IP address is assigned by your internet service provider (ISP) \u2014 from where you are getting the internet \u2014 such as Wi-Fi, office internet, home internet, cell phone internet data, etc<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just by knowing an IP address, you can find out a device\u2019s geographical location, internet provider’s name, local time, and even the users\u2019 web browsing behaviors<\/strong> in some cases. The IP address of any device or server can be easily checked by anyone on the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To hide their IP addresses, people use virtual private networks<\/a> (VPNs). But sometimes VPNs aren’t successful in hiding the original IP addresses and end up revealing them to the outer world. This is known as an IP leak<\/strong> and this is where an IP leak check comes in handy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, we\u2019ll cover how to conduct an IP leak test\nto discover such leaks. We\u2019ll also talk about the various IP leak types and\nways to prevent them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People perform an IP leak test is to check whether your device’s original IP address (i.e. IP provided by ISP) is leaking even after installing a VPN <\/strong>\u2014 and if it is leaking, what other details it\u2019s revealing about your device to others. Follow the steps below to perform an IP leak check: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Turn off your VPN and go to any of the following websites to\nconduct your IP leak test:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Be sure to jot down this IP address as it\u2019s your original ISP IP address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, turn on the VPN and select the IP address for your desired geographical location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, go back to the website you visited in step one where\nyou conducted the first IP leak test and refresh the page. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you see the new IP address for the location you selected\non the VPN software, it means the VPN is successfully hiding your IP address. If\nyou still see your original IP address and location, your device is suffering\nfrom an IP leak \u2014 hence, the VPN isn\u2019t working properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Please note that all of these websites show different\ndetails in their IP leak test results. However, the common elements of these\nreports are your: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Check out the before and after screenshots from my own IP\nleak test (below). The former was taken when my VPN was turned off. The latter was\ntaken after turning on the VPN and selecting an IP address of a VPN server\nlocated in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your IP address can be leaking in various ways. So, for example,\nit might not be leaking while visiting some websites, but it may leak while\ndownloading a file from Torrent or engaging in another activity. So, it\u2019s\ncrucial to identify which type of leak your device is experiencing. Here are four\nof the most common types of IP leaks: \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n IP addresses are made of a long string of numbers and\nalphabets, which are difficult for humans to memorize. For humans, web surfing while\nusing a domain name (like SectigoStore.com, google.com, amazon.com, etc.) is more\nconvenient. This is where a domain name system (DNS) comes in handy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A DNS works like a mediator between humans and servers via\ntheir browsers. When a user tries to connect to a website, the DNS translates that\ndomain name to an IP addresses, which enables a browser to request a specific\nwebsite from a server to connect to it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But like with most technologies, the domain name system\nisn\u2019t perfect. The downside of the DNS is that it keeps a log of all user activities,\nincluding: <\/p>\n\n\n\n All ISPs, by default, enable DNS. That means your internet service provider can know your entire browsing history. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you use a VPN, it hides your original ISP DNS under the anonymous VPN DNS. But sometimes, when users request the DNS to open a website, it bypasses the VPN’s IP address and accesses the user’s ISP IP address directly, causing what\u2019s called a DNS leak.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While purchasing a VPN, you should always check whether it has a DNS leak prevention feature. But if your current VPN doesn’t have this feature, you can manually change the DNS configuration. You can use this Google\u2019s DNS guide<\/a> to switch your ISP\u2019s DNS to Google\u2019s public DNS. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While using Torrent, your file-sharing client can monitor all your activities using your ISP IP address. But with VPN, you can disguise your true the identity from the Torrent client. Plus, all the activities and files will get encrypted, too. However, sometimes, your Torrent client bypasses the VPN IP address and can see the ISP IP address, which is known as Torrent IP leak. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To check for an IP leak via Torrent:<\/p>\n\n\n\n All the major web browsers (such as Google Chrome, Mozilla\nFirefox, Safari, Opera, and Yandex) have a feature called web real-time\ncommunication, or WebRTC. This tool enables video calls, file sharing, live\nchats, voice calls, etc. But websites can trick the browsers’ WebRTC feature\ninto bypassing the website visitors’ VPN IP address and revealing their real IP\naddress through the use of JavaScript. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though there are tools available to conduct a WebRTC\nleak test, just do so with caution. You can\u2019t rely on them 100% because you\ndon\u2019t know which websites are using special JavaScript to find out your real IP\nvia WebRTC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can install an add-on or extension that disables the WebRTC\nvulnerability. Let\u2019s explore how this works in Google Chrome and Mozilla\nFirefox: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Install a WebRTC Leak Prevention Tool in Chrome<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Install a WebRTC IP Leak Prevention Tool in Firefox<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When you send an email to someone, some email clients send\nyour IP address to your email recipients as a part of the header information<\/strong>.\nWhen this occurs, it means you\u2019ve got an email IP leak. All email clients have\ndifferent policies about showing IP addresses. Here, we have demonstrated how\nyou can manually check Gmail\u2019s header information: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Press Ctrl+F<\/strong> on your keyboard and search for \u201cReceived:\nfrom<\/strong>.” You might see the sender\u2019s IP address in the place which we\nhave highlighted with red color in the screenshot below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also conduct the email IP leak test with the email\nIP leak software by following these steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, either you will be shown the message “Your\nemail has been received, and it doesn’t leak your IP,” Or it will show\nwhich IP address it is leaking. If that IP address is the same as your VPN\nserver’s IP address, you\u2019re still in the safe zone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, if it shows your original ISP IP address, your VPN\nis not working properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, you can’t stop email clients from revealing your IP address. However, if they are showing the ISP IP address in the header information, even after you are using VPN, it is a problem. You should discuss this issue with your VPN provider’s support team. They might suggest some security setting tricks to prevent such a leak. If your VPN provider can’t prevent the email client from revealing your original IP address, you should change VPN providers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are wondering why an IP leak test matters, this section will answer that question. You need to understand why people want to hide their IP addresses in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When the VPN is installed and turned on, your device will be assigned a temporary VPN server IP address to conceal your original IP address (the one issued by your ISP). This VPN server might be located in different cities and countries. You can also manually choose the geographical location to get the IP address from that region. The original IP address would be working in the background because your internet still comes from your regular ISP provider, but then the new VPN IP adds another layer of IP security onto it, like a mask, to hide the original one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some online marketers track IP addresses to know users\u2019 browsing behaviors. This data helps them target appropriate advertisements based on each user\u2019s individual preferences. Some people consider this advertising technique manipulative or invasive and prefer to hide their original IP addresses<\/a> by using a VPN. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some websites and apps allow access to their content to viewers from specific countries while banning viewership from other regions. VPN software gives you the option to choose an IP address from a variety of different countries, which helps you to bypass such geographical restrictions. (Note: This might be illegal in some cases.) With an international IP address, you can have access to international entertainment such as sports games, television series, music, etc. \u2014 all without ever changing your physical location.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow to Conduct an IP Leak Test<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 1: Use an IP Leak Test Tool<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 2: Choose a VPN IP Address Location<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 3: Re-Check Your IP Address<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Graphic:](\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/ip-address-combined-images.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n4 Common Types of IP Leaks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. DNS IP Leak <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Conduct a DNS IP Leak Test<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
How to Prevent a DNS Leak<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
2. Torrent IP Leak<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Conduct a Torrent IP Leak Test<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
How to Prevent a Torrent IP Leak<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
3. WebRTC IP Leak<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Prevent a WebRTC IP Leak<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
4. Email IP Leak <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Graphic:](\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/email-ip-leak-test.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Graphic:](\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/email-meta-data-2.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nHow to Prevent an Email IP Leak<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Why Is an IP Leak Test Necessary?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Privacy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Geographical Restrictions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Blacklisted IPs <\/h3>\n\n\n\n