How To Fix DNS leak with OpenVPN

Updated On - January 30, 2023

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The DNS leak issue is most common if you are using the Windows operating system. Therefore, the solutions discussed in this article are to fix DNS leak with OpenVPN for Windows.

The OpenVPN connection can leak DNS after connection according to the Windows Network configuration. This is because the Windows device selects the DNS server based on the network adaptor list arrangement.

There is more than one network adapter on your PC, and you can consider only the top 3 in the network service list. If there are 3 network adapters on your device then OpenVPN’s network adapter could be the 4^th and if there are more than 3 then it can be even lower.

Therefore, to resolve the issue, you can change the network adapter positions and make the OpenVPN adapter among the first 3.

Here is how you can do it;

Manual Fix For DNS Leak With OpenVPN

Open the Network Connections of your device.
Now in the displayed list, locate the TAP-32 network adapter’s name and do remember it. In most cases, the name is Local Area Connection 2.
Now press the ALT key to open the menu of Network Connection.
From the menu, click on Advanced and then Advanced Settings.
In the Connections window, locate the OpenVPN connection name you have noticed in the 2^nd Press the up arrow icon and place the OpenVPN connection among the top three places. The best is to place it on 1^st.

Fix For DNS Leak With OpenVPN V2.3.9+

The above-mentioned solution is for the individuals who are using the OpenVPN version older than 2.3.9. However, the users who have OpenVPN version 2.3.9 can mitigate the DNS leak issue by establishing a new OpenVPN option. To do this, here are the simple steps.

Open the .conf (or .ovpn) file of the server you are using.
Now add “block-outside-dns” on a new line.

And yes, the process is completed. This step forces the Windows device to use the DNS of the VPN provider only.

No Matter What, Always Confirm DNS Leaks

After following the above preventions, you must check the DNS leak. This is a recommended step as you never know the ongoing process at the back, and with the DNS leak test tool, you get the obvious insights into whether your DNS is leaking.

Also, these VPN tests should be carried out regularly to avoid any unknown threat due to leaking data.