When KuaiLian shows connected but you have no usable internet, disconnect, reconnect, and try 2–3 nodes in different regions. If almost nothing still loads, check DNS, leftover system proxy, and Kill Switch. Only when a few apps or domestic paths look inverted should you dig into bypass lists—see the split-tunnel guide.
Last month on an iPhone 15, KuaiLian showed the VPN icon, but Safari and messaging had no network. After half an hour I found an old VPN configuration profile from a deleted app still active—it conflicted with KuaiLian’s tunnel. Removing it fixed things immediately.
Cannot connect at all (spinning or error) → connection troubleshooting. Only a few apps should proxy but go direct—or should stay direct but tunnel → split / bypass list. This page covers “tunnel looks up, almost no network.”
First: no internet at all, or only some apps?
- Nothing works: browser and most apps fail → DNS, nodes, system proxy (this article)
- Some apps only: browser OK but one tool’s path is wrong → split-tunnel guide for app exclude
- Foreign sites only: domestic OK → switch nodes first; if it still feels “should proxy but direct,” check split rules
Step 1: Disconnect, reconnect, switch nodes
A successful handshake does not mean the data channel works. The UI can say “connected” while traffic never leaves.
- Disconnect VPN, wait 5 seconds
- Pick a node in a different region (not just the next one in the same country)
- Reconnect and test in a browser
If three nodes fail the same way, the fault is probably not a single node—keep going.
Step 2: Quick split-mode contrast
Smart split or “proxy only some traffic” can strand packets. Do a quick contrast only:
- Settings → Proxy mode or Split tunneling
- Switch to global temporarily; test whether the browser loads
- If global works immediately → rule-side issue; detailed bypass, app exclude, and domestic-direct checks are in the split-tunnel guide
Step 3: DNS resolution failure
Tunnel up, DNS not following—pages fail while pinging a raw IP sometimes still works.
- Enable anti-DNS-leak or VPN DNS in KuaiLian if the menu exists, then reconnect
- Temporarily set system DNS to 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1 for contrast
- Android: Settings → Private DNS → dns.google
- iOS: Wi-Fi → Configure DNS → Manual → 8.8.8.8
Step 4: System proxy conflicts
On Windows and macOS, leftover proxies from older VPN or proxy tools often fight the new tunnel.
- Windows: Settings → Network → Proxy → turn off “Use a proxy server” unless you know you need it
- macOS: System Settings → Network → Wi-Fi → Details → Proxies → uncheck all
- Quit Clash, V2Ray, or another VPN client running in parallel
Step 5: Kill Switch in a bad state
Kill Switch is meant to block traffic when VPN drops. When its state is wrong, the UI still says connected while some traffic is cut.
Disable Kill Switch temporarily. If that restores access, check the build on the download page before turning it back on.
Step 6: Update and clear cache
Older builds can create a tunnel without writing routes fully. Confirm the platform entry on the download page, then update.
Still stuck: clear Android app cache, or reinstall. Reinstall fixes client/permission issues—not a speed promise.
Still stuck?
- Current network interferes with tunnels: try another network, or another protocol listed in the app
- Corporate/school networks that allow HTTP proxy only may block full VPN tunnels
- Security software blocking VPN traffic—quit it briefly for a contrast test