To check for VPN leaks, compare your public IP with the VPN off and on, then test WebRTC, DNS resolver identity, and IPv6 separately while connected. Repeat the checks after changing browsers, VPN servers, or network connections: one successful test only describes the device, browser, and connection state you checked.
What to check—and what each test tells you
A VPN leak check is a set of separate checks, not one all-clear button. Your browser may use the VPN for ordinary page requests while WebRTC or IPv6 exposes another address, and a page that does not observe DNS resolvers cannot establish whether DNS requests followed the VPN path.
- Public IP: whether the address visible to a website changes from your ordinary connection to the VPN exit address.
- WebRTC: whether the browser exposes your ordinary public address through its address-discovery process.
- DNS: which resolver handled a fresh lookup.
- IPv6: whether IPv6 traffic follows the VPN or the ordinary network connection.
The Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO) 2025 VPN testing guidance also calls for checking connected use and transitions between servers and network interfaces, including WebRTC, IPv6, and split-tunneling behavior: AMTSO VPN testing guidance.
Run a basic leak check
1. Record your ordinary public IP
Temporarily disconnect the VPN. Open a reputable public-IP checker and note the displayed public IP and approximate country. This is a baseline for comparison, not a security test by itself.
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2. Compare the address with the VPN connected
Connect the VPN, reload the checker, and compare the result. It should show the VPN exit IP, generally associated with the selected VPN server, rather than your ordinary public IP. The address or country may differ from your baseline because the VPN routes traffic through its server.
If the checker still shows your baseline address, confirm that the VPN app says it is connected. Then check whether split tunneling excludes the browser and whether the device’s route changed. A connected status in the VPN app does not by itself establish that every app or browser uses the tunnel.
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Check WebRTC in each browser you use
WebRTC supports real-time browser communications. Its ICE address-discovery process can expose an address separately from an ordinary page request, so repeat the test in each browser you use for sensitive browsing. Browser behavior and protections vary; a result in one browser does not establish the result in another.
- With the VPN disconnected, open a WebRTC leak test and note any public IP addresses it reports.
- Close the test page, connect the VPN, then open a fresh test page.
- Compare the public addresses. A public address matching your ordinary-connection baseline is concerning.
A private or local-network address is not the same as exposing your public internet address. If WebRTC is unavailable or disabled and the test cannot run, record that as an untested check—not proof that all leak paths are clear. ExpressVPN describes this VPN-off/VPN-on comparison and how WebRTC address discovery works in its WebRTC leak explainer. Browser controls that restrict WebRTC can affect calling and other real-time features, so avoid applying platform-specific settings without checking the browser and version you use.
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Test DNS resolver identity separately
A DNS leak test needs to observe which resolver handled a fresh lookup while the VPN is active. Compare that resolver with the DNS path your VPN is expected to use. If a tool cannot identify the resolver, its other passing checks do not establish that DNS requests are protected.
The VPN and Privacy page explains that its browser page cannot identify the DNS resolver and provides terminal examples instead:
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nslookup -type=txt whoami.cloudflare 1.1.1.1dig +short myip.opendns.com @resolver1.opendns.com
These are examples for particular lookup services, not universal proof for every operating system, DNS configuration, device, or VPN. Follow the chosen test’s documentation and ensure it tests the device and connection you care about. AMTSO advises testers to explain their DNS test selection, noting that some tools may not suit every tested product.
If a resolver-observing test reports your ordinary ISP resolver, review the VPN’s DNS-protection or “use VPN DNS” setting and retest. The VPN and Privacy page notes that Windows DNS configuration can also complicate results; exact remediation depends on your Windows version and configuration. See its explanation of VPN leak tests and DNS measurement.
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Check IPv6 while connected
Run an IPv6 check with the VPN on and determine whether the displayed public IPv6 address follows the VPN path. An IPv4 VPN connection does not establish that IPv6 is tunneled too. If your device has usable public IPv6 but the VPN does not route it, IPv6-capable sites may see an address from your ordinary connection.
A test that observes only an IPv4 connection can miss an available IPv6 path. Check your VPN provider’s documentation for IPv6 support and settings. Disabling IPv6 on the device may be a workaround when the VPN does not tunnel it, but support and steps vary by device and operating-system version; retest after changing a setting.
Repeat checks after changing connections
A static test covers only the state in which you ran it. Repeat relevant checks after switching VPN servers, changing Wi-Fi access points, or moving between Wi-Fi and mobile data. Also account for split-tunneling rules and check the browsers you actually use.
AMTSO’s 2025 guidance says no unencrypted packets should leave through another network interface during the connected and transition states it describes. For a practical personal check, note which browser, device, VPN server, and network state you tested; a browser-page result does not audit every app or every transition.
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- Ordinary public IP appears in the basic IP check: confirm the VPN connection, inspect split-tunneling exclusions, and verify that the browser is routed through the VPN.
- Ordinary public IP appears as a WebRTC public address: test again in a fresh page and in each browser you use. Review VPN browser protections or browser WebRTC controls, bearing in mind that restrictions can affect real-time communication features.
- DNS test shows the ordinary ISP resolver: check the VPN’s DNS settings and retest with a tool that observes resolver identity.
- IPv6 appears to use the ordinary connection: check whether the VPN supports IPv6 tunneling. If not, consider a device-level IPv6 workaround and verify the result afterward.
- Browsers disagree: treat each browser’s result separately; do not generalize one browser’s behavior to another.
- Every check passes once: the result applies to the browser, device, and connection state tested, not every app, protocol, or network transition.
When choosing a test, check whether it actually observes DNS resolver identity, tests public IP, WebRTC, and IPv6 separately, and runs in the browser and on the device you want to assess. Also check which connection states it covers and what data the service says it collects. Tool claims about measurements or privacy apply to that specific tool; they do not establish how other test sites operate.
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