# How do I choose a VilaVPN server?

Start with **Auto Select**. Choose a specific server only when you need its
location or a troubleshooting step asks you to compare servers.

1. Open VilaNet and sign in.
2. Open **Server Nodes**.
3. Choose **Auto Select**, or select the specific server you need from the list.
4. Return to the main screen.
5. Select **Connect** and wait for **Connected**.
6. Test the website or task that led you to choose that server.

A server name or location is not a performance guarantee. If you do not need a
particular location, [automatic selection](/en/common-tasks/automatic-selection/) is the
simpler choice.

## Success check

VilaNet remains **Connected**, ordinary websites load, and the task you chose
the server for works. Do not rely only on the selected location or connection
label.

## If the selected server does not work

- **It will not connect:** record the server and exact error, try **Auto
  Select** once, then follow [Cannot connect](/en/troubleshooting/cannot-connect/).
- **It connects but traffic fails:** follow
  [Connected but no internet](/en/troubleshooting/connected-but-no-internet/).
- **It is slow or unstable:** return to **Auto Select**, compare the same task,
  then follow [Slow or unstable connection](/en/troubleshooting/slow-or-unstable/).

> **Screenshot needed:** capture the current **Server Nodes** screen with
> sanitized account and server details. Capture both **Auto Select** and a
> specific-server selection before this guide is published.