Kill switch: what it is and whether Surok has one
What a kill switch is in a VPN, why you need it, how leak protection works in the Surok VPN apps for Android, Windows, macOS and in the extension, and why on a phone the system itself handles it.
A kill switch is a switch that cuts the internet if the VPN tunnel suddenly drops. Without it the device goes online directly for a second or two, and sites see your real address.
How it works at Surok
We don't make a separate "kill switch" button, because the protection is built into the connection method itself.
- Android. The app works through the system VPN service: while it's active, the system doesn't let traffic past the tunnel. If you want it stricter, Android settings have "Always-on VPN" and "Block connections without VPN", they work with Surok.
- Windows. All traffic goes through a virtual adapter with a priority route. If the core stops, the route stays and traffic goes nowhere until the app takes the tunnel down itself.
- macOS. A system extension and a VPN profile: the system keeps traffic inside by itself, as on iPhone.
- Browser extension. The proxy is set with the "mandatory" flag: if the server is unreachable, the browser shows an error instead of going direct.
When you don't need it
If you're just watching video, a short reconnection is harmless. A kill switch matters when the address must not be exposed even for a second: for example, working from abroad with services that block foreign addresses.
How to check
Turn Surok on, open "What's my IP", then turn Wi-Fi off for five seconds and back on. While the app reconnects, the page must not show your real address.
Further reading
About other leaks, DNS and WebRTC, in the article "How to check that your VPN works".