Unfortunately, not all VPNs keep your information fully secure. There can be many reasons why VPN is not working correctly, and as a result, it can leak your personal data – This is why you need to perform a VPN leak test in the first place.

In this guide we will explain those main types of VPN tests:

• Basic tests – Tests that anyone can do. Just connect your VPN and run the testing site. This type of basic VPN test gives you a good general overview of the VPN, however, this may not detect advanced security VPN test flaws.
• Advanced tests – These types of tests require technical skills from the VPN checker. Some developers have put together available tools for in-depth “is my VPN working” type of testing. Those test tools are available in Github and are open source, however, oftentimes require programming skills and are not necessary for an average user.

So what results will the VPN test expose?

• IP leak

An IP address is an internet protocol that gives away a lot of information about you. There are two internet protocols – IPv4 and IPv6. “Where am I VPN test” will reveal either one of them or both.

• DNS leak

Even though your IP address is showing a different location, you still might have a hidden leak. DNS (Domain Name Server) changes URL to a numerical IP address. Unless you use a VPN, it will go through your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Your ISP will see your web browsing activity and therefore also can potentially share this information. Leaking DNS makes you vulnerable to a DNS redirection attack.

• WebRTC leak

WebRTC leak, a Web Real-Time Communication leak allows voice, video, and generic data to be sent between peers. it is supported by Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Mozilla, and other browsers. How to test VPN for WebRTC? It is being implemented in some websites, find out your original IP address, and block certain content based on geographic location. 

If you conduct a VPN test, you will know your VPN vulnerabilities and can make a choice to either keep using it or choose a more secure VPN.

In order to check whether your VPN is working properly, a VPN test is required. Here’s how you can start the tester within minutes.

Follow these steps:

1. Ask yourself: “am I using a VPN at the current moment?”. It is important to make sure your device is not connected to a VPN server. Note down your IP address without a VPN.
   
   
2. Next, connect your device to a server and confirm your IP address once more. This time, you should see a different IP address than the one you already noted down. “how do I know if my VPN is working?” – if you get a different IP address then we can conclude at least partially the VPN is working correctly.
   
   
3. Have a look at the DNS leak test result. Check if the result is showing your original country/ISP. If it does, it’s likely leaking DNS. If the test failed and VPN is not working properly, all of your DNS requests will be handled by your internet service provider (ISP). They are able to see and record your internet browsing and the websites you’re visiting.
   
   
4. Note down your WebRTC leak test result. The results should not reveal the name of your ISP. If it does, your VPN test is negative and your current provider is likely leaking your WebRTC.

How to know if VPN is working? – If all information after the test is different than previously, then your VPN is working properly.

1. Connect to a VPN detection server and open our VPN detector landing page.
2. Note down your original IP address. 
3. Run the free test and compare it with ‘You use (x) DNS servers’. If you see any of those showing your current location or IP, then your DNS is leaking. 

The most common problem is the fact that numerous servers have IPv6 leaks, and since many of them support IPv6, they usually attempt to block IPv6 from the operating system.

You can fix a DNS leak by using a secure VPN provider. 

1. Check your original IP address.
2. Connect your device to a VPN server and start the VPN leak test. 
3. Under the ‘(x) IP is visible to WebRTC’ you should be able to see a private IP. This IP address should be different from your original public IP address.

• Disable WebRTC.
  
  1. Open the Chrome Web Store and search for the required extension: WebRTC Leak Prevent, WebRTC Control, or Easy WebRTC Block.
  2. Click Add to Chrome and confirm installation by pressing Add extension.
  3. Activate the extension and it’ll disable WebRTC in your Chrome browser.
  
  NB: Similar extensions are available for other browsers, however as we don’t recommend using 3rd party extensions, the preferred method is to change your VPN provider.
  
  
• Test a browser without WebRTC capabilities.
• Try extensions such as WebRTC Network limiter

This VPN test revealed all the vulnerabilities and you followed the instructions to fix them, however, your VPN is still not working? Here are the most common reasons why your VPN might still not work properly:

• Your VPN is hacked or contains malware. Some free VPNs contain disruptive ads or even outside ad fraud. However, free VPNs can also contain malware used by hackers to collect highly sensitive information about the user. It can also be that your device itself is hacked, which can happen due to visiting a malicious website. VPN test tends to be unhelpful for client-side attacks.
• Your country or ISP is blocking VPNs. Certain countries such as North Korea or China consider unapproved VPN usage illegal, which is mainly due to online censorship.
• You are using a VPN with unsupported devices. If you are using Roku, Firestick, or other streaming devices, be aware that some older generation models don’t support private networks, and therefore will not allow your VPN to work properly.
• Your browsing speed is slow. If you are using a geographically distant server, the ISP is throttling bandwidth or the server is overloaded. you might come across slow browsing speed. Use a speed test to compare your internet speed with and without a VPN. If the test reveals slow download or upload speed, try changing the server or consider another VPN software.
• Your VPN connection has dropped. Most secure VPNs come with an automatic kill switch, which terminates the internet connection when a VPN connection drops. A kill switch is making sure no internet connection is made unless a VPN tunnel is working properly.

If the above didn’t work, the most reliable way is to just swap your VPN provider. After using this VPN checker and knowing your VPN weaknesses, you can read our research and find out the best VPN services here, including ExpressVPN.