v2rayN Tutorial: Subscriptions, Modes, Connection and Verification

Before starting, prepare two things: an installed client and a valid subscription link from your service provider. Use v2rayN on desktop and v2rayNG on Android. If the client is not installed yet, visit the Download Center and choose your platform, then return here. A subscription link is usually an address beginning with https://. It lets the client retrieve nodes and connection parameters; it is not a regular webpage URL.

Copy the subscription link from the first character to the last, without adding spaces, line breaks, or explanatory text. Do not paste it into a search engine or open it in a browser; enter it directly in the client’s subscription URL field. If your provider supplies multiple addresses, import one commonly used address first. Add other groups only after confirming that the connection works, so it is easier to identify the source of a problem.

Also make sure the device date, time, and time zone are correct. Many connection methods use system time during the handshake, and a large clock difference can cause repeated timeouts even when nodes have imported successfully. Enable automatic time synchronization on desktop, and use network-provided time and time zone settings on Android. Do not change ports, transports, or core settings in advance; first make a basic connection with the parameters supplied by the subscription.

In the v2rayN desktop client, open the main window and find “Subscription Groups” or the subscription management entry, then add a subscription. Use a short, recognizable name such as “Common Routes,” and paste the subscription link into the address field. Save it after confirming that there are no leading or trailing spaces. Saving only stores the address; it does not download the nodes. Return to the subscription menu and choose “Update All Subscriptions” or update the current group.

The main window may briefly show a processing status during the update. When it finishes, check the server or node list. If entries such as names and types appear, the client has read the subscription. Do not rely only on an “Update complete” message; confirm that the main list contains nodes. Some links are reachable but return an information page or expired data, so the client may report success while the list remains empty.

In v2rayNG, open the top-left menu or the subscription group screen and add a subscription configuration. Enter a group name, paste the subscription address, and save it. Then use the group’s action menu to update it. Return to the main screen and confirm that node entries are visible. Android may take a few seconds to organize the list after the first import; wait for the operation to finish before selecting a node, and avoid triggering repeated refreshes during the update.

Once the list appears, select one node as the active item. On desktop, this usually means double-clicking an entry, right-clicking and choosing it as the active server, or selecting it directly in the list. In v2rayNG, tap the node name; the selected item will show a color or status indicator. Node names are defined by the subscription provider. Regions, routes, and multipliers in a name are grouping details, not proof of connection quality. Do not switch repeatedly between nodes during the first setup; keep one selected and continue with the mode and connection steps.

If the list is empty after updating, edit the subscription again and check whether the link was truncated, then confirm that the current network can reach the subscription address. If the format cannot be recognized, do not guess protocol fields or modify the link arbitrarily; ask the subscription provider what type of address it is. For subscription expiry, update failures, and duplicate groups, see the installation, configuration, and troubleshooting categories in Troubleshooting.

The subscription supplies node parameters; the proxy mode determines how device traffic enters the client. These are separate layers: choosing the right node does not make every app use it automatically, and an unsuitable mode can leave the client appearing connected while browser traffic remains unchanged. Before connecting, decide whether to proxy browsers and apps that follow system settings, or a broader range of device traffic.

v2rayN Desktop: Start with the System Proxy

For a first setup in v2rayN, choose an option such as “Configure System Proxy Automatically” and keep the routing mode set to rule mode. With the system proxy enabled, browsers and software that follow the operating system proxy settings send requests to v2rayN; rule mode then determines where traffic goes based on the client’s rules. It is a better first verification choice than global mode because local services, LAN addresses, and common direct-connection targets can usually keep their existing access path.

Open v2rayN’s system tray menu or the system proxy menu in the main window, then enable the system proxy. After the tray icon or status bar changes, check the current routing mode. Different versions may use names such as “Rules” or “Bypass LAN”; the goal is to use the client’s preset split-routing rules first rather than adding many domain rules before the first connection. If only the client core is running and the system proxy is disabled, a regular browser usually will not use the current node automatically.

v2rayNG Android: Confirm the Traffic Scope

v2rayNG uses the system-provided VPN service to handle network requests from selected apps. When starting a connection for the first time, Android displays a connection authorization prompt; allow it to continue. The default settings are usually suitable for basic verification. If “Per-app Proxy” was changed previously, open Settings and check whether it uses an allowlist or bypass list, then confirm that the browser being tested is in the correct scope.

Per-app proxy settings are best fine-tuned after the basic connection works. Setting an app list too early commonly leaves the client connected while excluding the app used for testing. To reduce variables, keep the default app scope for the first test, then narrow it as needed after the connection and webpage checks succeed. Routing rules, domain policies, and more complex split-routing logic are advanced settings; read the complete documentation after finishing the basic workflow.

Confirm the current node once more before connecting: the active item in the main list should be the one you just selected, and subscription updates should be finished. On desktop, v2rayN usually starts the core after you select a node and enable the system proxy. If your version has a separate start or restart button, click it and wait for the status bar to settle. Avoid clicking start and stop repeatedly; the core needs a moment to load its configuration, and repeated actions make the status harder to interpret.

After starting on desktop, watch the bottom of the main window, the tray icon, or the log area. Normally, the client remains running, the current server name is visible, and the system proxy is enabled. A startup message does not guarantee that webpages will work, but repeated timeout, connection refused, or configuration parsing errors should be addressed before testing in a browser.

In the v2rayNG main screen, confirm that a node is selected, then tap the connection button at the bottom or lower right. On first use, Android shows a system authorization prompt. After allowing it, the status bar displays a key-shaped connection indicator and the client button changes to a connected state. If it immediately returns to disconnected, open the log and inspect the latest lines. Common causes include expired subscription parameters, an unreachable node, incorrect system time, or another VPN service already using the connection capability.

Once the client is running, keep the default settings and do not enable other tools that modify the system proxy or VPN state. When multiple tools handle networking, even a connected status does not reveal which configuration carries the traffic. On desktop, also watch for first-time network access prompts from security software or the operating system firewall. If a prompt concerns v2rayN or the core process, authorize it according to the current trusted-network environment.

If the status is stable, proceed to verification. Do not use speed-test results as a substitute for an access test: a speed test may check only one target or connection method and cannot show whether the browser is using the system proxy or whether an Android test app is in the correct proxy scope. Start with real app behavior and keep a regular webpage as a comparison.

Verify in this order: “regular webpage first, target page second.” Open a webpage that normally loads directly to confirm that basic network access has not been interrupted by the proxy. Then open the target page that should use the current route. If both load normally, the node, client, proxy entry, and basic routing form a complete working path. Testing only one page can mistake a site outage for a client configuration problem.

If regular webpages work but the target page does not, refresh once and use a private window to rule out stale cache, then check the client log for a connection entry for the relevant domain. On desktop, fully quit and reopen the browser because some programs read system proxy settings only at startup. On Android, check that the test browser is in the correct per-app proxy scope. If no per-app rules were configured, temporarily keep the default scope while investigating.

If no webpages open, do not delete the subscription immediately. First disable the proxy or disconnect v2rayNG and confirm that the device can access regular webpages on its original network. Once basic connectivity is restored, reconnect the client. If access still fails after disconnecting, the cause is more likely the current Wi-Fi, mobile network, DNS, or system network state than the subscription import. Restore basic connectivity first, then inspect the proxy configuration.

You can also run a comparison test: keep the same node and temporarily switch between rule mode and global mode. If global mode works but rule mode does not, the node connection is probably sound; focus on routing rules, domain policies, or app scope. If neither mode works, prioritize the node status, subscription validity, system time, and log errors. Switch back to rule mode after testing for everyday use.

After verification succeeds, the basic setup is complete. For ongoing use, you usually only need to update the subscription periodically, choose an available node, and start the connection. Avoid frequently changing protocol, security, transport, or domain-policy fields; these node parameters should match the service side. For startup launch, TUN, advanced split routing, or multiple subscription groups, read the complete cross-platform installation and configuration guide.

When the first setup fails, following a fixed sequence is more effective than repeatedly changing settings. Disconnect the client, confirm that the device can open regular webpages, and check the system time. Then update the subscription again and confirm that nodes remain in the main list. Next, select a node and enable the correct system proxy or Android connection service. Finally, check the logs. Test once after each step to avoid changing several variables at once.

Logs are an important troubleshooting clue, but you do not need to read them line by line from the beginning. First inspect the newest entries added after you clicked Connect and look for recurring keywords. Timeouts usually point to network problems or node reachability; connection refusals may involve the destination port or service status; configuration parsing errors indicate that you should return to the subscription update step. Do not rewrite node fields based on a single log entry; first confirm that the error keeps recurring.

For subscription group maintenance, installation differences across Windows, macOS, Android, and Linux, and complete configuration of the system proxy, TUN, and routing rules, continue with the complete documentation. This page covers only the shortest path to a first connection. Brief answers to common questions are collected in Troubleshooting for quick lookup by symptom.