About Great Firewall Guide
We are a forensic intelligence unit dedicated to providing verified, community-driven connectivity solutions for China. No marketing. No guesswork. Just data.
Our Mission
The Great Firewall of China is not a static barrier—it's an AI-driven adversary that evolves daily. In 2026, standard VPN protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard are detected and blocked within seconds. Most "VPN review" sites are still recommending these broken solutions because they haven't tested from inside China.
Great Firewall Guide exists to bridge this gap. We combine forensic analysis of leaked GFW documentation with real-time community intelligence to identify what actually works.
The Pivot to Forensics (2026)
For a decade, the "China VPN" industry was built on affiliate marketing and guesswork. "Privacy Companies" claimed their protocols were unblockable, while selling standard WireGuard tunnels that failed instantly upon landing in Beijing.
Following the September 2025 Geedge Networks Leak—which exposed the GFW's entropy detection algorithms and active probing mechanisms—we shifted from "Aggregator" to "Forensic Auditor."
We no longer ask "Does it work?" We ask "Does it pass the MESA Lab Entropy Check?" If a provider cannot explain how they defeat Active Probing, we mark them as High Risk.
What We Cover
VPN Forensic Analysis
Deep-dive technical audits of VPN protocols, measuring Active Probing resistance, entropy detection evasion, and CN2 GIA routing performance.
eSIM Connectivity Intelligence
Hardware-level bypass solutions using international roaming. We test exit gateways, latency profiles, and GRX routing for providers like MobiMatter, Nomad, and 3HK.
ISP Performance Tracking
Weekly monitoring of China Telecom (CN2), China Unicom (AS4837), and China Mobile (CMNET) networks to identify optimal routing paths.
The Two Paths to Connectivity
1 Software Bypass (VPNs)
VPNs use protocol obfuscation to disguise encrypted traffic as normal HTTPS. The GFW fights back with entropy analysis and active probing.
- Pros: Cheaper for heavy data use, works on any network
- Cons: Can be blocked during crackdowns, requires software
- Best For: Long-term expats, business users
2 Hardware Bypass (eSIMs)
International eSIMs bypass the GFW entirely by roaming on local towers and exiting through Hong Kong or Singapore gateways.
- Pros: 100% reliable, no software, instant setup
- Cons: More expensive, data caps, requires eSIM device
- Best For: Short trips, emergency backup, video calls
The Hierarchy of Truth
In an era of AI-generated content and paid reviews, we strictly categorize our intelligence sources. Not all data is created equal.
Sources: Geedge Networks Leaks (2025), MESA Lab Architecture Docs, GitHub Developer Logs
Focus: Source code analysis, entropy detection logic, and hardware-level blocking specs.
Sources: r/dumbclub, Xray-core Commits
Focus: Real-time protocol adaptation (VLESS-Reality) and client-side configuration.
Sources: r/chinalife, r/TravelChina
Focus: User experience confirmation (Speed vs. Stability) and regional variation.
Our Independence
We are Auditors, not Influencers.
No Paid Rankings
You cannot buy a "Top 3" spot. You must earn it by passing the Packet Capture test.
Full Transparency
We openly flag "Consensus Leaders" as a security risk if they have opaque ownership, because forensic duty outweighs commission potential.
Affiliate Disclosure
We earn commissions from some links. This never affects our rankings—technical performance is the only metric that matters.
Contact Us
Have questions about our methodology? Want to report a VPN or eSIM that we should test? Found an error in our analysis? We welcome all feedback from the community.