v2rayN Tutorial: From Importing a Subscription to Verifying It Works

1Import Subscription

A subscription link is a URL provided by your service provider that contains all available node information. With it, the client can automatically fetch the node list without manually adding server addresses one by one. This step is the foundation of the entire configuration process — once the subscription link is entered correctly, the rest of the steps fall into place.

In v2rayN, open the main window and click "Subscription" → "Subscription Group Settings" in the top menu bar. If this is your first time, you'll need to create a new group: click "Add," give the group an easily recognizable name (e.g., "Main Subscription"), paste the subscription link into the "Address" input field, save, and return to the main interface. Then click "Subscription" → "Update Current Subscription," and the node list will refresh automatically. After a successful update, a batch of nodes will appear in the server list on the left, each with a latency number in front of it — the smaller the number, the faster the connection usually is.

In v2rayNG, open the app and tap the hamburger menu icon in the top-left corner to enter "Subscription Settings." Tap the "+" in the top-right corner, paste the subscription link into the "URL" input field, save, and return to the main screen. Then tap the refresh icon in the bottom toolbar, or select "Update Subscription" from the menu, and the node list will populate automatically. If the node count is 0, first check whether the subscription link was copied in full, then confirm that your phone's network can access the subscription server.

After importing, don't rush to connect. Check whether latency test results are shown in the node list. If all nodes show "Timeout" or "Error," the subscription link may have expired, or your current network environment can't reach the subscription server. In that case, contact your provider for a new subscription link instead of continuing to use the old one. V2Ray subscription links usually start with https:// or vmess:// — if the link you got doesn't match either format, confirm with your provider first.

2Choose Proxy Mode

Proxy mode determines which traffic goes through the proxy and which connects directly. V2Ray clients typically offer three options: "Global," "Rules," and "Direct." Understanding the differences helps you avoid the confusion of "connected but some sites won't open." Choosing the right mode prevents the awkward situation where domestic sites load slowly and foreign sites won't open during everyday browsing.

In v2rayN, right-click the tray icon in the bottom-right corner to find the "System Proxy" option, where you can choose "Auto Configure System Proxy," "Do Not Change System Proxy," or "Clear System Proxy." The "Settings" page in the main window also has "Routing" configuration. The default "Bypass LAN" rule makes domestic IPs connect directly and foreign IPs go through the proxy, which suits most users. If you want all traffic to go through the proxy, set the system proxy to "Auto Configure" and the routing to "Global." If you only want the browser to use the proxy while other apps are unaffected, keep the system proxy off and configure a proxy plugin in the browser separately.

In v2rayNG, the bottom bar has a "Proxy Mode" toggle button offering three options: "Global," "Rules," and "Direct." When "Rules" is selected, the client automatically routes traffic based on its built-in bypass list — domestic traffic connects directly and foreign traffic goes through the proxy. This is the recommended default. Selecting "Global" sends all traffic through the proxy, including domestic sites, which slows down access. "Direct" completely disables the proxy, so no traffic goes through it.

After choosing a mode, no extra action is needed — it takes effect immediately. If you later find that some websites are inaccessible, come back here and switch modes to troubleshoot. For example, if a foreign site won't open, try "Global" mode first. If it opens in Global mode, the routing rules in "Rules" mode don't cover that site, and you'll need to add a rule manually. For detailed routing rule configuration, refer to the "Routing Rules in Practice" chapter in the Advanced Setup document.

3Connect

Connecting is what actually establishes the proxy tunnel. This step is simple, but a few details are worth noting. When selecting a node, don't just look at the name — pay attention to the latency number. Lower latency means faster page loads and smoother video playback.

In v2rayN, first select a node in the server list. You can click the node name and then choose "Set as Active Server" from the right-click menu, or simply double-click the node. After selecting it, click the "Start" button at the bottom of the main window, or choose "Start" from the tray icon's right-click menu. Once connected, the tray icon turns green, indicating the proxy is active. If a node's latency is very high — say, over 500ms — try switching to a lower-latency node, otherwise pages will load slowly. To test latency: select a node, right-click, and choose "Test Real Connection Latency." The client sends a test request to that node, and the returned latency number is the lower the better.

In v2rayNG, tap a record in the node list, then tap the circular connect button in the bottom-right corner. Once connected, the button turns green and the status bar at the top shows "Connected" along with the current node name. If the connection fails, the button turns gray and the status bar displays an error message. You can use the "Test Latency" feature first to check whether a node is usable before deciding to switch. Nodes that haven't been used for a long time may have been reclaimed or blocked by the provider, so trying several nodes is a normal troubleshooting process.

Once connected, your system or apps will forward traffic through the local proxy port. v2rayN on Windows uses port 10808 for SOCKS proxy and 10809 for HTTP proxy by default, while v2rayNG on Android uses port 10808 by default. If the port is occupied by another program, the connection will fail, and you'll need to change the local port in settings. How to locate and resolve port conflicts is explained in detail in the "What to Do If Port 10808 Is Occupied" section of the FAQ.

4Verify It Works

After connecting, you must verify that the proxy is actually working. Don't just look at the client status — actually check whether your network traffic is going through the proxy. This step confirms that all configurations are correct and prevents you from discovering halfway through that it's a fake connection.

The simplest method is to visit an "IP address lookup" site (such as ip.sb or ipinfo.io) and check whether the displayed IP address matches your node's location. If the IP is still your local one, the proxy isn't actually working, and you need to go back to step 2 to check whether the system proxy setting is enabled.

The second method is to visit a website that's inaccessible in your region (such as Google). If the page loads normally, the proxy tunnel is established. If it doesn't load, try switching to another node, because a single node may be temporarily blocked. You can also test node latency first and pick a node with latency under 200ms. If all nodes fail to load, check whether your system time is accurate — time desynchronization causes TLS handshake failures, which is the most commonly overlooked issue for beginners.

The third method is to check for DNS leaks. Visit a "DNS leak test" website in your browser. If the detected DNS server address matches your local ISP's DNS, it means DNS requests aren't going through the proxy. You'll need to change the client's DNS setting to "Remote Resolution" or specify a proxy DNS server. A complete DNS optimization guide is provided in the "DNS Configuration Optimization" chapter of the Advanced Setup page.

Once verification passes, your client is ready for normal use. If you run into "connected but can't access the internet" during daily use, go through the troubleshooting checklist in the FAQ: node availability, time synchronization, DNS resolution, system proxy settings, and routing rules — each item has corresponding verification methods and fixes.