QUICKSTART / FIRST-TIME SETUP
v2rayN / v2rayNG
Subscription and Connection Guide
Import a subscription → Choose a proxy mode → Connect → Verify it works. Get one repeatable connection working before changing advanced settings.
Before You Start: Client and Subscription URL
This guide is for first-time users who have installed a client and have a valid subscription URL. If you haven’t installed a client yet, go to the client downloads page, choose the installer for your operating system, and open the app. Your service provider supplies the subscription URL; the client does not generate connectable servers on its own. If you have the client but no subscription or server details, get those first, then continue.
A subscription is a URL used to retrieve server configurations. It usually starts with https://. Copy it using the subscription option on your service provider’s website—not from an account page or browser sign-in URL. The URL may contain account credentials, so treat it like a password. If you run into an error, you can share the error text, but never post the full URL in a public forum.
Before your first setup, quit any other proxy tools that are managing your network to prevent them from repeatedly changing system settings. Keep your current internet connection active and make sure regular websites load without the proxy connected. Change one setting at a time and test after each change, so you can tell which step caused a problem.
STEP 01 / SUBSCRIPTION
Import a Subscription to Load the Server List
Save the subscription first, then update its contents. These are two separate actions: saving stores the URL in the client; updating retrieves the servers from it. If the list is empty after the first step, the import may have succeeded—you may simply need to run an update. Give the group a recognizable name so you can identify which subscription its servers came from.
v2rayN: Add a Subscription Group
In the main window, open Subscription Group from the top menu, then select Subscription Group Settings and add a group. Enter a name in the remarks or name field, paste the full URL you copied into the address field, and save. Make sure there are no spaces, quotation marks, or line breaks at either end. If you copied it from a block of instructions, keep only the actual subscription URL.
Return to the main window, open Subscription Group again, and select Update subscription (without proxy). This fetches the subscription directly; it does not determine how your browser will connect later. When the update finishes, select the group you just created and check for server entries. Server names usually come from the subscription, so you don’t need to enter an address for each one manually.
v2rayNG: Save, Return Home, and Update
Open the side menu, go to Subscription group settings, tap the add button, enter a remark and subscription URL, then save. Return to the home screen and select Update subscriptions from the top-right menu. If the current screen lets you choose a group, make sure the new group is selected first. Once the server list refreshes, don’t change transport, encryption, or certificate settings right away; the subscription usually includes the fields needed to connect.
If parsing fails, first make sure you have a subscription the client can read—not a web page that requires you to sign in. Repeatedly tapping Update won’t fix an expired URL or a server that returns an error page. If a direct update fails but an existing proxy connection still works, try updating through the proxy if the client offers that option. If you have no working connection, ask your subscription provider to confirm the URL and how to retrieve it.
STEP 02 / PROXY MODE
Choose a Proxy Mode and Default Routing
The proxy mode determines how traffic reaches the client; routing rules determine where it goes next. Keep these separate. For example, the system proxy may be on while a website still connects directly because of its routing rule. Conversely, even with global proxy routing enabled, apps that don’t follow the system proxy may not use the client. For your first test, use a regular browser to keep things simple.
v2rayN: Start with Auto-Configured System Proxy
Find System Proxy in the bottom status area or tray menu, then select Auto configure system proxy. Clear system proxy removes the proxy settings from your system. Do not change system proxy means the client leaves them as they are, which may preserve an earlier state; it’s not a reliable way to tell whether a fresh setup worked. After selecting a mode, confirm it appears in the status area.
Next, review the routing options. For a first setup, keep the default rules or choose a common bypass rule offered by the client. If you need access to local devices, check for a rule such as Bypass LAN. Here, LAN means your router, shared printer, and local services—not that all websites will connect directly. Don’t import several rule sets at once, or it will be hard to tell which setting affected your test.
Leave Enable Tun off for now. Tun routes traffic through a virtual network interface and can cover more apps, but it also involves permissions, routing, and compatibility with other network tools. First verify the connection through a regular browser using the system proxy; enable Tun later if you need it. For more on protocols, cores, and routing, see the protocol and core reference. You don’t need to adjust these settings to make this first connection.
v2rayNG: Check Routing and App-Based Proxying
In the side menu, open Settings and review the routing options. For your first setup, the defaults are fine. If you’ve enabled App proxy or a similar feature before, open the app selection list and make sure the browser you’ll use for testing hasn’t been excluded. Depending on the routing mode, a checked app may be included or bypassed. Read the on-screen description rather than inferring what a checkbox means.
On Android, the client generally routes traffic through the system VPN interface. This differs from the desktop client, which writes to the system proxy settings. Here, VPN means the system interface used to route traffic; it doesn’t mean the server uses any particular proxy protocol. Once settings are in place, return to the home screen to authorize and connect.
STEP 03 / CONNECTION
Select a Server and Connect
Now that the server list is populated and the mode is set, choose a server. Start with an entry your provider identifies as available and suited to your needs. Region and route labels in server names are for identification; they don’t guarantee current connection quality. For an initial check, getting a real web page to load matters more than chasing the lowest test result.
v2rayN: Check the Active Server and Core Status
Find the server you want in the main window, right-click it, and select Set as active server or the equivalent option. Simply clicking a row to highlight it may not switch the server in use, so check the active indicator or status area afterward. Some versions let you set the active server by double-clicking; follow the instructions shown in your version.
After you select a server, the client attempts to load its configuration and start the appropriate core. The core handles the proxy connection; the graphical interface manages it. Check the status area at the bottom or open the log window for recurring startup failures, port conflicts, or other errors. If a port is already in use, close duplicate client instances or other proxy apps and restart the client. Don’t randomly change several ports in a row.
Then check that the system proxy is still set to Auto configure system proxy. Switching servers, starting the core, and applying the system proxy are three separate states to verify. Leave the subscription’s parameters as they are. If you see an unsupported protocol or parameter error, check whether your client and core support it; switching the core name once doesn’t necessarily resolve a compatibility issue.
v2rayNG: Tap Connect and Approve the System Request
On the home screen, tap the server you want, then tap the connect button. The first time you connect, Android asks to set up a VPN connection. Confirm the request is from the current client, then approve it. If you deny permission, the server will remain in the list, but traffic routing won’t start. After approval, check that the connect button shows an active state and that the system status area displays a connection indicator. Its appearance varies by Android version.
If the button starts connecting and then stops, open the log and check the error for that attempt. If another VPN connection is active, disconnect it and try again; the system usually allows only one such traffic-routing connection at a time. If the connection works in the foreground but often drops when the screen is locked, check battery and background restrictions in the system app settings. Test access with the app open first so background restrictions aren’t mistaken for an unavailable server.
STEP 04 / VERIFICATION
Verify Web Access, Routing, and Direct Access After Disconnecting
Use a regular browser window to open a page you haven’t visited before, then try a different site for comparison. Don’t rely on tabs that are already open; their contents may be cached. If a page loads, the connection path is working, but that doesn’t automatically mean it went through the proxy. If the routing rules send that site directly, normal access is expected.
Use Egress Information to Check the Connection Path
Check your current public IP on a trusted IP lookup page, then compare the result with and without the proxy. First confirm that the routing rules send that page through the proxy. If it’s set to connect directly, an unchanged IP doesn’t mean the proxy failed. Geolocation labels can be inaccurate, so consider the IP address, client logs, and selected route—not just the displayed region.
If the client provides connection logs, refresh the test page and check for its domain and whether the request was routed through the proxy or directly. The details shown depend on the log level, and missing per-request entries don’t necessarily mean no traffic passed through. If needed, temporarily increase the log detail, then restore it when you’re done to avoid keeping more browsing records than necessary.
If Pages Won’t Load, Narrow Down the Cause Step by Step
First, make sure your original network connection is working. Then confirm that the desktop system proxy or Android VPN is still active. Check that the selected server is the one currently in use and that app-based routing hasn’t excluded your browser. Change one thing at a time, reload the page, and note the result. Switching servers, changing DNS, and replacing the core all at once makes it harder to find the cause.
If no pages load, check the logs for core startup failures and server connection errors. If only some sites fail, check their routing rules, DNS resolution, and the sites’ own status first. DNS translates domain names into IP addresses. Don’t replace all your DNS settings at the first sign of trouble; adjust them only when logs or comparison tests point to a DNS issue.
With the same settings, trying another known-working server is a useful way to distinguish a server issue from a local one. If the new server works, check the original server’s status. If all servers fail, look at local traffic routing and your network environment. For a more detailed diagnostic sequence, see the connected but can’t access the internet checklist. Protocol settings and compatibility are covered in the protocol and core reference; you don’t need to review everything during your first setup.
When You’re Done, Restore Direct Access Before Exiting
On desktop, select Clear system proxy in v2rayN before quitting the client if needed. This prevents your browser from sending requests to a local proxy port that is no longer running. On Android, tap Stop on the v2rayNG home screen and make sure the system connection indicator disappears. Then reload a web page to confirm direct access is working again.
Your first setup is complete when subscriptions update, traffic reaches the client, the selected server handles requests, and your network returns to normal after disconnecting. To switch servers later, select a different active server; update the subscription when its contents change. Keep the defaults you’ve confirmed work, and adjust routing, Tun, or core settings only when you have a specific need.