Claude Fable 5 Unrestricted & Sonnet 5 Released: Step-by-Step Guide to Accessing Claude Code in China

Anthropic has recently rolled out two key updates to its Claude model series: Claude Fable5, previously restricted due to its exceptional performance, is now available for daily developer workflows; meanwhile, Claude Sonnet5—an agent-centric model in the Sonnet line—has officially launched.

Fable5 shines in complex code comprehension, long task decomposition, cross-file refactoring, and engineering analysis, making it perfect for heavyweight, critical projects requiring deep reasoning and long-context processing. Sonnet5, by contrast, excels at planning, tool integration (like browser and terminal calls), and multi-step task execution, serving as a versatile daily model for development, bug diagnosis, and automation tasks.

For users in China aiming to access these models via Claude Code, here’s a detailed guide using dreamrouter as a relay platform:

Prerequisites

Before you start, ensure you have: 1) A functional terminal environment; 2) Git installed (for Windows users); 3) A valid dreamrouter API key.

Step 1: Install Claude Code

Claude Code supports multiple installation methods:

• macOS/Linux/WSL: Run curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
• Windows PowerShell: Run irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex
• macOS Homebrew: Run brew install --cask claude-code
• Node.js users: Run npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Verify installation by typing claude in the terminal—success is indicated by entering the interactive interface.

Step2: Create Dreamrouter API Key

1. Visit the dreamrouter API platform, register, and log in.

2. Navigate to "API Keys" in the left menu and click "Create API Key".

3. Fill in details: Name (e.g., "claude-code"), Group (default or C-Code), Expiry (no expiry for beginners), Quota (default for personal use).

4. Save to generate your key—keep it confidential (do not share or commit to public repositories).

Step3: Modify Claude Code Configuration

Claude Code’s config file resides in the .claude folder under your user directory:

• Windows: C:\Users\YourUsername\.claude
• macOS/Linux: ~/.claude

Create or edit settings.json with the following content (replace the token with your dreamrouter key):

{ "env": { "ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN": "your-dreamrouter-key-sk-xxx", "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "https://www.dreamrouter.top", "ANTHROPIC_MODEL": "claude-fable-5" } }

To use Sonnet5 by default, replace claude-fable-5 with the Sonnet5 model ID (check the dreamrouter console for the exact identifier).

Step4: Launch and Switch Models

Close and reopen your terminal, then run claude—the default model will load as per your configuration. To switch models within Claude Code, use the /model command.

Sources

• Tokenge. (2024). "Claude Fable5 Unrestricted + Sonnet5 Released: Claude Code Access Tutorial in China". CSDN Blog. Retrieved from https://blog.csdn.net/Tokenge/article/details/162629585