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The reliable way to test a VPN is to compare the same device, browser, and network with the VPN disconnected and connected. Record the public IP and DNS resolver in both states, then test IPv6 and WebRTC separately. A VPN app’s “connected” label is not proof that every traffic path is protected.
What a VPN leak test can—and cannot—prove
A VPN leak is an exposure path that continues to use your ordinary internet connection, resolver, browser interface, or an excluded application when you expect the VPN to carry it. The most common checks cover four different paths:
- Public IP: the address a website sees for a browser request.
- DNS: the resolver receiving domain-name lookups, which can reveal the domains you request.
- IPv6: a separate addressing path that an IPv4-only tunnel may not carry.
- WebRTC: browser real-time communication that can expose candidate addresses.
These tests are independent. A changed public IPv4 address does not establish that DNS, IPv6, or WebRTC is clean. Results apply only to the tested device, browser, VPN configuration, and network. They do not prove total anonymity or protect every application.
The February 2025 AMTSO VPN Testing Guidance Part 1 also treats transitions as part of testing. A client can look secure while connected to one server and briefly send traffic outside the tunnel during a server change, Wi-Fi change, or Wi-Fi-to-mobile transition. The expected behavior during those transitions is that no data packets leave unencrypted.
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Prepare a trustworthy baseline
Use the exact setup you rely on in daily use: the same phone or computer, browser, VPN app, browser extensions, and network interface. Close other VPN clients and note privacy features that can alter the apparent baseline.
Check for features that mask your real connection
Private relay, corporate gateways, secure DNS applications, antivirus web filters, and another tunnel can make the “VPN off” result look like a VPN result. FortiSafe’s 14 September 2026 report describes an iPhone test in which Apple iCloud Private Relay hid the ISP during the initial no-VPN comparison. The baseline was discarded and repeated with Private Relay disabled. That report covers one iPhone configuration and should not be generalized to every platform.
Temporarily disable only the feature that prevents a meaningful comparison, and record what you changed. Restore it after testing if it is part of your normal privacy setup; you may then perform a second test with the complete stack enabled.
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Choose consistent test pages
Use one IP-check page and one DNS-leak page that display the provider or organization associated with the result. If the tools offer IPv6 and WebRTC sections, record those results on the same visit. Do not compare an IPv4-only page with a later tool that uses different scripts or resolver methods.
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Run the VPN-off baseline
- Disconnect the VPN completely. Confirm that the client is not reconnecting automatically and that no second VPN or proxy is active.
- Open the chosen IP-check page in the target browser. Record the public IPv4 address and the ISP or network provider shown.
- Run the DNS test. Record every resolver organization or hostname displayed. The resolver may be your ISP, a local gateway, a public DNS operator, or another service.
- Record IPv6 separately. If the page shows an IPv6 address, save it and its provider. If it reports no IPv6, write down that the baseline network did not offer IPv6 at that moment.
- Record WebRTC results. Note public candidate addresses and private local-network addresses separately. A private address such as a 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x address identifies a local interface; it is not the same as exposing your public ISP address.
Save screenshots or a text record with the date, network name, browser, and VPN settings. The baseline is the comparison point for every later result.
Repeat the checks with the VPN connected
- Connect to a VPN server. Wait until the client reports a completed connection, then give the operating system a moment to install routes and DNS settings.
- Return to the same IP-check page. Record the public IPv4 address and provider. A normal result is a different address associated with the VPN exit rather than the ISP baseline.
- Run the same DNS test. Compare resolver organizations and hostnames with the baseline. Resolvers belonging to the ISP can indicate that DNS requests are outside the intended VPN path.
- Inspect IPv6 independently. Compare the connected result with the documented baseline. A missing IPv6 result is not automatically a pass if the network also had no IPv6 when the VPN was disconnected.
- Inspect WebRTC independently. Compare public candidates with both the ISP baseline and the VPN connection IP. Treat private LAN candidates as a different category from a public ISP address.
Refresh each page after the tunnel is established. Browser pages can retain an earlier result, and a test loaded before the connection completed does not describe the connected state.
Interpret each exposure path
| Check | What it observes | Concerning connected result | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public IP | The address a website sees for the browser request | The ISP’s baseline public address remains visible | It describes that browser request, not necessarily every application |
| DNS | The organization or hostname handling domain lookups | ISP resolvers remain visible when the VPN should provide or protect DNS | Resolver identity matters; an app’s connected label is not evidence of DNS routing |
| IPv6 | Traffic using the IPv6 protocol outside the IPv4 path | A public IPv6 address follows the ISP path while the VPN carries only IPv4 | Without IPv6 in the disconnected baseline, absence while connected is inconclusive |
| WebRTC | Browser real-time communication candidate addresses | A public candidate matches the ISP baseline instead of the VPN connection | A private LAN address alone is not a public ISP leak |
Public IP results
Websites normally see the VPN exit address when the browser uses the tunnel. If the exact ISP address from the baseline appears while the VPN says it is connected, investigate routing, a failed connection, a browser excluded by split tunneling, or a second network path. A different address by itself does not certify DNS, IPv6, or WebRTC protection.
DNS results
DNS lookups can disclose the domains you request even when websites see the VPN address. Compare the resolver’s organization and hostname, not merely the number of servers listed. ISP resolvers in the connected state are a warning when the VPN is expected to use its own DNS or block non-VPN DNS. Browser secure-DNS settings can also send lookups through a separately configured service, so inspect both the browser and VPN settings.
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IPv6 results
An IPv4-only tunnel can leave IPv6 as an independent route. AMTSO advises ensuring that IPv6 does not leave unencrypted during an IPv4 VPN test. First establish that the unprotected network actually has IPv6. If the baseline has no IPv6 address, a connected test that also shows none cannot distinguish “properly blocked” from “not available.”
If the baseline has IPv6 and the connected test reveals an ISP-associated IPv6 address, use a client configuration that tunnels IPv6 or disable IPv6 where appropriate, then repeat the baseline and connected checks. Disabling a protocol can affect local services, so treat it as a configuration decision rather than proof that the VPN supports IPv6.
WebRTC results
WebRTC can expose candidate addresses to a visited site. The strongest warning is a public candidate that matches the ISP baseline while the VPN connection has a different public exit address. A private local-network candidate reveals local addressing information but is not equivalent to exposing the public ISP address.
Browser and VPN controls differ. Fully disabling WebRTC can stop browser voice calls, video meetings, and other real-time applications that depend on it. Prefer a control that limits public candidate exposure while preserving required communications when your browser and VPN offer one, and verify the result after changing it.
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Test server changes and network transitions
One successful connected-state page load is only one point in the test. Repeat the checks while the connection is changing, because routes and firewall rules can be briefly different.
Change VPN servers
- Start with the VPN connected and a clean test result.
- Choose a different server in the client.
- Watch for a period in which the old tunnel closes and the new one opens.
- Run the IP, DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC checks again after the new connection is reported.
If the ISP address appears during the change, inspect the client’s kill switch and leak-protection behavior. AMTSO’s guidance expects no unencrypted data packets during this transition, not merely a clean result after reconnection.
Change network interfaces
Repeat the sequence when moving between Wi-Fi access points, disconnecting and reconnecting Wi-Fi, and switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data. Test both directions when possible. A client can retain a stale route or DNS setting after an interface changes.
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Split tunneling intentionally excludes selected applications or destinations from the VPN. Confirm that the tested browser, helper process, and DNS service are not excluded. If the browser is outside the tunnel by design, its ISP public IP is an expected result for that browser, not a mysterious leak; decide whether that exception matches your privacy goal.
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Fixes when a test fails
The ISP public IP is visible
- Confirm that the VPN connection is genuinely established and that the test page was refreshed afterward.
- Disable an unintended proxy, second VPN, or split-tunnel exception for the browser.
- Check the kill switch and connection-blocking options, especially during reconnects and server changes.
- Test another browser only to determine whether the issue is browser-specific; do not treat a clean second browser as evidence that the first is protected.
ISP DNS resolvers are visible
- Enable the VPN client’s DNS-protection or “use VPN DNS” setting if available.
- Inspect the browser’s secure-DNS or DNS-over-HTTPS configuration for a service that bypasses the VPN’s intended resolver.
- Check operating-system DNS settings and any security software that installs its own resolver.
- Reconnect, rerun the same DNS test, and compare the resolver identity rather than only the number of results.
IPv6 follows the ISP path
- Use a client or configuration that explicitly tunnels IPv6, if supported.
- If IPv6 cannot be protected, disable it where appropriate for the tested device and network.
- Repeat the disconnected baseline after the change; otherwise you cannot tell whether IPv6 was available during the comparison.
WebRTC exposes the public ISP address
- Inspect browser privacy controls and any VPN-provided WebRTC setting.
- Retest in the browser used for calls and meetings, because behavior can vary by browser, VPN service, and configuration.
- Do not disable WebRTC without considering the effect on voice, video, and other real-time browser features.
Use the results to compare VPN capabilities
If repeated tests reveal a missing feature, compare alternatives against concrete capabilities rather than a generic “no leaks” claim. The relevant questions are:
| Capability | Question to verify | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| DNS handling | Does the client route DNS through the tunnel and block non-VPN DNS? | Prevents resolver requests from following the ISP path |
| IPv6 behavior | Does it tunnel IPv6, or reliably block IPv6 when unsupported? | Stops an unprotected protocol from bypassing an IPv4 tunnel |
| WebRTC controls | Are public candidate addresses controllable at the app or browser level? | Reduces browser-specific address exposure while preserving needed features |
| Kill switch | Does it block traffic during server and network transitions? | Prevents short unencrypted windows during route changes |
| Split tunneling | Can the relevant browser and related processes be excluded accidentally? | An exception can make a deliberate bypass look like a leak |
Do not treat a provider’s general statement as proof for your exact version and configuration. Verify the behavior on the device, browser, operating system, and network combination you will actually use.
Common testing mistakes
- Testing only the VPN app: the status indicator says what the client believes, not what a website or resolver receives.
- Skipping the baseline: without the ISP address and resolver identity, you cannot distinguish a VPN result from another privacy service.
- Calling every private address a leak: local WebRTC candidates are not public ISP addresses.
- Declaring IPv6 safe because no address appeared: the baseline must first show that IPv6 was available.
- Testing one browser and generalizing: extensions, secure DNS, WebRTC implementation, and split-tunneling rules can differ.
- Testing only after connection: server and network transitions can expose traffic even when steady-state results are clean.
- Assuming one clean page proves every app is protected: the test covers the browser and configuration used, not software that uses its own networking stack.
How often to retest
Retest after installing or updating the VPN client, changing DNS or browser privacy settings, enabling split tunneling, switching routers or access points, and changing between Wi-Fi and mobile data. Repeat the transition tests after changing kill-switch behavior. A dated screenshot is useful evidence of one configuration, not a permanent guarantee.
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AMTSO’s February 2025 guidance supplies the testing framework: check connected states, server changes, network changes, WebRTC, IPv6, and split tunneling, with no unencrypted packets during transitions. FortiSafe’s 14 September 2026 practical report demonstrates the baseline-comparison method and warns that an IPv6 conclusion is inconclusive when the baseline network has no IPv6; its observations come from one iPhone configuration. Windscribe’s WebRTC testing explanation distinguishes public ISP exposure from private local addresses and notes the feature trade-off when WebRTC is disabled; those statements are vendor-authored. Nasser Mohammed Al-Fannah’s 15 September 2017 paper describes how WebRTC can make client addresses available to visited websites and how exposure varies by browser, VPN service, and configuration. That study is technical background, not a current prevalence estimate.
No reliable population statistic establishes how often VPN leaks occur, so a test result should be reported as a bounded observation: what the selected device, browser, configuration, and network revealed at the recorded time.
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