What it is
v2rayN is a free and open source program that manages connections for the Xray and sing-box engines. You give it a link, it lists the link as a server, and two switches at the bottom decide how much of your PC uses it. It has no sign in, no adverts and no servers of its own. The authors publish it on GitHub under 2dust/v2rayN, and that is the only place you should get it.
A Valideo key is exactly the kind of link it expects.
From download to first connection
On the GitHub releases page take the newest Windows 64 bit archive. If there is a choice, the larger self contained one saves you from installing .NET separately.
Extract it to a permanent folder. Do not run it from inside the zip.
Start v2rayN.exe. An icon appears in the system tray.
In Telegram, get your key from @valideo_bot and copy the whole vless:// line.
Click the empty server list and press Ctrl+V. A row appears.
Select the row and press Enter. The row is marked as active.
The bottom bar
Two controls matter. System proxy has several options. Choose Set system proxy, and Windows tells well behaved programs to send traffic through v2rayN. Clear system proxy turns that off. Next to it is the TUN switch. With it on, v2rayN creates a virtual adapter and carries all traffic, including programs that ignore proxy settings. TUN needs the program to be started as administrator. A good routine is to use TUN for daily work and the system proxy on a PC where you lack admin rights.
Menus worth a look
- Servers, then Test real delay: shows which key or location responds fastest right now.
- Settings, then Routing: send only chosen sites through the tunnel, or keep local sites direct.
- Subscription group: for providers that publish lists. A single key does not need it.
- Check for updates: updates the program and its engines from GitHub.
- The tray icon menu: the quickest way to change the proxy mode or to exit cleanly.
When something is off
- Ctrl+V adds nothing: the clipboard holds only part of the link. Copy it again.
- The row is active but pages time out: check the PC's date and time, then test the real delay.
- A program still shows your own IP: it ignores the system proxy. Use TUN.
- An antivirus removes files: restore them and exclude the folder, once you have confirmed the source was GitHub.
- The internet is dead after a crash: open the Windows proxy settings and turn the manual proxy off.
Moving, updating, removing
Everything lives in that one folder. Copy it to another PC and your servers and settings come along. Updating means replacing the program files and keeping the guiConfigs folder. Removing it means exiting from the tray menu and deleting the folder. Because the program is independent of us, a Valideo key also works in Hiddify, and in v2rayNG on your phone, at the same moment.
Q.Is v2rayN free and safe?
A.It is free and open source. Safety depends on downloading it from the original 2dust repository.
Q.Which package should I download?
A.Windows 64 bit. Choose the self contained one if you are unsure about .NET.
Q.Does it run on Windows 11?
A.Yes. It also runs on Windows 10, and there are ARM64 builds.
Q.Why does it need administrator rights?
A.Only TUN mode does, because creating a virtual network adapter is a system level action.
Q.Can it hold several keys?
A.Yes. Each one is a row, and you switch between them with Enter.
Q.Is there a phone version?
A.v2rayNG for Android comes from the same developer.