A VPN can show "connected" and still quietly leak your real IP address through DNS or WebRTC. Here's how to check in about two minutes — and what to do if it's leaking.
The whole point of a VPN is that websites see the VPN's address, not yours. But three side channels can betray your real location even while the VPN is on: a DNS leak, a WebRTC leak, or a plain IP leak when the connection drops. The good news: you can test all three yourself, for free, in a couple of minutes. You don't have to trust the provider's marketing — you can verify it.
DNS leak. Every site you visit starts with a DNS lookup ("what's the address for this domain?"). If those lookups go to your internet provider instead of through the VPN, your ISP — and anyone watching it — sees every site you visit, even with the VPN on.
WebRTC leak. WebRTC is a browser feature for video and voice calls. To connect peers directly, it can reveal your real IP address to a web page even behind a VPN. It's a browser problem, not a network one, which is why a VPN alone doesn't always stop it.
IP leak on drop. If the VPN connection drops for a second and you have no kill switch, your device falls back to your real IP without telling you.
These are independent, third-party testers. Note that they can see your IP when you run the test — that's how they work — so run them, read the result, then come back.
IP, DNS, and WebRTC checks all on one page — the fastest all-in-one.
Deep per-category tests, including a dedicated WebRTC page.
From the Electronic Frontier Foundation — focuses on browser fingerprinting, a related privacy exposure a VPN doesn't fix.
DNS leak: enable your VPN's own DNS / "DNS leak protection" setting (most have it on by default); if it persists, the provider's DNS handling is weak — a reason to switch.
WebRTC leak: disable WebRTC in your browser or add a reputable WebRTC-blocking extension; some VPN browser extensions do this for you.
IP leak on drop: turn on the kill switch, which blocks all traffic if the VPN disconnects. If your VPN doesn't have one, that's a meaningful gap.
Don't assume "connected" means "protected." Run the two-minute test when you first install a VPN, after any big update, and any time you're relying on it for something that matters. If your real IP shows up anywhere while the VPN is on, fix the setting — or switch to a provider that passes. The whole appeal of this is that you can check for yourself.
VPNInsider.org · How-To · updated monthly · June 2026.