VPN Bypass: Fixes & Checks

TL;DR

Your VPN might be leaking your real IP address or DNS requests. This guide shows you how to check for leaks and fix common problems.

1. Check Your Public IP Address

1. Without the VPN: Go to a website like WhatIsMyIP or IPLeak.net and note your public IP address.
2. With the VPN Connected: Connect to your VPN server and refresh the same website. Your IP address should be different. If it’s the same, your VPN isn’t working correctly.

2. Check for DNS Leaks

DNS leaks happen when your computer uses your ISP’s DNS servers instead of your VPN’s, revealing your location.

1. Use a DNS Leak Test: Visit DNSLeakTest and run the standard test (or extended if needed).
2. Interpret Results: If you see your ISP’s DNS servers listed, you have a DNS leak. The results should only show DNS servers associated with your VPN provider.

3. Fix Common VPN Leak Issues

Here’s how to address leaks based on your operating system.

Windows

1. VPN Settings: Check your VPN application settings for options like ‘Kill Switch’, ‘DNS Leak Protection’, and ‘IPv6 Leak Protection’. Enable these if available.
2. Flush DNS Cache: Open Command Prompt as administrator and run

   ipconfig /flushdns

   . This clears old DNS information.

3. Disable IPv6: Sometimes, IPv6 can bypass the VPN tunnel. Go to Network Connections (right-click your network adapter), Properties, uncheck ‘Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)’.

macOS

1. VPN Settings: Similar to Windows, check for Kill Switch and DNS leak protection options in your VPN app.
2. Flush DNS Cache: Open Terminal and run

   sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

   . You’ll need your administrator password.

3. Disable IPv6 (if necessary): System Preferences > Network > Advanced > TCP/IP tab > Configure IPv6: Link-local only.

Android

1. VPN App Settings: Look for leak protection features within the VPN app itself.
2. Check DNS settings: Some Android versions allow you to manually set DNS servers in Wi-Fi advanced settings. Use your VPN provider’s DNS addresses if possible.

iOS (iPhone/iPad)

1. VPN App Settings: Again, check for leak protection options within the app. iOS generally handles DNS well with a properly configured VPN.

4. WebRTC Leaks

WebRTC is a technology that can reveal your real IP address even when using a VPN. This is more common in browsers.

1. Test for WebRTC leaks: Visit BrowserLeaks and run the test.
2. Disable WebRTC (Chrome): Type chrome://flags/#disable-webrtc in your address bar, find ‘WebRTC IP handling’ and set it to ‘Disable non-proxied UDP’. Restart Chrome.
3. Disable WebRTC (Firefox): Type about:config in the address bar, search for ‘media.peerconnection.enabled’, and set it to ‘false’. Restart Firefox.

5. Consider a Different VPN Provider

If you’ve tried all these steps and still have leaks, your VPN provider might be unreliable or not secure enough. Research reputable providers with strong privacy policies and proven track records.