Fix the network problem, not just the VPN app.
A hotel captive portal, campus firewall, or locked-down work laptop can make a working VPN look broken. These guides cover the common China network situations.
Use-case guides
Pick the network situation you are dealing with now.
Hotel Wi-Fi in China
Captive portals, room-number logins, auto-connect problems, and when to start the VPN.
University Wi-Fi in China
Campus DPI, dorm networks, student devices, and setup paths that survive blocked app stores.
Business trips to China
Corporate laptops, hotel networks, trade fairs, and fast setup when you cannot waste a day.
City guides
Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Chengdu network notes.
Related setup
Once the network issue is clear, use the matching device guide.
Diagnose the connection before changing providers
Many China VPN failures are not caused by the subscription itself. The app may be installed correctly, but the local network blocks UDP, strips captive-portal sessions, limits unknown TLS traffic, or disconnects idle devices after a few minutes.
Start before the VPN
Open a normal allowed website first and finish the hotel, campus, or airport login page. Starting a VPN before the captive portal is complete often creates a loop where neither page loads.
Change network type
If hotel Wi-Fi fails, test mobile data. If mobile data fails, test the hotel lobby network. The goal is to separate a bad local network from a bad app import or expired key.
Use the right client path
Android users inside China may need an APK or manufacturer app store. iPhone users may need a non-mainland Apple ID. These are setup issues, not reasons to abandon the key.
Then compare providers
If the same network blocks several clients, a provider comparison matters. That is when the Astrill, ExpressVPN, and NordVPN alternative pages help evaluate refund policy and inside-China signup access.