What does a DNS lookup reveal?
A lookup turns a name like example.com into the numbers your device needs to connect. So each lookup names the site you are about to open.
Out of the box, those questions are answered by your ISP or by a resolver the Wi-Fi assigns. Put a day of them together and you have something very close to your browsing history.
Why do lookups leak?
A DNS leak means your pages go through the VPN while some lookups still travel the old way. The usual causes are a DNS server typed into system settings, an IPv6 route the tunnel does not cover, or a network change in the middle of a session.
The browser can be the cause too. If its secure DNS option points at a specific company, it sends lookups there on its own, VPN or not.
What changes when I connect?
CoxVPN sets your device to use our DNS servers. From then on, all lookups go through the tunnel, and any that try to leave another way are thrown out.
Our DNS servers follow the same no-logs rule as the VPN servers. This is included in every pass and needs no setup.
How can I check for leaks myself?
Turn CoxVPN on and visit a leak test page of your choice. In its results, every resolver should belong to us. If one carries your provider's name, something is leaking. To see the IP that websites see, open our IP check page.
Provider still listed? Reconnect and run the page a second time. Then check your browser's secure DNS setting. If it still does not look right, tell us through My info > Contact us.
- Connect to a server in any city
- Open a DNS leak test site
- Make sure your provider's DNS is not in the results