Clash TUN Mode Explained:How Virtual Adapters Capture All Traffic

Installing Clash Verge Rev on Windows 11 is only the first part of getting a working proxy. You also need a configuration or subscription, an available proxy group, and a way for Windows applications to send traffic to the client. A reliable first-run sequence is: check the installer, install and open the app, import a profile, select a policy, then test with the system proxy. Leave TUN and other advanced options off until you have confirmed that this basic path works.

This walkthrough focuses on a new Windows 11 installation. Menu names can change between releases, so treat the labels below as landmarks rather than guarantees that every version uses identical wording. Clash Verge Rev is a desktop client; the actual nodes and routing policies come from the configuration you import, not from the installer.

1. Check Windows and choose the right installer

Before downloading anything, confirm that the computer meets the requirements shown for the current Clash Verge Rev release. On Windows 11, open Settings → System → About and check System type. Most Intel- and AMD-based PCs use x64. Windows on ARM devices may need a compatible ARM build if one is offered; do not assume that an installer marked x64 is a native ARM package just because Windows can sometimes emulate desktop applications.

Use the download page to find the Windows build and review its current release notes and requirements. Package names and supported architectures can change. If a release offers more than one Windows package, choose the one that matches both your system architecture and the publisher’s installation instructions. Avoid repackaged installers from download aggregators or files shared without a verifiable source.

Get the Windows build

Keep the installer in a location you can find, such as Downloads, and check that its filename and file type match the package you intended to obtain. If you already have another Clash client installed, you can usually install a separate client, but avoid running multiple clients that both try to control the system proxy or create virtual network adapters. If you are replacing an older setup, note its profile location and settings before changing anything.

2. Install the app and make the first launch

Close other proxy clients before starting the installation. If the downloaded package is an installer, open it and follow its prompts. If the release instead provides a portable package, use the instructions supplied for that package; do not expect a portable archive to create the same shortcuts, background service, or uninstall entry as a conventional installer. Confirm the destination folder and any optional launch or shortcut choices before completing the setup.

1. Open the package you downloaded. If Windows asks for confirmation, check the displayed app or publisher details against the release information you used to find the installer.
2. Follow the installation prompts. Keep the default location unless you have a specific reason to change it. Avoid installing to a temporary folder that may later be cleared.
3. Launch Clash Verge Rev. Use the Start menu entry or the shortcut created by the installer. The first launch may take longer while Windows initializes the application.
4. Allow only the requested permissions you understand. A normal desktop launch and system-proxy test generally do not require running the entire app as administrator. A later operation that installs a privileged service or configures a virtual adapter may need additional approval.

When the interface opens, identify the main areas for profiles or configurations, proxy groups, settings, and logs. Their names and arrangement may vary by release. The profile area is where you add or select configuration data; the proxy area is where you choose a node or policy group; the system-proxy control determines whether supported Windows applications are directed to the local proxy listener. These functions are related, but none substitutes for the others.

If the app does not open, restart Windows once and try again before changing security settings. Check whether the installation completed, whether Windows lists the app under installed applications, and whether a previous instance is still running in the system tray. If a dialog names a missing runtime or system component, consult the current release notes for the required component instead of downloading a similarly named DLL from an unrelated site.

Keep the app’s core and interface information available when asking for support. The interface manages profiles and settings, while the proxy core processes connections. A core startup error, a malformed configuration, and a Windows permission problem can look like “the app does not work” but require different fixes. A screenshot of the exact error and the relevant log lines is more useful than repeatedly reinstalling the same package.

3. Import a profile and choose a proxy group

Clash Verge Rev does not provide proxy service credentials or nodes by itself. You need a configuration file or subscription from a provider or another source you trust. A subscription URL may contain an access token, so treat it like a password: do not post it in a public issue, screenshot, chat, or troubleshooting log. If the provider supplies a local configuration file, keep an unchanged backup before editing it.

In the client, open the profile or configuration section and use the option for adding a subscription or importing a local file. The exact button text varies by release. For a subscription, paste the full URL into the appropriate field, give it a recognizable name if the interface allows one, and update or fetch the profile. For a local file, select the file provided to you and check that it appears in the profile list.

1. Confirm the active profile. A profile can be present in the list without being selected. Choose the one you intend to use and wait for the client to finish parsing it.
2. Check the update result. Look for a success state, a timestamp, or an error message. A subscription that cannot be fetched may indicate an expired URL, a provider-side restriction, a DNS or network problem, or an incorrect address.
3. Open the proxy or groups view. Confirm that the expected proxy groups and usable choices are present. Group names come from the configuration and are not necessarily identical across providers.
4. Select a policy and, where applicable, a node. Some groups offer manual choices; others automatically select an outbound route. Selecting a group is not the same as choosing an individual node inside that group.

Check the configuration’s mode before testing. In Rule mode, rules decide whether a connection is direct, proxied, or handled by another policy group. Global mode routes matching traffic through the selected global policy, while Direct bypasses the proxy. Names and available modes depend on the client and configuration. For an initial test, use the mode and policy intended by your provider rather than changing several options at once.

A profile may import correctly while still containing no working route. For example, a group can exist but have no selectable nodes, or all of its nodes can be unavailable. Conversely, a latency result for one node does not prove that the whole configuration is correct. First confirm the profile parsed, then select a usable policy, and only then test an application.

4. Route a browser through the client and verify the result

For a first test, use the Windows system proxy rather than enabling TUN. The system proxy tells compatible applications where the client’s local HTTP or SOCKS proxy is listening. Browsers and many desktop applications honor Windows proxy settings, but some command-line tools, games, and apps ignore them. A system-proxy test is therefore a useful basic check, not proof that every program on the computer is routed.

1. Start the proxy core. Check the client’s main status or log view for an indication that the core is running. If the core has failed to start, enabling the system proxy alone will not create a working route.
2. Turn on the system proxy. Find the system-proxy control in the main interface, commonly near the general settings or status controls. Verify that the control visibly changes to its enabled state.
3. Open a fresh browser tab. Visit a site that should be reachable through the selected policy. If possible, compare the result with the system proxy turned off and on, while keeping the same profile and node selected.
4. Check the connection list or logs. A new connection appearing in the client helps confirm that the browser reached the core. Inspect its matched rule and outbound policy if the interface exposes them.
5. Turn the system proxy off when finished if you do not want it active. The client may also have a control for restoring or clearing the system setting when it exits. Verify the state instead of assuming that closing the window always removes it.

Interpret the result in stages. If the browser loads the page and a corresponding connection appears in the client, the browser is reaching the core and the selected policy is completing the request. If the page loads but no connection appears, it may have used a different route, a cached result, or a browser-specific proxy setting. If the connection appears but fails, inspect the matched rule, policy group, node availability, and core log before changing Windows networking.

Do not use a latency number as a substitute for this end-to-end check. A latency test measures a request to a particular test address through a selected route; it does not establish that a browser is using the system proxy or that every site will work. If you need a second check, try another browser or a different known destination while leaving the profile and policy unchanged. Changing one variable at a time makes the result easier to interpret.

5. Troubleshoot common issues without changing everything

When a first installation fails, identify the stage where it stops: installer launch, app startup, profile import, core startup, policy selection, or traffic routing. Reinstalling immediately can erase useful evidence while leaving the underlying problem untouched. Check the visible error and the client’s logs first, then make one targeted change and repeat the same test.

Installer or launch problems

• The installer does nothing: Confirm that the download completed and that you opened the intended package. Check Windows security notifications and the release’s system requirements. Do not repeatedly download from unrelated mirrors.
• The app closes or shows a startup error: Note the full message, check whether another instance is already running, and review the current release notes for required components. Avoid running the whole client as administrator unless a documented feature requires it.
• Windows reports an architecture or compatibility issue: Recheck Settings → System → About → System type and obtain the build intended for that architecture, if available.

Profile or connection problems

• Subscription update fails: Check for extra spaces in the URL, expiration or access restrictions, and whether the provider requires a different network or account state. A subscription link is sensitive; do not paste it into public support messages.
• Configuration parsing fails: Update from the original source and read the parse error. If you edit YAML, keep indentation consistent and preserve the original file. A syntax error can prevent the core from starting even when the profile appears in the list.
• No node is available: Check that the selected group contains choices and that the configuration has finished updating. A group name by itself does not mean an active proxy exists.
• One app bypasses the client: Confirm that system proxy is enabled and that the app supports Windows proxy settings. Only consider TUN if you specifically need to capture applications that do not honor the system proxy.
• Internet stops after closing the app: Reopen the client and turn off its system-proxy control, then check Settings → Network & internet → Proxy in Windows. Another VPN or proxy utility may also have changed network state.

TUN is a separate, more advanced way to capture traffic through a virtual network adapter. It may require a privileged service or elevated permission, and its behavior depends on routes, DNS settings, exclusions, and the configuration’s rules. TUN does not automatically send every connection through a remote node; it only changes how traffic reaches the core. Start with the system proxy, then consult the setup guide and the client’s current documentation before enabling TUN.

For routine use, keep a backup of any local configuration you have edited, protect subscription URLs, and update the client from a source you can verify. After an update, confirm that the profile still parses, the core starts, and the system proxy behaves as expected. If you switch clients, turn off the old client’s system proxy and stop any service or virtual adapter it installed before testing the new setup. This avoids confusing conflicts between two applications trying to manage the same Windows networking settings.