How to Enable TUN Mode in Clash Verge Rev on Windows

What TUN Mode Does in Clash Verge Rev

TUN mode creates a virtual network interface that lets the Clash core handle traffic below the usual Windows system-proxy layer. With the ordinary system proxy enabled, Windows applications that respect the operating system’s proxy settings can use Clash, but some games, command-line tools, launchers, and background services may connect directly. A TUN interface gives the core a broader way to capture and route network traffic according to the active profile’s rules.

This does not mean that every connection automatically goes through a proxy. The active configuration still decides whether traffic is sent to a proxy group, connected directly, or rejected. TUN changes how traffic reaches the core; it does not replace a valid subscription, working proxy nodes, or suitable routing rules. If a website is routed to DIRECT, enabling TUN alone will not make that website use a proxy.

On Windows, TUN operation also depends on a virtual network adapter and the permissions needed to create or manage it. Depending on the Clash Verge Rev build and its bundled core, the application may offer a service installation or service-mode control to perform privileged network tasks. The exact labels can vary between releases, so use the current interface and its status indicators rather than relying on screenshots from an older version.

Prepare Windows and Clash Verge Rev

Start by confirming that Clash Verge Rev opens normally and that its active profile passes the client’s configuration check. A broken profile can make TUN troubleshooting confusing: the adapter may start correctly while DNS settings, routing rules, or unavailable proxy nodes prevent useful connections. Select a profile you recognize, update it if necessary, and confirm that at least one proxy group contains an available node.

Use a current Clash Verge Rev release obtained from a source you trust. Windows security dialogs may appear when installing an application or its network components. Read the publisher and requested permission carefully, and do not disable Windows security protections simply to make a warning disappear. If you already have an older Clash client, another VPN, or a traffic-filtering utility installed, note that before changing anything; these programs can install their own adapters, routes, or filtering drivers.

• Check your Windows version. Open Windows Settings and confirm that the system is supported and up to date. A pending restart after a Windows or driver update can interfere with adapter installation.
• Check your current connection. Verify that the internet works before enabling TUN. If the connection is already broken, fix that first so you have a clear baseline for comparison.
• Review competing network tools. Identify other VPN clients, virtual-machine networks, packet-capture tools, endpoint security products, and older proxy clients. You do not necessarily need to uninstall them, but avoid running multiple traffic-capture features during the first test.
• Keep a recovery route. If this is your only internet connection, know how to return to Clash Verge Rev and disable TUN. If possible, keep a second connection, such as a phone hotspot, available for troubleshooting.

It is useful to understand the two permissions involved. Opening the application normally lets you manage profiles and most user-level settings. Installing or starting a service that manages a virtual adapter may require approval through Windows User Account Control. Grant that approval only when you intentionally perform the service operation in Clash Verge Rev. If the computer is controlled by an organization and the operation is blocked, ask its administrator rather than trying to bypass policy.

Do not change several variables at once. For the first attempt, use a known-good profile, one active network connection, and no other VPN tunnel. That gives you a useful comparison: if ordinary browsing works before TUN but fails immediately after it starts, you can focus on the adapter, routes, DNS, or a conflict instead of changing the subscription and Windows settings together.

Install the Service and Enable TUN Mode

First open Clash Verge Rev and locate its service or system-component controls. Depending on the installed release, the control may be shown in settings or alongside the TUN options. If the application indicates that the service is not installed, choose the service installation action and approve the Windows permission prompt after checking that it was initiated by Clash Verge Rev. Wait for the operation to finish and confirm that the interface reports the service as installed or ready.

Installing a service and enabling TUN are related but separate actions. The service provides the privileged support the client needs; the TUN switch asks the core to use the virtual interface. A successful installation does not necessarily mean traffic is being captured, and turning on TUN before the required service is ready can produce an error or leave the feature inactive. Follow the status shown by your version of the client and complete any requested restart before proceeding.

1. Open the active profile. Confirm that the intended profile is selected and that its configuration loads without an error. If the profile has DNS or routing options you recently edited, record the previous values so you can restore them.
2. Install or start the service if requested. Use the application’s own service control. Approve the UAC prompt only for this expected operation, then wait until the status changes. If the prompt does not appear or installation fails, note the error instead of repeatedly clicking the control.
3. Open the TUN settings. Turn on TUN mode and review the available options. Defaults are generally the best starting point. Avoid copying advanced DNS, route-exclusion, or stack settings from a guide written for a different core or client version.
4. Apply the change. If the client asks to restart the core, restart it. Check that the TUN status remains enabled and that a virtual adapter appears in the Windows network interfaces list. Adapter names differ between versions and installations, so identify it by its status and timing rather than assuming one fixed name.
5. Test with one known destination. Select a proxy node that has recently worked, then open a website or application that should follow the proxy rules. Look at the client’s connection or log view to confirm which rule and outbound handled the test connection.

If you see a mode option such as a network stack choice, leave it at the default for the initial setup. Different stacks can behave differently with UDP, IPv6, DNS, and particular Windows drivers. Change one option only when you have a specific symptom to investigate, and retest after each change. That makes it possible to identify whether the change helped or introduced a new problem.

Verify the Adapter, Routing, and Connection

A working TUN setup should pass more than one test. First, confirm that Clash Verge Rev reports the core as running and TUN as active. Next, inspect Windows network adapters for a newly available virtual interface. Then generate a fresh connection from an application that would normally ignore the system proxy. In Clash Verge Rev’s connection or log view, look for that destination and check the selected rule, policy, and outbound. These checks distinguish a running interface from traffic that is actually being handled as expected.

Test a destination that your profile is intended to proxy and another that should connect directly, if your rules make that distinction. A proxy-routed request should appear under the expected proxy group or node; a direct request should show a direct outbound. Results depend on your own rules, so do not treat a particular website as a universal test. A connection can also be affected by the application’s own DNS-over-HTTPS setting, an existing browser session, or cached DNS information. Close and reopen the test application when results seem inconsistent.

Use Windows’ ordinary network controls to inspect the adapter without immediately editing its properties. A virtual interface can be present while the core is stopped, or the core can be running while the interface has failed to initialize. If Windows shows the adapter as disabled, disconnected, or repeatedly appearing and disappearing, record that state and check Clash Verge Rev’s service and core logs. Avoid manually assigning an IP address, gateway, or DNS server to the TUN adapter unless the client’s documentation specifically requires it.

DNS deserves a separate check because it can imitate a routing failure. If a destination appears in the log but the application cannot connect, compare whether name resolution succeeds and whether the profile’s DNS configuration is active. A browser with its own secure-DNS feature may resolve names through a different path from other applications. Temporarily use a simple, repeatable test and avoid changing Windows adapter DNS, browser DNS, and Clash DNS at the same time. Once the issue is identified, restore any temporary change that is not part of the final configuration.

For a more controlled test, compare the same application and destination in three states: before TUN is enabled, with TUN enabled, and after TUN is disabled again. Note the time, selected profile, selected node, and visible error each time. If only one application fails, investigate that application’s network behavior and security settings. If every application loses connectivity as soon as TUN starts, the issue is more likely to involve the adapter, service, routes, DNS, or another system-level network tool.

Troubleshoot Common TUN Problems

If the TUN switch cannot stay on, check whether the service is installed and running before changing configuration files. Restart Clash Verge Rev and, if the client requests it, restart the core. If Windows has a pending restart after a driver or system update, complete that restart and try once more. A service installation error should be treated as a Windows permission, policy, or component problem; repeatedly toggling TUN will not repair a service that could not be created.

• No virtual adapter appears: Confirm that the service operation completed, then check the client’s logs and Windows adapter list again. Look for security software or policy controls that may block a virtual network component. Do not download a separate driver from an unverified site to replace a component managed by the client.
• The adapter appears, but internet access stops: Turn TUN off from Clash Verge Rev and verify that normal connectivity returns. Then check the active profile, proxy-node availability, DNS behavior, and routing rules. If the failure persists after TUN is disabled, restart the core and inspect other VPN or filter software that may have changed routes.
• Some applications work and others do not: Check the connection log for the failing application’s destination and policy. It may be routed directly by a rule, use its own DNS resolver, or have a local firewall restriction. TUN improves coverage compared with a system proxy, but it does not override every application-level or Windows security decision.
• Several VPNs or virtual adapters are installed: Test with only one traffic-capture tunnel active. Virtual machine software, corporate VPNs, and endpoint protection can each manage routes or filters. Disable a competing feature only if you are allowed to do so, and restore it when testing is complete.
• DNS works inconsistently: Check the profile’s DNS configuration and compare results in more than one application. Browser secure DNS, IPv6 behavior, and cached answers can make tests disagree. Change one DNS-related setting at a time and restart the application making the request before drawing a conclusion.
• Windows blocks installation or startup: Read the exact security or policy message. On a personal computer, confirm that you are using a trusted client build and an administrator account for the expected approval. On a managed device, contact the administrator; do not attempt to evade endpoint controls.

When reporting a problem, include the Clash Verge Rev version, Windows version, whether the service is installed, whether the adapter is visible, the exact error text, and whether internet access returns after disabling TUN. Remove subscription tokens, server credentials, and private addresses from screenshots or logs before sharing them. This information is more useful than saying only that “the VPN is broken,” and it helps support staff distinguish a client issue from a profile or Windows networking conflict.

When you finish testing, decide whether TUN is the right mode for your daily use. It is useful when applications do not honor Windows system-proxy settings, but it also introduces a system-level adapter and may interact with other network tools. If you only need proxy support in browsers or conventional desktop applications, the system proxy may be simpler. If broad application coverage matters, keep TUN enabled only after confirming that routing, DNS, and any required work or security software behave as expected.

Some proxy clients make system-wide capture difficult to inspect, while a manual system-proxy setup can leave games and background services outside the route you intended. Clash Verge Rev gives you a profile-based rule engine, visible connection logs, and TUN controls in one Windows interface, so you can choose between selective proxying and broader traffic capture and verify the result. If that approach suits your setup, you can download Clash and test it with a profile and proxy service you trust.