A VPN service offers numerous features to protect your privacy and security against different threats. However, what happens when your VPN connection drops unexpectedly? To save the day, many VPN providers offer a feature called Kill Switch. It immediately secures your identity and privacy if your VPN connection is lost.
In our guide, we will show you how an internet kill switch works, what benefits it offers, and which VPN with kill switch are the best.
Table Of Content
What is a VPN Kill Switch & How Does it Work?
A VPN kill switch, also known as internet kill switch, is like fail-safe device that deploys if your VPN connection drops. What it does is that it instantly stops you from connecting to the internet when you disconnect from the VPN. This prevents third parties or any outsider from identifying your true IP address and location.
Once your VPN service is back up and running, it automatically reconnects your device to the internet. So, how does an internet kill switch work?
A VPN with internet kill switch constantly monitors your internet connection. It looks for any signs of change, such as drop in connection or changing IP address. A kill switch instantly kicks in when it detects such change and halts your internet connection.
What is the purpose of a VPN kill switch?
The first and foremost objective of using a network lock feature is to deliver next level additional layer of security to users. When you browse the internet through a VPN, role of above said benefits becomes crucial.
Check out our detailed what a VPN guide is as well as this VPN comparison chart which tells you which VPNs offer kill switch feature and which do not.
Types of network lock or kill switch?
Surprisingly, network lock or kill switch has two types. You may consider these types like active kill switch and passive kill switch. An active kill switch does not send your traffic to unsafe networks. When your VPN provider suddenly stops working, you are disconnected from the internet automatically.
What makes a passive kill switch more effective from its counterpart is its next level security feature. It means a VPN app does not send your internet traffic as soon as it stops receiving a signal from the VPN server.
How do I know if my VPN has a built-in kill switch?
At times, it becomes difficult for newbies to explore network lock feature in their VPN software. This is because every VPN service has mentioned kill switch by its own name. Upon digging deep, you can find the said privacy advantage appropriately.
You might be wondering how you can find internet kill switch hassle-free. In case you are using PureVPN, you can click on advanced options. To find advanced options, you will need to press menu tab first. Here is the snapshot of the feature:
This way, you are able to find out your desired privacy benefit accordingly. If you are using VPN services other than PureVPN, you may read FAQs section provided on official sites.
Best VPNs that offer kill switch feature
Undoubtedly, finding an appropriate VPN that provides a built-in kill switch feature is a daunting task. You will have to go through different providers in detail to check network lock benefit. For your ease, I have compiled a list of VPN services that delivers VPN with kill switch attribute by default.
Here is the list of VPN services that includes:
| VPN Providers | Price ($) | Special Deals | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Affordable VPN  | $10.95 $2.95 Per Month | 73% Off Exclusive Discount 1 year Plan | |
Best Budget Service  | $11.95 $1.99 Per Month | 83% Off 2 Years Deal | |
Best for Geo-Unblocking  | $11.95 $2.99 Per Month | 75% Off 3 Years Plan | |
Best for Streaming  | $12.95 $8.32 Per Month | 35% OFF No Exclusive Offer | |
Best for Private Browsing  | $12.99 $2.75 Per Month | 79% Off 3 Years Deal |
PureVPN Internet Kill Switch
PureVPN is one of the leading VPN providers with internet kill switch you can use today. It offers over 2000 servers located across the world and protects your privacy with military grade encryption and OpenVPN protocol. PureVPN bakes its VPN kill switch feature in apps for Windows, Mac, and Android. View our guide of Android VPN as well.
Sadly, this feature is not available for iOS yet. However, upon inquiry, PureVPN is working on implementing kill switch for iOS devices very soon. Overall, PureVPN has good reviews of its internet kill switch feature. It has also resolved certain issues on its Android version, as the latest builds have a new and improved kill switch feature.
NordVPN
NordVPN is currently offering 5100+ servers in more than 60 countries worldwide. This is how you can secure your privacy from any part of the world trouble-free. Above all, it offers an eye- catching automatic kill switch feature that improves your online anonymity next level.
Furthermore, you can avail such attribute on your preferred devices like Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, and iOS. In order to understand the hidden gems of NordVPN kill switch feature, read this guide in detail.
Surfshark
What makes Surfshark different from other VPN services is the availability of an impressive kill switch benefit. Moreover, this relatively new privacy brand has 500+ servers in 50+ countries that allow you to safeguard your digital whereabouts straightaway.
When it comes to preventing yourself from IP leaks issues that arise from VPN disconnections, you should rely on Surfshark.
CyberGhost
CyberGhost is another privacy brand delivering its services through 3000+ servers in 60+ countries all around the world. The famous Romania based provider offers an exclusive VPN with kill switch benefit to its users. You can explore the said feature by the name of “The Ultimate Killswitch” through the app settings.
ExpressVPN
The British Virgin Island service has a global presence because it offers 2000+ servers in 90+ countries. Above all, the brand provides an excellent kill switch feature you can find out by the name of “Network Lock” once you have found ‘General’ option from your app. This way, you can secure your traffic even when ExpressVPN app stops working unexpectedly.
How can I enable a VPN kill switch?
The task of enabling a kill switch is simple and does not any rocket science. Here is how you can do:
- Launch NordVPN Windows app and go to settings>general
- Explore internet kill switch or app kill switch benefit and select your preferred option
- When you select internet kill switch, you can use the internet while connected to VPN only
- In case you opt app kill switch, you will not be able to use internet when VPN connection drops
This is how you can activate NordVPN kill switch feature on your Windows devices stress-free.
Are kill switches activated automatically?
It depends on your VPN service, as different services do not activate the feature by default. You will need to use the app settings first. Once you have opened the app settings, you can enable the privacy advantage accordingly.
The above screenshot demonstrates that Surf shark users will have to activate kill switch benefit from the app settings first. This way, they can secure their internet traffic hassle-free.
Who will face consequences by VPN network reliability hassles?
When it comes to downloading torrents securely from anywhere, nothing comes close to VPNs. However, connection failures may drag torrents downloaders in hot waters of legal troubles sometimes. If they are using VPN services without activating kill switch, their IP addresses could be exposed to a public connection.
Still, you should not lose all your hopes because we have got you covered. Either you can opt Vuze Bittorrent client or you can manually configure firewall settings.
Vuze Bittorrent client
This software downloads your desired torrents in no time. Likewise, it offers required level of security If your VPN connection is untrustworthy, Vuze would still route data packets through a VPN. Hence, these data packets will not be passed through public networks. Thus, you can safeguard your actual IP addresses.
Configure firewall setting manually
If you do not want to avail any third party option, you can still configure firewall settings at your own. By doing so, you can block torrent downloading activity when your VPN connection fails abruptly.
Primary causes for frequent disconnections
Unfortunately, frequent VPN disconnections may spoil your fun a great if you are unable to access your desired geo-restricted content. Therefore, you should perform some tweaks to overcome VPN disconnection issues timely.
Here is the list of major reasons that do not allow your VPN services to work properly:
- VPN protocol selection
- Network congestion/ poor signal strength
- Firewall or router settings
VPN protocol selection
Surprisingly, connections seamlessly perform when the network uses the TCP protocol as compared to the default UDP protocol. If your connection is unstable, there is no harm in switching the protocol.
Network congestion / poor signal strength
When numerous people use the same Wi-Fi connection to access the internet, strength of Wi-Fi connections may decrease to certain degree. The same goes for VPNs as well. This is because the strength of Wi-Fi connections also influences the performance of VPN services a great deal.
This is the reason VPN connections are disconnected quite often.
Firewall or router settings
At times, firewall or antivirus software may hamper the VPN connection speeds considerably. Therefore, you should disable these features to check the performance of your VPN service. In case your VPN connections become stable once you have disabled the security features, you should not apply these settings on your VPN services.
Can I perform some tweaks to protect myself against VPN disconnections?
Interestingly, you are free to use other third party resources like VPNetMon and VPN watcher. VPNetMon allows you to secure your internet connection when your VPN provider suddenly stops working. The said protection tool does not turn off the internet completely.
In fact, it just shuts down the pre-selected program that may expose your IP addresses while using insecure internet connection. As for VPN watcher, we will describe it in the next heading.
Other VPNs that offer Kill switch feature on their apps
Luckily, you have options galore when it comes to finding VPNs other than the above-described ones. These are:
- IPVanish
- Private Internet Access
IPVanish Kill Switch
IPVanish is another VPN with kill switch feature and offers great performance. It offers servers in major locations around the world and user-friendly apps for multiple operating systems. Likewise, it also offers 256-bit AES encryption and has a no log policy. IPVanish kill switch is available on Windows and Mac VPN clients at the moment. You enable this feature by accessing the connection settings in the app. Apart from its limit compatibility, there are not many complaints about IPVanish kill switch.
PIA VPN Kill Switch
Private Internet Access (PIA) is a renowned VPN service that commands healthy audience from all around the world. PIA’s commitment to user’s privacy is an example for all other VPN providers to follow. PIA VPN kill switch is a testament to that commitment. It will automatically protect your privacy by stopping your internet connection in an event of VPN disconnection. PIA also offer DNS leak protection, adding to its privacy protection arsenal.
However, many users have complained about PIA kill switch not working. The problem has been caused by DHCP, but it can be easily fixed through troubleshooting. Other than this, PIA kill switch has received good reviews and its service has improved considerably over the years.
Moreover, you can put additional layer of security over your VPN through VPN Watcher. It acts as a Kill switch. Suppose you add a BitTorrent or uTorrent client in VPN Watcher and link it to a VPN like PIA VPN. VPN Watcher will kill your torrent client whenever PIA disconnects for any reason.
Read our detailed review of VPN Watcher.
VPN kill switch Reddit
Reddit is one of the most sought communities that offer unbiased and updated information about numerous niches instantly. According to the response of one Reddit user, it depends on your VPN provider.
Different VPN services deactivate kill switch when you are disconnected from any server completely. On the other hand, some VPN services do not disable the feature even if you are disconnected.
Are you using a VPN service that does not have network lock benefit?
In case you are still unaware about the impacts of network lock or VPN kill switch, you should subscribe to a VPN service that provides kill switch advantage. By doing so, you can secure your digital whereabouts even when your VPN connection is not working.
Final Words
Internet kill switch is an integral feature that you should look for when selecting a VPN. It adds an extra layer of security and provides a safety net in case your VPN stops functioning. In this post, we have listed five VPN with kill switch. Each of them have good reviews and have kill switch feature built-in to their apps.
Likewise, a kill switch has various other applications and can be beneficial if you are a privacy-conscious user. Whether it is torrenting, surfing the web, conducting financial transactions, or any other task, a kill switch will prevent IP leakage and preserve your privacy at all times.
Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section given below if you use kill switch on your VPN services.
Can I setup VPN Kill Switch on Ubuntu? I am using it on desktop.