How to read: Chapters 1 to 9 are ordered as "decide what to buy first, then how to use it". First-time users should read the first six chapters in order; if you have been using the service for a while, jump straight to the upkeep and advanced sections from Chapter 7 onward.
Service Scope and Limits
VPNBQ is a subscription-based cross-border network acceleration service. After you buy a plan or a data pack, a subscription URL is generated in your account; import that URL into the client on your usual platforms and your device's outbound route switches to an overseas region. This chapter sets out what the service can do, how it differs from running your own server, and what it does not promise; the chapters that follow cover the actual steps.
1.1 What the service provides
On coverage, VPNBQ offers outbound options in 110+ countries / 160+ routes, split by access type into dedicated, relayed and direct routes, and most regions have several routes to choose from. On platforms, there are clients for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Linux, and a single subscription can be online on unlimited devices at once — phone, laptop and tablet can all stay connected together.
On accounts, registration needs no email address: a username and password are enough, with no verification email to wait for. Payment supports Alipay, WeChat and USDT. On privacy, the service's policy is not to keep logs. And if it turns out not to be right for you, there is a 14-day money-back guarantee.
1.2 Subscriptions vs. running your own server
Running your own server means buying an overseas host, deploying a protocol and keeping the IP usable. Once the IP is flagged by the platforms you use, you have to swap machines, swap IPs and redeploy; the maintenance cost piles up over time, and when something breaks there is nobody else to ask.
A subscription hands that maintenance work to the provider. You hold a single subscription URL, and changing region is just changing an option in the client — nothing to reconfigure. The trade-off is that outbound IPs are maintained centrally by the provider: you cannot pin a specific host or choose a data-centre location. Users who need that kind of control should know this up front.
The two approaches are not mutually exclusive. Many users run a subscription day to day and fall back on their own server for special cases; this handbook only covers the former, and self-hosted setups are out of scope.
1.3 Limits and realistic expectations
This service solves the network path; it does not solve account or licensing issues on the platforms you use. Which shows you can watch on a streaming service is decided by that service's regional catalogue policy — matching the outbound region does not guarantee a specific title is available. The account's own risk-control status, subscription status and device region settings all affect the outcome.
The same applies to AI tools and other cross-border services: the route can connect reliably, but whether an account can sign in and stay signed in depends on how the platform judges the outbound region, and no provider can guarantee that.
Nor does the service promise that a particular app on a particular device will always work. Network behaviour, protocol fingerprints and platform update cycles all keep changing, and no provider can write "always works" into its terms. What can be done is to keep routes well maintained and respond to faults quickly; the rest is for you to check, in the order given in Chapter 9, when something goes wrong.
1.4 Terminology
A few terms come up again and again, so let's fix them here: subscription URL is the link generated in your account, which the client uses to pull the route list; subscription import is the process of putting that link into a client and making it take effect; outbound is the region your device currently appears to be in; route type refers to the three access types — dedicated, relayed and direct; traffic is the volume of data forwarded through a route, reset monthly on the day you activated.
One more easily confused point: the traffic allowance in a plan and the traffic allowance in a data pack are two separate buckets. A monthly subscription's allowance resets each month and does not roll over; a data pack's allowance lasts until it runs out and never expires. The two never offset each other. Chapter 2 compares the two price sets side by side.
1.5 How this page relates to the others
This page is the full handbook; the Quick Start guide is the stripped-down path; Plans & Pricing holds the complete pricing and comparison tables; Route List lists available routes by region together with streaming support; and the Support Centre organises common questions by category. If a detail is not covered here, check the matching page in that order.
If you would rather start with "why choose this way", a few articles pair well with this chapter: Ten Questions Beginners Ask Most covers the frequent early questions, A Checklist for Verifying No-Log Claims explains which lines of a privacy policy to read, and Route Requirements for Stable AI Tool Access turns the route-selection logic from Chapter 3 into a hands-on test.
Choosing a Plan and How Billing Works
Before choosing a plan, work out whether you are a steady month-by-month user or an occasional one. VPNBQ puts the former on a monthly subscription and the latter on a data pack; the two products bill on completely different bases, so before mixing them you need to know which suits your usage rhythm.
2.1 The three monthly tiers
Monthly subscriptions are billed by month, with traffic reset monthly on the activation date. The three tiers differ only in the monthly traffic allowance:
| Tier | Price | Monthly traffic | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | ¥9.9 / month | 60GB | Phone-first: chat, email, maps, a little video |
| Standard | ¥18 / month | 250GB | Phone plus laptop: everyday work, browsing and moderate video |
| Heavy | ¥28 / month | 500GB | Several devices online at once, long HD video sessions and large file transfers |
There is no functional difference between the three tiers: all have 110+ countries / 160+ routes, all allow unlimited devices online at once, all support all five platforms, and none keep logs. Only one variable matters when choosing: roughly how much traffic you will use each month.
2.2 The three data packs
Data packs are not billed by month — they last until used up and never expire. They suit business trips, travel and users who need a few weeks at short notice, as well as people who already have another setup and just want a backup.
| Size | Price | Validity | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300GB | ¥158 | Never expires | Short business trips, a few weeks of temporary use |
| 1000GB | ¥358 | Never expires | Intermittent use, spread out over a year |
| 3000GB | ¥658 | Never expires | Long-term backup, or topping up a monthly subscription |
A data pack and a monthly subscription can sit in the same account at the same time. The client will show both sets of route configurations; usage is counted against whichever configuration is active, and they never offset each other.
2.3 How to decide which tier to buy
The test is simple: are you connected every day? If you are, the monthly subscription has a clearly lower unit price, and the allowance resets each month, so unused traffic comes back next month and you do not have to watch every gigabyte. If you only use it two or three times a week, a data pack's "lasts until used up, never expires" works out better — one purchase can carry you a long way.
For estimating traffic, a few common magnitudes help: plain text chat and email need only a few GB a month; web browsing and map navigation at two hours a day come to roughly 15–30GB a month; SD video is about 0.7GB per hour, HD about 1.5–3GB per hour, and 4K can exceed 7GB per hour. Multiply your daily video hours and you can tell roughly which tier you fall into.
2.4 How mid-cycle upgrades are calculated
Monthly subscriptions support mid-cycle upgrades. When you upgrade, the difference for the remaining days is converted into usage on the new tier, so you do not have to wait for the next billing cycle. An example of the logic: upgrading from the 60GB tier to the 250GB tier, the system values the amount already paid according to the days left in the current cycle; once the difference is paid, the remaining allowance for the month is recalculated on the new tier rather than simply adding the two allowances together.
Downgrades are not pro-rated; you need to wait until the current cycle ends before choosing a lower tier. This avoids allowance confusion from repeated up-and-down changes within one cycle. If you just want more traffic in a given month, buying a data pack as a top-up is usually simpler than changing tiers, and it does not shift the start of your next cycle.
2.5 Payment methods and refunds
Payment supports Alipay, WeChat and USDT. The three differ slightly in how fast funds arrive: Alipay and WeChat are usually instant, while USDT waits for on-chain confirmation — until that completes the order stays in a pending-payment state, which is normal.
The refund policy is a 14-day money-back guarantee. Within 14 days of your first payment, if the service turns out not to fit your use case, you can request a refund in a ticket. Just give the order number; no reason is required. Refunds go back along the original payment path, and USDT orders are returned to the original address.
Tier tip: if you are unsure, start low. If the lower tier is not enough you can upgrade mid-cycle by paying the difference; going the other way, from a higher tier down, means waiting for the next cycle. Starting low and moving up costs less to get wrong.
Registration and Ordering
This chapter breaks down the whole path from opening the panel to an active order. The process needs no email and no verification email to wait for; from registering to holding a subscription usually takes only a few minutes.
3.1 Opening the user panel
The panel is the entry point under the site root. You can reach it from the "Log in" button at the top right of the marketing pages, the main button in the hero, or the floating button at the bottom right; the panel picks up the current language automatically. It has six views — login, register, plans, downloads, overview and tickets — and when you are not logged in only login and register are reachable.
First time round, choose the register view. The form has only three fields: username, password and confirm password. The username is used to log in and to identify you in tickets, so pick something you will remember but others will not guess. For the password, 12 characters or more, mixing upper and lower case, digits and symbols, and never reused from another site.
3.2 Registration needs no email address
VPNBQ's registration needs no email address — a username and password are enough. You can see this on the form itself: there is no email field, and submitting does not send you to a "check your inbox for a verification email" page. Registration completes straight into a logged-in state.
The immediate benefit of not needing an email is a shorter flow: no waiting between registering and ordering. It also means one less piece of personal information is retained — with no email in the account system, there is nothing to be exposed in credential-stuffing attacks or harvested into marketing lists. If you forget your password, contact support through a ticket; there is no email recovery flow to go through.
3.3 Choosing a plan and placing the order
Once logged in, go to the plans view, where monthly subscriptions and data packs are shown as two groups. Pick a tier and click the matching button to reach the order confirmation page, which lists the plan name, price, payment options and order number. Check the tier and amount once more before confirming — the data pack and monthly subscription buttons sit close together, so it is easy to click the wrong group.
After confirming, choose a payment method and pay. Alipay and WeChat are QR-code payments; USDT gives you a receiving address and an amount. With USDT, two things matter: the amount must be exact to the decimal, since over- or under-paying can stop the order matching automatically; and you must wait for on-chain confirmation — an order showing pending payment during that time is normal, so do not place a second order.
3.4 Order status and activation time
Orders have three main states: pending payment, paid and cancelled. While pending you can finish paying or cancel it yourself; once payment completes, the system attaches the plan to your account automatically, usually within tens of seconds, so there is no need to refresh the page repeatedly.
If an order still shows pending payment several minutes after you paid, do not place another order. First, submit the order number in a ticket so the team can check the payment record; second, confirm with the payment channel that the money really was taken. A duplicate order means two valid orders, which makes the refund messier.
3.5 Account overview after first login
Once the plan is active, the overview view shows the current plan name, remaining traffic, expiry date and subscription status. Remaining traffic resets monthly on the activation date, and the reset date is visible in the overview. The expiry date tells you when to renew; Chapter 7 covers when to time a renewal.
The overview page also has a one-click copy entry for the subscription URL — the star of Chapter 4. Once copied, do not post it anywhere public: the subscription URL is equivalent to account credentials, and anyone who has it can use the account's traffic allowance.
Getting and Managing Your Subscription
The subscription URL is the only channel between your account and the client. The client's route list is not hard-coded; it is pulled from this URL on every refresh, so when the provider adds routes or adjusts regions, one refresh in the client is enough — nothing to reinstall.
4.1 Where to find the subscription URL
Once logged into the panel, both the overview and downloads views show the subscription URL. The overview has a short one-click copy entry; the downloads view groups by platform and gives the recommended import method for each. Both point to the same URL, so either will do.
The subscription URL takes the form of a link with parameters, like https://example.com/sub?token=YOUR_TOKEN. Here YOUR_TOKEN is a placeholder; in a real URL that segment is an account-specific credential string, noticeably longer.
4.2 Using the subscription URL safely
The subscription URL is equivalent to account credentials — anyone who has it can use the account's traffic. A few basic rules: do not post it in public groups, forums or comment sections; do not put it in screenshots you send to others; and to use it on several devices, just enter the URL into each device's client rather than making copies.
If you suspect the URL has leaked, you can regenerate it in the panel. The old URL stops working immediately, and every client that already imported it needs to import the new one. This does not affect the plan itself — traffic and expiry date stay the same.
Security note: if the subscription URL leaks, the worst case is someone else burning through your traffic allowance. If you notice unusual consumption, regenerate the subscription URL first and then check your ticket history — do both.
4.3 How clients refresh the subscription
A client caches the subscription after pulling it, so new routes added by the provider do not appear automatically. You need to click "Update subscription" or "Refresh subscription" once; the exact button name differs slightly by platform, and Chapter 5 covers each in turn.
There is no hard rule on how often to refresh. Day-to-day use does not need frequent refreshes — once after a route-change notice, or when you find a particular region will not connect, is enough. Refreshing too often brings no benefit and just makes the client rebuild its configuration repeatedly.
4.4 How subscriptions and data packs relate
When one account holds both a monthly subscription and a data pack, the subscription URL contains both sets of configurations. The route list you see in the client is the two merged together, and usage is counted against whichever configuration is currently selected.
If you want to use only the data pack's allowance and leave the monthly subscription's traffic untouched for now, select the configuration group marked with the data pack in the client. The reverse works the same way. This switch happens entirely in the client; nothing needs to be set in the panel.
4.5 Device count and simultaneous connections
There is no limit on how many devices can be online at once. One subscription can be imported on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Linux devices, with phone, tablet and laptop all connected together — no separate purchase per device.
"Unlimited devices" refers to device count, not traffic. Several devices online at once consume traffic simultaneously, and the actual rate depends on what each device is doing. In multi-device setups it is safer to estimate the total using the method in Chapter 2 before choosing a tier.
Importing on Each of the Five Platforms
This chapter goes platform by platform. Each follows four steps: get the client, import the subscription, grant the system permissions it asks for, and confirm it works. The differences are concentrated in the first two steps; the last two are much the same everywhere.
5.1 Where to get the clients
Clients all come from the downloads view in the user panel — log in and pick the entry for your platform. The marketing pages offer no direct installer links, and there is no need to hunt for installers on third-party sites. The advantage is that the client you get is matched to the server configuration, so you do not have to judge version compatibility yourself.
The downloads view is grouped by platform, each group giving that platform's download entry and import instructions. iOS installs from the App Store; the other four platforms use the entries provided in the panel. Before downloading, check that your system version meets the requirement — very old versions may not install.
5.2 Windows client
On Windows: download the installer from the panel, double-click it and follow the prompts; on first launch go to the configuration screen, find the "Subscription" or "Profile" entry, paste in the URL you copied in Chapter 4 and click import or update; once imported, the route list appears — select a route and click connect.
The first time you connect on Windows, the system shows a firewall prompt and you must allow it, otherwise the connection is blocked. If your client has a TUN mode, run it once as administrator so it can install the virtual network adapter driver. After the driver installs, a system restart is recommended to avoid a failed connection from an unloaded driver.
Two problems are common on Windows: an empty route list, usually because the subscription URL was pasted with an extra space or a missing character — copy it again; and a successful connection with no web pages loading, usually because the system proxy has not switched with it — check whether the client's system proxy switch is on.
5.3 macOS client
The macOS flow is close to Windows, with the difference in installation. On first launch macOS says the developer cannot be verified, and you need to allow it once under Privacy & Security in System Settings; when connecting, the system asks for your local password to authorise adding a network configuration — that is your Mac login password, not your account password.
Apple silicon and Intel builds are usually separate, so pick the one matching your machine. Choose wrong and the client may open but fail to connect, or report an incompatible architecture.
One more easily missed point on macOS: the system can hold several network configurations, and old ones sometimes linger after you uninstall a client. If two configurations with the same name appear after a reinstall, delete the old one in System Settings before connecting.
5.4 iOS client
iOS differs most from the other platforms because of an extra system authorisation step. Install the client from the App Store, import the subscription URL, and on first connection the system asks to "Add VPN Configuration" — tap allow and verify with Face ID or Touch ID, then confirm in Settings under VPN that the configuration has appeared.
If the route list is empty after importing on iOS, first check that the network is working, then paste the URL again. iOS clipboard permissions are strict, and copying from another app occasionally brings invisible characters along; copying again usually fixes it.
One more thing to know about iOS in advance: the system allows only one VPN configuration to be active at a time. If you have several similar apps installed, disconnect the others before connecting to this service, otherwise you may connect and then be pushed off.
5.5 Android client
On Android: get the client installer from the entry in the panel and install it — the first install needs you to allow installs from that source in system settings; open the client and import the subscription URL; when you tap connect the system shows a "Connection request" and you need to tick "I trust this application" and confirm.
Android manufacturers manage background apps aggressively, so a connection that drops after a while usually means the system has cleared the client process. The fix is to add the client to the unrestricted list in battery settings and lock the app in the recent-apps view.
If other similar apps are installed on the device, they may fight over the system VPN channel, which shows up as a connection that drops immediately. Keep only one running at a time.
5.6 Linux client
On Linux the command-line client is the main option. The typical flow is to download the binary for your architecture, make it executable, import the subscription and start it. The address in the example below is a placeholder — replace it with the real subscription URL copied from the panel:
# make it executable (use the actual downloaded filename)
chmod +x ./client-linux-amd64
# import the subscription (the example URL is a placeholder — replace it)
./client-linux-amd64 subscribe add --url "https://example.com/sub?token=YOUR_TOKEN"
# list imported profiles
./client-linux-amd64 subscribe list
# start and connect
./client-linux-amd64 startWhen the command-line client runs in the background, confirm that the system proxy or routing rules have taken effect. Desktop environments and pure command-line environments configure differently: desktop environments usually set the system proxy automatically, while a pure command-line environment needs environment variables set by hand, or TUN mode enabled in the client to take over all traffic.
One more point on Linux: creating a virtual network adapter requires root, so running as a normal user limits you to system proxy mode. If only some apps go through the route after connecting, first check whether insufficient permissions stopped TUN mode from actually enabling.
5.7 Five-platform differences at a glance
| Platform | How to get it | Extra authorisation | Common snags |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows | Installer from the panel | Firewall allow, administrator rights | System proxy switch not following |
| macOS | Installer from the panel | Developer verification, local password | Wrong chip architecture, leftover old configuration |
| iOS | App Store | Add VPN configuration, Face ID | Several configurations competing, dirty clipboard characters |
| Android | Installer from the panel | Allow install source, trust the app | Background process cleared, VPN channel contention |
| Linux | Binary from the panel | root rights (TUN mode) | System proxy not taking effect, insufficient permissions |
Connecting, Verifying and Choosing Routes
By this point the client should already have a route list. This chapter covers how to connect, how to confirm you really are connected, and what order to choose in when faced with 160+ routes.
6.1 A recommended order for the first connection
For a first connection, do not start with the furthest or most popular region. The recommended order is: pick a route that is geographically close to you and counts as Asia in latency terms, and confirm it connects; then move step by step to the regions you actually need and watch for stability; only then settle on the one you will use day to day.
The reason is that the fewer variables there are on a first connection, the easier it is to judge. Start with an intercontinental route and, when it fails, you cannot tell whether the problem is the subscription, the client or the route. Get the nearest route working first and rule out the first two.
6.2 How to confirm the connection really works
A client showing "Connected" does not mean traffic is really going through the route. The reliable check is the outbound address: look up your current outbound IP and its location before and after connecting — if the location changes to the region you selected, traffic really is going through the route.
A second check is to open a region-sensitive service and see whether the default content it serves changes to the target region's version. This is closer to real-world use, but it is affected by the platform's own policies, so it cannot be the only criterion.
A third check is the client's own traffic counter. After connecting, visit a few web pages; if the numbers are rising, traffic is passing through the client. Note that this only proves traffic goes through the client, not that the outbound region has changed, so use it alongside the first two checks.
6.3 Choosing routes by scenario
Routes fall into three types by access method, each suited to different scenarios:
| Type | Characteristics | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated | Stable link quality, little fluctuation | Long online sessions, video calls, tasks that must not drop |
| Relayed | Access via a relay node, balancing quality and coverage | Everyday browsing, streaming, AI tools |
| Direct | Direct to the outbound, shortest path | Latency-sensitive work, nearby target regions |
When choosing, first see which region the target service is in, then pick a type among that region's routes. Where a region has several routes, prefer the ones marked dedicated or relayed; if your network environment is unusual, a direct route can sometimes be steadier, so try both before deciding.
The full region-by-region route list is on the Route List page, grouped by country and city, with streaming support noted for each route.
6.4 Coping with the evening peak
The evening peak is the busiest time on cross-border links, and it shows up as the same route being slower at night than during the day. This is partly about route quality and partly about your own network environment; it is not decided by the provider alone.
When the evening peak slows you down, work through this order: try another route in the same region first, which usually helps; then consider a route in a neighbouring region; if neither is good, switch the route type from direct to dedicated or relayed. Flipping back and forth between many regions rarely helps and just makes the client rebuild connections repeatedly.
6.5 The difference between connection modes
Clients usually offer two connection modes. System proxy mode only takes over apps that respect the system proxy — browsers and most desktop apps go this way; it is simple to configure and installs no extra driver. TUN mode creates a virtual network adapter and takes over all traffic, including apps that ignore system proxy settings; coverage is more complete but it needs extra permissions.
How to choose: system proxy mode is enough for everyday browsing; switch to TUN mode when you need to cover command-line tools, game clients or apps that ignore the system proxy. After switching between the two, verify the outbound region again to confirm the change took effect.
Everyday Upkeep, Traffic Management and Renewals
Once you are connected, there is very little to do day to day. This chapter lists the few things worth checking regularly, so you do not suddenly lose the connection at expiry or quietly run out of traffic.
7.1 Three numbers worth checking regularly
Three numbers in the panel overview are worth a regular look: remaining traffic, expiry date and reset date. Remaining traffic tells you whether you need a data pack this month; the expiry date lets you plan a renewal ahead of time; the reset date explains why traffic suddenly jumped on a particular day.
There is no hard rule on frequency — once mid-month and once at month end is usually enough. If consumption looks fast, check weekly instead, and look into whether some device is running a heavy background task.
7.2 Tracking down traffic consumption
If traffic is dropping faster than expected, work through this order: first see how many devices are online at once, since several connected together add up; then check whether any video app is autoplaying or preloading in the background; then check for system updates, cloud-drive sync or backup jobs running in the background.
In multi-device setups the easiest things to overlook are tablet autoplay and laptop cloud-drive sync. Neither needs you to start it, but both consume traffic continuously. Turning autoplay off and setting cloud sync to run only on Wi-Fi usually cuts consumption noticeably.
7.3 Combining monthly subscriptions and data packs
A monthly subscription's traffic resets each month; a data pack lasts until used up and never expires. There are two common ways to combine them: one is to run mainly on the monthly subscription with a data pack as an end-of-month emergency top-up; the other is to run mainly on data packs and open a monthly subscription only in months when you need continuous use.
The first suits steady users: pick a monthly tier slightly below your actual usage and cover the difference with a data pack, which usually costs less overall than buying a higher tier outright. The second suits intermittent users, who only open a subscription in months of concentrated use. Neither needs any extra setup — buy it and it works.
7.4 When to renew
Renew two or three days before expiry rather than on the last day. Cross-border payment channels are occasionally slow — USDT in particular waits for on-chain confirmation — and a buffer avoids losing the connection on the day it expires.
If you do end up briefly disconnected after expiry, just reconnect once the renewal is done. No account data is lost, and the plan continues from the time the renewal takes effect. There is no need to re-import the subscription; the route list in the client is still there.
7.5 Changing devices and migrating
Changing devices needs nothing in the panel — just import the subscription URL into the new device's client. Simultaneous connections are unlimited, so a new device does not push an old one off.
When an old device goes out of use, delete the configuration in the client and uninstall it, so nothing is left behind in the system. If the old device is being sold or given away, deleting the configuration is essential, because the configuration contains the subscription URL.
7.6 Updating clients and configurations
Keep the client itself updated; new versions usually fix connection stability and system compatibility issues. Updating works the same as installing — get it again from the downloads view in the panel.
Updating the subscription configuration is the refresh covered in Chapter 4. Refresh once when you get a route-change notice, or when a region will not connect; day to day there is no need to do it often. Client updates and subscription refreshes are two different things and do not replace each other.
Advanced Use and Scenario Configuration
Once the basic flow works, you can tune things to your own scenarios. This chapter covers four common ones: a fixed outbound region, split routing rules, multi-device coordination and protocol choice.
8.1 Fixing your outbound region
If some services require the sign-in region and the usage region to match, or you need the same outbound region over the long term, the approach is to pin one route rather than picking manually each time. Most clients let you set a route as default so it is selected automatically on connect, with no need to open the list each time.
The cost of pinning a route is losing automatic best-route selection. If that route degrades at the evening peak, you have to switch by hand. It is worth pinning two: one for daily use and one as backup, so switching is a single click.
8.2 How to think about split routing
Split routing means sending some traffic through the route and letting the rest go direct. A common approach is to route overseas services and connect domestic ones directly, which keeps the parts that need acceleration fast without slowing down domestic services.
Split-routing rules usually come from the rule sets built into the client, and you can also add rules by hand. The principle when configuring is to keep it simple: add only the few you genuinely need first, watch for a while, then decide whether to expand. The more rules there are, the more variables there are when something goes wrong.
8.3 Multi-device coordination
Simultaneous connections are unlimited, so multi-device setups cost nothing extra. A common combination is phone always on, laptop on demand and tablet at home. Keeping the phone always on means no last-minute connecting, at the cost of continuous traffic use; turning off autoplay and background refresh on the phone keeps that down.
One thing to watch in multi-device setups: different devices may have different regions selected, so they see different outbound regions. If you need several devices to show the same region, just align their routes.
8.4 Principles for choosing a protocol
Clients usually offer several protocols. The principle is to use the one the client recommends by default, and only switch by hand when the default is interfered with by a particular network environment or you need a specific feature.
After changing protocol, run the verification flow from Chapter 6 again to confirm the outbound region and connection state are both normal. Different protocols may handle the system proxy and TUN mode differently, so rechecking the settings after a switch is the safer path.
8.5 Coexisting with other tools
When this service runs alongside local development tools, virtual machines or container environments, mind where the traffic goes. VMs and containers use the host's network configuration by default, so if the host is in system proxy mode, traffic inside a container may not go through the route; to cover container traffic, switch the host to TUN mode.
If dependency downloads slow down during local development, check whether split-routing rules are sending your package manager's domains through the route too. Adding development-related domains to the direct rules usually fixes it.
Troubleshooting Order
The core principle of troubleshooting is a fixed order and changing only one variable at a time. The list below runs from common to rare; when something goes wrong, work downwards and confirm each step before moving to the next.
9.1 Cannot connect: four steps
Step one, confirm the account state. Log into the panel and check whether the plan is still within its validity period and whether traffic has run out. An exhausted allowance or an expired plan will stop the client connecting — this is the most common cause.
Step two, confirm the subscription is valid. Refresh the subscription once in the client; if the refresh fails, the subscription URL may have expired or been reset after a leak — copy a fresh one from the panel.
Step three, switch routes. Try another route in the same region, or one in a neighbouring region. If it connects after switching, the problem is with that single route and there is no need to keep checking your local environment.
Step four, check the local network. Confirm the current network can reach domestic sites normally; if the underlying network is broken, no route will work. Public Wi-Fi may also impose network-side restrictions, so try another network.
9.2 Connected but pages will not load
This usually means the proxy settings have not kept up. Check whether the client's system proxy switch is on; if you are in TUN mode, confirm the virtual network adapter was created successfully. In system proxy mode, some apps ignore system proxy settings and need separate configuration, or a switch to TUN mode.
Another common cause is DNS. If domain resolution still goes through the local resolver after connecting, you get the pattern of being able to ping an IP but not load pages. Enable the DNS-related options in the client, or temporarily set the system DNS to a public resolver and try again.
9.3 Slow speeds and frequent drops
For slow speeds, switch routes as described in Chapter 6 first, then check whether it is the evening peak. Frequent drops are more often about the local environment: fluctuating mobile signal, power-saving policies clearing background apps and unstable routers can all cause them.
For frequent drops on mobile devices, check the system's battery optimisation settings first; on desktop machines, check whether security software is blocking the client's network requests. Adding the client to the security software's trusted list usually fixes it.
9.4 One particular service is unavailable
When a single service is unavailable, first confirm the others work. If they all do, the route itself is fine and the issue is how that service judges the outbound region. Try another route in the same region, or one in a neighbouring region.
If it is still unavailable after changing region, the cause may be that service's account status or regional policy, which is outside what a network path can fix. At that point, check the matching category in the Support Centre for any known explanation.
9.5 When to open a ticket
If you have worked through the order above and still cannot solve it, a ticket is the most effective route. Include these details: order number or account name, the platform and client you are using, the name of the route that failed, exactly what the problem looks like, and the steps you have already tried. The more complete the information, the faster it is handled.
The ticket entry is in the panel's tickets view. Refund requests also go through tickets — raise one within the 14-day money-back window, give the order number, and no reason is needed.
9.6 Three things not to do while troubleshooting
Do not change several settings at once. Change one variable, verify immediately, otherwise you cannot tell which change made the difference.
Do not reinstall the client over and over. Reinstalling clears the local configuration and means importing the subscription again, which only adds variables. The vast majority of connection problems have nothing to do with the client installation itself.
Do not place duplicate orders. If the payment status looks wrong, open a ticket to check first; a duplicate order means two valid orders, which makes the refund messier.
Closing Notes and Related Pages
That completes the whole path from choosing a plan to everyday upkeep. To recap the main line: decide between a monthly subscription and a data pack by your usage rhythm; register with just a username and password; copy the subscription URL from the panel after ordering; import the client for your platform; verify the outbound region after connecting; and day to day just glance at remaining traffic and the expiry date now and then.
When something goes wrong, troubleshoot in the order given in Chapter 9, changing only one variable at a time. Most problems are located in the first three steps: account state, subscription validity and the availability of a single route.
Keep Reading
- Plans & Pricing: three monthly tiers, three data packs and a full comparison table.
- Route List: routes grouped by region, with streaming support.
- Quick Start guide: the stripped-down path with only the essential steps.
- Support Centre: four categories — account & subscription, connection & faults, speed & routes, billing & refunds.
- Ten Questions Beginners Ask Most: multiple devices, traffic estimates, speed limits, renewals and other frequent questions.
- iOS from Zero to Connected: the complete setup flow for iPhone and iPad.
- A Checklist for Verifying No-Log Claims: which lines of a privacy policy to read.
- Choosing a Japan Route: how Japan's route types differ and the limits you often hit.
- Stable Access to AI Tools: the route requirements for long chats that do not drop.