Does a VPN protect me on public Wi-Fi?

Yes. A VPN encrypts all traffic between your device and the VPN server, preventing attackers on the same public Wi-Fi network from intercepting your data via man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks.

What is a WebRTC IP leak?

WebRTC is a browser API for real-time communication that can bypass VPN tunnels and expose your real local and public IP. Disable WebRTC in your browser settings or use a VPN with WebRTC leak protection.

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Security

By Bayajit Islam

5 min read

2026-09-10

Does a VPN Change Your IP Address? How VPN IP Masking Works

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) replaces your real public IP address with the IP address of its server. Websites and services see the VPN server's IP instead of yours, providing privacy from ISP monitoring and geo-restriction bypassing.

Table of Contents

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How a VPN Changes Your IP Address

When you connect to a VPN, your device creates an encrypted tunnel to a VPN server in a location you choose. All outbound internet traffic is routed through this tunnel.

Websites, APIs, and services you visit see the VPN server's public IP address and its associated ISP and geolocation — not your home IP address, city, or actual ISP.

Your real IP address is only visible to the VPN provider itself (which is why choosing a strict no-logs VPN policy matters).

TEXT

Without VPN:
Your Device (192.168.1.5) --> ISP Gateway --> [Real IP: 203.0.113.45 (Bangladesh)] --> Website

With VPN:
Your Device --> Encrypted Tunnel --> VPN Server [IP: 104.21.x.x (United States)] --> Website
                                     ↑
                               Website only sees this IP

How to Verify Your VPN Is Working (IP Leak Test)

The simplest way to verify your VPN is correctly masking your IP: Connect to your VPN, then open our free IP Lookup tool.

If the tool shows the VPN server's IP address, city, and ISP (not your real location), your VPN is working correctly.

If your real IP, city, or ISP is still visible, you may have a WebRTC IP leak (common in Chrome/Firefox browsers) or a DNS leak where DNS queries bypass the VPN tunnel.

What a VPN Does NOT Hide

Website Accounts: When you are logged into Google, Facebook, or any account, the platform identifies you by your account cookie, not just your IP address.

Browser Fingerprinting: Unique combinations of your screen resolution, installed fonts, browser extensions, and WebGL renderer can identify you even with a VPN.

VPN Traffic Pattern: Your ISP cannot see the content you access, but can see that you are connected to a VPN server and the volume of encrypted traffic.

DNS Leaks: If your system's DNS resolver sends queries outside the VPN tunnel, your ISP and DNS provider can still see which domains you query. Always use a VPN with built-in DNS leak protection.

Bayajit Islam

Creator & Lead Engineer

AI Mobile App Developer & Full-Stack Systems Engineer•Dhaka, Bangladesh

Full Bio

Bayajit Islam is an AI Mobile App Developer and Full-Stack Systems Engineer based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. With 2+ years of hands-on production experience building cross-platform apps for iOS, Android & Desktop with Flutter & Dart, asynchronous backends with FastAPI & Python, and modern web applications with Next.js, TypeScript, and Docker, he engineered LotsofNetwork as a zero-latency, privacy-first diagnostic platform for developers and network administrators.

Core Stack:FlutterDartFastAPIPythonNext.jsDockerTechnical SEO

RFC Standards ComplianceAll formulas, status codes, and subnet mathematics cross-referenced against authoritative IETF specifications.

Editorial & Verification PolicyCalculations and diagnostic tools tested against live Linux kernels, macOS Darwin, and Windows Server systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to common questions on this topic.

Yes. Many websites use VPN detection databases that maintain lists of known VPN server IP addresses. Streaming services like Netflix actively block VPN IP ranges. Some services also detect VPN usage through unusual geolocation patterns.

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How a VPN Changes Your IP Address

When you connect to a VPN, your device creates an encrypted tunnel to a VPN server in a location you choose. All outbound internet traffic is routed through this tunnel.

Websites, APIs, and services you visit see the VPN server's public IP address and its associated ISP and geolocation — not your home IP address, city, or actual ISP.

Your real IP address is only visible to the VPN provider itself (which is why choosing a strict no-logs VPN policy matters).

TEXT

Without VPN:
Your Device (192.168.1.5) --> ISP Gateway --> [Real IP: 203.0.113.45 (Bangladesh)] --> Website

With VPN:
Your Device --> Encrypted Tunnel --> VPN Server [IP: 104.21.x.x (United States)] --> Website
                                     ↑
                               Website only sees this IP

How to Verify Your VPN Is Working (IP Leak Test)

The simplest way to verify your VPN is correctly masking your IP: Connect to your VPN, then open our free IP Lookup tool.

If the tool shows the VPN server's IP address, city, and ISP (not your real location), your VPN is working correctly.

If your real IP, city, or ISP is still visible, you may have a WebRTC IP leak (common in Chrome/Firefox browsers) or a DNS leak where DNS queries bypass the VPN tunnel.

What a VPN Does NOT Hide

Website Accounts: When you are logged into Google, Facebook, or any account, the platform identifies you by your account cookie, not just your IP address.

Browser Fingerprinting: Unique combinations of your screen resolution, installed fonts, browser extensions, and WebGL renderer can identify you even with a VPN.

VPN Traffic Pattern: Your ISP cannot see the content you access, but can see that you are connected to a VPN server and the volume of encrypted traffic.

DNS Leaks: If your system's DNS resolver sends queries outside the VPN tunnel, your ISP and DNS provider can still see which domains you query. Always use a VPN with built-in DNS leak protection.