A DNS leak test is an important tool for anyone concerned about online privacy and security. When you use a VPN to hide your online activities, it is important to ensure that your DNS requests are also protected. DNS leaks can reveal information about the websites you visit and even be obtained by your ISP or other eavesdroppers. By running a DNS leak test, you can easily confirm that your DNS queries are secure and avoid inadvertently leaking your privacy.

DNS server IP	Provider	Country/Region

What is a DNS leak?

Risks of DNS Leak

1. Exposing browsing records to ISP or third parties

Even when using a VPN to encrypt traffic, if DNS requests bypass the VPN and go through your local ISP's DNS server, the ISP can still see which websites you visit. This undermines the VPN's core purpose of privacy protection.

2. Potential Monitoring by Governments

DNS requests are plaintext. If unencrypted and leaked, government agencies, hackers, and public WiFi attackers can monitor them to track your browsing content and habits.

3. Targeted Advertising & Behavioral Profiling

Advertisers or data brokers can analyze DNS data to profile your interests, behaviors, and frequently visited sites for targeted advertising and behavioral analysis, violating personal privacy.

4. Potential Exposure of Real IP Address

In some misconfigured VPN setups, DNS leaks can indirectly expose your real IP address, potentially allowing tracking of your location and identity.

5. Reduced Security & Vulnerability to DNS Spoofing

Redirect you to phishing websites or malicious pages.

How to fix DNS leaks

1. Use VPNs with DNS Leak Protection

Choose reputable VPN providers and ensure their client software enables:DNS Leak ProtectionForce traffic through the VPN's encrypted DNS servers

2. Disable system default DNS settings

When disconnected from VPN, your system may use ISP's default DNS servers.Solution:Manually configure DNS in your OS, for example:Cloudflare DNS: 1.1.1.1 / 1.0.0.1Google DNS: 8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4Ensure VPN overrides local DNS settings when activated

Enable Kill Switch

Failure to do so may cause DNS leaks.Recommendation:Disable Split TunnelingEnable the VPN's Kill Switch to prevent DNS requests from being exposed if the connection drops.

4. Use encrypted DNS protocols

To further prevent leaks, you can use:DoH (DNS over HTTPS)DoT (DNS over TLS)This can be configured via the system, browser, or VPN to add an additional layer of encryption to DNS queries.

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