My node suddenly went offline, and my first thought was that the IP address had been blocked. However, there are different types of blocks, and each requires a different approach. Haphazard actions can waste a lot of time, so this article clarifies the troubleshooting and recovery process.
Step One: Confirm if it’s Truly Blocked
An unreachable node isn’t always due to an IP block. First, rule out other possibilities:
# Ping your VPS public IP directly from your local machine
ping your_VPS_IP
# If ping works but the proxy doesn't, it might be a port issue
curl -v --connect-timeout 10 https://your_VPS_IP:443
Judging Various Scenarios:
| Phenomenon | Possible Cause |
|---|---|
| ping timeout, traceroute breaks at a hop within China | IP blocked by firewall (most common) |
| ping works, but proxy protocol fails to connect | Port/protocol blocked, IP not blocked |
| SSH connects, but proxy fails | Proxy service process crashed |
| Nothing pings, SSH also fails | VPS downtime or account overdue |
First, use online tools to test if the IP is globally reachable:
- IPIP.net:
https://www.ipip.net/ip.html→ Enter IP → Check “China Reachability” - itdog.cn: Multi-node speed test, check connectivity from various provinces in China
If the tools show ping timeouts from multiple provinces in China, it’s generally confirmed that the IP has been blocked.
Step Two: Determine the Type of Block
The severity of the block determines the handling method:
Type One: TCP Port Block (Lightest)
Manifestation: Specific ports (e.g., 443) are inaccessible, but SSH (22 or custom port) can still connect.
Solution: Change the port or switch protocols. For example, if you were using 443, switch to 8443 or another port.
# SSH in and change the Xray port
# Modify the configuration file, change the 'port' in 'inbounds'
systemctl restart xray
Type Two: IP Block (Common)
Manifestation: All TCP connections time out, ICMP (ping) also times out, but the IP is reachable from outside China.
Solution: Change the IP address.
Type Three: IP + Port Dual Block (More Severe)
Manifestation: Similar to Type Two, but changing the port doesn’t help. This usually occurs after using protocols with obvious characteristics (pure TLS without obfuscation).
Solution: Change the IP address, and simultaneously change the protocol (use VLESS + REALITY or Hysteria2, which are harder to detect).
Type Four: Entire IP Segment Block (Most Severe)
Manifestation: Multiple IPs within the same /24 segment are inaccessible. This usually happens when a data center’s IP range is blocked in bulk.
Solution: Change VPS providers or use a native IP provider (e.g., DMIT’s CN2 GIA, where the probability of IP blocking is lower).
Step Three: IP Replacement Operation
DMIT
DMIT supports paid IP replacement, with prices varying by plan.
- Log in to the DMIT control panel
- Go to the corresponding VPS → Look for “Change IP” or submit a support ticket
- If there’s no direct IP change option in the control panel, submit a support ticket explaining that the IP has been blocked and request a replacement.
When submitting a ticket, state directly: “My VPS IP (your IP) seems to be blocked from Mainland China. Could you please help me change the IP address? I’m willing to pay the change fee.”
DMIT’s response time is usually within a few hours, and paid IP changes are typically processed on the same day.
Tencent Cloud International
Control Panel → Instances → Change Public IP (Elastic IP Binding/Unbinding)
Tencent Cloud supports direct Elastic IP replacement. New IPs are randomly assigned, and with luck, you might get a clean one.
BandwagonHost
BandwagonHost offers a paid IP change service:
- Log in to the control panel
- Go to the VPS management page → “IP Addresses”
- Click “Request IP change” and fill in the reason.
The price is approximately $8-10 per change, with waiting times ranging from 1-7 days.
AWS / Other Clouds
AWS Elastic IPs (EIPs) can be changed at any time, but new IPs still come from AWS’s IP ranges, so the blocking probability remains similar. A better option is to use CloudFront or switch to a different regional node.
Step Four: Restore Node Configuration
After changing the IP, existing configurations may need to be updated:
Update DNS Resolution
If your node uses a domain name (e.g., node.yourdomain.com), update the DNS A record to point to the new IP:
# Use the CF API or change directly in the Cloudflare control panel
# Wait for DNS to take effect (1-5 minutes, depending on TTL)
Update Client Configuration
If connecting directly via IP (without a domain), you need to update the server IP for all clients:
- Mobile clients: Re-edit node configuration
- Mihomo subscription: If using automatic subscription, update and pull after refreshing the subscription
- Manual configuration: Directly modify the IP field
Verify New Node Availability
# Check the latency of the new IP
ping new_IP
# Test if the proxy is working correctly
curl -x your_proxy_protocol://new_IP:port https://api.ipify.org
Preventive Measures
Instead of waiting for a block to happen, it’s better to take preventive measures:
Choose CN2 GIA or Native IP Providers: DMIT’s HK / US Premium lines use CN2 GIA, offering much more stable IPs than regular VPS, with a lower probability of being blocked. → Register DMIT
Multi-node backup: Maintain at least 2 nodes, one primary and one backup. When the primary node is blocked, switch to the backup node while simultaneously working on restoring the primary.
Use harder-to-detect protocols: Xray VLESS + REALITY offers better obfuscation than standard VLESS, leading to a lower blocking probability. Hysteria2 uses UDP + QUIC, making it difficult to distinguish from regular video traffic.
Change ports: 443 is a frequently scanned port. Switching to less common ports like 8443, 2053, 2083 can reduce the likelihood of being detected by scanners.
Do not expose your proxy node’s IP to others: Once shared with multiple people, traffic patterns become more obvious, significantly increasing the probability of being blocked.
→ See DMIT VPS Purchase Guide → See Xray VLESS XTLS Complete Setup → See Hysteria2 Setup Tutorial
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