# Connecting

Open the app and press the power button. That is the whole thing.

If you have more than one vploq, pick the one you want first — the app shows
which device you are connecting to above the button.

## What the statuses mean

| Status | What is happening |
| --- | --- |
| Disconnected | Nothing is routed; you are on the network you are physically on |
| Connecting | Setting up the encrypted tunnel |
| Connected | Traffic is going through your vploq |
| Disconnecting | Tearing the tunnel down |
| Error | Something failed — see [troubleshooting](/support/troubleshooting) |

## Direct and relayed connections

Once connected, the app tells you which path it found.

**Direct.** Your phone and your device are talking peer to peer. The traffic
does not pass through vploq's infrastructure at all. This is the better path —
fewer hops, lower latency — and the app prefers it whenever it is possible.

**Establishing a direct connection.** The app is still trying. You are already
connected and working; it is attempting to upgrade the path underneath you. If
it succeeds, nothing visible happens except the indicator changing.

**Relayed.** No direct path was possible, so an encrypted relay forwards the
packets. Most mobile networks and many corporate firewalls make a direct
connection impossible, so this is common and is not a fault. The relay forwards
ciphertext and cannot read what passes through it.

## Device access only

Sometimes the app says the connection does not route your internet traffic.
That means you can reach the things on your home network — printer, NAS, router
— but your browsing goes out through the network you are physically on, not
through your home.

This happens when the vploq you are connected to is shared with you rather than
yours, or when the device is not configured to act as an exit for internet
traffic.

## Connection errors

| Message | Cause |
| --- | --- |
| No internet connection | The phone itself is offline; reconnect and try again |
| VPN permission is required | The operating system needs permission to route traffic — enable it in Settings |
| Your access has been revoked | The owner of that vploq removed your access |
| Could not connect | Usually transient; try again in a moment |

## While you are offline

The app keeps showing your devices and teams from its cache and displays an
offline banner. You can look at things; you cannot change them until the
connection comes back.