Overview
RAGE uses the VLESS protocol with two different transports to ensure reliable connectivity from any network: XTLS-Vision-Reality and XHTTP. Each transport has distinct characteristics that make it better suited for different situations.
Quick recommendation: Start with servers tagged VLESS (XTLS-Reality) for best performance. Switch to servers tagged XHTTP if you experience connection issues.
VLESS + XTLS-Vision-Reality
XTLS-Vision combined with Reality provides one of the most advanced connectivity solutions available.
How It Works
XTLS-Vision uses a technique called "vision" that makes proxy traffic indistinguishable from normal TLS traffic by perfectly mimicking TLS handshakes and data patterns.
Reality takes this further by using real, existing websites as camouflage. When the server is probed, it responds with content from a legitimate website (like a popular search engine or social network), not revealing its proxy functionality.
Advantages
- Maximum performance — Zero overhead encryption means near-native speeds
- Excellent anti-detection — Reality makes the server appear as a legitimate website
- Low latency — Ideal for real-time applications, gaming, video calls
- Efficient on mobile — Less CPU usage means better battery life
Limitations
- Uses dedicated ports (typically 443) that may be monitored
- Long-lived connections may be flagged by some DPI systems
- May not work on heavily restricted corporate networks
Best For
- Daily use on most networks
- Streaming and downloads requiring high bandwidth
- Gaming and video conferencing
- Mobile users prioritizing battery life
VLESS + XHTTP
XHTTP is a transport that tunnels traffic through standard HTTP/HTTPS requests, making it virtually impossible to distinguish from normal web browsing.
How It Works
XHTTP encapsulates your traffic within regular HTTP requests and responses. To any observer, it looks exactly like you're browsing websites — because technically, you are. The proxy data is hidden within what appears to be normal web traffic.
Advantages
- Maximum compatibility — Works through almost any firewall or proxy
- Works on HTTP-only networks — Functions even when only web traffic is allowed
- Corporate network friendly — Passes through web proxies and content filters
- Resistant to connection analysis — Looks like normal browsing patterns
Limitations
- Higher overhead than XTLS-Reality — more data transferred per request
- Slightly higher latency due to HTTP encapsulation
- Not ideal for real-time applications that need consistent low latency
Best For
- Highly restricted networks (corporate, educational, public Wi-Fi)
- When XTLS-Reality connections are unstable
- Networks that only allow HTTP/HTTPS traffic
- Situations requiring maximum stealth over maximum speed
Transport Comparison
| Feature | XTLS-Vision-Reality | XHTTP |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Excellent (near-native) | Good (slight overhead) |
| Latency | Very low | Moderate |
| Firewall compatibility | Good | Excellent |
| DPI resistance | Excellent (Reality) | Excellent (HTTP masking) |
| Corporate networks | May have issues | Usually works |
| Battery usage | Low | Moderate |
| Best use case | Daily use, streaming, gaming | Restricted networks |
Choosing the Right Transport
Use XTLS-Reality when:
- You're on a home or mobile network with standard configuration
- Speed and low latency are priorities
- You're streaming video or playing online games
- Battery life on mobile is important
Use XHTTP when:
- XTLS-Reality connections fail or are unstable
- You're on a corporate or educational network
- You're behind a web proxy that blocks non-HTTP traffic
- You need maximum stealth and don't mind slight speed reduction
Switching Transports in RAGE
The transport is indicated next to each server name in the server list. Simply select a server with the transport you want to use:
- Servers marked with VLESS use the XTLS-Vision-Reality transport
- Servers marked with XHTTP use the HTTP-based transport
Technical Deep Dive
XTLS-Vision Explained
Traditional TLS proxies can be detected because they create "TLS-in-TLS" — encrypted proxy traffic inside another TLS connection. This double encryption has detectable patterns.
XTLS-Vision solves this by directly forwarding TLS traffic without re-encryption when possible, eliminating the telltale double-encryption fingerprint while maintaining security.
Reality Authentication
Reality doesn't just mimic a website — it actually completes the TLS handshake as that website would. The server presents a valid certificate for a real domain, and only clients with the correct private key can access the proxy functionality. To censors, active probing reveals only a legitimate website.
XHTTP Multiplexing
XHTTP efficiently uses HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 multiplexing to handle multiple streams over a single connection, reducing the overhead that would come from establishing new connections for each request.