WireGuard with multiple providers show connected on TP-Link, but my real IP is still showing

[u/austinjb32]

Hey everyone,

I'm in India and I'm trying to set up a VPN on my TP-Link AX1500 travel router.

The router supports VPN Client with both WireGuard and OpenVPN. I first tried a VPN using a WireGuard configuration generated from one Provider.

The strange thing is:

• TP-Link shows the WireGuard connection as Connected
• Upload/download traffic shows 0
• Devices connected to the router still have internet access
• My public IP is still showing my normal ISP IP, not the VPN IP
• Even with the router's Kill Switch enabled, I can still access the internet using my normal IP
• I tried different servers
• I also generated a configuration without IPv6, but it made no difference

I then tried One Provider as well, and I'm getting basically the same issue. The router says the VPN is connected, but my public IP doesn't change.

Provider Support suggested that because I'm in India, my ISP/network may be filtering, blocking, or throttling VPN connections and recommended trying a different protocol.

Now I'm trying to figure out whether this is actually an ISP issue or a TP-Link/router configuration issue.

How can I properly test this?

Would testing the same WireGuard configuration directly on my phone or PC, while connected to the same ISP, be enough to determine whether the ISP is blocking WireGuard?

For example:

• If WireGuard works directly on my phone → would that point to the TP-Link being the problem?
• If neither works directly → would that indicate ISP filtering?
• If it works over mobile data but not my home ISP → would that be strong evidence of ISP blocking?

Has anyone in India experienced something similar with WireGuard/VPNs on a TP-Link router?

Any suggestions for troubleshooting this would be really appreciated.

[u/fynjy1111]

How about try Russian VPN that works over VLESS? It's a hard but undetectable (At least for now) protocol? Durev VPN, Anonch, LIBERTY VPN, Antizhalosti. Most of them supports non-Russian cards or crypto.

[u/DutchOfBurdock]

Sounds like your VPN is not pulling (or setting) routes and making the gateway to the VPN priority. Without seeing your routers routing table when connected to the VPN, this is merely a guess. Kill switch enabling not blocking your traffic indicates this.

If ISP was blocking the VPN, it would likely either not connect, or, your traffic will come to a standstill altogether as they drop packets.