The DNS Leak Problem
When you type a URL into your browser, your device first asks a DNS server to translate that domain into an IP address. If this DNS query goes outside your VPN tunnel, your ISP sees which websites you're visiting — even though the actual traffic is encrypted.
How DNS Leaks Happen
- **OS-level DNS configuration** — Your operating system might use its default DNS resolver instead of the VPN's
- **IPv6 leaks** — Some VPNs only tunnel IPv4, leaving IPv6 DNS queries exposed
- **Smart Multi-Homed Name Resolution** — Windows feature that sends DNS queries on all interfaces simultaneously
- **WebRTC leaks** — Browser WebRTC can expose your real IP and DNS servers
How VynVPN Prevents DNS Leaks
Tunnel-Level DNS
All DNS queries are forced through the encrypted VPN tunnel to our private DNS resolvers. Your device cannot make DNS queries outside the tunnel.
IPv6 Handling
VynVPN blocks IPv6 traffic entirely when connected, preventing any IPv6 DNS leaks. (IPv6-only networks are supported through our dual-stack proxying.)
OS-Level Enforcement
Our native apps configure the operating system to use only VPN DNS servers while connected:
- **Windows** — Sets VPN adapter as primary DNS, disables SMHNR
- **macOS** — Modifies resolver configuration via Network Extension
- **Linux** — Updates resolv.conf and manages systemd-resolved
- **Mobile** — Uses OS VPN APIs that automatically handle DNS
Private DNS Resolvers
VynVPN operates its own recursive DNS resolvers. We don't use Google DNS, Cloudflare, or any third-party resolver. Our DNS servers:
- Log nothing
- Support DNS-over-HTTPS internally
- Block known malware domains (optional)
- Respond from the same region as your VPN server (reducing latency)
Testing for DNS Leaks
After connecting to VynVPN, visit our leak test page at `leak.vynvpn.com`. It checks:
- DNS leak status
- WebRTC leak status
- IPv6 leak status
- Your visible IP address matches the VPN server