Not đall VPNs keep your information safe. There might be several reasons behinds why itâs not working. So, you need to test for personal data leaks. Here are the most common tests to do that.
Major VPN Test include
DNS Leak testIP Address leak testWebRTC leak testVPN Speed TestStreaming TestMalware Test
DNS Leak Test
DNS stands for Domain Name System and it translates domain names into IP addresses which are used by browsers to load websites.Without having a VPN connection on, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can see your browsing data (in the form of translation requests), which can be then sold or handed over to various 3rd parties, such as marketing agencies, advertisers, government, etc.A VPN helps prevent userâs browsing data from being collected, by encrypting it routing it through a secure tunnel.A DNS leak occurs when these translation requests leak out of the secure VPN tunnel and once again become visible to your ISP.There are several tools to check if your VPN is leaking, for example, dnsleaktest.comIt is important to know that a DNS leak test will not show that your IP is leaking, but rather the IP and location of your ISP, which can then be used to identify youSuggest testing your VPN often â if leaks occur on multiple occasions, itâs time to find a new VPN provider. (This could be an opportunity for you to link to your best VPN for privacy or similar âbest VPNâ content).
IP Address Leak Test
Similarly to a DNS leak, an IP leak can expose users real identity.A VPN is supposed to mask the real identity of the user, however, sometimes it fails to do so (especially common with free VPNs);This can occur in both IPv4 and IPv6, as both versions can be prone to this.Most frequently IP leaks occur when you are reconnecting after a lost connection. To prevent this, premium VPN providers have a built-in kill switch, which automatically kills your internet connection if it is not protected.To check for IP leaks, visit IPv6-test.com.Similarly, if you frequently get leaks or your VPN provider does not have a kill switch, suggest choosing a different VPN service. (This could be an opportunity for you to link to your best VPN for privacy or a similar âbest VPNâ (content).
WebRTC leak Testing
WebRTC functionality allows users to have real-time communication capabilities with other people online. This includes voice and video calls, P2P file-sharing. This mostly concerns the most popular browsers out there: Firefox, Opera, and Chrome, which allow the before mentioned ways of communication in their browsers. Similar to an IP leak, during a webRTC leak, the userâs real IP is shown. It occurs when the IP address is leaked through the WebRTC API. To prevent WebRTC leaks, you can either disable the functionality in your browserâs settings or use a VPN that can protect your IP. Note: not all VPNs protect you from WebRTC leaks, so itâs better to check beforehand. To check for WebRTC leaks, you can follow these steps:
VPN Speed Testing
There are several factors that include how fast your VPN connection is:
VPN Protocol: Some VPN protocols are built to be more secure or stable, while others excel at speeds. Currently, itâs believed that WireGuard is one of or the fastest out there. However, with increased speeds thereâs a tradeoff of privacy risks: with WireGuard, the userâs identity must be stored on the server and linked to an internal IP address assigned by the VPN. Itâs important to choose a VPN provider that either solves this WireGuard issue or offers different protocols if the maximum level of privacy is a must.Physical distance: Data you upload or download has to go through the server youâre connected to. This means that the greater the distance, the slower your connection becomes. Because of this, itâs always best to connect to a neighboring country or state, if youâre looking for the best speeds.Server load: The more people are connected to the same server, the more workload it gets and at some point starts slowing down. However, the wide selection of servers that premium providers offer as well as their auto-selection of servers in a geography that is optimized to select the one with the lowest load at the time of connection usually solves this problem.
The most widely known speed testing tool is speedtest.net. suggest testing servers/countries that you most frequently use.
VPN Malware Testing
When it comes to malware in VPN services it is most likely to be found in free VPN apps, however, it is wise to test for malware regardless of whether your provider is paid or free to give you peace of mind.
Itâs a good idea to scan free VPN apps you download from any of the app stores or online.Besides having an anti-virus up and running to protect you, the best tool to scan apps for malware is to upload it virustotal.com. Keep in mind that a free VPN can not only contain malware but will likely have other issues, such as leaks or slow speeds.
Streaming Test
If you get a message âWhoops Something went wrong (Streaming Error)â. Then try to change your IP once or know the best VPNs for Netflix or change your Netflix region. The same goes for all streaming services as well.
VPN Still not Working?
VPNs do their job without troubling anyone but no one can actually predict the issue with your VPN. Here are the potential reasons behind it.
VPNs Tested Against Leaks & Security Protections
1.NordVPN: Best in Class VPN
NordVPN ranks top VPNs in the VPN market offering all VPN protocols readily available to get configured within a quick setting button. âQuick Connectâ simple button interface makes itâs more user-friendly and connects to the fastest servers only. You can choose from 5500+ servers widely spread on earth across different locations. Military-grade encryption with no DNS/IPv6 leaks protecting you from your ISP or any government surveillance. NordVPN is compatible with all platforms including Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS so you will get complete support. Use Onion over VPN feature for complete anonymity. NordLynx will double your streaming speeds. You can simultaneously use NordVPN on 6 devices connections per subscription. Also, they are offering 30 days of the money-back guarantee program. So you can try this without any risk. So, if you donât like the app, you can get your full refund within 5 days. And if you need a VPN for 1-2 weeks, you can try NordVPN for free using its money-back program.
