Of course, one of the biggest reasons to connect to a VPN is to protect your privacy. That said, have you ever wondered if your VPN is truly working to keep you safe? The truth is, not all of them work as you would hope. However, there are ways of checking to see if your favorite VPN provider is up to the task. Before we go over these tests, please have a look at our favorites that we have verified they work.
| Rank | VPN Service | Our Score | Server Locations | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 9.8 | 160 |  |
| 2 |  | 9.4 | 87 | |
| 3 |  | 9.2 | 95 | |
| 4 |  | 9.0 | 110 | |
| 5 |  | 8.8 | 73 | |
First, there are two types of tests you can perform. Those are basic and advanced. Anyone can test their connection by using the basic tests. All you have to do is connect to a VPN server and try the various sites. The problem with that is it may not catch all the leaks. The more advanced tests require a bit more proficiency, but will find them all, providing everything is set up correctly.
Basic Tests
These tests will identify DNS leaks, IP address leaks, WebRTC leaks, and more. Let’s take a look at some of the best testing sites. Keep in mind that some of these testing sites are from various VPN providers. There are several companies that have advanced tools. However, we will only talk about one. If you have some computer knowledge, this one located on Github from ExpressVPN will work well for you.
- Doileak.com
- DNSleaktest.com (be sure to use the extended test)
- test-ipv6.com (IPv4 and IPv6)
- BrowserLeaks WebRTC Test
- ipx.ac (IPv4, IPv6, WebRTC, DNS, browser fingerprinting and more) – from VPN.ac
- ipleak.org (IPv4, IPv6, WebRTC, DNS) – from VPNArea
Our favorite is Doileak.com. It is a matter of personal preference, but for our purposes, it works well and is easy to read. Below, you can see our results using ExpressVPN.
VPN Leaks
VPN leaks are a big problem and basically defeat the purpose of connecting to one. If WebRTC is not disabled, you will still see your local IP addresses. While these are not leaks per say, but they do show where you are. If you see your real IP address there, that shows you have an issue with WebRTC. There are several ways to solve this issue including extensions, and of course, reputable VPN providers.
How Do I Fix the Leaks?
The easiest and best way to resolve these issues is to use a VPN. As long as you are using one of the providers we mentioned in this post, you should not have an issue. Keep in mind that not all VPN providers will give you the same level of protection. We suggest using the tests for yourself with whatever provider you decide on. If you choose another provider and they fail the tests, it is time to find another provider.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are a number of tools you can use to help you verify that your VPN is working properly. Share this post with your friends so they can fix this issue if they encounter it. Follow us @VPNFan for the latest deals and guides.