What should you do if v2rayNG won’t connect? This guide helps you distinguish between an inactive node, traffic not being routed through the proxy, DNS resolution issues, and browser setting conflicts. Troubleshoot in order and change only one setting at a time to avoid making things worse. Free nodes may temporarily stop working, and seeing that the VPN is running doesn’t guarantee that your connection is working.
1. First, check that the node and VPN have started properly
- Turn off other VPNs, accelerators, and filtering tools that use Android’s local VPN mode. Android can usually run only one VPN service at a time.
- Check your system date, time, and time zone, and enable automatic settings if possible. An incorrect time can affect TLS verification.
- Open v2rayNG, select a node, and tap Start. Allow the system’s VPN connection request, then check whether the VPN icon appears.
- Update your subscription and select a node again. If you imported a link manually, check that it’s complete. A subscription retrieval failure is different from a node connection failure.
- Run the client’s connection test, then try opening a webpage. A successful latency test doesn’t guarantee that webpages will load, and a single timeout doesn’t prove that the node is down.
If all nodes fail, test over both Wi-Fi and mobile data. If only one network fails, check for restrictions on that network first. If only one node fails, try another node before reinstalling the client.
2. Check the proxy mode and exit IP
As a temporary comparison test, select global proxy mode in the routing settings. The option may have a different name in some versions. Also check per-app proxy settings to make sure your browser isn’t excluded. If you’re using “Proxy selected apps only,” add your browser to the list. You can switch back to your original routing mode after testing.
After connecting, compare your exit IP using a trusted IP lookup page. An unchanged IP doesn’t necessarily mean the node is down; the lookup site may be routed directly, or your browser may not be using the proxy. If your IP has changed but a particular website won’t load, check DNS, site restrictions, and your browser setup rather than repeatedly switching nodes.
3. How to troubleshoot DNS issues
If some websites load but others show “server not found” or a name resolution error, DNS is worth checking. However, a webpage failing to load isn’t enough on its own to conclude that DNS is the problem.
- Note your current settings, then restore the client’s DNS-related options to their defaults or a trusted configuration. Don’t combine multiple DNS setups from unknown sources.
- If Android’s custom “Private DNS” is enabled, temporarily switch it to “Automatic” and test again. Restore your preferred setting afterward if needed.
- Check whether your browser has custom secure DNS enabled. Temporarily switch it to the default and try again. Adjust only one DNS setting at a time so you can identify which setting is causing the issue.
Don’t disable certificate verification to fix a DNS or connection failure; doing so reduces connection security.
4. If the browser won’t load pages, check the logs last
If other apps work and only your browser has problems, try an incognito window or another browser first, then clear the affected website’s cache and site data. Incognito mode doesn’t change the proxy route; it only helps rule out issues caused by cache, cookies, and similar data. A changed exit IP also doesn’t guarantee that account or regional restrictions on a website will be lifted.
If you still can’t connect, check the v2rayNG logs. A timeout often points to an unreachable node or a network problem. For a certificate error, check the system time, node details, and client version. For a resolution error, return to DNS troubleshooting. Error messages can point you in the right direction, but they aren’t conclusive on their own. When asking for help, include the client version, network type, and relevant error message. Don’t share your subscription URL, UUID, or full node link publicly.