Tunnelz

China trip guide

VPN or eSIM for China?

It depends on how you get online. A roaming or travel eSIM usually gets your phone’s mobile data past the blocks, but not hotel Wi-Fi, a laptop on Wi-Fi or a Chinese SIM. For those you need a VPN, set up before you fly.

Updated

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Fig. 01
Why an eSIM helps on mobile data but not on Wi-Fi. Simplified. It depends on the provider and the plan, so check how a plan routes data before you buy it.

How a travel eSIM gets past the blocks

Your phone connects to a Chinese mobile network for signal. With many travel eSIMs, your data is then sent on through the provider’s network outside mainland China, so the blocks don’t apply to it.

This only covers the eSIM’s own mobile data. It depends on the provider and the plan, so check how a plan routes data before you buy it.

The verdict, by situation

  • A phone on mobile data: a roaming or travel eSIM that routes data outside China is enough for most people.

    eSIM

  • Hotel or café Wi-Fi: the eSIM doesn’t help. The Wi-Fi is a Chinese network, so you need a VPN.

    VPN

  • A laptop: on hotel Wi-Fi it needs a VPN. You can share your phone’s eSIM data with it through Personal Hotspot if your plan allows it, but a laptop uses data fast.

    VPN

  • A Chinese SIM: it’s a local network with the same blocks, so you need a VPN.

    VPN

  • A phone and a laptop: use both: an eSIM for the phone on the move, a VPN for the laptop and hotel Wi-Fi.

    eSIMVPN
Fig. 02
Which one you need, by situation.

Where Tunnelz fits

Tunnelz is for the Wi-Fi and laptop side. It runs on an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 14 or later and sets up your own server, not shared with thousands. On hotel Wi-Fi, the app shows a card for the hotel’s login page.

  • Your phone, on the move

    A roaming or travel eSIM.

  • Your laptop and hotel Wi-Fi

    Tunnelz, on an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 14 or later. It sets up your own server, not shared with thousands.

Fig. 03
With a phone and a laptop, use both. Simplified drawings; no route is promised to stay open.

Only have a phone? A roaming eSIM usually covers most of this today; Tunnelz for iPhone is coming.

Questions

Does a travel eSIM work on hotel Wi-Fi in China?
No. The eSIM only covers its own mobile data. On hotel Wi-Fi you’re on a Chinese network, and the blocks apply.
Does every eSIM get past the blocks in China?
No. A Chinese SIM or eSIM from a Chinese carrier has the same blocks as any local network. Travel eSIMs vary by provider and plan, so check the routing before you buy.
Can I share my eSIM data with my laptop?
Often, yes, through Personal Hotspot, if your phone and plan support it. Watch your data allowance: a laptop uses much more than a phone.
Do I need both an eSIM and a VPN?
It depends on your devices. A phone on mobile data alone can make do with a travel eSIM that routes data outside China. A laptop, or any device on hotel Wi-Fi, needs a VPN. With a phone and a laptop, use both: the eSIM for the phone on the move, a VPN for the laptop.

Sources