• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Technipages

Tutorials and fixes for smartphone, gadget, and computer problems

  • Topics
    • Android
    • Browsers
    • Gaming
    • Hardware
    • Internet
    • iPhone
    • Linux
    • macOS
    • Office
    • Reviews
    • Software
    • Windows
    • Definitions
  • Product Reviews
  • Downloads
  • About
Why Is It Important to Route DNS Traffic Over Your VPN?

Why Is It Important to Route DNS Traffic Over Your VPN?

August 12, 2020 by Mel Hawthorne Leave a Comment

One of the main reasons people use a VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is for privacy purposes. Many people don’t want their ISP, or Internet Service Provider, from knowing or tracking what websites they are accessing. Even if you are using a VPN though, your ISP may still be able to track what websites you’re browsing to, through your use of a protocol called DNS.

DNS or Domain Name System is a protocol that is used to translate the human-readable URL that you enter into your browser, into the IP address of the web server you need to communicate with. Most devices default to using a DNS server that is provided by your ISP. Even if you change this though, to use a third-party DNS server such as Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 service, your ISP may still be able to see your DNS traffic for two important reasons.

The first reason that your ISP may still be able to monitor what websites you browse to, is that the DNS protocol is unencrypted. This means that any DNS traffic you make is readable to any device that it passes through, including your ISP. The second reason is that your DNS traffic can leak from your VPN connection. Sometimes this is because the VPN provider doesn’t support tunneling your DNS traffic over the VPN, other times it’s more accidental and related to things like temporary disconnections.

For whatever reason it happens though, it is possible for you to be using a VPN for privacy and have your DNS traffic leak to your ISP. This can allow your ISP to monitor the websites you access.

The information in your DNS traffic could be used to track your interests and hobbies or learn about life events. For instance, if you browse to a cycling website, your ISP can learn that you like cycling and may sell this data to potential advertisers.

The solution to this is to ensure that your VPN provider tunnels your DNS traffic over the VPN. Some VPN providers do this by default but for other providers, you may need to specifically enable a setting to route your DNS traffic over the VPN. Unfortunately, not all VPN providers support tunneling DNS traffic at all, as is generally the case for free VPNs.

It’s also recommended that you enable a VPN kill switch if your VPN provider offers it. A VPN kill switch is a tool that blocks all internet traffic on your device if it disconnects from the VPN. A kill switch provides strong protection from a range of accidental leaks, including DNS leaks and helps keep your browsing activity private.

You Might Also Like

  • Google Maps: How to Save a Route
    Google Maps: How to Save a Route
  • Why Google Maps is Not Showing The Quickest Route
    Why Google Maps is Not Showing The Quickest Route
  • Google Maps: How to Create a Personalized Route
    Google Maps: How to Create a Personalized Route
  • What Is Traffic?
    What Is Traffic?
  • Google: How to Check Traffic to Work or Home
    Google: How to Check Traffic to Work or Home
  • Fix YouTube: Our Systems Detected Unusual Traffic
    Fix YouTube: Our Systems Detected Unusual Traffic

Filed Under: Internet

Reader Interactions

Did this help? Let us know!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • How to Change the Profile Picture on Disney+
  • Local Security Policy: What Is It and How to Open It in Windows 11
  • How to Create and Erase an Alarm in Windows 11
  • 10 Best NAS Storage Device for Home and Professional Use
  • PS5 NVMe Requirements You Must Fulfill to Expand PS5 Storage
  • Steam Deck Won’t Turn On: 8 Possible Fixes You Can Try
  • How to Fix Two-Finger Scroll Not Working Issue on Windows 11
  • Fix: No Sound Coming From Windows 11 Computer

Who’s Behind Technipages?

Baby and Daddy My name is Mitch Bartlett. I've been working in technology for over 20 years in a wide range of tech jobs from Tech Support to Software Testing. I started this site as a technical guide for myself and it has grown into what I hope is a useful reference for all.

© Copyright 2023 Guiding Tech Media · All Rights Reserved · Privacy