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Feature overview
Charles
2026-09-24 10:22Many people run online IP checks and find that the displayed region and carrier information look perfectly normal. But after enabling the WebRTC test, a completely different IP address suddenly appears, which often leaves users completely confused.
This is exactly why many IP reputation check platforms now list WebRTC detection as a standalone test item. It helps you see what additional network information your browser can access during real-time communication, beyond the public IP that regular web pages normally identify.
In this guide, we will break down how IP purity check websites detect WebRTC leaks, how to spot abnormal WebRTC behavior, and how to properly interpret your test results.
1. What Exactly Is a WebRTC Leak?
WebRTC stands for Web Real-Time Communication. It is a native browser real-time communication technology that is fully supported by all major browsers including Chrome, Edge and Firefox.
WebRTC itself is not inherently dangerous. The real privacy concern is that when your browser establishes a real-time communication connection, it may call local network interfaces and retrieve network addresses through mechanisms like STUN.
If a standard online IP check shows you are using IP A, but your WebRTC results return a completely different IP B, it means your browser can expose extra network address information that you did not intend to reveal. This is why most modern IP testing tools now add a dedicated WebRTC leak detection feature.
2. How Do IP Purity Check Websites Perform WebRTC Detection?
WebRTC detection does not simply read the IP displayed on the browser page. Instead, it creates a test connection through the browser's native real-time communication API, then analyzes the returned ICE Candidate data.
• First step: The IP testing tool reads the public IP used when you access the web page, which is the regular network exit address the website normally sees.
• Second step: The page calls the browser's WebRTC interface to create a temporary communication test session.
• Third step: The system collects all network addresses returned by WebRTC, then compares them against your current public IP.
• If the public addresses detected on both sides match perfectly, this generally means your current network exit is unified and consistent.
• If WebRTC returns a different public IP, you will need to further investigate which network that address belongs to, what region it is located in, and what relationship it has with your current active connection.
Many fully-featured IP purity check platforms now display your IP address, IP type, ASN, carrier, geolocation and WebRTC results all in one unified dashboard, making it far more intuitive to evaluate your full network environment.
3. How to Read Results When You Test for WebRTC Leaks on ToDetect
| Test Item | Normal Result Interpretation | Abnormal Result Interpretation | Recommended Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Public IP | The public IP shown on ToDetect matches your actual network exit address | The IP address does not match your expected network connection | Confirm your active network connection and run the test again |
| WebRTC Public IP | The public IP detected by WebRTC is identical to your current public IP | WebRTC returns a second, completely different public IP address | Check if multiple active network connections or browser network interfaces exist |
| IP Geolocation | The country and region of your current IP and WebRTC IP are mostly consistent | The two IP addresses show clearly different countries or regions | Run a separate lookup to trace the network origin of both IP addresses |
| ASN / Carrier | The ASN and carrier information for both addresses match or share a logical connection | WebRTC returns a completely different ASN or network service provider | Verify if any other hidden network interfaces are active on your system |
| Local Area Network IP | Addresses in the 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x ranges are completely normal and expected | A standalone LAN IP appearing in results does not count as a WebRTC anomaly | No special action is required — focus your analysis on public IP addresses |
| IP Type | The network type associated with your current IP matches the WebRTC result | The two addresses return drastically different network type classifications | Run a supplementary IP quality check for deeper context |
| IP Risk Score | Low risk rating with all network information points showing strong consistency | High risk score or major inconsistencies across your network metadata | Do not rely only on the risk score — combine IP type, ASN and WebRTC data for a full assessment |
| Final Verdict | Your current public IP and WebRTC public IP match, with unified network metadata | WebRTC exposes an extra public IP with clearly mismatched region and ASN data | Retest your connection and perform a full audit of your browser and system network settings |
4. What Key Data Points Should You Prioritize in WebRTC Testing?
You do not need to analyze dozens of complex parameters just to judge if your WebRTC information is normal. We recommend focusing on these four critical points:
First, your current public IP. This is the access address normally identified by the website, and it forms the baseline reference for all other test items.
Second, the WebRTC public IP. The most important check is whether it matches your current public IP. If they are identical, your network exit is almost always fully unified.
Third, the IP geolocation and ASN. If a second public IP appears, use an online IP lookup tool to trace its country, region, carrier and full ASN details.
Fourth, IP type and IP quality. If your testing platform also offers IP quality scoring, IP type classification or risk analysis, review those as well. A single raw IP address alone can never tell you the full story of your actual network environment.
5. What Should You Do If Your WebRTC Test Returns Abnormal Results?
If your IP purity check website shows a clear mismatch between your WebRTC results and your current public IP, you can start troubleshooting from two directions: your network connections and your browser settings.
• First, check if your computer has multiple active network connections running at the same time, for example if both Wi-Fi and Ethernet are connected simultaneously.
• Close and fully restart your browser, then run the WebRTC leak test again to eliminate temporary cache or stale connection state issues.
• If you use multiple browsers, run separate tests on Chrome, Edge, Firefox and other browsers you use. Different browsers handle WebRTC permissions, local network interfaces and mDNS requests in slightly different ways.
Additionally, if you are running an outdated browser version, we strongly recommend upgrading to the latest stable release. WebRTC privacy protections have been continuously updated in recent years, and newer browser versions almost always apply far stricter controls over how local network information is shared.
6. Never Evaluate Your IP Purity Based On Only One Test Item
Many people only check if their IP address is located in their target region when running IP tests, but this approach is far from complete. The far more reliable testing method is to evaluate your public IP, IP type, ASN, carrier, geolocation, IP risk score and WebRTC results all together as a complete set.
When you run an IP purity check on ToDetect, you can first confirm your current public IP, review the IP quality results, then verify that the addresses returned by WebRTC are fully consistent. This gives you a complete picture of what network information your browser is actually exposing.
This is especially valuable in scenarios where "the IP address looks perfectly normal, but your full browser environment test returns inconsistent results". WebRTC detection almost always provides the extra clues you need to identify the root cause of the mismatch.
Final Summary
When using IP purity check websites, you should never fixate only on a single "leak / no leak" conclusion. The most practical workflow is to cross-reference your current public IP, WebRTC public IP, IP geolocation, ASN, carrier, IP type and full IP quality report together.
If you want to run a full comprehensive audit of your current network environment, use an IP testing tool like ToDetect that displays your public IP, IP type, ASN, geolocation, IP quality score and WebRTC detection results all in one place.
Regular users do not need to master overly complicated technical parameters. You only need to remember this simple rule: first check your current public IP, then check your WebRTC public IP. If the two match, your environment is almost always consistent. If different public addresses appear, simply trace their origin and network properties for further investigation.
