How to verify your VPN is actually working
A green "Connected" status in the app is not proof your traffic is actually protected. These are the checks worth running after connecting, especially before doing anything sensitive.
Quick answer
Check an IP-address site before and after connecting — the address and country should change. Then run a DNS leak test to confirm your DNS queries route through the VPN too, not just your browsing traffic.
Check your public IP changed
Before connecting, note your current public IP and country from any IP-checking site. Connect, then check again — the address and reported country should both change to match your VPN server, not your real network.
Checklist
- ✓Note your IP/country before connecting.
- ✓Connect to GhostMesh and reconnect the IP-checking page.
- ✓Confirm both the address and the country changed.
- ✓If it didn't change, the app's connected status is not reliable proof — treat it as not working.
Check for DNS and WebRTC leaks
A changed IP address does not automatically mean your DNS queries are protected too — a DNS leak sends your browsing history to your ISP's resolver even while your traffic looks tunneled. WebRTC can separately expose your real IP inside some browsers regardless of VPN state.
See the dedicated DNS leak and WebRTC/IPv6 leak guides for the full test process and fixes if either check fails.
When to re-check
Re-run these checks after any network change: switching Wi-Fi networks, waking from sleep, or after an app update. A connection that was verified once can silently drop back to direct traffic if the underlying network changes underneath it.
FAQ
The app says Connected but my IP didn't change. What's wrong?
Treat this as not actually protected. Disconnect, reconnect, and re-check. If it persists, see the platform-specific troubleshooting guide (Windows: SRSP connected-but-no-traffic; general: VPN connected but no internet).
Is checking my IP enough, or do I also need a leak test?
Both matter. An IP check confirms your traffic's exit point changed; a DNS/WebRTC leak test confirms your DNS queries and browser-level identifiers aren't separately exposing your real network.
Should I re-check every time I connect?
Not every time, but definitely after switching networks, waking from sleep, or updating the app — those are the moments a previously-working connection is most likely to silently regress.