Clash Beginner FAQ: Subscription Import, Modes, and Connection Checks

Choosing a Client and Core

1. When downloading Clash, should I check the client name or the operating system version first?

Check the operating system and processor architecture first, then the core used by the client. Clash is commonly used as a general term for a proxy configuration and rule system, but in practice it needs a graphical client or command-line program to run. Installation differs across Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux, and packages with the same name may also be separated by architectures such as x64 and ARM64.

Typical Windows PCs use x64 packages, while devices with ARM processors need an ARM64 build. macOS also requires a choice between Intel and Apple silicon. An incompatible package may fail to install, quit immediately after launch, or require an additional compatibility layer. If you cannot identify the architecture, check “System type” or “Chip” in system information instead of guessing from the device’s release year.

For the core, actively maintained clients commonly use Mihomo, the core continued from Clash Meta. It supports common Clash configuration structures and extends proxy protocol, rule, DNS, and TUN capabilities. The client interface and core are separate layers: the interface manages subscriptions, switches, and logs, while the core establishes connections, applies rules, and handles traffic. When comparing clients, confirm the core version, update status, and configuration compatibility range as well.

2. Why can’t I access the internet immediately after installation?

Installing the client only means that the program can run; it does not mean a proxy connection has been established. You still need a valid configuration, a reachable node, and a way to route app traffic through Clash. The usual workflow is to import a subscription or local configuration, update it, select a proxy node, enable the system proxy, and test with a browser.

If the interface shows only a blank configuration page or no nodes appear in the proxy groups, the client has no usable remote exit. If a node is selected but the system proxy is disabled, the browser may still connect directly. Some apps ignore operating-system proxy settings; in that case, the standard system proxy cannot capture their traffic. Enter the proxy address in the app itself, or enable TUN after confirming that it is needed.

How to Verify Subscription Imports and Updates

3. Should I paste the subscription URL into a browser or import it into the client?

Add the subscription URL on the client’s Configuration, Subscriptions, or Profiles page. Opening the URL in a browser only shows whether the server returns content; it does not replace client import. Services may return YAML configuration, an encoded node list, or a specialized format that requires server-side conversion. The client must recognize the corresponding structure before it can generate nodes and proxy groups.

Copy the complete URL during import, avoiding leading or trailing spaces, line breaks, and punctuation added by chat apps. Subscription URLs often contain account-identifying parameters and should be treated as sensitive credentials; do not publish them on public pages or include them in screenshots or logs. If the service provides a dedicated Clash or Mihomo subscription entry, use it instead of pasting a format intended for another client.

After importing, check three things: whether the configuration entry shows an update time, whether nodes appear in the proxy groups, and whether the logs report parsing errors. “Download successful” alone does not prove that the configuration can load; the download may succeed while an incompatible YAML structure causes the core to reject it.

4. What should I check first if a subscription update fails or the nodes do not change afterward?

First distinguish between “no content was received” and “content was received but did not take effect.” The former commonly appears as a timeout, connection failure, or abnormal HTTP status; the latter as a configuration parsing error, empty proxy groups, or an older configuration that remains active. Check the following in order:

1. Confirm that the device itself can reach the subscription server, and verify that the system date, time, and time zone are correct.
2. Copy the complete subscription URL again and confirm that the account status and subscription validity have not changed.
3. Review the client logs to determine whether the error occurred during download, parsing, or configuration switching.
4. After the update finishes, confirm that the new configuration is set as the active configuration rather than merely saved in the list.
5. Check the proxy group selections. An update may rebuild the node list while leaving the group’s previous selection in place or reverting to a default item.

The automatic update interval is determined by the client or by subscription-provider settings in the configuration; not every client refreshes immediately at startup. Avoid clicking manual update repeatedly in quick succession, as concurrent requests may trigger server-side limits. Node names can remain unchanged even when the server address, port, or transport parameters have been updated.

If you use a complete remote configuration, an update may overwrite rules edited locally. For custom rules that must persist, use the client’s supported override, merge, or scripting features, and keep a restorable copy of the original configuration before editing. Override syntax is not fully consistent across clients, so revalidate it when migrating.

Using Rule, Global, Direct, and TUN

5. What is the difference between Rule, Global, and Direct modes?

Rule is usually the right choice for everyday use. The core checks rules from top to bottom and, when one matches, sends the connection to the specified proxy group, connects directly, or rejects it. Rules may match domains, domain suffixes, IP ranges, processes, and other conditions, depending on the core and client. A final fallback rule is usually included for requests that match nothing above it.

Global is global mode. Connections entering Clash are handed to one global proxy group, although LAN addresses, core-reserved connections, and other traffic may still be limited by the configuration and implementation. “Global” should not be understood as bypassing every rule boundary. It is useful for temporarily checking whether a site fails because of incorrect rule routing, or for switching the exit uniformly for a short time, but it should not be the only troubleshooting method.

Direct is direct-connection mode. Connections entering the core generally bypass the remote proxy and access the internet through the local network. It provides a quick way to check whether a problem is related to the proxy node. If Direct also fails, the issue is more likely to involve the local network, DNS, target service, or app. If Direct works but Rule fails, inspect rule matching and proxy-group selection.

6. When should I enable TUN mode?

Start with the system proxy. Consider TUN only when an app does not read system proxy settings, when more types of traffic need to be captured, or when several programs must be handled uniformly. The system proxy mainly provides HTTP or SOCKS access to apps that follow operating-system proxy settings. TUN receives IP traffic through a virtual network interface, usually covering more traffic but adding variables involving routing, DNS, permissions, and the firewall.

Before enabling TUN, confirm that a regular node works and that Rule mode can handle browser connections normally. Otherwise, enabling TUN immediately combines a node failure with a virtual-adapter failure. Windows may require administrator privileges or a service installation; macOS may request network-extension approval; Linux involves network-device permissions and routing rules. If permission has not been granted, the switch may appear enabled even though the interface was never created successfully.

Running TUN alongside another VPN, virtual-machine network, container network, or security product can create route-priority conflicts. If the entire network goes offline, LAN devices become unreachable, or problems continue after closing the client, disable TUN first, exit other virtual-network programs, and retest the system network. Do not change many DNS and routing settings at once; adjust one item at a time so you can identify which layer affects the result.

Troubleshooting Nodes, System Proxy, DNS, and Logs

7. Why won’t a webpage open even though the node latency looks normal?

A latency test only proves that the client received a response through a particular test method; it does not fully represent a connection to the target website. Clients may measure latency with a TCP handshake, HTTP request, or designated test URL. Even after a successful test, actual access can be affected by the node’s exit, the target website, DNS resolution, rule routing, and transport-protocol status.

First check whether the requested domain appears in the logs. If there is no log entry at all, the traffic probably never reached Clash; check the system proxy, browser proxy, TUN status, or the app’s network settings. If the domain appears but is assigned to an unexpected proxy group, inspect the rules or selection. If the log shows a timeout, handshake failure, or refused connection, try another node in the same proxy group to determine whether the issue is limited to one node.

Latency is not the same as bandwidth or stability. A low-latency node may be congested, while a higher-latency node may be more stable during sustained transfers. Choose nodes based on connection success rate, continuous browsing performance, and download speed rather than simply picking the smallest number in the list.

8. Which ports should I check if there is still no traffic after enabling the system proxy?

First confirm that the proxy listening port in the client configuration matches the port currently entered in the operating system. Common configurations provide an HTTP port, a SOCKS port, or a mixed-port that accepts both types of traffic. The controller port is used for communication between the client interface and the core; it is not a browser proxy port and must not be used interchangeably.

For example, the configuration below allows local apps to connect to the mixed port 7890. Whether devices on the LAN can connect is determined jointly by allow-lan and the listen address:

mixed-port: 7890
allow-lan: false
mode: rule
log-level: info

When using Clash only on the local machine, keep the listening scope restricted; there is no need to expose LAN access for troubleshooting. If another program is using the port, core logs typically show errors such as bind, listen, or address already in use. Exit the conflicting program or choose another port, then update the system proxy settings as well. Editing YAML without reloading the configuration will not change the listening port of the running core.

Browser extensions, developer tools, and other proxy software may override system settings. Temporarily disable extra proxy entry points during troubleshooting and keep only one access method enabled. Otherwise, the browser may connect to an old port or create a loop in which the browser proxy points to another proxy program that routes back to Clash.

9. What symptoms usually point to a DNS problem?

If a service is reachable by IP address but not by domain name, some domains consistently resolve to unexpected addresses, or old results remain after switching networks, DNS should be checked. Clash can handle DNS in the core and work with rules using modes such as fake-ip or redir-host; exact fields and behavior depend on the core version. Beginners should not paste large DNS configurations from unknown sources, because the listen address, upstream type, and enhanced mode must match the current traffic path.

During troubleshooting, first check whether the domain resolves successfully in the logs, then confirm whether operating-system DNS requests are entering Clash. The system proxy mainly handles proxy connections created by apps and does not guarantee that every independent DNS request is captured. With TUN enabled, also check DNS hijacking and virtual-address routing. If resolution remains broken after closing Clash, clear the operating system’s DNS cache, restart the network connection, and verify that the DNS supplied by the router or local network is working.

With fake-ip, the app sees a virtual result from a reserved address range, while the core maps that address back to the domain for rule matching. Do not treat these virtual addresses as real server addresses for long-term records. Some LAN services, games, and programs that rely on special DNS behavior may need to be added to a compatibility list, but add entries one at a time based on logs and the actual failure instead of excluding large numbers of domains at once.

10. What is the most effective troubleshooting order when nothing connects?

Effective troubleshooting depends on isolating layers, not repeatedly reinstalling the client. Start with the state that has the fewest variables and identify whether the problem lies in the configuration, node, traffic entry, rules, or system network:

1. Check the local network: switch to Direct or temporarily disable the proxy and verify that regular websites open directly. If the basic network is down, restore Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or mobile data first.
2. Check configuration loading: review the active configuration name and update time, and look for YAML parsing errors, unsupported fields, or file-read errors in the logs.
3. Check the node connection: choose a node that clearly exists in the current proxy group, run a latency test, and watch the live logs while opening a webpage.
4. Check that traffic is entering Clash: after enabling the system proxy, verify the operating system proxy address and port. If there are no request logs at all, address the traffic-entry problem first.
5. Check the rule result: in Rule mode, see which rule matched the target domain and which proxy group handled it, then verify that group’s current selection.
6. Compare Global and Direct: Global can help determine whether the wrong exit was selected by the rules, while Direct can show whether the local network can access the destination directly.
7. Check TUN and DNS last: enable TUN, enhanced DNS, and app-level compatibility settings only after the basic proxy path is working.

The info log level is usually enough for an initial diagnosis. When you need more detail, increase logging temporarily, but remember that logs may contain visited domains, node names, server addresses, and local network information. Remove account parameters and sensitive configuration before sharing logs. Restore the normal log level when finished to avoid generating excessive records.

If a change introduces a new problem, return to the most recent working configuration instead of stacking on more settings. Validate subscriptions, override rules, DNS, and TUN separately: first confirm that the original subscription loads, then add local overrides; first confirm that the system proxy works, then enable TUN. This sequence can localize most “import succeeded but connection failed” issues to a specific step.