QUICKSTART / GUI CLIENTS
v2rayN Setup Guide:
From Subscription to Connection Test
Follow four steps in the client: import servers into the list, choose how traffic is routed, start the connection, and test access. You can get started with a working subscription URL. If you haven't installed the client yet, choose your operating system in the Download Center.
Import a Subscription: Add Servers to the List
After launching v2rayN, check whether the main window lists any servers. If the list is empty, there's no need to adjust ports, transport protocols, or TLS yet. Subscription URLs from service providers usually include these settings. Add the URL to the client and update the subscription to see available servers. Copy the entire URL. Don't use a website login URL as a subscription URL, and don't post the URL publicly.
Add a Group and Update It
Find Subscription Groups in the top menu, then open Subscription Group Settings or a similarly named option in your version. Add a group, enter a recognizable name in the remarks field, paste the full URL from your service provider into the subscription URL field, and save. Back in the main window, select the new group under Subscription Groups and choose Update Current Subscription. If you have multiple groups, make sure the right one is selected before updating. Otherwise, you might think the URL isn't working when the client has actually updated a different group.
After the update, check the server list for entries from that group. You can filter by group, then review the aliases and protocol column to confirm the entries came from the update. If the list is empty, don't keep clicking connection buttons. Go back to Subscription Group Settings and check for missing characters or extra spaces in the URL, then confirm it's reachable from your current network. Update All Subscriptions and Update Current Subscription affect different groups. For an initial setup, updating just the current group makes issues easier to pinpoint.
If you have a share link for a single server rather than a subscription URL, use an import option such as Import Batch URLs from Clipboard. Then confirm the server appears in the list. A share link imports a specific server; a subscription URL lets a group update its server list. In v2rayNG, open Subscription Group Settings, add and save the URL, then choose Update Subscription from the menu. Return to the main screen and confirm the server is listed. Before moving on, make sure you can see a server to select: only then should you configure routing and proxy settings.
Choose a Proxy Mode: Set Routing Before Enabling the System Proxy
Once servers appear in the list, make sure you understand two settings that are often confused. In v2rayN, routing determines whether requests entering the client are proxied, sent directly, or blocked. The system proxy setting determines whether apps that follow the operating system's proxy settings send requests to the client. If you change routing but your browser isn't using the proxy, its traffic may never pass through v2rayN. Conversely, with the system proxy enabled but unsuitable routing rules, some sites may connect directly while others go through the server.
Start with a Rule-Based Mode for Everyday Use
Open the routing settings in v2rayN and check the current rule mode. If you're new to the client, start with one of its predefined rule modes and adjust it later as needed. Rules route traffic based on conditions such as domain names and IP addresses, so a connected status doesn't mean every site will use the proxy. To check whether the connection works, temporarily switch to Global mode and compare. It routes traffic entering the client through the proxy, making it easier to rule out routing rules as the cause. When you're done testing, switch back to the rule mode that suits your needs; there's no need to stay in Global mode.
Next, open the System Proxy option from the v2rayN system tray menu or the corresponding entry in the main window, and choose Automatically Configure System Proxy. Once the menu shows the new status, test with a newly opened browser tab. This setting mainly affects apps that follow the system proxy; apps with their own network settings may not use it. Check whether those apps have a separate proxy enabled before changing server addresses or encryption fields. TUN can route more traffic, but it requires additional permissions, a virtual network adapter, and DNS settings. It's not needed for a basic connection. Get the system proxy working first, then see the relevant section in Troubleshooting.
v2rayNG doesn't have an Android equivalent to the desktop system tray's Automatically Configure System Proxy option. In the app settings, check Predefined Rules or a similarly named routing option, and start with a straightforward default rule. When you tap Connect, Android will ask you to grant network connection permission. There's no need to change DNS, sniffing, or per-app proxy settings all at once. Changing several options at the same time makes connection problems harder to diagnose. Note whether you've selected rule-based or global mode, then choose a server and connect.
Connect to a Server: Check the Active Server and Client Core
Return to the v2rayN server list and select a server from the subscription group you want to use. Selecting a row and setting it as the active server may be separate actions. Depending on your version, double-click the server or use the context menu to choose Set as Active Server. Then check that the active server indicator has changed. If the group has multiple entries, test one server first. Switching between several servers makes it harder to tell which one produced the result.
Check the Status, Not Just the Highlighted Row
In v2rayN, selecting an active server usually starts or switches the client core. Check the status area at the bottom of the main window and review the logs. If you see a startup error, resolve it first; a server in the list doesn't mean you're connected. If there's no error, make sure the system proxy is still set to Automatically Configure System Proxy. In some versions, you can check its status in the system tray context menu. The app may keep running in the tray after you close the main window, so check the tray menu rather than assuming the connection has stopped because the window is no longer visible.
Latency tests in the server list can help you compare servers, but one failed test alone doesn't prove that the subscription, routing, and browser access are all broken. A latency test doesn't work exactly like a regular web request. A more reliable order is to check the active server, client core logs, and system proxy, then test access as described next. If the logs show an incorrect address, port, or authentication detail, update the subscription and ask your configuration provider to verify the input. Guessing at subscription-provided fields usually makes the original configuration harder to restore.
In v2rayNG, return to the server list and tap the imported entry to make it the current server, then tap Connect. The first time you connect, grant network connection permission when prompted, then check the connection status at the top of the app or in the notification area. If you declined permission, tapping the button alone won't route network requests through the client. Start the connection again and grant permission. Don't assume every app is working just because the status icon appears: routing rules and app-specific network behavior can affect access. Confirm it using an actual webpage and the client logs in the next step.
Test Your Connection: Compare Results with Your Settings
Keep the client running, open a new browser tab, and visit a familiar site you expect to access through the proxy. A new tab helps reduce interference from existing connections or cached content. Loading the page is only the first check; consider your routing mode too. In rule mode, some sites may be expected to connect directly. To confirm the proxy path, temporarily switch to Global mode as described earlier, compare the result, then restore your original rule mode. Don't judge the whole setup by the loading speed of a single page: the site's response and your network conditions also affect performance.
Check in Order Instead of Changing Settings at Random
On desktop, open the v2rayN logs and reload the test page to see whether a matching connection appears. If the request is logged but the page won't load, focus on the active server, routing, or destination site. If there's no matching request, check the system proxy and your browser's own proxy settings first. On Android, check the v2rayNG connection status and logs, and confirm the system permission is still in effect. Logs may contain visited domain names, so don't share them publicly without removing sensitive details.
If the page still won't load, check these items in order: did the subscription update add servers to the list? Is the correct server active? Do the client core or connection status show an error? Is the desktop system proxy enabled? Does the selected routing mode send the test request through the proxy? Change one setting at a time, then test again and note the result. For example, if Global mode works but rule mode doesn't, check the routing rules. If neither works and the logs show a connection error, check the server configuration and reachability. This helps distinguish between a request that never reached the client and one that reached it but couldn't connect to the server.
After testing, keep only the mode you need. For everyday split routing, switch back to rule mode. If you don't need the desktop proxy, turn it off from the system proxy menu and confirm the browser connects directly again. The next time you start the client, check the active server and system proxy status before browsing. Subscription update failures, DNS resolution errors, and unexpected TUN behavior each need a different troubleshooting path. This guide covers only the shortest route to a working first connection. For specific issues, visit the Help Center or see Troubleshooting by symptom; there's no need to reinstall the client from scratch.
Checks to Keep After Setup
Server list, mode, status, access
Use these four checks whenever you change a subscription or server: confirm the settings appear in the list, check how requests are routed, verify the connection status, and test access. Change one setting at a time to make issues easier to pinpoint.