How do I check whether my VPN is actually working?
The most reliable way to check a VPN is to open ipnow.kr with the VPN off and again with it on, then compare whether your public IP, location and ISP actually changed. It also helps to check for DNS leaks and internal IP exposure through WebRTC.
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Comparing before and after on ipnow.kr
With the VPN off, open ipnow.kr and note your public IP, approximate location, and ISP. Then turn the VPN on and reload the same page to compare the values.
If the IP now shows the country and city of the VPN server, and the ISP/ASN field shows the VPN provider or a data center rather than your original carrier, the VPN is correctly wrapping your traffic.
What is a DNS leak?
A DNS leak happens when your internet traffic goes through the VPN tunnel, but the DNS requests that translate domain names into IP addresses still go directly to your original ISP's DNS server instead of through the VPN. That lets your provider see which sites you are visiting.
The ISP/ASN information on ipnow.kr reflects your public IP address, not the path your DNS queries take, so it will not by itself confirm a DNS leak. If your IP and ISP changed after enabling the VPN but something still feels off, a dedicated DNS leak test may be worth running separately.
Can WebRTC expose my internal (private) IP?
Some browsers can expose your device's private IP — and in some misconfigurations, your real public IP — through the WebRTC feature even while a VPN is on. The internal (private) IP field on ipnow.kr's homepage shows exactly this WebRTC-derived information.
If your browser blocks IP exposure through WebRTC, this field may be empty or not shown at all. If an internal IP keeps appearing, check your browser's WebRTC settings or any extensions that manage it.
Common signs a VPN is not working correctly
If the country or city shown on ipnow.kr matches your real location even with the VPN turned on, the VPN connection may have dropped, or split-tunneling settings may be routing your browser traffic outside the VPN.
How do I check whether my VPN is actually working?: step by step
- Record the VPN-off stateWith the VPN off, open ipnow.kr and note your public IP, location and ISP.
- Turn on the VPN and reloadConnect the VPN, then reload the ipnow.kr page to see if the values change.
- Compare IP, location and ISPCheck whether the IP address, country/city, and ISP/ASN now reflect the VPN server.
- Check the internal IP (WebRTC)Confirm whether the internal (private) IP field still shows your original network's private address.
Frequently asked questions
The VPN is on but my IP has not changed. What should I check?
First confirm the VPN app actually shows a connected state. If reloading the browser still shows the same IP, try disconnecting and reconnecting the VPN or switching to a different server.
The country changed but the city looks wrong. Is that a problem?
Even within the VPN server's country, IP-based location is an estimate, so some inaccuracy at the city level is normal. See why IP location is wrong for the reasons.
How do I prevent DNS leaks?
Turn on any DNS leak protection option built into your VPN app. Understanding what DNS is also helps explain why this issue happens in the first place.