Say I am using a well-reputed and paid VPN service, I already know I can easily enough check for leaks and proper source IP in a variety of ways. But is there a way to tell whether the VPN is actually encrypting all internet traffic myself? What would be the best way to do that. Would I need to start learning Wireshark or something similar, or is there a some sort of program/application/site with this specific check capability?
Do other people do this? Surely reputation and appearance means a lot but it's probably good practice to verify everything for yourself no?
Thanks!