A virtual private network (VPN) can offer you the online privacy and security you need to work and live with peace of mind. However, simply activating a VPN doesn’t mean that you’re automatically safe. Even with the highest-reviewed and most trusted VPN providers, it’s always a good idea to make sure that it’s working as intended. There are steps that you can take to ensure that, and here, we’re going to look at some of them.
Checking VPN Connection
First of all, you want to make sure that your device (and the VPN software that you’re running on it) has established a connection to the VPN server. First, take a look at the VPN dashboard provided. Most apps will offer an interface that allows you to quickly see whether or not you’re connected. For instance, you might see a locked shield symbol or a “VPN ON” message.
You can tell whether or not the VPN is connecting you to an external IP address as intended by verifying your IP. This is easy to do. First of all, run a search for “What is my IP address” in your browser. Google will return with your IP address. Following this, connect to your VPN and repeat the search. The IP address should be different from the previous one displayed and, indeed, should match the address selected in your VPN app.
If your IP address hasn’t changed, that’s an indicator that your VPN isn’t connecting. This can be for a number of reasons, such as your network not allowing VPN traffic, which is common in some workplaces as well as countries with internet restrictions.
Testing VPN Functionality
Aside from the connection, you want to ensure that your VPN is doing what it’s supposed to. Here are a few ays to check:
Check for DNS Leaks
DNS leaks are when your internet service provider (ISP) handles your DNS requests rather than your VPN provider. There are DNS Leak Test sites you can use to ensure your browsing activity isn’t still being exposed.
Check for IP Leaks
Similarly, there sites that can check whether your VPN is correctly masking your IP address, as mentioned above.
Check for WebRTC Leaks
A WebRTC leak can expose your IP address even if you’re using a VPN. Testing tools like BrowserLeaks.com can make sure this doesn’t happen. If it is, you can disable WebRTC in most browser settings.
Check Your Geolocation
VPNs direct your traffic through IPs in different countries. Check out websites that offer region-specific content, such as Amazon and Netflix, to see if it’s working.
Verifying VPN Status
It’s important to verify the status of your VPN to ensure it’s protecting your data adequately. You can do this by periodically checking your IP address as mentioned above. However, there are other functions worth trying out. For instance, your VPN should have a kill switch that disconnects your internet if the VPN connection drops, so that you don’t accidentally slip back into your regular IP instead.
Briefly disconnect your VPN and see if your internet loses access. If it comes back immediately with no pause, you might want to switch to a VPN provider that offers a more reliable killswitch.
You can further check the effectiveness of your VPN by checking it works across different devices.
Ensuring VPN Security
Most VPN users rely on it for security as well as privacy. As such, it’s vital to check that it’s providing the robust protection you need. Check what safety standards your VPN is offering, which is often found in the app’s settings or the provider’s site. Industry-standard encryption protocols like AES-256 tend to be your best bet, while some options like PPTP are outdated and open to attacks.
Other factors in secure VPN functionality include the use of RAM-only servers, which ensure that your data is not stored persistently but is wiped every time those servers are restarted. You should also check that your VPN provider offers two-factor authentication (2FA) on your account to ensure that others cannot gain unauthorized access to it.
Confirming VPN Reliability
A good VPN should be able to perform consistently, protecting and connecting you without too many interruptions. You can confirm this by testing the server stability and connecting to servers across multiple regions to ensure that you are able to stay connected across multiple servers. Do pay attention to the indicators of connection speed/quality each server offers, however.
Speed test tools can help you measure your internet speed while connected to the VPN. A slight reduction in speed is expected, but significant drops should not be common.
Validating VPN Encryption
As mentioned, you should confirm the kind of encryption that your VPN provider uses, as it is the backbone of the security they provide. If they don’t use AES-256 or the equivalent, then your sensitive data may not be as securely protected as you would hope.
You can also use network analysis tools to perform a packet inspection, inspecting your internet traffic to confirm whether or not it is encrypted. In tools like Wireshark, encrypted data will appear as garbled code, while unencrypted data is in a readable format.
Monitoring VPN Performance
Test your VPN’s performance using speed test tools to determine how quickly data travels from your device and the VPN server. High-quality VPNs also provide server load statistics to help you select servers that can perform better based on how many users they currently have. Keep a record of how often you get downtime while using your VPN. If it goes down frequently, you may want to consider switching.
Conclusion
It’s vital to make sure that your VPN is working effectively, providing the reliability of connection, data security, and control features that make it the right choice for your privacy and safety. With the steps above, you can verify that your VPN is working to your satisfaction, keeping you confident and offering you peace of mind as you use it to connect to the internet securely and conveniently.
