How to Tell If Your Server IP Is Blocked

If your server is unreachable, don't rush to reinstall. Often the IP is blocked (unreachable from China but fine overseas), but sometimes only ICMP (ping) is filtered while the service still works. Here's how to tell them apart.

Step 1: ping test (ICMP)

On a mainland China machine, open a terminal and ping your server IP:

ping your.server.ip

A failed ping does not necessarily mean blocked — many providers filter ICMP by default, or a firewall drops ping, yet SSH and websites still work fine. So ping is only a hint, not a verdict.

Step 2: tcping the port (the key test)

What really matters is TCP port reachability. Use tcping against the port you actually use (SSH 22, web 80/443):

tcping your.server.ip 22
tcping your.server.ip 443

• TCP fails from China but connects overseas → the IP is likely blocked.
• TCP connects from China too → not blocked; the issue is elsewhere (OS / firewall / service).

For NAT plans, test your mapped port range, not the default 22.

Step 3: mtr / traceroute to locate the drop

See where packets stall:

mtr your.server.ip
# On Windows
tracert your.server.ip

If the route reaches an international gateway (backbone hops like 219.158.x.x) and then drops heavily without ever reaching the destination, that's a classic blocked-IP signature.

Once it's confirmed blocked

1. Go to Dashboard → service detail page and use Switch IP / Add-on IP to release the old IP and get a fresh one.
2. After switching, re-test with tcping.
3. If it's still off, or your plan can't switch IPs, open a ticket.

Still stuck?

Open a ticket at Dashboard → Tickets (/dashboard/tickets/new), link the affected service, and attach your tcping and mtr screenshots — we'll help you dig in.