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Mullvad VPN & NextDNS

Hey everyone.

I have setup Mullvad VPN on my router, and am using NextDNS as DNS server.

I’m still very new to this, so sorry if it’s a stupid question😅

Mullvad VPN tells me that I have a DNS leak, I ran a test and all it showed me was the NextDNS server. Is this a problem, can it be used to track me?

 

Thanks for your time in advance😄 

4 replies

null
    • Hey
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    The reason it shows as DNS Leak is simply because its not using a Mullvad DNS they most likely whitelist their own DNS servers to show as not leaking. Can it be used to track you, I mean NextDNS itself is to stop tracking/ads so honestly speaking it should perform even better than the stock DNS that they have since the filters block many domains.

    The only possible issue would be with streaming potentially as I've heard from some VPN services that the DNS is also needed to bypass some Anti VPN measures taken by some sites. So in terms of privacy, as long as you trust NextDNS the "leak" is just NextDNS processing domains so nothing to worry about.

    • User
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Whenever this happens, check https://test.nextdns.io/ to be sure if NextDNS is enabled. if it is then it isn't leaking, but Mullvad warns you because it detects you aren't using their servers, and since most people don't know jackshit about DNS or edit it, it could be deemed a leak, because a third party DNS server is resolving your DNS (obviously this is by choice, but Mullvad does not know that so it warns you regardless)

     

    As for tracking, having a unique DNS server *can* help in generating a unique fingerprint, which could be used to track you, so using Mullvad DNS would be more practical for blending in (With a VPN like Mullvad, you get lost in the mix, using NextDNS *could* be making you unique in that mix, so proceed with care, but you have to make a choice based on your threat model.)

    To read more about threat models: https://www.privacyguides.org/threat-modeling/

      • Blobbie
      • 2 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      User Thank you :) It indeed tells me I’m using NextDNS, so it’s all good then😄 

       

      I guess I’ll take the risk, online security is important, but the filters NextDNS has are even more important for the safety of the users👍

      • User
      • 2 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Blobbie Again, it's a choice, you should not be using NextDNS with TOR browser for example, because then the standing out of your unique fingerprint is dangerous if you're traversing through the TOR network.

      But for your home network/cellular network it's up to you and your threat modeling.

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