VMess
A proxy protocol in the Project V ecosystem. Configurations typically include a user ID, server address, port, and transport. The client and server must use matching parameters; any critical mismatch will prevent the connection.
Configuration reference
V2Ray Glossary
Find protocol, core, subscription, routing, DNS, and transport security terms by where they appear in a configuration. Each entry explains its purpose first, then the relationships to verify during setup.
Protocols and Transport
Clients and Network
Routing and Security
Protocol and transport
Protocols and Transport
Protocols define identity parameters and data formats; transports define how connections carry data. After importing a configuration, verify these two groups of fields separately.
VLESS
A lightweight protocol that separates authentication from transport security. It is often combined with TLS, XTLS, or REALITY. Check the user ID, flow-control mode, and transport security parameters separately.
Trojan
A password-authenticated proxy protocol typically used with TLS. The client needs the domain, port, password, and transport parameters. The server name and certificate verification settings also affect connection establishment.
REALITY
A transport security scheme in the Xray ecosystem, often paired with VLESS. The client usually needs a public key, short ID, server name, and fingerprint. Enter these values exactly as provided by the server rather than guessing from defaults.
WebSocket
A bidirectional transport built on HTTP. Common V2Ray fields include the path, request headers, host name, and TLS settings. A mismatched path or host name will usually prevent the handshake from completing.
gRPC
An HTTP/2-based remote procedure call framework that can also carry proxy traffic. Check the service name, transport security, and server name carefully. Its path fields are not the same as those used by WebSocket.
Core and client
Cores and Clients
The graphical client manages the interface and configuration, while the core handles protocol connections, DNS, and routing. When troubleshooting, first identify which layer contains the fault.
Xray
One of the core implementations in the Project V ecosystem, supporting VLESS, XTLS, REALITY, and related configuration features. v2rayN and v2rayNG can use it to handle connections, DNS, and routing. The core version affects which configuration fields are recognized.
V2Fly
A community core fork in the Project V ecosystem that continues the V2Ray configuration model. Its basic concepts are similar to Xray, but supported protocol fields and transport features are not identical. Check configuration compatibility before switching cores.
v2rayN
A graphical client for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It manages subscriptions, configuration editing, the system proxy, routing, and core processes. Interface mode selections are ultimately converted into configuration the core can read.
v2rayNG
A graphical Android client that commonly uses the Xray core. Typical tasks include scanning configurations, importing subscriptions, setting routes, and enabling VPN mode. System permissions, background restrictions, and core settings all affect connection status.
v2flyNG
An Android client that uses the V2Fly core. It suits scenarios requiring V2Fly configuration compatibility. Before importing a configuration, confirm that the subscription's protocol and transport fields are supported by the current core.
Subscription and profile
Subscriptions and Nodes
A subscription delivers configurations in bulk, while a node is one usable connection record. Updating, filtering, and latency testing are separate operations and should not be treated as one step.
Subscription
A configuration collection URL provided by a service provider. After updating a subscription, the client parses its server configurations and places them in the appropriate group. Updating only reads new content; it does not automatically fix local routing or DNS settings.
Node
A single server connection profile in a client. A node usually includes an address, port, protocol, identity parameters, and transport settings. Its name is mainly for identification and does not indicate connection quality or protocol type.
Share link
URI text used to transfer one configuration, such as a vmess, vless, or trojan link. After import, the client converts the link fields into configuration items. Check the server name, transport, and security parameters afterward.
Subscription group
A client management unit for separating multiple subscription sources. Groups can be updated, filtered, and assigned automatic update policies independently. If configurations are missing, first confirm that the correct group was updated.
Latency
A general measure of the time required for data to travel from the local device to the target and back. Clients may use TCP probes, HTTP requests, or other methods. Results help compare response times but do not directly represent transfer speed.
Real connection latency
The response time measured by establishing an actual proxy connection and accessing a test target. It covers more connection stages than a basic reachability check. Results are still affected by the target, DNS, and current network conditions.
Routing and dispatch
Routing and Traffic Splitting
Routing rules match connection information in order, then send traffic to the specified outbound. DNS results may change which IP rules match later.
Routing rule
A matching condition that determines the outbound path based on a domain, IP, port, or protocol type. When multiple rules exist, their order affects the final result. After changes, restart the core and use logs to confirm the rule that actually matched.
Traffic splitting
A configuration method that sends traffic for different targets to direct, proxied, or blocked outbounds. Results depend on rule conditions, DNS resolution, and outbound tags. A mode name is only a preset entry point; specific rules determine the actual behavior.
GeoIP
A dataset organized by the region or network category associated with IP addresses. Routing rules can use geoip categories to match destination IPs. The data file must match the format supported by the core and be updated according to the actual configuration cycle.
GeoSite
A dataset organized by domain purpose or region. A geosite category in a rule expands into a set of matchable domain entries. A misspelled category or incompatible data version can prevent the rule from matching as expected.
Outbound tag
A name used in the configuration to identify an outbound connection. Routing rules use the tag to send matched traffic to a specific outbound. Tags can be customized, but references in rules must exactly match the outbound configuration.
DNS and network
DNS and Network
DNS determines how domains resolve to addresses, while the traffic capture method determines which app traffic enters the client. Both must be configured together with the routing strategy.
DNS
The system that resolves domain names to IP addresses. A V2Ray client can assign DNS servers, query strategies, and matching rules to different domains. When troubleshooting resolution, distinguish system queries from queries handled inside the core.
FakeDNS
A DNS handling method that returns a mapped address to the application while retaining the domain association in the core. It is often used by transparent proxies that need to preserve the original domain. The address pool, sniffing, and routing rules must be configured as a set.
DNS leak
A domain query that should follow the configured path is sent through another resolution route. Troubleshooting requires checking system DNS, client DNS, routing rules, and browser resolution settings. Changing one DNS server alone may not alter every query path.
Domain strategy
Controls whether domains are resolved during route matching and when the result is used to continue matching IP rules. Common strategies include AsIs, IPIfNonMatch, and IPOnDemand. Choose one only after confirming whether the rules mainly depend on domains or IPs.
TUN mode
A mode that takes over system network traffic through a virtual network interface. It can cover apps that ignore system proxy settings, but requires correct routing, DNS, and runtime permissions. Record the original network settings before enabling it so each issue can be checked separately.
System proxy
A mechanism through which the operating system publishes a proxy address and port to apps that support proxy settings. It operates at a different layer from the client's routing mode: the system proxy determines whether traffic enters the client, while routing rules determine how that traffic is handled.
Security and encryption
Security and Encryption
Transport security fields are usually determined by the server configuration. Check the name, verification method, and flow-control parameters one by one; do not substitute similar-looking fields for one another.
TLS
A security protocol that protects transport connections. Client settings typically require checking the server name, certificate verification, and application-layer protocol. The domain, certificate, and actual connection target must correspond correctly.
XTLS
A collection of transport and flow-control technologies in the Xray ecosystem. Available fields depend on the core version, protocol combination, and server configuration. When XTLS options appear, also verify the VLESS flow-control value and transport security type.
Server name
The domain field used for connection verification and the handshake in TLS or REALITY configurations; interfaces may also label it SNI. It is not necessarily the same as the node address. Use the exact value provided in the configuration.
Fingerprint
An option in some TLS and REALITY configurations that specifies the client's handshake characteristics. It is a transport security parameter, not an account identity. Available values depend on the current core version.