Standard vs Extended test
In early 2014 the site was upgraded in order to more comprehensively search for DNS leaks and as a result two separate tests were created.
The DNS leak test works by sending your client a series of domain names to resolve within a specific test domain. Each request is sent from your client to your configured DNS server. Even if you have configured a single DNS server, there may be many other servers that the request is passed on to in order to be resolved (normally to load balance the requests). For example if you configure Google DNS then you will often find 6-10 Google DNS servers which are fullfilling the DNS requests. The Standard test performs 1 round of 6 queries for a total of 6 queries. This should be more than sufficient to discover if you have a DNS leak. The original test prior to the 2014 upgrade did 3 queries. The advantage of this test is that it is fast. Use this test to quickly check for dns leaks when you connect to your VPN service.
The Extended test performs 6 rounds of 6 queries for a total of 36 queries. This high number ensures that all DNS servers are discovered. However for the purposes of discovering if you have a DNS leak this is not normally neccessary and can take 10-30 seconds longer to complete. If you have strong anonymity/privacy requirements you can choose the extended test just to be certain.
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DNS leak test and protection | NordVPN
Find out if your internet traffic is fully secure and NordVPN NowNordVPN sends all your DNS queries through a secure VPN tunnel to keep them private at all does DNS mean? The Domain Name System (DNS) is the reason why browsing the internet is so quick and simple. Its job is resolving domain names such as “” into actual IP addresses. In other words, it translates the long, complex numeric names of web servers into human language, and the other way is how it works: Whenever you want to visit our website, you type “” into your browser. Your computer or smartphone sends a query to a DNS server: it contacts the server and asks for the unique IP address of our site. Only after the DNS server provides the IP address, your device can finally connect to the website you is a DNS leak? When you connect to a VPN, all your online traffic is supposed to be routed through the VPN network. That includes the DNS queries we mentioned before. They should go through the encrypted tunnel straight to your VPN provider’s DNS that’s not always the case. A DNS leak is a security flaw that allows your queries to travel to the default DNS servers, which belong to your internet service provider (ISP). That may happen if you:are running Windows 8 or later with the “Smart Multi-Homed Name Resolution” feature enabled;have recently reset your system preferences;have set up a VPN manually;are using a VPN service that doesn’t own its DNS servers nor offer adequate protection from can it affect me? If any of your online traffic goes out through the regular, unencrypted route, third parties may intercept it. That includes your ISP or DNS provider, who would be able to see the websites you visit, the services you use, and top of that, you won’t even know about it, unless you take a special DNS test for leaks, like the one provided here. You could call it a VPN security test because if a service won’t fully reroute all your traffic, it’s not as secure as it should be. That’s why it’s imperative to choose a VPN with DNS leak does NordVPN prevent DNS leaks? When you connect to NordVPN, your device only uses DNS servers operated by NordVPN. All your DNS queries travel over the encrypted tunnel and are resolved on the same VPN server you are connected way, you never have to worry about your confidential information leaking and third parties spying on can I test my VPN for leaks? You can check for DNS leaks in just a few easy steps:Step 1Go to the DNS leak test website. It not only allows you to check your VPN connection for leaks, but also provides advice on how to fix any leaks you 2For VPN check, see if the displayed IP address and location match your real ones. If so, either you’re not connected to a VPN, or your VPN service is not 3To check your DNS status, select Standard or Extended Test. If you are connected to a VPN server and the VPN leak test displays DNS servers that don’t belong to your actual ISP, your traffic is if you are connected to NordVPN, and still see a DNS leak during the test? Please contact our support team our support team over live chat or email. We’ll help you sort out any issues as soon as a VPN service you can trustFrequently asked questionsHow do I know if my VPN is leaking? In order to find out if your VPN service is leaking any of your real information, you need to perform a test. You can go to the DNS and VPN leak test website and take a look at your IP address. Is it your real one? If so, either you’re not connected to a VPN server or your VPN is not do I know if my DNS is leaking? To check if your DNS is leaking, you’ll have to perform a DNS leak test. Go to this website and do the tests. If at least one of the servers does not belong to your VPN service provider, it’s probably leaking your does a DNS leak test work? A DNS leak test works by sending a number of domain names for the VPN to resolve. If at least one of the servers in the results belongs to your ISP, the VPN likely has a DNS do I fix a DNS leak? If you think NordVPN has leaks, get in touch with our support team for a DNS leak fix. We will help you figure out how to stop DNS leaks and get you back to secure and private browsing in no time.
can I fix a DNS leak
The solution is to ensure that once connected to the VPN,
you are using ONLY the DNS server/s provided by the VPN service.
OpenVPN v2. 3. 9+
As of OpenVPN version 2. 9 you can now prevent DNS leaks by specifying a new OpenVPN option. Simply open the
(or) file for the server that you are connecting to
and add the following on a new line. For more information see the OpenVPN manual.
block-outside-dnsIf for any reason you are unable to use the solution above continue reading.
If you are using a version of OpenVPN older than v2. 9
Please note that as this problem normally only affects windows clients, only solutions for Windows appear
here.
3 basic steps to fix the problem;
Before connecting to the VPN, set static IP address properties if you are using DHCP
After connecting, remove DNS settings for the primary interface
After disconnecting, switch back to DHCP if neccessary or reapply original static DNS servers
Solution A – Automatic
If you are using OpenVPN on Windows XP/Vista/7 then a fully automated solution is available.
Download – (md5 checksum:
f212a015a890bd2dae67bc8f8aa8bfd9)
After installation, when you connect to a VPN server, a batch file will be run executing the 3 steps
above.
Three scripts are generated for each OpenVPN configuration file;
– executed when you initiate the connection but before the
connection is established – Calls – If any active DHCP adapters exist, switch to static
– executed when the connection is established – Calls –
Clear the DNS servers for all active adapter except the TAP32 adapter
– executed after the connection is disconnected – Calls
– Reconfigure adapters back to their original configuration
Solution B – Manually clearing the DNS
The solution below does not switch the adapter to static if you are using DHCP. If you do not
switch to a static IP configuration and your computer renews its IP address whilst connected to
the VPN, the DNS settings may be overwritten. It is highly recommended to switch to a static
IP configuration.
Open the command prompt () as an administrator.
Before connecting identify the name of the connected network interface. In the case below it is
“Local Area Connection”
netsh interface show interface
Connect to the VPN. Once connected proceed to the next step.
Flush the DNS resolver cache
ipconfig /flushdns
Disable the DNS configuration for the Interface identified in step 1
netsh interface IPv4 set dnsserver “Local Area Connection” static 0. 0. 0 both
Test for DNS leaks.
After disconnecting, reconfigure the adapter to renew the previous DNS settings
netsh interface IPv4 set dnsserver “Local Area Connection” dhcp
Once again, flush the DNS resolver cache.
Done.
Frequently Asked Questions about dnsleak
What is DNS leak test?
The DNS leak test works by sending your client a series of domain names to resolve within a specific test domain. Each request is sent from your client to your configured DNS server. … Use this test to quickly check for dns leaks when you connect to your VPN service.
Is DNS leak test safe?
If you are connected to a VPN server and the VPN leak test displays DNS servers that don’t belong to your actual ISP, your traffic is secure.
How do I fix a DNS leak?
3 basic steps to fix the problem;Before connecting to the VPN, set static IP address properties if you are using DHCP.After connecting, remove DNS settings for the primary interface.After disconnecting, switch back to DHCP if neccessary or reapply original static DNS servers.