![]() The idea is to forcibly break your current connection, and see how the app behaves. Or if you're at home, just turn your router off and on again. If you've more than one network available, try switching from one to the other. ![]() If you're on a mobile device and connected to Wi-Fi, for instance, move out of range of the router. It's not easy to simulate that, but you can disrupt your VPN connection and see if the kill switch kicks in. The main purpose of a VPN kill switch is to protect you from a dropped connection. This may only be for a few seconds, the time it takes to establish the second connection, but it still indicates the kill switch isn't properly doing its job. The Page Refresher window should jump from your VPN IP and location, to 'no internet' or similar errors during the reconnection, then switch straight to the new VPN IP.īut if the kill switch isn't fully protecting you, there's a chance you'll see your real IP and location after the first VPN connection closes. If the kill switch works, it should kick in as soon as the first connection closes. Most apps now close your first connection, then begin establishing the next. Next, connect to your VPN, then (if your app allows it) try switching to another location, while watching the Page Refresher window. But ExpressVPN's only kicks in if the connection drops unexpectedly: it won't activate if just hit Disconnect.) NordVPN's Windows Kill Switch blocks your internet unless you're connected to the VPN, so our test applies. (If it looks like your VPN has failed, make sure you're very clear how the app's kill switch should work before you complain to your provider or ditch the service entirely. And when you reconnect, the error messages should be replaced by the VPN's IP and location, without your ever seeing the details of your normal connection. ![]() That might not matter much if it was just a second or two, but it could be a problem if it lasts for longer.īut if the kill switch works as it should, you'll see the VPN IP address disappear, to be immediately replaced by a blank window, or maybe DNS or 'No Internet' error messages. If you see the location of your regular connection, even briefly, that means the kill switch didn't block Page Refresher's traffic. If your VPN kill switch disables internet access entirely when you're not connected to the VPN, then just hit your app's Disconnect button and watch the Page Refresher window. Once the VPN says it's connected, wait a few seconds more, and the window should display your VPN's IP address and location. You'll probably see error or 'No Internet' messages for a few seconds, but that often happens as network settings are updated. Turn your VPN kill switch back on, then choose a VPN location in another country (anywhere other than the country you're in now), hit the Connect button, and watch the Page Refresher window. Use a VPN and its kill switch should prevent you from accidentally switching back to the connection, but is that what happens? Let's see. When you see these details in the Page Refresher window, you know your device is using your current unprotected internet connection. Head to the Page Refresher website, a handy site which can automatically refresh your chosen URL at regular intervals.Ĭopy and paste into the Page Refresher address box, and set the ' Refresh page at every.' box to 1 second.Ĭlick Start and Page Refresher opens a new browser tab with your current IP address and location, then refreshes it every second. If you don't know where to do that, check the Settings panel: NordVPN has a Kill Switch section, ExpressVPN has a Network Lock option under the General tab. The first step in running a simple kill switch test is to check the details of your regular internet connection (whatever you'll use when the VPN is off).ĭisconnect from your VPN and turn the kill switch off.
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