Testing a VPN service?

[beingbobbyorr]

How do I test that my newly-installed VPN service (installed in/on my browser) is presenting websites I visit with new IP addresses every _________ (well, however often it's supposed to switch IP addresses*)? i.e., How can I verify that the VPN software/service I bought isn't just a placebo?



* How often do VPN's switch the user's "apparent" IP address?
(a) every time the browser is closed & opened
(b) any time a new browser tab is launched (while the browser stays open indefinitely) but the new IP address is seen only by the web clients sought from that new browser tab
(c) every time the computer does a warm re-boot (Start ---> Shut down ---> Restart)
(d) every time the computer does a cold re-boot (power down ---> wait ---> power up)
(e) every time the user presses a button on the browser (that was added at VPN installation)
(f) every ___ hours of computer operation
(g) every ___ hours of wall-clock time (regardless of power-up/power-down status of the computer or what the browser was doing)
(h) _______________ other

 

[Alabalcho]

The answer of all your questions depends on kind of VPN plug-in you're using. You've said your VPN is installed into the browser. This means that VPN is restricted to that browser only.

ANd you can also answer these questions by themselves by just checking your external IP address(es). There are tons of websites which can report it.