Knowledge base · VPN and technology
How a protected connection is built
A protocol settles three things: how the client proves to the server that it belongs, how the data is packaged, and what the connection looks like to an outside observer. This section covers how data is encrypted on the internet and breaks down protocols and transports: VLESS, REALITY, XHTTP, Hysteria2, TUIC, NaiveProxy, AnyTLS, AmneziaWG, WireGuard — how they work, where they are strong and which one to choose.
- VPN and technologyVPN and proxy protocols in 2026: VLESS, Hysteria2, NaiveProxy, WireGuard, AnyTLS and the rest
A protocol settles three things: how the client proves it belongs, how the data is packaged, and what the connection looks like from outside.
- VPN and technologyHow data is encrypted on the internet
How plain data becomes ciphertext, what keys are for, and where TLS and VPNs fit in.
Encryption: what is protected and what is visible
Almost every site now opens over HTTPS: page content, passwords and payments are encrypted between the browser and the site. Your provider still sees which sites you contact — from DNS lookups and the site's name at the start of the connection. A protected connection through a VPN hides that too: your provider sees only an encrypted stream to the server. How it works step by step — in How data is encrypted on the internet.
Why there are so many protocols
Classic VPN protocols such as WireGuard and OpenVPN are recognisable by their packets, and providers' equipment has learned to single them out. Newer protocols and transports — VLESS with REALITY, XHTTP, Hysteria2 and others — are built so the connection looks like ordinary traffic to a website. They differ in how the client proves to the server that it belongs, how data is packed and how the connection looks from outside. The comparison is in VPN and proxy protocols in 2026.
How to choose
You don't need to pick a protocol by hand: the service puts suitable options into the subscription, and the app connects to them. Knowing how protocols work helps you understand why one connection works on your network and another doesn't, and what the settings in Happ and INCY mean. MaskNet runs on VLESS and modern transports, and the subscription is added to the app with a single button.