This article addresses the common question, “What should I do if v2rayNG won’t connect?” It focuses on four areas to check: node availability, your device’s IP and network environment, DNS resolution, and browser proxy settings. It’s intended for users who have installed v2rayNG and imported V2Ray/VLESS/VMess nodes, but see a connection failure or timeout, or can connect but not access the internet.
1. Check that the node and subscription are working
Connection failures often aren’t caused by a faulty client. The node may have expired, been blocked, or have outdated subscription data or incomplete settings. Check the following in order:
- Open v2rayNG, go to the subscription settings, and tap Update subscription to avoid using outdated nodes.
- Long-press the current node and select “Test connection” or “Test real connection” to see if it times out.
- Try other nodes in the same subscription to determine whether the problem affects one node or all of them.
- Check that your phone’s date and time are correct. Incorrect settings can cause TLS certificate verification to fail.
- If you’re using free nodes from this site, copy the complete share link or subscription URL to avoid errors from changing the settings manually.
If none of the nodes connect, continue checking your IP, network, and DNS settings. If only one node fails, switching to another node is usually faster.
2. Check your phone’s network, IP, and proxy mode
v2rayNG depends on your current network environment. Some Wi-Fi networks, campus networks, and corporate networks restrict proxy connections, and performance may vary between mobile data and Wi-Fi.
- First, open a regular domestic website in your browser to confirm that your phone can access the internet.
- Switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data to determine whether the current network is the problem.
- Turn off other VPNs, accelerators, and packet-capture tools to avoid conflicts with ports or VPN permissions.
- In v2rayNG settings, don’t enable “Allow connections from LAN” unless you need it. Most users should leave this option at its default setting.
When connected, a VPN icon should appear at the top of your Android screen. If it doesn’t, v2rayNG hasn’t successfully taken over your traffic. Try stopping and restarting it, or remove the old VPN configuration in system settings and grant permission again.
3. DNS or browser settings can cause “connected but can’t open websites” issues
Sometimes v2rayNG shows as connected, but your browser can’t open external websites. Common causes include DNS poisoning, browser cache, or mismatched proxy rules. Try the following:
- Find the DNS options in v2rayNG settings and use the default configuration. If you’ve changed the DNS settings, restore the defaults first.
- Clear your browser cache or try Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.
- Disable third-party proxy extensions in your browser to avoid routing traffic through both the extension and v2rayNG.
- Switch the routing mode to “Bypass LAN and mainland China addresses” or “Global” and compare the results.
If Global mode works but rule-based mode doesn’t, the problem is usually with the routing rules or DNS split routing. If neither mode works, the node or network environment is the more likely cause.
4. Quick troubleshooting checklist
When v2rayNG won’t connect, avoid changing settings at random. The quickest approach is to follow this order: update the subscription, switch nodes, switch networks, restart v2rayNG, check your system time, restore the default DNS settings, and try another browser. If it still fails, delete the current configuration and import the subscription again.
Keep in mind that free nodes can be affected by network conditions, congestion, and availability, so temporary outages are normal. When troubleshooting, distinguish between incorrect client settings and an unavailable node. Following the steps above should help you identify the cause of most v2rayNG connection failures, cases where you can connect but not access the internet, and browser access problems.