DNS Leak Protection

Access websites from around the globe and be that your online privacy is maintained. PureVPN’s DNS (Domain Name Server) leak protection is designed to keep your internet activities secure at all times. Once connected, any and all web addresses you access are secured with the highest grade encryption.
Secure your DNS with PureVPN’s DNS Leak Protection which ensures the utmost secrecy of your online activities. Get yourself protected for 7 days in just $0.99.

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What is DNS?

The way DNS works are by translating domain names to IP addresses so that browsers can interact with each other. Each and every device connected to the internet has a unique IP address that other devices use to communicate. DNS servers eliminate the need for humans to memorize IP addresses, such as 192.168.1.1 (in IPv4), or more complex newer alphanumeric IP addresses such as 2300:de00:1298:1::g482:v6b3 (in IPv6).

As a real-world example: Did you know that one of Google’s many IP addresses is 142.250.64.78? Because that’s too complicated to remember, we’ve got DNS; this maps google.com on top of this long sequence of numbers. If the average human can’t remember their phone numbers, they obviously can’t remember all these web addresses. DNS is a mapping technology that makes it easy to locate anything on the web, similar to how a physical address (e.g. 123 Elm Street) is another way to translate latitude and longitude.

How can I check if my VPN is working correctly?

Ensuring if your VPN is working correctly can be a challenge on its own as DNS leaks are surprisingly common issue. While you may try exploring VPN settings on your own and ensure everything is working fine and avoid DNS leaks, it’s not that easy for everyone. To check if it is working correctly, go to a website like wimi.com! and see if your IP is showing; if your VPN IP is not showing up on that page, you’ve got a leak.

Keeping this in mind, PureVPN has devised a DNS Leak Test which highlights if your DNS request is getting exposed on the web. As security flaws become increasingly common, your real IP and DNS (which usually discloses the IP you’re using, among other things) is at risk of prying eyes, even if you’re using a VPN, and it’s easy to exploit.

Take the DNS leak test

If I already have a VPN then why do I need to check for DNS Protections?

VPN connection secures your internet connection by routing your internet requests through the VPN tunnel, which means it disguises your real identity and online activities. A premium VPN kicks that functionality up a notch and keeps you safe from DNS leaks. This is important because leaking your DNS reveals your browsing activities to your ISP, despite the use of a VPN service to conceal them. Not all VPN services are equal, so you definitely want to use a VPN provider that ensures that you are protected from leaks.

As your DNS requests give away your browsing habits, they can very well be used against you. A leak means your online activities are vulnerable, and you’re not secure anymore due to DNS leaks.

IPv6 Leak Protection with VPN and how does it work?

To ensure complete online anonymity, PureVPN offers IPv6 leak protection. The feature safeguards your online traffic from the eyes of your hackers, trackers, and any other spying entity. Most VPN providers, just like the majority of websites, suffer to support IPv6 leak issues that expose the actual online identity of the person using the VPN service to anyone which you can determine by taking a leak test.

What are the causes of DNS Leakage?

There are numerous causes of a DNS leak. The most common are:

  • 1. Improperly configured network
  • With improper settings, you’re exposing your device to cyberattacks and data breaches. When you connect a device to a relatively new Wi-Fi network, the network’s DHCP settings (a default protocol that defines your devices’ IP address within the network) can automatically assign the DNS servers to take care of your web requests.

    The problem with this is that these DNS servers that assign your IP address may be unsecured, and thus not encrypted. Without proper encryption, a DNS leak is likely. In such an event, when you connect with your VPN, the DNS web requests will bypass the encrypted VPN tunnel, causing DNS leaks.

  • 2. Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6)
  • As you may already know, the IPv4 protocol is being exhausted (and IP addresses as we know it, like 123.45.67.89, are running out), but at the same time, the internet is in an ongoing conversion phase between IPv4 and IPv6. Most VPN services don’t provide IPv6 IP addresses, only IPv4. If you are only on one of the two protocols with your VPN, your VPN provider would fail to provide security.

    To guarantee that you receive the utmost online anonymity, PureVPN offers IP addresses that have IPv4 and IPv6 DNS leak protection designed to protect your online traffic from the prying eyes of hackers, trackers, and surveillance entities. Once connected to PureVPN, you can be rest assured about your online privacy on IPv4 and IPv6 protocols, and you can stop worrying about DNS leaks.

  • 3. Transparent DNS Proxies
  • A transparent DNS proxy is a cloned server that stops and forwards web traffic to the ISP’s own DNS server or DNS servers. Also known as ISP forcing, this is a form of DNS leak which results due to the malpractice of your ISP. A VPN provided DNS server ensures your web traffic passes through securely, thereby preventing DNS leaks.

    A transparent DNS proxy is a cloned server that stops and forwards web traffic to the ISP’s own DNS server or DNS servers. Also known as ISP forcing, this is a form of DNS leak which results due to the malpractice of your ISP. A VPN provided DNS server ensures your web traffic passes through securely, thereby preventing DNS leaks.

  • 4. Outdated Software
  • Always ensure that your software is updated as updates reinforce your devices’ security against malicious actors. DNS leaks are common with outdated software as opposed to up-to-date software. To be sure you’re protected, always make sure to take DNS leak tests frequently by checking what your public IP address is when connecting to the internet.

    Always ensure that your software is updated as updates reinforce your devices’ security against malicious actors. DNS leaks are common with outdated software as opposed to up-to-date software. This way you can also prevent DNS Leak. Always make sure to take DNS Leak Test frequently.

How does PureVPN provide DNS leak protection?

Preventing DNS leaks can be tricky when an ISP has implemented transparent DNS proxies. The technical specifics of this particular endeavor are relatively complex, so to distill it down: your ISP can intercept your queries from a network adapter level. PureVPN routes all DNS queries within a secure tunnel, thereby ensuring you’re fully protected from a DNS level, and leaving no traces of your identity.

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PureVPN’s DNS Leak Protection

Every time you access a domain (Facebook, Google, etc.), a DNS request is generated that exposes your real online identity on the web. The DNS request is sent to the DNS server or DNS servers which are set in your router or computer’s configuration settings. Therefore, any request to access DNS is routed through your ISP for processing, and without adequate protections, your ISP or other surveillants will see what websites you’re visiting.

PureVPN’s more than 4,000 VPN servers are fast, secure, and encrypted, and they help you avoid this spying/monitoring by disallowing the DNS request from reaching your ISP. Instead of sharing your activities with your ISP, the request is resolved within PureVPN’s own network of VPN DNS servers. This process ensures the safety of your online identity; hence, you remain completely anonymous online.

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