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How to Tell Whether Your VPN Is Leaking Your IP Address or DNS Requests

By Freedom251 Team · · 11 min read

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The dependable way to check a VPN is to compare the same device, browser, and network with the VPN off and on, then run separate tests for your public IP address, DNS resolvers, WebRTC, and IPv6. A changed IP address is only one result: it does not prove that DNS, IPv6, WebRTC, split-tunneled applications, or connection transitions are protected.

What a VPN leak test actually measures

A browser-based leak test reports what a particular website can observe from one browser, on one device, using one network and one VPN state. It is useful diagnostic evidence, but it is not a packet-level audit of every application or a guarantee that every connection is following the VPN tunnel.

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Several independent paths must be checked because they answer different questions:

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  • Public IP test: shows the address exposed by an ordinary web request. You want the connected result to differ from the public address recorded with the VPN disconnected.
  • DNS test: identifies the resolvers handling DNS lookups. A website that shows your VPN IP has not necessarily tested which DNS service your device uses.
  • WebRTC test: checks addresses that the browser can expose through WebRTC. This behavior is specified separately from normal page loading.
  • IPv6 test: checks whether an IPv6 path remains visible when the VPN changes your IPv4 result. IPv4 and IPv6 must be treated as separate routes.

The American Mobile and Telecommunications Security Organization (AMTSO) VPN-testing guidance, published in February 2025, also treats server changes, network changes, split tunneling, and transition states as separate cases. Passing one connected-state page does not test those conditions.

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Prepare a reliable before-and-after comparison

Keep the test conditions constant

Use the same device, browser, and network for the initial comparison. Do not change from Wi-Fi to cellular, open a private browsing window with different extensions, or switch browsers between the baseline and connected tests. Record the VPN protocol and server if the client displays them; changing either can change the result.

Close pages that may use unusual network features, but leave the browser configuration that you normally use. If your browser has privacy settings or extensions that alter WebRTC or DNS behavior, note them rather than silently changing them for the test.

Record the ordinary connection first

  1. Disconnect the VPN completely and confirm that the client reports no active tunnel.
  2. Open a reputable IP-check page and write down the public IPv4 address, location or network name shown, and the test time.
  3. Run the same site’s DNS test, or a clearly identified DNS-specific test, and record every resolver name, address, and organization it lists.
  4. Run a WebRTC test in the browser you will use with the VPN. Save whether it reports a public address, a private local-network address, or no address.
  5. Run an IPv6 check and record whether your ordinary connection has IPv6 at all. A blank IPv6 result is meaningful only when you know whether the baseline network supplied IPv6.

This baseline is the reference for every later interpretation. Without it, a blank field or unfamiliar resolver cannot be distinguished from a normal property of your network.

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Run the connected-state leak checks

1. Connect and verify the intended VPN state

Connect to the VPN and wait until its client reports an established connection. Keep the same server for the first comparison. If the client shows a route, protocol, or split-tunnel setting, record it. A test made while the client is still negotiating, reconnecting, or excluding the browser can describe a transition rather than the stable VPN state.

2. Check the public IP address

Visit the exact IP-check page used for the baseline. The connected result should show an address associated with the VPN route rather than simply repeating the baseline public address.

If the baseline address appears unchanged, investigate the VPN connection state, routing, or exclusions such as split tunneling. An unchanged IP is a strong reason to troubleshoot, but one page still does not establish that every application is exposed or protected.

3. Run a DNS-specific test

While still connected, open a DNS leak test. Examine the resolver information, not just the headline IP. Compare the connected resolver list with the baseline and with the DNS behavior documented for your VPN configuration.

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DNS testing is a separate measurement because a normal web request can reach a VPN server while DNS lookups continue through another path. AMTSO recommends selecting an appropriate DNS tool and explaining what it measures; do not treat an IP-check page as a substitute for a DNS test.

4. Test WebRTC in the browser that matters

Run a WebRTC test in the same browser used for ordinary browsing. Compare every public address it reports with the connected VPN address and with the baseline.

Classify the result carefully. A private address such as one used inside your home network is not the same finding as the baseline public address. A public address matching the ordinary connection deserves investigation. A normal IP page result does not replace this browser-specific test.

5. Check IPv6 independently

Run an IPv6 test while connected. Compare it with the baseline IPv6 result and with the VPN provider’s stated IPv6 behavior. A VPN can change the visible IPv4 address while IPv6 remains available through the ordinary network, so an IPv4 pass alone says nothing conclusive about IPv6.

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6. Save the connected results

Capture the displayed addresses and resolver information, plus the browser, operating system, network type, VPN server, and connection time. Keeping the raw results makes it possible to distinguish a repeatable leak from a one-time transition or a test-site anomaly.

How to interpret each result

Check What a protected connected result normally shows Finding that needs investigation What the check does not establish
Public IP An address different from the baseline and consistent with the VPN route. The baseline public address is still visible while the VPN is connected. It does not verify DNS, WebRTC, IPv6, other applications, or transition states.
DNS Resolver information consistent with the VPN’s documented DNS design rather than the ordinary connection’s resolvers. Resolvers associated with the baseline network appear during the connected test, or the result conflicts with the VPN’s stated behavior. An IP page cannot identify DNS behavior; a resolver label alone may not prove which application generated every lookup.
WebRTC No unexpected public baseline address in the browser being tested. The ordinary public address is exposed through WebRTC while connected. A private local-network address is not equivalent to a public IP leak, and another browser may behave differently.
IPv6 Either the VPN documents IPv6 handling and the result follows it, or no IPv6 exists in the baseline and therefore none is exposed in the tested state. An IPv6 address from the ordinary connection appears while the VPN changes only IPv4, or the result is inconsistent with the VPN’s stated IPv6 behavior. A blank connected result does not prove protection if the baseline never had IPv6.
Scope Repeatable results under the exact device, browser, network, server, and connection state tested. Results change after server switching, network switching, reconnecting, or changing split-tunnel rules. No browser page proves that every process on the device uses the same route.

What to do when the public IP does not change

Confirm that the VPN is really connected

Check the client status and wait for the established state before testing. Disconnect and reconnect once, then repeat the same IP page. If the address remains identical, record the VPN server and protocol and compare with a second server without changing the browser or network.

Check for routing exclusions

Split tunneling can deliberately send selected applications or destinations outside the VPN. If the browser is excluded, an IP page will correctly show the ordinary connection. Temporarily remove the browser from the exclusion list for diagnosis, or test an application that is known to be inside the tunnel, then restore your intended policy.

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Separate a transition from a stable failure

Run the test after the client has finished connecting, not while it is switching servers or recovering from a dropped link. AMTSO identifies connection and server transitions as distinct test states because a brief result during reconnection can differ from the stable route.

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Compare networks

Repeat the test on another Wi-Fi access point and on mobile data if available. Keep the device, browser, and VPN server the same for each comparison. A result that changes only with one access network points to a network-specific path rather than proving a universal VPN failure.

Investigate DNS findings without guessing from the IP page

Start with the baseline resolver list. Home routers, internet providers, enterprise networks, and operating systems can all present different resolver names. The meaningful question is whether the connected test follows the VPN’s documented DNS behavior or continues to expose the ordinary network’s resolvers.

Repeat the DNS test after reconnecting, changing servers, and changing networks. If only one server reports the unexpected resolver, preserve both result sets and report the server, protocol, operating system, and browser. If every connected state reports the baseline resolver, examine the VPN’s DNS setting and any split-tunnel or per-application exclusions before concluding that the entire device is leaking.

Do not infer that a resolver belongs to your physical internet provider solely from a familiar name. Record the exact resolver addresses and organizations shown by the test, and compare them with the VPN’s own documentation. A DNS test describes the lookups visible to that test; it is not a complete inventory of all background traffic.

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Investigate WebRTC findings in context

WebRTC has its own IP-address handling rules, which is why RFC 8828 treats it separately from ordinary web requests. Test it in the browser and profile that matter, because a different browser, extension set, or privacy configuration can produce a different result.

First classify each address as public or private. A private local-network address reveals local network information but is not the same as exposing the public address assigned by your internet connection. The higher-priority finding is a public address that matches the VPN-off baseline while the VPN is connected.

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Repeat after reconnecting and after switching servers. If only one browser exposes the baseline address, document that browser-specific behavior instead of describing the whole device as exposed. If every tested browser exposes it, treat the result as a broader configuration problem and consult the VPN and browser documentation.

Do not treat IPv6 as an optional footnote

Establish IPv6 availability before the VPN comparison. Some ordinary connections have no IPv6, so a blank IPv6 page in both states is expected. Other networks provide IPv6 even when the visible IPv4 address changes; in that case, an IPv6 result can reveal a path that the ordinary IP page missed.

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Compare the baseline and connected IPv6 addresses, then check the VPN’s stated IPv6 support or handling. If the baseline has IPv6 and the connected test still shows the ordinary IPv6 path, capture that result separately from the IPv4 result. Reporting “the VPN passed” because IPv4 changed would hide this independent exposure.

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Test the states a single connection misses

Once the initial off/on comparison is recorded, broaden the test matrix. Keep the platform and browser consistent whenever possible, and disclose any change.

State to test How to run it Why it matters
VPN disconnected baseline Run IP, DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 checks before connecting. Provides the reference addresses and resolver behavior.
Stable VPN connection Connect to one server, wait for the established status, and repeat all four checks. Shows the ordinary connected path.
Server change Switch to another VPN server, wait for reconnection, and repeat the checks. Tests whether routing or DNS behavior changes by server.
Network change Repeat on another Wi-Fi access point or on mobile data. Separates VPN behavior from an access-network-specific result.
Reconnect transition Observe results after a deliberate disconnect and reconnect, then test only after the client reports a stable connection. Distinguishes transient exposure during a transition from the steady state.
Split-tunnel configuration Test with the browser included, then with an intentionally excluded application, documenting the rule each time. Shows which applications are designed to bypass the tunnel.

For a meaningful comparison, do not silently change the VPN protocol, browser, operating system, or network between rows. If a change is necessary, record it beside the result.

Understand the limits of browser leak tests

A test page can report only the traffic that reaches it through the tested browser. It cannot certify background update services, command-line tools, desktop applications, other user accounts, or traffic blocked before the page loads. It also cannot replace an independent packet-level review when you need assurance about every process.

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AMTSO’s advanced approach calls for inspecting traffic and testing connection, server-switching, network-switching, WebRTC, IPv6, and split-tunnel states explicitly. Consumer pages are therefore best described as repeatable checks, not universal proof. When publishing or comparing results, state the browser, platform, VPN protocol, server, network, and exact connection state.

There is no verified general leak percentage that can be applied to all VPNs or networks. Results depend on the configuration and conditions being measured, so avoid turning one test session into a claim about every user.

Account for iCloud Private Relay on Apple devices

On Apple devices, iCloud Private Relay can alter Safari’s IP and DNS path. Establish the baseline with Private Relay’s status noted, and interpret connected results as the combined effect of the VPN and any active platform privacy feature.

If Safari shows a different address or resolver than another browser, repeat the comparison in the browser you actually use and record whether Private Relay was enabled. Do not attribute every difference automatically to the VPN; the measured path may include both services.

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Choose test pages and document results responsibly

Independent or clearly described tools are preferable when you are evaluating competing VPN configurations. AMTSO cautions against using one vendor’s tools to judge another vendor. Vendor-provided pages can explain how that vendor expects its own service to behave, but they are guidance rather than independent certification.

BrowserLeaks publishes separate IP, DNS, and WebRTC test pages, which makes it possible to select the test that matches the question instead of relying on one combined score. FortiSafe and ExpressVPN also publish operational testing instructions; use such material to understand a procedure, not as proof that a competing service has passed.

Keep a worksheet with one row per state and these fields:

  • Date and time, time zone, and physical network (Wi-Fi or mobile).
  • Device, operating system, browser version, and relevant privacy extensions.
  • VPN server, protocol, connection status, and split-tunnel rules.
  • Public IPv4 result and baseline comparison.
  • Every DNS resolver address and organization reported.
  • WebRTC public and private addresses, clearly labeled.
  • IPv6 availability and address, both before and after connecting.
  • Any server switch, reconnect, network switch, or platform privacy feature active during the test.

This record prevents a common error: comparing unlike states and then attributing the difference to a leak. It also gives support staff enough detail to reproduce the result.

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A concise decision procedure

  1. Run all four checks with the VPN disconnected and save the baseline.
  2. Connect the VPN without changing the device, browser, or network.
  3. Repeat the IP, DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 checks separately.
  4. Investigate any baseline public IP, baseline resolver, or baseline IPv6 path that remains visible.
  5. Classify WebRTC addresses as public or private before calling the result a leak.
  6. Repeat after a server change, a network change, a reconnect, and any split-tunnel change that matters to your use.
  7. Report the exact test scope instead of claiming that one browser page proves protection for every application.

The practical verdict is therefore four-part: the public IP should follow the VPN route, DNS should match the VPN’s documented resolver path, WebRTC should not expose the baseline public address in the tested browser, and IPv6 should be evaluated independently against the baseline. Only after those results are recorded—and the states relevant to your use are repeated—can you describe what your VPN is protecting with precision.

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