DNS Leak — What It Is and How to Prevent It

What Is a DNS Leak?

A DNS (Domain Name System) leak occurs when your DNS queries bypass the VPN tunnel and are sent to your ISP's DNS servers instead of the VPN provider's servers. This means your ISP can see which websites you visit, even though your other traffic is encrypted.

How DNS Leaks Happen

  • Poor VPN configuration: The VPN client fails to override system DNS settings
  • IPv6 leaks: Many VPNs only tunnel IPv4, leaving IPv6 DNS queries exposed
  • Smart Multi-Homed Name Resolution: Windows may send DNS queries on all interfaces simultaneously

How to Prevent DNS Leaks

Use a VPN with built-in DNS leak protection. LimeVPN routes all DNS queries through our encrypted tunnel to our private DNS servers. Test for leaks at our DNS Leak Test.

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