IP Leak Test
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DNS Leak Test
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WebRTC Leak Test
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What Does a VPN Leak Test Check?
A VPN is designed to mask your identity online by encrypting your traffic and hiding your IP address, DNS requests, and browser identity from websites, your ISP, and anyone monitoring your network. When working correctly, a VPN creates an impenetrable tunnel between your device and the internet. But leaks can occur at multiple layers simultaneously — your IP address might be masked while your DNS queries are exposed, or your VPN tunnel might be solid while your browser leaks your real IP through WebRTC. Most users never check for these vulnerabilities, assuming that a green "connected" icon means complete protection.
This tool checks the three most critical types of VPN leaks in a single test. DNS leaks expose the websites you visit to your ISP even when your IP address is properly masked — your ISP can see every domain you query, building a complete profile of your online activity. IP leaks directly expose your real IP address to websites, revealing your physical location, ISP identity, and allowing cross-site tracking. WebRTC leaks occur at the browser level through JavaScript that bypasses VPN protection entirely, exposing your real IP to any website that runs a simple script.
Anyone using a VPN for privacy, security, or bypassing geographic restrictions should run this test regularly. It's equally valuable for IT professionals checking company VPN configurations, developers testing network security setups, and privacy-conscious individuals who want to verify that their protection is actually working. If you're paying for a VPN service, you deserve to know whether it's actually doing its job.
It's important to understand that a VPN can pass all three tests and still have weaknesses. Protocol vulnerabilities, weak encryption implementations, logging policies, and jurisdiction issues are all factors that leak tests cannot measure. This tool confirms that the technical protection layer — IP masking, DNS routing, and WebRTC blocking — is functioning correctly. For a complete assessment of your VPN's trustworthiness, also research your provider's privacy policy, audit history, and ownership structure.
How to Read Your VPN Leak Test Results
A passing result on the IP leak panel means the test detected that your traffic is routed through a VPN or data centre rather than a residential ISP connection. Your real IP address is not visible to websites. The DNS panel passes when your DNS resolver does not match your ISP — meaning your VPN is handling DNS queries through its own servers rather than letting them leak to your ISP. The WebRTC panel passes when your browser is not exposing any public IP address that differs from your VPN IP through WebRTC connections.
A failing result on any panel requires immediate attention. An IP leak means websites can see your real IP address and physical location despite your VPN connection. A DNS leak means your ISP can see every website you visit even though your IP is masked. A WebRTC leak means your browser is independently revealing your real IP address through JavaScript, bypassing the VPN tunnel entirely. Each type of leak exposes different information and requires a different fix.
Mixed results — where some panels pass and others fail — are actually the most common scenario. For example, your VPN might successfully mask your IP address (IP panel passes) while your DNS queries still go to your ISP (DNS panel fails). Or your VPN and DNS might be properly configured while your browser leaks your real IP through WebRTC. Mixed results indicate that your VPN has gaps in its protection that need to be addressed individually. Follow the fix guide below for each specific type of leak.
How to Fix VPN Leaks
- 1
Enable Your VPN Kill Switch
A kill switch blocks all internet traffic if your VPN connection drops, preventing your real IP from being exposed during reconnections. Most modern VPNs include this feature, but it is often disabled by default. Open your VPN settings and enable it immediately — this single action prevents the most common type of IP leak.
- 2
Disable WebRTC in Your Browser
WebRTC can expose your real IP regardless of your VPN status. In Firefox, set
media.peerconnection.enabledto false in about:config. In Chrome, install the WebRTC Leak Prevent extension. See our WebRTC fix guide for detailed instructions for every browser. - 3
Switch VPN Server Location
The server you're connected to may be misconfigured or experiencing issues. Try connecting to a different server in the same country, or switch to a different country entirely. After reconnecting, re-run this test to check if the leak persists with the new server.
- 4
Change VPN Protocol
Switch between WireGuard, OpenVPN (TCP/UDP), and IKEv2 in your VPN client settings. Different protocols handle traffic routing differently, and some perform better than others on certain networks. WireGuard generally offers the most reliable leak protection on modern operating systems.
- 5
Check IPv6 Settings
If your ISP supports IPv6, your VPN may only be tunnelling IPv4 traffic while leaving IPv6 completely unprotected. Either disable IPv6 in your operating system's network adapter settings or ensure your VPN handles IPv6 traffic. Visit our IPv6 leak fix guide for step-by-step instructions.
- 6
Disable Split Tunneling
Split tunneling allows some apps or websites to bypass the VPN tunnel. While convenient for bandwidth, it can cause DNS queries or browser traffic to leak outside the tunnel. Disable split tunneling in your VPN settings and route all traffic through the VPN until you've confirmed there are no leaks.
- 7
Flush Your DNS Cache Manually
Your operating system may be caching DNS responses from before you connected to the VPN. On Windows, open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /flushdns. On macOS, open Terminal and run sudo dscacheutil -flushcache. This forces your system to make fresh DNS queries through the VPN tunnel.
- 8
Update Your VPN Client
Outdated VPN clients can have known leak vulnerabilities that have been patched in newer versions. Check your VPN provider's website for the latest version and install it. A clean reinstall — fully uninstalling the old version first — is more reliable than an in-place update for resolving persistent leak issues.
- 9
Check Your Router DNS Settings
Even if your device's VPN is configured correctly, your router may be sending DNS queries to your ISP directly. Log into your router's admin panel and check the DNS settings. Set them to a privacy-focused DNS provider like 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare) or 8.8.8.8 (Google) as a fallback layer of protection.
- 10
Switch to a VPN with Audited Leak Protection
If your current VPN continues to leak after exhausting all the fixes above, the provider may not have adequate leak protection built into their infrastructure. Choose a VPN with independently audited leak prevention — providers like NordVPN publish third-party audit results from firms like PricewaterhouseCoopers confirming their no-leak guarantees.
Test Your Specific VPN
Using a specific VPN? Run a targeted leak test for your provider.
No. Disabling WebRTC only prevents one specific type of leak — browser-level IP exposure through WebRTC technology. You can still have DNS leaks (your browsing history exposed to your ISP) and IP leaks (your real IP visible during VPN disconnections or through IPv6). A comprehensive fix requires addressing all three vectors: enabling your VPN's DNS leak protection, configuring IPv6 correctly, and either disabling WebRTC or using a VPN that blocks it at the network level.
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