Steam and Online Games Not Working via Mobile Hotspot HTTP Proxy (V2Ray SNI)

[theyusa]

Discussion Type

Product Feedback

Discussion Content

Subject: Steam and Online Games Not Working via Mobile Hotspot HTTP Proxy (V2Ray SNI)
Network Topology:
Mobile Phone: Running V2Ray (SNI Tunneling) \rightarrow Listening via HTTP Proxy.
Connection: Hotspot (Wi-Fi Tethering) enabled on Mobile.
PC: Connected to Mobile Hotspot \rightarrow Manual Proxy configured in Windows Settings (IP:Port).
The Issue:
Standard Browsing: Works perfectly; web browsers can access the internet without issues.
The Problem: Steam downloads do not start, and online games cannot establish a connection to their servers.
Request for Help:
I need a way to tunnel all system-wide traffic (specifically UDP and non-HTTP packets) through this mobile proxy. Since Steam and online games bypass the standard Windows proxy settings, how can I force them to use the mobile gateway? Any tool or configuration advice would be appreciated. Without root.

[nifeesleman]

Why Steam & games don’t work over your mobile HTTP proxy:

Windows HTTP proxy only handles HTTP/HTTPS traffic → works for browsers.

Steam and most online games use raw TCP/UDP sockets, ignoring Windows proxy settings.

Your V2Ray SNI setup on the phone is TCP/HTTP only, so UDP traffic (used by games) can’t pass.

Without root, your phone cannot act as a full VPN gateway, so system-wide tunneling for games is impossible.

Real solutions:

Use a VPN (WireGuard/OpenVPN) on your PC or phone.

Use SOCKS5 + Proxifier/Clash on PC (TCP only; UDP still blocked).

Run Clash/V2Ray with TUN on PC for full TCP+UDP support.

Your current behavior is normal — not a bug. HTTP proxy via hotspot cannot handle game traffic.

[jcduro]

Short answer: what you are trying to do is very hard (almost impossible) to solve cleanly with only an HTTP proxy and no root, especially for Steam and most online games.

A few key points:

1. HTTP proxy vs full tunnel (VPN)

   • Your current setup (V2Ray SNI → HTTP proxy → Windows manual proxy) only handles HTTP/HTTPS traffic.
   • Steam downloads and most online games use their own TCP/UDP connections and completely bypass the Windows proxy settings.
   • That’s why the browser works but Steam / games don’t.

2. What would be needed technically

   • To force “all traffic” (including UDP and non‑HTTP packets) through the mobile gateway, you usually need:
     • a TUN/TAP‑based VPN on the PC (WireGuard, OpenVPN, V2Ray TUN, etc.), or
     • a transparent proxy / firewall on the router.
   • Those solutions capture packets at a low level and then forward them through your tunnel, but they typically require admin/root privileges on at least one side.

3. Why “without root” is the main blocker

   • On Android, full‑device tunneling (including UDP) with V2Ray usually goes through:
     • VPN mode (which needs VPN permission and often root for advanced stuff), or
     • a rooted setup that can redirect all traffic.
   • With only an HTTP proxy exposed by the phone, Windows has no way to transparently reroute system‑wide UDP and custom protocols through that proxy.

4. What you can realistically try

   • If possible, run V2Ray (or another client that supports TUN/TAP) directly on the PC instead of only on the phone. Then:
     • Phone → normal hotspot
     • PC → V2Ray client (VPN/TUN mode) → tunnel to your SNI server
   • Check if your V2Ray setup supports a SOCKS5 proxy instead of pure HTTP, and use a tool like Proxifier / SocksCap:
     • They can sometimes force specific apps (Steam.exe, game.exe) to go through a SOCKS proxy, but UDP support is limited and not guaranteed.

5. Managing expectations

   • For most online games and Steam, a proper VPN/tunnel is the only stable way.
   • With the constraints “HTTP proxy only” + “no root”, there is no simple, guaranteed solution that will make all game/Steam traffic use that mobile gateway.

If you can share what OS you are on (Windows version) and exactly how you run V2Ray on the phone (app name / mode), people might suggest a more specific workaround (for example, enabling SOCKS5 on the phone and using a Windows proxifier for Steam only).

[mecodeatlas]

Thanks for posting in the GitHub Community, @theyusa!

We're happy you're here. You are more likely to get a useful response if you are posting your question in the applicable category, the Discussions category is solely related to conversations around the GitHub product Discussions. This question should be in the Programming Help category. I've gone ahead and moved it for you. Good luck!

[Syedovaiss]

The issue you’re facing is that most mobile HTTP proxies (like your V2Ray SNI via HTTP) only handle TCP/HTTP traffic, which is why web browsing works. Unfortunately, Steam and most online games use UDP or protocols that bypass Windows proxy settings, so they don’t get routed through your proxy automatically.

Since you cannot root your mobile phone, options are limited, but here are some approaches you can try:

• Use a VPN on the PC Instead of Proxy
• Use a TCP + UDP Tunneling Tool
• Run a Local VPN Tunnel on Android