Three kinds of network requirements: region checks, IP reputation and long connections
Region checks
The server reads the country of your exit IP and decides whether this session is allowed. That check does not only happen at sign-in: it runs again when you start a conversation and when you call the API. When the exit region is inconsistent, the usual result is a re-verification prompt right after sign-in, or a conversation that stops halfway with a message that the current region is unavailable.
Exit IP reputation
Once a block of data-center IPs is shared by a large number of accounts, its weight drops. The symptoms: more CAPTCHAs, more frequent login challenges, requests rejected outright. Risk scoring looks at the history of the IP block, not at a single account, so moving to a route with a clean exit is usually more effective than signing in again and again.
Long connections and streaming output
Replies come back in streamed chunks over a single long-lived connection. When the link drops packets or jitters, what you see in the browser is an answer that stops mid-sentence, a cursor that keeps spinning, or a long wait followed by the whole result at once. Bandwidth is rarely the bottleneck; stability is.
The weight of these three varies by tool: web chat needs all three; API calls mainly need region and rate; IDE completion is most sensitive to round-trip latency. So "change the tool and you have to change the route" is not an illusion — the requirements really are different.
Six tools, compared one by one
ChatGPT
The web app checks your exit region most directly — at sign-up, at sign-in and when a conversation starts. Signing in from a different region within a short window tends to trigger a second verification step. Replies stream back in chunks, so link jitter shows up as output that stops mid-sentence.
Fixed region + low packet lossClaude
How often a login challenge appears depends on how clean the exit IP is. Sessions last a long time, and switching exits mid-session tends to invalidate them. Long-form writing produces very long single outputs, so link stability matters more than bandwidth.
Clean exit + unbroken sessionGemini
Tied to the Google account system, with the signed-in state linked to the exit region. After a region switch, the usual symptoms are a request to sign in again, or some features reporting that they are unavailable. Search and chat alternate within the same session, so connections are reused more than single requests.
Match the account regionCopilot
The web app is tied to the Microsoft account system; the IDE extension talks to a different set of API domains. The extension process does not always inherit the system proxy, which is the most common cause of extension timeouts. Completion requests are short and frequent — sensitive to latency, light on bandwidth.
Proxy must cover the extension processMidjourney
Used mainly through Discord, over a persistent WebSocket connection. After a disconnect you have to reconnect before image messages arrive again, so stability matters more than peak bandwidth. Downloading originals uses bandwidth but does not affect sending commands.
Long connection that stays upCursor
Completion and chat inside the IDE use streaming HTTPS endpoints; the command line and pipelines use an API key. Completion is sensitive to round-trip latency, and the difference between intercontinental routes is obvious. Indexing a large repository briefly uses upstream bandwidth.
Round-trip latency firstSign-up and sign-in: keep the exit region steady
Sign-up itself rarely goes wrong; the first sign-in afterwards does. Most services treat "where you signed up — where you sign in — where you use it" as one thread, and when the thread breaks they add verification steps.
- Finish sign-up, the first sign-in and the first conversation in the same exit region, without switching routes in between.
- Do not hop between several regions in a single day. Every switch makes the server re-evaluate the session.
- When the browser language and time zone differ too much from the exit region, some services add verification. It is not a ban, but it interrupts the flow.
- If an error appears, switch back to the original exit region first; retrying the sign-in over and over only makes the risk record worse.
- This service requires no email address to sign up — a username and password are enough, and no verification email is involved.
Web app and API: two sets of requirements
| Dimension | Web app | API calls |
|---|---|---|
| Region checks | By exit IP; re-evaluated at sign-in and at the start of every conversation | By exit IP and the account's region; cross-region calls may be rejected |
| Browser factors | UA, language and time zone are taken into account | Not applicable |
| Connection type | Long-lived connection with streaming | Single HTTPS request; streaming must be enabled explicitly |
| Main bottleneck | Link stability and packet loss | Rate limits and concurrency |
| Proxy configuration | A system or browser proxy is enough | Needs environment variables or separate SDK configuration |
| Failure symptoms | Spinning, interrupted replies, region-unavailable messages | 403, 429, request timeouts |
The web app stacks all three factors, so it is the most sensitive to overall route quality; the API drops browser factors, leaving mainly region and rate. When the same account works in the browser but errors through the API, the route is usually fine — the problem is region checks or call frequency.
Developer setups: CLI, IDE and CI
Command line
Most command-line tools read environment variables. The port below is only an example — use whatever your client actually listens on.
export HTTPS_PROXY="http://127.0.0.1:7890"
export HTTP_PROXY="http://127.0.0.1:7890"
export NO_PROXY="localhost,127.0.0.1,::1,10.0.0.0/8"NO_PROXY left unset sends internal and local requests through the proxy too, which shows up as local services suddenly being unreachable. This is easier to overlook than the choice of route.
IDE extensions
Most extension processes inherit the system proxy; a few need the proxy address entered in the extension settings. When an extension times out, first confirm whether it is going through the proxy at all, then judge route quality — in the reverse order you keep switching routes without fixing anything.
CI and automation
Do not commit subscription URLs and keys to the repository; inject them through pipeline secrets. Any subscription URL shown in docs and scripts is a placeholder:
https://example.com/sub?token=YOUR_TOKENLong-running jobs must handle interrupted streaming responses: set a sensible read timeout and retry cap, retry with backoff, and avoid turning failed requests on one exit into a flood. Run batch jobs and interactive completion separately — their timeout policies should never be the same.
Tool × route: comparison table
| Tool / scenario | Connection type | Key requirement | Recommended route type |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT web | Long connection + streaming | Stable exit region, low packet loss | IEPL dedicated |
| ChatGPT API | Single HTTPS request | Region matches the account, steady rate | IEPL dedicated / relay |
| Claude | Long connection + streaming | Clean exit IP, unbroken session | IEPL dedicated |
| Gemini | Long connection + streaming | Matches the account's region | Relay |
| Copilot web | Single request | Matching region, stable sign-in state | Relay |
| Copilot IDE extension | Short, frequent requests | Low round-trip latency, proxy covers the extension | Relay / direct |
| Midjourney（Discord） | Persistent WebSocket | Connection stays up | IEPL dedicated |
| Cursor IDE | Streaming HTTPS | Low round-trip latency | Relay |
| CLI / CI | Single HTTPS request | Controllable concurrency, configurable timeouts | direct / relay |
Route types: IEPL dedicated runs on a fixed channel and suits long connections with low packet loss; relay balances cost and experience for frequent short requests; direct suits batch jobs and latency-tolerant calls. Which cities offer which type is listed on the route list page.
Common failure symptoms and causes
| Symptom | Common cause | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| Page loads but replies never appear | Long connection dropped or packet loss on the link | Retry on another route and see whether it reproduces reliably |
| Verification demanded right after sign-in | Exit IP region changed or flagged | Pin the exit region and stop retrying repeatedly |
| "Region unavailable" message | Exit IP location does not match the account | Check the route's landing region |
| Attachment upload fails | Insufficient upstream bandwidth or MTU mismatch | Test with a small file first, then check MTU |
| API returns 403 | Region check failed | Retry with an exit in the same region |
| API returns 429 | Rate limit hit | Lower concurrency, add backoff to retries |
| IDE extension times out | Extension process is not using the proxy | Enter the proxy address in the extension settings |
| Connection drops during image generation | WebSocket disconnected | Reconnect and continue; no need to resend the command |
Route picks: ordered by scenario
-
Everyday web chat
Prefer IEPL dedicated, with the exit region pinned to where the account was registered. Chat is a long connection, so stability beats peak bandwidth; hopping regions saves a little latency that repeated verification gives straight back.
-
IDE completion and command line
Prefer relay to keep round-trip latency down. Completion requests are short and frequent — bandwidth is not the bottleneck, latency is where the difference in feel comes from. Give long command-line jobs their own timeout instead of sharing one set of parameters with interactive requests.
-
Image generation and long-form sessions
Midjourney runs over a persistent WebSocket, and long-form writing produces very long single outputs; both scenarios favour IEPL dedicated to avoid a mid-stream drop that forces a restart.
-
Multiple devices in parallel
Phone, laptop and desktop can be online at the same time; pick a route per device's purpose instead of squeezing everything through one exit. Chatting on the phone while batch jobs run on the desktop is actually more stable when kept separate.
The full country and route list is on the route list page; prices, data tiers and payment methods are on the plans page.
Pricing and data: three monthly plans
Monthly · 60GB
Single user, web chat and light use
Includes 60GB, reset monthly on your activation date
- Unlimited devices online at once
- 100+ countries / 180+ routes
- Bank-grade encryption
Monthly · 250GB
Development, image generation and multiple devices
Includes 250GB, reset monthly on your activation date
- Unlimited devices online at once
- 100+ countries / 180+ routes
- Bank-grade encryption
Monthly · 500GB
Team sharing and heavy downloads
Includes 500GB, reset monthly on your activation date
- Unlimited devices online at once
- 100+ countries / 180+ routes
- Bank-grade encryption
Data packs last until used up and never expire: ¥158/300GB · ¥358/1000GB · ¥658/3000GB. Upgrades mid-cycle are prorated by remaining days. Payment via Alipay / WeChat / USDT — see the plans page for the full comparison.
Frequently asked questions
AI tools not working — is it the route or the account?
Look at the symptom first. If the page will not load at all, the link is probably down; if the page loads but replies never appear, the long connection is probably being cut; if chat works but you get a region-unavailable message, the exit region does not match. The three need different fixes — telling them apart before switching routes beats reinstalling the client over and over.
Can the same account be used from different regions?
Technically yes, but every region switch makes the server re-evaluate the session and raises the chance of extra verification. Pin your usual region, adjust temporarily when travelling or changing networks, and do not switch straight back afterwards.
Do API calls need the same route as the web app?
No. The API ignores browser factors and looks mainly at exit region and call frequency. A relay in the same region is usually enough; capping concurrency and adding backoff to retries does more than buying a more expensive route.
What should I do when the IDE extension keeps timing out?
First confirm whether the extension process is going through the proxy. Some extensions do not inherit the system proxy and need the proxy address entered in their settings; once that is confirmed, check whether round-trip latency on the route is too high.
How is data counted?
Monthly plans reset every month on your activation date: ¥9.9 for 60GB, ¥18 for 250GB, ¥28 for 500GB. Data packs last until used up and never expire. Upgrades mid-cycle are prorated by remaining days.
Can I get a refund if it is not for me?
60-day money-back guarantee. No email address is required to sign up — a username and password are enough, with no verification email to prepare first.