPhones/iPads/iPods
Laptops
Desktops
Some modem/routers don't have the ability to easily add a DNS proxy. If your router is one of those annoyingly frustrating routers, then you can set up each of your devices individually. SmartDNSProxy.com conveniently has the set up instructions for all of the things listed above.
Here are some of the more common routers currently used in New Zealand. Click the router you want setup instructions for.