Quick diagnosis
- Check VPN off: note your public IP.
- Check VPN on: refresh and compare.
- If IP does not change, traffic is bypassing the tunnel.
Use VPN Status Check to compare quickly on the same device.
Most common causes
- Split tunneling enabled: Browser or specific apps excluded from VPN.
- Wrong protocol/server: A server can be online but unstable or blocked.
- IPv6 bypass: VPN tunnels IPv4 but not IPv6 traffic.
- DNS mismatch: DNS requests go through local ISP resolver.
- Local firewall/security app: Interferes with virtual adapter routing.
Fix sequence (fastest first)
- Switch to another VPN server in the same region.
- Disable split tunneling temporarily and retest.
- Toggle VPN protocol (WireGuard/OpenVPN/IKEv2 depending on provider).
- Disable IPv6 on device or enable IPv6 protection in VPN app.
- Flush DNS cache and reconnect VPN.
- Restart the VPN adapter/service and reboot the device.
When to contact VPN support
Contact support if IP still does not change after protocol/server swap and split tunneling is off. Share your platform, app version, and the exact off/on IP comparison.
Related: Is my VPN working? · VPN IP change checklist