NPV Tunnel Glossary: VPN and Tunnel Terms Explained

Always-on VPN

An Android setting that reconnects a VPN automatically and can block traffic when it is down.

Config

A package of connection settings (server, port, protocol, credentials) that tells NPV Tunnel how to connect. It can be a file, QR code, link or text.

DNSTT

A DNS tunnel that carries data inside DNS queries and responses. Slow, but it can work on restricted networks.

DoH / DoT

DNS over HTTPS and DNS over TLS: encrypted ways to send DNS queries.

Hysteria2

A QUIC-based proxy protocol designed for speed on lossy or long-distance links.

Passphrase

A password used to protect a shared config file.

Per-app Proxy

A setting that lets you choose which apps use the tunnel and which bypass it.

Ping

A quick test that measures whether a server answers and how fast. A timeout usually means the server is down or blocked.

Public key

A shareable code that identifies you. In NPV Tunnel others can encrypt a config just for your public key.

QUIC

A modern transport protocol built on UDP that powers HTTP/3.

REALITY

An Xray security layer that borrows the TLS identity of a real website so probes see normal traffic.

Shadowsocks

A simple, fast encrypted proxy protocol supported by many clients.

Smart Route

A connection group in NPV Tunnel that picks the best member, such as the fastest, instead of making you choose.

SOCKS

A simple proxy protocol that forwards TCP and UDP connections. It is not encrypted by itself.

SSH

Secure Shell, a protocol for remote server access that can also forward traffic as a tunnel.

Subscription

A web link from a provider that delivers and refreshes a list of configs automatically.

TLS

Transport Layer Security, the encryption used by HTTPS.

Trojan

A protocol that imitates HTTPS traffic to a real website, using a password and a TLS certificate.

UUID

A long random identifier used by VLESS and VMess to recognise a user.

V2Ray

A project and family of proxy tools and protocols, including VMess and VLESS, designed for flexible and private connections.

VLESS

A lightweight V2Ray/Xray protocol that uses a UUID for identity and relies on TLS or REALITY for encryption.

VMess

The original V2Ray protocol with built-in encryption and replay protection.

WireGuard

A modern, fast and minimal VPN protocol with strong cryptography.

Xray

A fork and extension of V2Ray that added features such as XTLS and REALITY. NPV Tunnel updates its Xray core regularly.

XTLS Vision

A flow mode for VLESS that removes the TLS-inside-TLS pattern and masks packet lengths.

Want the story behind the terms? Read protocols explained or how to use NPV Tunnel.