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How to Check If Your VPN Is Working

Verify IP change, DNS leaks, WebRTC leaks, and routing signals with a practical checklist

How to test a VPN connection without guessing

Many users connect a VPN, see a different IP, and assume everything is fine. That is a good first check, but DNS leaks, WebRTC behavior, or route inconsistencies can still expose useful information. This wizard helps you verify the full picture.

Before/After Snapshot Compare

Capture a baseline before connecting your VPN, then capture your current network after connecting to compare IP, ASN, and provider changes. Snapshots are stored only in your browser.

Baseline

Capture before connecting your VPN.

Current

Capture after connecting your VPN.

Live proxy/VPN signal review

This is one automatic signal inside the workflow. It does not replace DNS, WebRTC, or IPv6 checks, but it helps you see whether the current route looks like a VPN/proxy exit right now.

Open full proxy check

Continue the checks

Complete the steps below to verify whether your VPN is actually protecting your traffic.

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Complete the VPN check after connecting

Finish the checklist after connecting a VPN. A good provider should change your visible IP and avoid DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leaks.

What these signals suggest

Use the before/after compare plus the leak-test results together. A working VPN should tell one consistent story across all of them.

Before/after evidence is incomplete

Capture both a baseline and a current snapshot so the checker can compare your IP, ASN, ISP, and location context.

Recommended next actions

Follow the highest-signal fixes first instead of retesting random settings. That is the fastest way to find the real failure point.

Save your baseline IP details

Open the homepage checker before connecting your VPN and note your IP, ISP, and ASN. This is your comparison baseline.

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Open IP checker

Connect your VPN

Enable your VPN and choose the server/location you want to test. Wait until the client shows connected status.

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Compare VPNs

Did your public IP change?

Run the homepage checker again. Your public IP should usually change after the VPN connects.

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Re-check IP

DNS leak test result

Run the DNS leak test workflow and decide whether it passed, failed, or needs more review.

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Run DNS leak test

WebRTC leak test result

Run the WebRTC leak test to check browser-level IP exposure via STUN/WebRTC behavior.

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Run WebRTC leak test

IPv6 leak test result (optional)Optional

If your network uses IPv6, check whether your VPN still exposes native IPv6 routing after it connects.

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Run IPv6 leak test

Proxy/VPN detection signals look expected

Use Proxy Check as an extra signal. Unexpected results are not always failure, but they can indicate a setup issue.

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Run Proxy Check

ASN/provider shift confirmed (optional)Optional

Compare the ASN before and after connecting. A provider/ASN change is a strong sign your routing changed.

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Check ASN

Follow the VPN verification path

Treat this page as the hub, then move into the exact leak or routing check that explains the result you see.

The five checks that prove your VPN is working

A truly working VPN passes all five of these checks, not just the first one. Most users stop at step one and miss real leaks.

  1. Public IP changed. Your visible IP on the homepage should be different from your real IP. This is the minimum bar.
  2. ISP and ASN shifted. Use ASN lookup to confirm the network operator changed from your home ISP to the VPN provider. If the ASN stays the same, your traffic may not be fully tunneled.
  3. DNS queries go through the VPN. Run the DNS leak test. If your ISP resolver still appears, your browsing history leaks even though the IP changed.
  4. WebRTC does not expose your real IP. The WebRTC leak test checks whether your browser reveals your actual IP through STUN requests, which happens on a separate channel the VPN may not cover.
  5. IPv6 is tunneled or blocked. If your network has IPv6, the IPv6 leak test confirms it does not bypass the tunnel and expose your real ISP.

The wizard above walks you through each of these steps automatically. If any step fails, the fix guides below explain exactly what to do.

Fast answer: is my VPN working properly?

Your VPN is working properly when the public IP changes, the ASN no longer points to your normal ISP, DNS resolvers follow the VPN route, WebRTC does not expose the original network, and IPv6 does not bypass the tunnel. If only the app status says "connected," you do not have enough evidence yet.

If the VPN is connected but the IP is not changed, start with the public IP and ASN checks first. If the IP changes but privacy still looks wrong, run the DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 checks next.

How to interpret mixed VPN test results

Mixed VPN results are common because a VPN connection is not one single signal. Your public IP can change while DNS still leaks. DNS can look clean while WebRTC exposes a browser-level path. IPv4 can be protected while IPv6 still exits through the original ISP. The safest way to interpret a VPN test is to separate the result into layers: public IP, network owner, DNS resolver path, browser exposure, and IPv6 behavior.

If the public IP changes but the ASN still looks suspicious, look at the type of network instead of only the provider name. Some VPN providers use leased hosting networks, CDN-adjacent infrastructure, or residential proxy partners. That can make the ASN name different from the VPN brand. The important question is whether the ASN no longer belongs to your home or mobile ISP and whether the result matches the server location you selected.

If DNS fails but IP passes, your browsing can still reveal useful history to the resolver. This often happens when browser DNS-over-HTTPS is enabled, when split tunneling excludes the browser, or when the operating system keeps a custom resolver after the VPN connects. Fix DNS before treating the setup as private, because domain lookups can expose the sites and services you use even when the destination sees the VPN IP.

If WebRTC or IPv6 fails while the other checks pass, the issue is usually configuration rather than the entire VPN being broken. Disable WebRTC exposure in the browser or use a browser profile with stricter privacy defaults. For IPv6, either choose a VPN that tunnels IPv6 properly or disable IPv6 on that network until the provider supports it. Re-run the same sequence after every fix so you can confirm the weak layer is gone.

  • IP changed, ASN changed, DNS clean, WebRTC clean, IPv6 clean: the VPN is working well.
  • IP changed but DNS still uses your ISP: DNS leak, fix resolver settings or VPN DNS protection.
  • IP and DNS are clean but WebRTC shows original network data: browser leak, fix WebRTC exposure.
  • IPv4 is clean but IPv6 shows the original ISP: IPv6 leak, tunnel or disable IPv6.
  • VPN app says connected but IP and ASN are unchanged: the tunnel is not carrying browser traffic.

How this VPN check works

The wizard combines live before/after snapshot comparison with a guided verification workflow: public IP checks, DNS leak review, WebRTC leak review, IPv6 leak review, proxy/VPN detection signals, and optional ASN comparison. It stores only your step selections and captured snapshots in local browser storage so you can continue later.

It still depends on dedicated leak-test pages for DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6, but the point of this page is to turn those separate checks into one repeatable VPN verification path instead of a loose collection of tools.

What a healthy VPN result looks like

  • Your visible public IP changes after you connect the VPN.
  • ISP and ASN context shift from your home/mobile network to the VPN provider or expected exit network.
  • DNS requests stop using your normal resolver path and line up with the VPN route instead.
  • WebRTC and IPv6 checks do not reveal a side route back to your original connection.

When those signals tell the same story, your VPN setup is usually working as intended. If one path still points back to your normal network, treat that as a fix-first issue instead of assuming the app status is enough.

What to do if your VPN fails a check

  • Reconnect to a different VPN server and test again.
  • Enable kill switch and leak protection in your VPN app settings.
  • Review split tunneling rules for browser and DNS apps.
  • Restart your browser after changing WebRTC/privacy settings.
  • Re-run the same sequence after OS, browser, or VPN app updates.

If your VPN connects but your IP does not change, start with VPN connected but IP not changing.

VPN not passing these checks? Switch to one that does

If your IP, DNS, or WebRTC results still show your ISP, your VPN is not protecting you. A trusted provider passes every leak test by default.

Frequently asked questions

Is my VPN working properly?
Your VPN is working properly when the public IP changes, the ASN no longer points to your normal ISP, DNS resolvers follow the VPN route, WebRTC does not expose the original network, and IPv6 does not bypass the tunnel. If only the app status says connected, you do not have enough evidence yet.
How do I test a VPN connection without guessing?
Run five checks in sequence: public IP change, ASN/provider shift, DNS leak test, WebRTC leak test, and IPv6 leak test. Use the wizard on this page to walk through them and record before/after snapshots.
How do I know if my VPN is actually working?
Verify more than just the public IP. Check for IP changes, DNS leaks, WebRTC leaks, and proxy/VPN signals, and optionally compare ASN/provider changes before and after connecting the VPN.
Is a changed IP enough to confirm VPN protection?
No. A changed IP is a strong start, but DNS, WebRTC, and sometimes IPv6 can still leak useful information outside the VPN route.
Why does my VPN show connected but my IP does not change?
It can happen because of app issues, split tunneling, browser caching, or testing the wrong network path. Reconnect, change server, and re-run the full checklist.
Do I need to run the tests every time I use a VPN?
Not every session, but you should re-test after VPN app updates, browser updates, OS networking changes, or when switching devices/networks.
Does this wizard store my IP address?
No. The wizard only stores your step selections in local browser storage so you can continue the checklist later.