FAQ

Only the server is a required cost, paid quarterly or yearly — check the provider's site for prices. Clash Verge Rev on computers is free; Shadowrocket on iPhone is a one-off purchase of about US$3 on the US App Store. Certificates, rules and the AI API software are all free, and you don't need a domain.

Most providers throttle or pause the server until the next reset day. A few hundred GB to 1 TB a month is usually plenty for a household; the recommended BandwagonHost plan has 1 TB a month. Apps show usage against 1 TB a month by default, with the reset day worked out from when the server was provisioned; if your plan differs, tell AI the real quota and reset day.

The provider suspends it, then deletes it after a while — and the IP is taken back, so you'd have to buy and set up again. Turn on auto-renew in the provider's dashboard or put the expiry date in your calendar.

It depends on the provider; many only refund within a short period after purchase. Check before buying.

Most sites you visit use HTTPS, so the provider can't see page contents, but it can see traffic volume and which addresses you connect to. Choose a reputable provider and don't use it for anything illegal.

The setup forbids the AI from showing passwords, subscription URLs or keys in chat; login info is only written to a file on your own computer. Once set up, the server only accepts your computer's key, and passwords can no longer be used to log in remotely.

As long as ssh your-name still logs you in, ask AI to export it again (the skill's save step). If the computer is gone too, log in through the provider's rescue console and ask AI to help you recover.

They can use your line. Ask AI to give you a new subscription URL (the subscription ID on the server and your local login-info file must change together); the old one stops working. Then re-import on your own devices.

Yes — import the same subscription URL on their devices. Don't share it beyond your family.

From 8 to 11 pm, routes from China abroad are most congested — like rush hour. The server's bandwidth is rarely the bottleneck. If it matters a lot, choose a plan with a better route.

First try another network (mobile data, other Wi-Fi). Still nothing? Have AI health-check the server. If the server is fine but it still won't connect where you are, the IP is probably blocked in mainland China. BandwagonHost and DMIT can both change it (usually for a fee; when it's free is in the How-to "IP blocked in China"). Afterwards, reinstall the OS and set the server up again.

Yes. The subscription's "auto switch" group tests regularly and moves to the backup node when the main one is down. You can also pick one manually.

Not necessarily. The test site, the time of day and your home Wi-Fi all affect results. See the how-to "Run and read a speed test".

Nobody can guarantee anything. To lower the risk: stick to the same server, don't hop between nodes in different countries, set your computer's time zone to the server's location, and follow each AI service's terms of use.

Yes. Your own server is still a data-center IP, so a few sites ask for one extra verification step. Just complete it.

No. It only turns your own AI accounts into an API; quota and costs are still your account's.

There is no hard limit — your and your family's phones, computers and tablets can all be connected at once. More devices use traffic faster.

Choose "Rule" mode and turn on "Tun Mode". Don't use "Global" — Chinese sites would take a detour abroad too.

Yes — import the same Clash subscription and use the same settings. But check each computer carefully: Rule mode with Tun Mode on (service installed); on Windows, Strict Route on too; DNS Overwrite off on both; set the IPv6 switch after checking each computer's current network — the two may differ; finally fully restart the browser and test for leaks on each. See the how-to "Turn on TUN mode".

Yes. In your Google Account open Personal info → Email → Google Account email (or go straight to myaccount.google.com/google-account-email). Eligible accounts can change to a new @gmail.com address — once a year, up to three times; the old address becomes an alias that still receives mail, and your data stays in the same account. It changes the address rather than adding a second mailbox; if you need a separate mailbox, create a new account. See the how-to “Change your Gmail address”.

Abroad or on a new IP, Google often asks for extra verification, and relying only on SMS to a home number easily gets you stuck. Before leaving, set up a passkey or an authenticator on the Google Account Security page and save your backup codes. See the how-to “Secure your Google account”.

It isn't listed there. Download it from another region's App Store (for example the US) with a non-China Apple ID — see the how-to "Create a non-China Apple ID".

Yes. Step 3 has a "Type it yourself" route with every command listed. Your computer needs bash: built in on Mac and Linux; on Windows install WSL first.

Yes, but avoid the ports this setup uses (22, 80, 443, 2443, 2096, 8318, 53998) and allow the new service's port in the firewall. Ask AI first whether it might conflict.

A newer Xray once stopped Shadowrocket from connecting, so the versions are pinned and only upgraded after checking compatibility with every app. CLIProxyAPI, certificates and rules do update automatically.