IP address not changing when using VPN

February 19, 2015 12:41 PM

I'm using a VPN but why does my IP address remain unchanged?

I've used vpnbook.com in the past, when I've needed a US IP address. But recently, using the VPN has had no effect on my IP address.

I've tried privacy modes in three browsers, turned the router on and off, restarted the Mac (Yosemite and Snow Leopard), tried wifi and ethernet, tried different vpn servers but each time I find that my IP address remains unchanged. The internet refuses to believe that I'm anywhere else than where I actually am.

Why could this possibly be happening?

posted by popcassady to Computers & Internet (3 answers total)

Using the VPN has had no effect on my IP address.

So something is obviously wrong.

But first, how are you determining your IP address? Are you using a server on the public internet like What is my IP or Google? Your internal IP address will not be affected by using a VPN, so your machine will still self-report the same IP address even if its public address is now aliased via VPN. Can you confirm that the two addresses (self-reported and public) are the same?
posted by RedOrGreen at 12:47 PM on February 19, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: The address given by What is my IP is my usual address. However, a US address is displayed in the VPN panel of Network Preferences.
posted by popcassady at 1:01 PM on February 19, 2015

Response by poster: That did the trick. VPN was listed at the bottom. Thanks!
posted by popcassady at 1:19 PM on February 19, 2015