After importing the node, you will see the labels VMess, VLESS, Trojan, and Shadowsocks in the list. They are different "proxy protocols" that determine how data is disguised and transmitted. You don't need to understand them all, but understanding the differences will help you know which one to change when the node times out or is blocked.
1A quick overview of the four protocols
- Shadowsocks (SS): Veteran protocol, lightweight, fast, and simple to configure. It was born early and has relatively obvious characteristics, making it easier to identify in a strict network environment.
- VMess: The native protocol of v2ray has full functions, but it has timestamp verification (so it is sensitive to computer time) and has a slightly higher overhead. It is now gradually being replaced by VLESS.
- VLESS: The "lightweight successor" of VMess removes redundant encryption and uses transport layers such as TLS/Reality to disguise it. It has better performance and is currently the mainstream choice.
- Trojan: The idea is to "disguise proxy traffic as ordinary HTTPS website traffic" and mix it with normal port 443 traffic, making it highly concealed and stable.
2Which one to choose?
As an ordinary user, you actually No need to worry——Nodes are provided by service providers, and they decide which protocol to use. What you can do is:
- Prioritize nodes with low latency and stability, the agreement is secondary, look first true connection delay.
- When a certain protocol node collectively times out, try another one. For example, if the VMess node cannot be connected, it may be that the protocol characteristics are targeted. Changing the VLESS / Trojan node can often connect.
- If VMess cannot connect, check the time first. It is sensitive to system time, which is not the case with other protocols. See Unable to access the Internet to troubleshoot.
Noun supplement: What are TLS, Reality, and WS? They are not the protocol itself, but "transport layer disguise". For example, VLESS+Reality and Trojan+TLS mean to put a layer of disguise outside the protocol to make the traffic look like visiting a normal website. These tags in node names usually mean greater resistance to blockades.
3What is the relationship between these protocols and v2rayN
v2rayN is just Graphical interface, what actually implements these protocols is the underlying Xray-core kernel. Therefore, the same v2rayN can manage nodes of the above four protocols at the same time. Switching protocols is just "changing a node" for you.