▓▒░ TESTING: PIA ░▒▓

Is PIA working?

PIA is the cheapest serious VPN that still supports port forwarding (free, not as add-on). US jurisdiction is the trade-off, but the no-logs claim has been verified in three court cases. Run the test below to verify your PIA session.

★ isvpnworking.com - Live Status Window
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⚡ live status check ⚡
checking . . .
running 3 tests on your connection, hold tight
FYI we're checking your IP, location, and 3 types of leaks. all in your browser, nothing sent to us.
visible IP →
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they think you're in →
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VPN brand detected →
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tested at →
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┌─ LEAK DETECTION RESULTS ─┐
▸ webrtc test peer-to-peer ip leak
running…
▸ dns test domain query leak
running…
▸ ipv6 test protocol exposure
running…
★ How to verify PIA (Private Internet Access) is working
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Open the PIA (Private Internet Access) app, hit Connect, then run the test widget at the top of this page. Three checks tell you whether PIA (Private Internet Access) is doing its job:

  1. Visible IP changed - the IP shown above should differ from your real ISP IP. If unchanged, the tunnel is not routing traffic.
  2. Country matches your selected server - if PIA (Private Internet Access) says you're connected to "Germany" but our checker shows your real country, the tunnel is broken.
  3. All three leak rows show SAFE - WebRTC, DNS, IPv6. If any row reads LEAK / EXPOSED, your real IP is escaping the tunnel.

Specific PIA (Private Internet Access) settings to verify: MACE, Shadowsocks proxy, dedicated IP add-on. Look for those terms in the app menu - they're the PIA (Private Internet Access)-specific names for the protections we're testing.

★ Common PIA (Private Internet Access) connection issues
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"Mobile app slow to connect compared to others"

Fix: Settings -> Connection -> use WireGuard (default is sometimes OpenVPN on older installs). Switching protocol cuts handshake time 3-5x.

"MACE blocks legitimate domains randomly"

Fix: MACE uses one big blocklist. Disable per session: Settings -> Privacy -> MACE off. Or whitelist via custom DNS rules (advanced).

"Port forwarding port keeps changing"

Fix: Expected behavior - PIA assigns a new port per session. Configure your torrent client to use the assigned port (visible in app settings) and re-set when port rotates.

★ PIA (Private Internet Access)'s leak protection - what we found
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Run the widget above with PIA (Private Internet Access) connected. Our automated check evaluates four signals: VPN brand detection (via proxycheck.io + org-name heuristic), WebRTC peer-to-peer leak, DNS routing, and IPv6 exposure.

Based on PIA (Private Internet Access)'s default configuration:

  • WebRTC: OS firewall block
  • DNS handling: PIA-operated with MACE ad/tracker/malware blocking
  • IPv6: blocked
  • Kill switch: available, off by default
  • Port forwarding: yes
  • Obfuscation: OpenVPN scrambles (basic)

Notable incident in PIA (Private Internet Access)'s history: 2016 FBI subpoena (bomb threat case) and 2018 Ross subpoena - both produced no user-identifying data in court

Tested with our checker: WebRTC and IPv6 rows depend on your individual PIA (Private Internet Access) setup (server choice, kill-switch state). DNS row is a stub right now (real server-side test in progress) - so the strict checks are WebRTC and IPv6. Cross-check by running the test with PIA (Private Internet Access) disconnected, then again with it connected.

Notes last reviewed: 2026-05-11. Settings and defaults change over time; verify in the app if it's been months.

★ PIA (Private Internet Access) vs alternatives
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How PIA (Private Internet Access) compares to its closest competitors on the dimensions our checker tests:

Dimension PIA (Private Internet Access)CyberGhostIPVanish
Headline price $2.03/mo (3-year)$2.03/mo (2-year)$2.19/mo (2-year)
Jurisdiction United States (5 Eyes member)Romania (EU, no mandatory retention)United States (5 Eyes); Florida-based
Audit Deloitte 2022 + court-verified 2016, 2018, 2022Deloitte 2022Leviathan Security 2022
Devices unlimited7unlimited
Port forwarding ✓✗✗
IPv6 blocksblocksblocks
Free tier no24-hour trial only7-day money-back

Reality check: US jurisdiction is real, but court track record is the strongest verification of any VPN. Cheapest VPN that still does port forwarding.

Verdict: Pick if you need port forwarding and trust the verified-by-court no-logs over jurisdiction concerns.

Compare directly: Is CyberGhost working? · Is IPVanish working?

try PIA (Private Internet Access) ↗
FAQ - PIA (Private Internet Access)
Is PIA safe given US jurisdiction?[+]

5 Eyes location is a real concern. Mitigation: PIA has been court-subpoenaed three times and produced no user-identifying data each time. The audit + court evidence is stronger than typical 'no logs' claims.

Does PIA keep logs?[+]

No activity or connection logs. 2016 FBI subpoena (Kretsinger case unrelated to PIA), 2018 Ross subpoena, 2022 Encrochat-related - all yielded nothing identifying.

Why do PIA servers vary in speed?[+]

PIA owns 35k servers across many small ISPs, so per-server quality varies. Use the speed-test feature in app to find fastest in your region. Don't trust 'recommended' picks blindly.

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