🌐 A Layman's Guide to Proxy Protocols

From ShadowSocks to VLESS, Hysteria2: Teaching You to Understand the Differences Between Various Node Protocols

💡 What is the “ Proxy Protocol ”?

If you add nodes in proxy software (such as v2rayN), you'll see a dizzying array of protocol names:
Simply put, network data is like “ a courier package ”; the network firewall (GFW) is like “ a security inspector ”.
And The proxy protocol is your “ packaging box and camouflage technique ”—— Some protocols choose to lock the package, some choose to disguise it as ordinary express delivery, and some choose to speed through the checkpoint at high pressure and high speed!

🛠️ Complete Analysis of Core Mainstream Protocol Categories

1. 📜 Classic and Foundational Protocols: Shadowsocks / SOCKS / HTTP

Shadowsocks（SS / SS2022）： The famous "Shadowsocks/SS," a pioneer that ushered in the era of encrypted proxies. The original version has now been precisely identified by the firewall, but the latest SS2022 still maintains extremely high efficiency.
SOCKS5 / HTTP： The most basic plaintext/basic encrypted transmission protocol. The advantage is good compatibility, the disadvantage is Cannot directly bypass the firewall(Commonly used as the second-layer exit for LAN sharing or chained proxies).

2. 🛡️ Stealth & Disguise Faction: VMess / VLESS / Trojan / NaïveProxy

Core logic: masquerade as normal web browsing. Wrap circumvention traffic to look like visiting ordinary HTTPS shopping websites.

VMess： The foundational protocol of the V2Ray platform, with strong encryption and complex handshakes; it was the most popular choice in recent years, though with slightly higher performance overhead.
VLESS (🔥 recommended): A stateless upgrade of VMess. “ is lightweight, fast, and has no redundant ”, paired with REALITY camouflage technology is currently one of the most stable solutions with the strongest anti-blocking capability!
Trojan (Trojan Horse): Mimics real HTTPS website traffic with high disguise fidelity, making it very suitable for stable use during high-risk control periods.
NaïveProxy： Uses the Chrome browser engine to send real traffic; extremely high camouflage but with relatively high memory usage.

3. ⚡ Extreme Blitz Faction (UDP burst stream): Hysteria2 / TUIC / WireGuard

Core logic: based on the UDP protocol, ultra-fast packet bursting for aggressive throughput. Ideal for evening peak network congestion or weak network environments.

Hysteria2 (Hysteria 2, recommended 🔥): An anti-packet-loss protocol specifically designed for harsh networks (high packet loss, low speed). Aggressive packet bursting—can forcibly squeeze out tens of thousands of KB speed even when the network is extremely laggy, a godsend for streaming 4K videos!
TUIC： An efficient, low-latency protocol based on the QUIC protocol, ideal for foreign-region gaming and weak mobile network environments.
WireGuard： A modern VPN protocol with fast speeds, suitable for system-wide global proxy or networking.

4. 🧪 Other Emerging/Protocol-Specific Frameworks: AnyTls, etc.

AnyTls： The newly introduced community variant TLS stealth protocol is dedicated to providing security camouflage closer to regular internet transmission while maintaining low consumption.

🎯 Summary: How Should Beginners Choose?

If you're purchasing a subscription at an airport or building your own nodes, you can follow these principles when selecting nodes:

Prioritizing maximum stability and anti-blocking: Top choice VLESS (REALITY) or Trojan。
Pursuing harsh network / late peak rapid overtaking: Top choice Hysteria2 or TUIC。
Legacy devices or compatibility with older software: Select Shadowsocks (SS) or VMess。
Configure Static Egress Chain Proxy: Select the first layer VLESS / Hysteria2 for outbound access, and choose the second layer exit SOCKS5。