What is a DNS Leak & How to Prevent It?

A **DNS leak** is a critical security vulnerability that occurs when your browser requests domain resolutions outside of an active, secure VPN tunnel. Even if your IP is hidden, a DNS leak exposes all the websites you visit to your local ISP.

How Does a DNS Leak Happen?

When you connect to a VPN, your operating system is supposed to direct all network requests through the encrypted tunnel. However, due to browser caching, network configuration errors, or IPv6 configurations, requests for domain names (e.g., resolving `google.com` to an IP) might bypass the VPN and go directly to your default ISP name servers. You can run our real-time DNS Lookup tool to see which servers are resolving your requests.

Why is a DNS Leak Dangerous?

• Exposes Browsing History: Your ISP (and anyone sniffing your local network) can see every domain you visit.
• Bypasses Geo-Restrictions: Some streaming services detect DNS mismatches and block access.
• Leads to DNS Spoofing: Unsecured DNS servers are vulnerable to hijacking, which can redirect you to phishing sites.

How to Prevent DNS Leaks

Follow these best practices to secure your DNS queries:

1. Enable DNS Leak Protection: Choose a VPN client with built-in DNS protection enabled in its settings.
2. Disable IPv6: If your VPN does not support IPv6 routing, disable it manually in your OS network adapter settings.
3. Use Private DNS Servers: Manually configure your router to use secure DNS providers like Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8).