Lots of nodes on the Proxies page—which one works? Built-in latency only measures handshake speed, not video, downloads, or AI completions. Measure, pick by scenario, then verify real traffic.
Use the lightning icon on a group; if everything times out, set the test URL to http://www.gstatic.com/generate_204. After picking a node, enable system proxy or Tun; for ChatGPT/Claude/Gemini also match region (Tun & AI).
How to test and read numbers
Look at the distribution, not only the lowest ping. All red → test URL, network, or empty subscription (no nodes, update failed). Auto-select for daily use; pin manually for important sessions so url-test doesn’t flap.
| Reading | What it means | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Green, low (≤ 150 ms) | Handshake healthy | Still verify with real traffic |
| Green but slow in use | Latency is not throughput | Check slow-speed guide |
| Yellow / flapping | Congested or unstable node | Pin a steadier node |
| All red | Empty or dead subscription | Check no-nodes guide |
Low latency but still slow
Latency isn’t throughput. Peak congestion, wrong protocol, or domestic sites hairpinning through the proxy all feel “green but slow.” See slow speed and DIRECT exceptions (Steam DIRECT, DIRECT rules). Green latency with TLS failures → swap node or check DNS.
Pick by scenario
- Browsing: stable latency.
- Download/streaming: throughput; retest at peak.
- AI: region + long-lived connections beat raw ping.
Bad providers stay bad—choose a provider.
Three-step acceptance
- Connections show sensible hits (routing).
- Open the real page/API, not only the latency number.
- Retest at peak; pin if url-test flaps.
Builds: download center.