How to Test Check Your VPN To See If It's Working – Security.org

Sure, you turned your VPN on, but is it really encrypting your web data? Here’s how to find out.
Using a VPN is fairly simple. Most of the time, you just need to access the VPN app and hit Connect. What some might not know, though, is that there are lots of things happening to make a VPN connection possible. And so sometimes, even if the VPN app says you’re connected, you still might not be reaping the full benefits of your VPN connection.
That happened to us recently while testing a VPN. We connected successfully, but even after several tries, we couldn’t access Netflix Japan with our Japan IP address from the VPN. It turned out that the VPN failed to completely hide our IP address, letting Netflix see our actual location.
That’s when it hit us that we shouldn’t just advocate for the use of VPNs. We should also create a guide on how to use and test VPNs. That’s this guide, so read on to find out how to make sure your VPN is working.
When we test out VPNs for our best VPNs list, we ensure that they have all passed two tests: the DNS and the WebRTC leak tests, which check for the most common types of VPN leaks.
If they match the webpages you have up, then your VPN isn’t keeping your web activity private

Pro Tip: Not sure what your device’s IP address is in the first place? Use the website What Is My IP?2 to get the answer.
If you find any DNS or WebRTC leaks, we recommend:

FYI: WebRTC is the default on Chrome, Firefox, and Opera, but Internet Explorer and Safari do not use it. Scroll down for information about how to disable WebRTC on the necessary browsers.
Now that you’ve seen if your VPN encrypts your web activity and IP addresses, we turn to entertainment. Many people, us included, use VPNs to stream content in the libraries of other countries. For example, we’re in love with British humor, so we use a U.K. IP address to access shows on the BBC. If you want to use your VPN to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+, or any other service, test it out to make sure that its IP addresses and/or servers aren’t blocked.
» Learn about: Best VPNs for ESPN+
While VPNs hide your IP address, the replacement may be blocked because of licensing agreements, so a quick test is a necessity. If you get a message that says you’re using a proxy or VPN, change your IP address and try again. However, if that doesn’t work, you may need to select another VPN that’s compatible with your streaming service. For example, all of the best VPNs for Netflix let us change our Netflix region without a hitch, but that wouldn’t be the case for all VPNs, as Netflix is passionate about blocking as many VPN IP addresses as possible. The same goes for all streaming giants.
» Further Reading: VPNs Best for Disney+
For the highest level of privacy and security, you should perform quick DNS and WebRTC leak tests before performing your normal web activities. Antivirus scans, on the other hand, happen in the background continuously without any manual action needed from you, and streaming tests are only necessary if you plan to stream during that VPN session. Typically, you can perform DNS and WebRTC leak tests in less than a minute, so bookmark those URLs before you start torrenting that Judd Apatow movie.
Found a WebRTC or DNS leak? It may indicate that:
Usually, VPNs do their jobs without a problem (if they’re reputable, anyway). However, sometimes you simply cannot get one to work. While we can’t tell you exactly why your VPN isn’t working, as we lack psychic abilities, here are some potential reasons.
We delve deeper into the topic of troubleshooting VPNs in our page, “Help! My VPN Doesn’t Work: How To Fix Common VPN Issues.”
Before you go to the trouble of selecting and connecting to a VPN, there are many reasons why you would want to use one in the first place:
» Learn about: Best VPNs for Torrenting
Staying safe online requires more than just using a VPN. For the most privacy, we recommend disabling WebRTC completely, plus a few other tips.
Checking if a VPN is working properly only takes a few seconds, but it can be the difference between privacy and exposure. By combining this practice with other digital security measures like antivirus software, identity theft protection, and strong passwords, you can set yourself up for safe online browsing quickly and without much cost.
VPNs always raise a lot of questions. We’re here with answers.
To test a VPN on your network, do DNS and WebRTC leak tests on DNSLeakTest.com and the ExpressVPN website, respectively. These tests will tell you whether your VPN is leaking your domain names (i.e., the websites you visit) and your device’s private IP address.
You can tell if a VPN is safe by performing DNS and WebRTC leak tests. These tests will tell you if your VPN is leaking your visited websites or private IP address.
Typically, you cannot be tracked if you use a VPN that blocks your web activity and IP addresses. However, if the VPN logs this information, you could be tracked, which is why it’s important to read its privacy policy carefully.
You can use a VPN without being detected by choosing a VPN that won’t log your web activity or device IP addresses. Your safest bet is to choose a VPN that’s based in a Five Eyes nonmember country like Panama so the company won’t be forced to share information with the government. Also look for VPNs that use AES 256-bit encryption.
DNS Leak Test. (2021). What is a DNS leak?
dnsleaktest.com/
WhatIsMyIP.com. (2021). What Is My IP?
whatismyip.com/
ExpressVPN. (2021). WebRTC Leak Test.
expressvpn.com/webrtc-leak-test
ProofPoint. (2021). New Year, New Version of DanaBot.
proofpoint.com/us/blog/threat-insight/new-year-new-version-danabot
AtalsVPN. (2020). Things you should know about IP leak.
atlasvpn.com/blog/things-you-should-know-about-ip-leak
IVPN. (2021). I Cannot Connect to the VPN What Can I Do?
ivpn.net/knowledgebase/troubleshooting/i-cannot-connect-to-the-vpn-what-can-i-do/
Avast. (2021). Preventing IP leak issue related to WebRTC.
support.avast.com/en-us/article/Prevent-WebRTC-IP-leak/

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