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VPN Connected But No Internet: Complete Solution

Complete guide to fix VPN that shows connected but doesn't load content. Learn how to bypass provider DPI blocks and restore VPN connection using VLESS XTLS Reality and other methods.

#3x-ui-setup#dpi-bypass#trojan-protocol-issues#vless-xtls#vpn-blocks#vpn-regional-restrictions
Question

How can I bypass the issue where VPN servers respond to ping but fail to load content? I have several VDS (Virtual Dedicated Servers) on aeza that have stopped working. The ping works, but the download speed is practically zero. The 3x-ui panel won’t open, VLS connections don’t work, and when using the Trojan protocol, the ping shows -1. The problem is only occurring in my city (Kirov), while for my friend in St. Petersburg, everything works normally. I suspect this is related to regional restrictions or ISP DPI blocking. How can I resolve this issue or bypass these restrictions?

NeuroAgent

When a VPN server responds to ping but doesn’t load content, this is a typical problem caused by Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) or routing issues. In your case, considering that the problem only manifests in Kirov while working in St. Petersburg, this is almost certainly related to regional restrictions from your internet service provider.

Table of Contents

Main causes of the problem

The problem where a VPN server responds to ping but doesn’t load content is usually caused by one of the following factors:

1. ISP DPI Blocking
Your internet service provider in Kirov uses Deep Packet Inspection technology to detect and block VPN traffic. Control packets (ping) pass through inspection, but data packets are blocked.

2. DNS Issues
As noted in research, if the DNS server doesn’t respond or works incorrectly, your computer can successfully ping the server but won’t be able to load websites because it can’t resolve their names to IP addresses.

3. Routing Issues
Incorrect routing or firewall settings may block data transmission while ping continues to work.

4. MTU Settings
Packet sizes that are too large can cause fragmentation and data loss, which manifests as lack of content loading while ping works.

Basic setup verification

Firewall and Antivirus Check

Ensure that traffic is not blocked on your VDS and client devices:

bash
# Check firewall status on server
sudo ufw status
sudo iptables -L -n

# Temporary disable for testing
sudo ufw disable

Routing Verification

Check routes on your server:

bash
# View routing table
route -n
ip route show

# Check masquerading (important for VPN)
sudo iptables -t nat -L -n -v

DNS Testing

Check DNS functionality:

bash
# Direct check
nslookup google.com 8.8.8.8

# Check server DNS resolver
cat /etc/resolv.conf

Solutions to bypass DPI

Using Obfuscating Protocols

1. VLESS XTLS Reality
As noted in research, VLESS XTLS Reality makes traffic almost invisible to DPI systems:

bash
# XTLS Reality configuration example
{
  "inbounds": [{
    "port": 443,
    "protocol": "vless",
    "settings": {
      "clients": [...],
      "decryption": "none"
    },
    "streamSettings": {
      "network": "tcp",
      "security": "xtls",
      "xtlsSettings": {
        "minVersion": "1.2",
        "certificates": [...],
        "reality": {
          "enabled": true,
          "dest": "google.com:443",
          "xver": 0
        }
      }
    }
  }]
}

2. Using Shadowsocks and V2Ray
A combination of these protocols can help bypass blocking:

bash
# V2Ray installation
bash -c "$(curl -L -s https://install.direct/go.sh)"

# Configuration with obfuscation
{
  "inbounds": [{
    "port": 443,
    "protocol": "v2ray",
    "settings": {
      "clients": [...]
    },
    "streamSettings": {
      "network": "ws",
      "wsSettings": {
        "path": "/ray",
        "headers": {
          "Host": "example.com"
        }
      }
    }
  }]
}

Proxy Server Configuration

1. Bypass via SSH Tunnel

bash
# Create SSH tunnel
ssh -D 1080 user@your-vps-ip -N

# Configure browser to use SOCKS5 proxy
localhost:1080

2. Using Tor

bash
# Install Tor
sudo apt install tor

# Configure as proxy
sudo systemctl start tor
sudo systemctl enable tor

MTU configuration and network optimization

VPN MTU Optimization

As research shows, changing MTU often solves the problem:

bash
# Check current MTU
ifconfig

# Set new MTU (e.g., 1200)
sudo ifconfig eth0 mtu 1200

# Permanent setting in Ubuntu/Debian
echo "up mtu 1200" | sudo tee -a /etc/network/interfaces

TCP Parameter Optimization

bash
# Increase TCP buffers
sudo sysctl -w net.core.rmem_max=134217728
sudo sysctl -w net.core.wmem_max=134217728
sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.tcp_rmem="4096 87380 134217728"
sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.tcp_wmem="4096 65536 134217728"

# Optimization for high latency
sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.tcp_congestion_control=bbr
sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.tcp_mtu_probing=1

Traffic obfuscation technologies

GoodbyeDPI

As mentioned in research, GoodbyeDPI is effective against provider blocking:

bash
# Install GoodbyeDPI
wget https://github.com/bol-van/zapret/releases/latest/download/goodbyedpi
chmod +x goodbyedpi
sudo ./goodbyedpi -d eth0

Using Camouflage

bash
# Install Camouflage
go get -u github.com/sensepost/camouflage
./camouflage -l 443 -f camouflage.json

Alternative protocols and settings

Changing Ports and Protocols

bash
# OpenVPN with TCP instead of UDP
port 443
proto tcp

# WireGuard masked as HTTPS
[Interface]
Address = 10.0.0.2/24
PrivateKey = ...
PostUp = iptables -A FORWARD -i %i -j ACCEPT; iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -o eth0 -j MASQUERADE
PostDown = iptables -D FORWARD -i %i -j ACCEPT; iptables -t nat -D POSTROUTING -o eth0 -j MASQUERADE

[Peer]
PublicKey = ...
AllowedIPs = 0.0.0.0/0
Endpoint = your-vps-ip:443

Trojan Configuration

Since you’re having issues with Trojan, try changing its configuration:

json
{
  "run_type": "server",
  "local_addr": "0.0.0.0",
  "local_port": 443,
  "remote_addr": "127.0.0.1",
  "remote_port": 80,
  "password": ["your-password"],
  "log_level": 1,
  "ssl": {
    "cert": "server.crt",
    "key": "server.key",
    "key_password": "",
    "cipher": "ECDHE-ECDSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:ECDHE-ECDSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:ECDHE-ECDSA-CHACHA20-POLY1305:ECDHE-RSA-CHACHA20-POLY1305:DHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384",
    "cipher_tls13": "TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256:TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:TLS_CHACHA20_POLY1305_SHA256",
    "prefer_server_cipher": true,
    "curve": "",
    "reuse_session": true,
    "session_ticket": false,
    "session_timeout": 600,
    "handshake_timeout": 40,
    "plain_http_response": "",
    "curves": ""
  },
  "websocket": {
    "enabled": true,
    "path": "/trojan",
    "host": "example.com"
  }
}

Regional solution features

Kirov Provider Analysis

Since the problem is specific to your city, conduct diagnostics:

bash
# Check route to your server
traceroute your-vps-ip

# Check packet loss
ping -c 100 your-vps-ip | grep 'packet loss'

# Check latency and jitter
mtr your-vps-ip

Using Different Exit Points

Try setting up multiple servers in different regions and use rotation:

bash
# Example server rotation script
#!/bin/bash
SERVERS=("server1-ip" "server2-ip" "server3-ip")
RANDOM_SERVER=${SERVERS[$RANDOM % ${#SERVERS[@]}]}
echo "Using server: $RANDOM_SERVER"
# Client configuration with selected server

Working Solutions for Russia

Based on research, the most effective solutions for Russia:

  1. Outline - easy to set up and effective against DPI
  2. Clash Meta - with support for multiple protocols and automatic routing
  3. Hysteria2 - new protocol with effective obfuscation

3x-ui Configuration to Bypass Blocks

To restore access to the 3x-ui panel:

bash
# Check service status
systemctl status x-ui

# Restart with new settings
systemctl restart x-ui

# Check logs
journalctl -u x-ui -f

Sources

  1. Why is there ping but no internet? We analyze possible causes
  2. Bypassing any blocks. GoodbyeDPI not working? Bypassing YouTube blocking
  3. Best ways to bypass slowdowns in Russia, Zapret, VPN servers GoodbyeDPI
  4. Ping works but browser pages don’t open
  5. New attack on VPN could become successful. Bypassing blocks will become more difficult
  6. VPN and DPI: How the state is finding new ways to block internet resources

Conclusion

The problem where a VPN server responds to ping but doesn’t load content in your case requires a comprehensive approach:

  1. Start with basic diagnostics - check firewalls, routing, and DNS settings on your VDS
  2. Configure traffic obfuscation - VLESS XTLS Reality or Shadowsocks masked as HTTPS
  3. Optimize network parameters - adjust MTU and TCP buffers
  4. Use specialized tools - GoodbyeDPI to counter provider blocking
  5. Consider alternative protocols - Trojan can be configured to mask as regular HTTPS traffic
  6. Set up server rotation - use different exit points in regions with minimal restrictions

For Kirov, it’s especially important to carefully configure obfuscation, as regional providers often use aggressive DPI methods. Start with simple solutions like changing MTU and DNS, then move to more complex obfuscation technologies.

How to configure VLESS XTLS Reality to bypass DPI blocks?Why does Trojan protocol show ping as -1 and how to fix it?How to check if my provider is using DPI to block VPN?Which alternative VPN protocols work best in Russia?How to optimize MTU for better VPN performance under blocking conditions?How to configure VPN server rotation to bypass regional restrictions?
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