V2Ray Tutorials: from subscription import to connection verification

Prepare the client and subscription URL

Install the client for your device first, then prepare a subscription URL that is still active. Use v2rayN on desktop and v2rayNG on Android. If the client is not installed, open the client download page and choose a package for your platform and processor architecture. After installation, start the client, but do not immediately change the local listening port, DNS, routing rules, or TUN settings. Default settings reduce variables during initial setup and make it easier to identify which layer is causing a problem.

A subscription URL is usually a complete web address beginning with https://. Copy everything from the protocol prefix through the final parameter; do not copy only the shortened text shown on a page. A subscription URL is a configuration entry point: add it under the client's subscription group or subscription settings, not in a browser address bar or the address field for an individual server. A link beginning with vmess://, vless://, or trojan:// is a single configuration and uses a different import entry. For the format differences, see the Subscription, VMess, VLESS, and Trojan entries in the glossary.

For the first setup, close other network tools that take control of the system proxy or VPN mode. The reason is straightforward: when several programs modify the system proxy, virtual adapter, or DNS at once, it is difficult to tell from one client interface where the browser is actually sending traffic. After closing the other tools, fully exit and reopen v2rayN or v2rayNG so the current state starts clean.

Add a subscription group and update it

v2rayN for desktop

Open the v2rayN main window and find Subscription Groups or Subscription Group Settings in the top menu. In the settings window, choose Add. Enter a source-specific label, such as “Daily configuration” or “Backup group,” in the remarks field, then paste the complete subscription URL into the address field. For the first setup, leave the other filtering, sorting, and auto-update options at their defaults. Click Add or Save, confirm that the new group appears in the subscription group list, and close the settings window.

Saving the group only means that the client remembers the URL; it has not downloaded the configurations yet. Return to the main window, open the subscription menu, and choose Update all subscriptions or update the group you just created. When the update finishes, several configuration entries should appear in the main list, with the group or remarks column matching the label you entered. Select one entry, but do not double-click multiple entries in succession. The current configuration is usually shown by a highlight, check mark, or active-server indicator; the exact marker varies by client version.

If the main list is still empty after the update, return to the subscription group settings and check for spaces before or after the URL. Confirm that the protocol prefix and final parameters were copied, then run a single-group update again and check the message area or logs. A network request failure means the subscription content was not retrieved; a parsing failure usually means the URL returned a format the client cannot recognize. Do not continue while the list is empty: proxy mode and the system proxy cannot replace a missing configuration.

v2rayNG for Android

Open v2rayNG and go to Subscription Group Settings from the side menu or configuration page. Tap the add button in the upper-right corner, enter the remarks and subscription URL, and save. Return to the configuration list, open the upper-right menu, and choose Update subscription. Some versions ask you to select a subscription group first; select the group you just created and confirm the update. When it finishes, selectable entries should appear in the configuration list.

Tap one configuration to make it current. The selected item usually shows a color marker, check mark, or highlighted background. If an entry is visible but none is selected, the connection button at the bottom may still use an older configuration or report that no usable configuration is available. Before moving on, confirm both that the list is not empty and that one entry is clearly selected as the current configuration.

Set the route first, then confirm the system entry point

A configuration entry determines where the connection goes; the proxy mode determines which traffic is handled by that configuration. These are separate layers. For a first setup, choose Bypass mainland China or a similar rule-based mode: common local domains and addresses connect directly, while other matches use the proxy outbound. This makes it easier to compare direct and proxied access and gives the verification step a clear expectation.

Global mode sends most traffic through the proxy outbound. It is useful for temporarily checking whether a failed request is caused by routing rules, but during initial setup avoid using Global mode while also adding many custom rules. If Global mode works but rule-based mode does not, the basic connection is usually established; check domain matching, GeoSite, GeoIP, or custom rule order instead of repeatedly deleting the subscription. See the routing chapter in Advanced configuration for rule priority and outbound tag syntax.

v2rayN for desktop

In the v2rayN main window or the taskbar icon's right-click menu, find Routing or Routing Settings and choose a preset such as Bypass mainland China. Then check the system proxy menu. Regular browsers and most desktop programs that read system proxy settings require the system proxy to be set to Enable system proxy or the equivalent option in your version. Starting the core without enabling the system proxy usually only makes the local listening port available; the browser will not automatically send requests to it.

Do not enable TUN mode at the same time. The system proxy is suitable for the first verification round, with a shorter path and an easier status check from the taskbar. After system-proxy mode is stable, configure TUN for command-line programs, games, or software that does not read system proxy settings. Enabling both entry points increases the complexity of routing loops, DNS handling, and troubleshooting order.

v2rayNG for Android

In v2rayNG, open Routing Settings from the side menu and choose Bypass mainland China or a similar preset. Android connections use the system VPN mode, so there is no separate desktop system-proxy switch to find. For the first setup, keep app proxying, per-app proxying, traffic sniffing, and custom DNS at their current defaults until the basic connection is confirmed. If exclusion rules were previously set for specific apps, check that the browser used for testing is not excluded; a normal connection icon does not prove that the browser is using the current configuration.

Start the core and read the first log entries

v2rayN for desktop

After confirming the current configuration, start the core from the main window, taskbar icon, or bottom status area. Then enable the system proxy. Depending on the version, the core may start automatically with the client or reload after you select a configuration. Do not judge startup only by whether the window is open; check the bottom status bar, taskbar icon, and logs for configuration loading and local listener startup messages.

After a normal startup, the local SOCKS or HTTP listening port becomes active, and the system proxy points to the local entry managed by the client. Logs should remain stable and should not repeatedly show the same configuration parsing error, port-in-use error, or core exit message. A single failed request does not prove that the connection is unusable; repeated restarts, an unbindable port, or an unparsable configuration are reasons to stop and troubleshoot this step first.

If the logs report that a port is already in use, close other proxy tools, fully exit v2rayN, and reopen it. Do not arbitrarily set multiple local ports to the same value. If the logs say that the core is missing or cannot start, return to the download page to confirm that the client installation is complete and check whether a system security prompt blocked the program. If the main window says the core is running but the browser is unchanged, return to Step 2 and confirm that the system proxy is not set to Clear or Keep unchanged.

v2rayNG for Android

Return to the v2rayNG main screen and confirm that the current configuration name at the top or in the list is correct, then tap the circular connection button at the bottom. The first time this type of connection is established, Android shows a VPN connection confirmation dialog; read it and allow the current client to establish the connection. After a successful connection, the button state changes and the system status area shows the corresponding connection indicator. If it immediately returns to a disconnected state, open the logs and inspect the first error instead of repeatedly tapping the button.

Common immediate disconnect causes include no current configuration selected, unparsable configuration content, failed domain resolution, or another VPN-mode connection already active on the system. Fix the earliest error first, then reconnect. The many similar entries caused by later retries are usually consequences, not the starting point. If the subscription was just updated, select the current configuration again to ensure the connection uses the updated entry.

Order of operations
1. Select the current configuration
2. Confirm the routing mode
3. Start the core or VPN mode
4. Check the first error that appears
5. Open the browser after the status is stable

Once the connection is stable, keep the client window or log page accessible before moving to verification. If a browser request fails, you can immediately compare it with logs from the same time instead of reconnecting later and guessing. The goal of initial setup is not to connect every application at once, but to confirm a basic path that starts repeatedly, can be observed in logs, and can be verified in a browser.

Compare routing results with two types of pages

Fully close the test browser and reopen it. This reduces the effect of reused connections, cached DNS results, or proxy state from before startup. Open a page that previously required the current proxy configuration and wait for it to load, then open a commonly used page that should connect directly. If the first page is accessible through the current configuration, the second also opens normally, and the client logs show the corresponding requests using the expected proxy or direct outbound, the basic connection and routing entry point are working.

Do not end the check just because the client says Connected. Connected usually means only that the core or VPN mode has started; it does not necessarily mean that a remote configuration from the subscription is usable or that the browser is reading the correct system proxy. Conversely, one inaccessible website does not prove that the entire client has failed. The website itself, DNS cache, browser extensions, and routing rules may affect only a specific domain, so compare at least two types of access results.

If no page is accessible, check in a fixed order: confirm first that the post-update list is not empty, then confirm that the current configuration is selected, verify that the connection is stable, check v2rayN's system proxy or v2rayNG's VPN mode, and finally read the earliest error in the logs. Do not uninstall and reinstall the client first; reinstalling will not automatically fix a missed configuration selection or system entry point.

If direct pages work but proxied pages fail, temporarily switch routing from Bypass mainland China to Global and retest after closing and reopening the browser. If Global also fails, prioritize the current configuration, DNS, and connection logs. If Global works but rule-based mode fails, the basic connection is usually fine and troubleshooting should move to the routing rules. Restore the intended rule-based mode after testing.

If other programs work in v2rayN but one browser does not, check whether the browser has its own proxy settings, an extension controls the proxy, or a long-lived connection was kept open before the client started. If only one app fails in v2rayNG, check the per-app proxy list and confirm that the app is not excluded. Restart the test app after each change; do not change the client, browser, and DNS settings at the same time.