Why Is My VPN Not Changing My IP?

If a VPN is connected but websites show the same public IP, the traffic you are testing may not be going through the VPN tunnel.

How it works

Common causes include a failed connection, split tunnelling, a browser extension that only handles selected traffic, or checking an old cached result. Some corporate VPNs are intended only for work resources and do not route general web traffic. Compare a fresh public-IP result before and after connection rather than relying only on a service's status label.

Test with a normal browser page rather than a cached dashboard or a search result that may retain an earlier location. If an application uses its own proxy or split-tunnel rule, compare that application separately from the browser.

A corporate VPN can be working exactly as designed while leaving ordinary web traffic on the local network. Confirm the intended policy with the organisation that supplied it before changing security settings.

Practical guidance

• Disconnect the VPN and note the public IP.
• Reconnect, confirm the selected server, and check again in a fresh browser tab.
• Review split-tunnelling and protocol settings if the IP remains unchanged.

Common question

Could a VPN use the same IP as my ISP? It is unlikely on a normal consumer setup, but shared gateways and unusual business networks can create confusing results.