Mainland China runs aggressive network-filtering systems, so connecting from inside China takes a little more setup than most places. This guide covers how to pick your entry and exit, the two anti-censorship settings that matter, and the order to try things in when a connection will not complete.
Entry and exit locations
NymVPN routes through two points you choose separately: an Entry (the first hop, where your traffic enters the Nym network) and an Exit (where your traffic reaches the open internet). The websites and services you use only ever see your Exit. They cannot see your Entry.
Two things follow from that:
- Set your Exit to wherever you want to appear. Because that is all a site can see, you are free to choose it for the content you need.
- Your Entry is the hop the Great Firewall interferes with, so it is the setting that decides whether you connect at all. It does not change what a site sees, but in China it matters most.
Speed depends on the combination of entry and exit, so a far-apart pairing can feel slow even when it connects. See How to change your location or select a specific server in NymVPN.
Choosing an entry
- Pick a country, not a single node. Letting NymVPN choose a gateway inside a country you select connects more reliably from China than pinning one specific gateway.
- Choose a nearby unrestricted country. A close, uncensored country keeps latency down. Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore are good starting points from mainland China. Reconnecting picks a fresh node in that country, which is also the quickest fix when one node stalls.
Choosing an exit
- Set the Exit to the country whose content or services you want to reach.
- Avoid exits inside heavily filtered countries (China, Iran, Russia) for the open-internet side of your route. See Best NymVPN server location: how to choose entry and exit countries.
Common problems and what to try
Work through these in order. Most connections from China succeed within the first two or three steps.
- Try a normal connection first, without QUIC. If it connects, you are done. QUIC is only for getting past blocks; it does not make you more private, so there is no reason to turn it on when a plain connection works.
- Turn on QUIC transport mode. If the connection fails, go to Settings > Anti-censorship and toggle QUIC on (or tap the QUIC filter on the Entry screen), then reconnect. You will see fewer entry options with QUIC on, which is normal.
- If it stalls before step 2/6, turn on Stealth API connect. A connection that hangs while the app is still fetching gateways or account details is usually the app's background requests being blocked. Go to Settings > Anti-censorship and toggle Stealth API connect on, then reconnect.
- Try a CN2-routed entry. If the steps above do not work, or on a day when filtering is especially heavy, search CN2 in the entry server selection screen and connect through one of the search results. CN2 routing often gets through when ordinary routes do not.
- Switch connection mode. If Fast mode keeps struggling, Anonymous (mixnet) mode tends to be more resilient in China because its traffic looks different from ordinary VPN flows. It is slower but often connects when Fast mode cannot. See What's the difference between NymVPN Fast and Anonymous mode?
- Change network or time of day. Mobile data and Wi-Fi often behave differently, and filtering is more aggressive at some times than others. See How to use NymVPN in restricted regions or networks.
What QUIC does, and when to turn it on
QUIC transport mode wraps your Fast mode (WireGuard/AmneziaWG) connection in a QUIC layer, so deep packet inspection cannot recognise it as VPN traffic and block it. It applies to the entry gateway only.
Turn it on only when you cannot connect without it. QUIC does not add privacy or security, it only helps you get past blocking, and the extra wrapper costs a little speed. Leave it off whenever a normal connection works. Full details: What is QUIC transport mode in NymVPN?
What domain fronting does, and when to turn it on
In the app, domain fronting is handled by Stealth API connect. It protects only the app's background communication with Nym's servers (fetching gateway lists, account details, network status) by keeping those requests working on networks that would otherwise block them. It does not touch your VPN tunnel or your internet traffic, and everything stays encrypted either way.
Turn it on when a connection stalls while the app is still fetching data, which is the step domain fronting gets past. Go to Settings > Anti-censorship and toggle Stealth API connect on. The app may also switch it on by itself when it detects a restrictive network. More detail: What is Stealth API connect in NymVPN?
If you still cannot connect
Contact Nym Support and include:
- Your NymVPN account ID (it starts with
n1) - Your region and the ISP or network you are on
- The modes, entries and settings you have already tried
- Connection logs and diagnostic report from the app, if you can
⚠️ Important: never share your 24-word access code with anyone, including support. Your account ID (the n1... string) is all we need.
Related questions
Which mode should I use in China?
Start with Fast mode. If you cannot connect, enable QUIC. If it still fails, switch to Anonymous (mixnet) mode.
Do I need QUIC on all the time?
No. Turn it on only when a normal connection is blocked, and turn it back off when you no longer need it, for the best speed.
Is using a VPN legal in China?
VPN rules vary by jurisdiction and change over time. Check the current rules where you are.