How to Check If Your VPN Is Working
Last updated: September 2026
The VPN app's green "connected" icon tells you the app thinks it's working. It doesn't tell you whether your real IP is leaking through WebRTC, whether your DNS requests are escaping the tunnel, or whether a dropped connection silently exposed you. This checklist verifies all of it in about five minutes.
Step 1 — Confirm the basics
- The VPN app shows connected (not "connecting" or "reconnecting").
- You know which server location you selected — you'll need this to compare in step 2.
- Your kill switch is turned on in the app's settings (it's often off by default).
Step 2 — Check that your IP changed
With the VPN connected, open our What's My IP tool. The location shown should match your VPN server — not your real city.
- Country-level match = good. If you connected to a German server and the tool shows Germany, you're in shape — city-level geolocation is approximate by design.
- Real hometown showing = problem. Your VPN is off, misconfigured, or leaking. Disconnect, reconnect to a different server, and re-check.
Step 3 — Run a WebRTC & IP leak test
This is the big one. WebRTC — the browser tech behind video calls — can expose your real IP address to any website even while your VPN is connected. Our tool runs a genuine in-browser check:
- No leaks found: the IPs shown all belong to your VPN provider. You're good.
- Leak found: your real or ISP-assigned IP appears. See what a WebRTC leak is and how to fix it — usually a browser setting or extension.
Honest limits: our test checks WebRTC and IP exposure. It does not test DNS leaks (not reliably doable purely in a browser) — see step 4.
Step 4 — Check for DNS leaks
DNS is the internet's phone book: every site you visit starts with a DNS lookup. If those lookups go to your ISP's DNS servers instead of your VPN's, your ISP still sees every domain you visit — even with the VPN "on."
- Use a DNS leak test site (e.g., dnsleaktest.com or the extended test at ipleak.net) while connected.
- The DNS servers listed should belong to your VPN provider or a privacy-focused resolver — not your ISP or your home router's default.
- If your ISP's DNS shows up: enable your VPN's private-DNS / DNS-leak-protection setting if it has one, or set your system DNS to the VPN's resolvers manually.
Step 5 — Test the kill switch (optional but telling)
A kill switch blocks all internet traffic if the VPN connection drops. To verify it works: with the VPN connected, force a drop (switch Wi-Fi networks, or briefly disconnect the VPN server from the app) and confirm your internet actually stops — no pages load, no apps sync. Then reconnect and confirm traffic resumes. If your connection kept working through the drop, the kill switch is off or broken.
Step 6 — Re-check after changes
VPN behavior varies by server, protocol, and network. Re-run steps 2–4 whenever you:
- Switch VPN providers or apps
- Change protocols (e.g., WireGuard to OpenVPN)
- Update the VPN app or your browser
- Join a new network (hotel, airport, office)
Quick-reference checklist
- ☐ App shows connected; server location noted
- ☐ Kill switch enabled in settings
- ☐ IP location matches VPN server (check)
- ☐ No WebRTC/IP leaks (test)
- ☐ No DNS leaks (DNS servers aren't your ISP's)
- ☐ Kill switch actually blocks traffic on a forced drop
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