The technology

How Overwall actually works

You don't need to be a network engineer to understand why internet in China is slow — or why Overwall fixes it. Here's a simple explanation.

1. The internet is physical

When you open YouTube in Shanghai, your data doesn't just float through the air. It travels through fiber-optic cables — actual wires sitting at the bottom of the ocean — to reach a server in another country.

China has a small number of these cables connecting it to the outside world, and they're all controlled by state-owned companies. Think of them as highways leading out of the country. There are only a few exits, and everyone has to use them.

2. Not all highways are the same

These cables have different "lanes." Most internet traffic — including what VPNs use — goes through the cheapest, most crowded lane. It works fine at 3 AM. But during the evening, when hundreds of millions of people are online, it becomes a traffic jam. Pages load slowly, video calls freeze, uploads fail.

There's also a premium lane. It's used by banks, large companies, and government agencies for business-critical traffic. It's fast, uncrowded, and reliable — even at peak hours.

3. Why VPNs struggle in China

The issue with VPNs isn't the encryption — it's the road they're on. ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, and most others all send your traffic through the congested standard lane. No matter how good the VPN software is, it can't fix a traffic jam underneath it.

On top of that, China's firewall actively looks for VPN traffic on these busy lanes. Since millions of people use the same patterns, VPN connections get detected and blocked regularly.

4. What Overwall does differently

Overwall doesn't use the standard lane. We route your traffic through China Telecom's premium network — the same infrastructure used by international banks and enterprises.

This lane is uncrowded and not flagged by the firewall, because the traffic on it looks like normal business activity. Your connection blends right in.

We also don't use a traditional VPN protocol. Overwall's connection looks like regular website traffic (HTTPS), so there's nothing unusual for the firewall to detect.

5. Why not just get this premium lane yourself?

This infrastructure isn't available to individuals. It requires a commercial agreement with China Telecom, a registered business entity, and significant cost commitments. It's enterprise-grade infrastructure — not something you can sign up for online.

Overwall handles all of that so you don't have to. When you connect, you're sharing a private, dedicated route with a small number of users — not millions — which is why the speed holds up.

Questions? support@overwall.app