How to Set Up V2RayN on Windows: Complete Installation and Configuration Guide

V2RayN is a Windows GUI client for the V2Ray protocol that requires .NET Framework 4.8, runs as a portable application from v2rayn.exe, and connects to proxy servers via subscription URLs or manual JSON configuration.

Setting up V2RayN on Windows provides a robust solution for routing traffic through VMess and Shadowsocks protocols. According to the bannedbook/fanqiang repository, this native Windows client offers an intuitive interface for managing multiple server nodes without requiring command-line expertise.

Prerequisites

Install Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8

V2RayN requires Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 (or newer) to function properly. If the executable fails to launch with a missing framework error, download and install the runtime from the official Microsoft distribution page before proceeding with the client installation.

Download and Extract V2RayN

The client is distributed as a portable zip archive that requires no formal installation. Download v2rayn.zip from the repository's distribution link referenced in windows/V2RayN.md, then extract the contents to a permanent directory such as C:\V2RayN. The extracted folder contains v2rayn.exe (the main GUI executable) alongside the core V2Ray binaries and configuration directories.

Configure V2RayN with a Subscription

Obtain a Subscription URL

V2RayN operates most efficiently with a subscription URL containing a base64-encoded list of VMess or Shadowsocks nodes. Obtain a subscription link from a V2Ray-compatible service provider—the repository documentation references public airport services—or generate your own if hosting private servers. Copy this URL from your provider dashboard and treat it as sensitive credentials, as it contains complete server connection details.

Import the Subscription into V2RayN

Launch v2rayn.exe and configure the client to pull your server list:

1. Click the menu icon (top-left) and select "订阅设置" (Subscription Settings).

2. Click the "订阅" button, then "添加" (Add) to create a new subscription entry.

3. Paste your subscription URL into the address field and confirm with the checkmark (✓).

4. Click "订阅/更新订阅" (Update Subscription) to fetch the current node list from the remote server.

As documented in windows/V2RayN.md, the application will populate the main window with available servers after a successful update.

Connect and Verify Your Proxy

Test Server Latency

Before establishing a connection, identify the optimal server:

1. In the main server list window, press Ctrl+A to select all nodes.

2. Right-click the selection and choose "测试服务器真连接延迟（多选）" (Test server real connection latency - multiple selection).

3. Review the latency results and select a server with the lowest response time for optimal performance.

Enable System Proxy

Configure Windows to route traffic through your selected V2Ray node:

• Right-click the V2RayN system tray icon and select "自动配置系统代理" (Auto-configure system proxy) to enable system-wide proxying.

• To disable proxying, select "清除系统代理" (Clear system proxy).

• Select "不改变系统代理" (Do not change system proxy) to leave existing Windows proxy settings untouched while running V2RayN in local port mode.

Browsers that respect Windows system proxy settings—including Edge, Chrome, and Firefox—will automatically route traffic through the active V2Ray connection.

Manual Configuration (Advanced)

If you prefer not to use subscription URLs, manually configure server parameters by editing the JSON configuration directly. The repository provides this structural template in windows/V2RayN.md:

{
  "inbounds": [
    {
      "port": 1080,
      "listen": "127.0.0.1",
      "protocol": "socks",
      "settings": { "auth": "noauth", "udp": true }
    }
  ],
  "outbounds": [
    {
      "protocol": "vmess",
      "settings": {
        "vnext": [
          {
            "address": "example.com",
            "port": 443,
            "users": [{ "id": "YOUR_UUID", "alterId": 64, "security": "auto" }]
          }
        ]
      },
      "streamSettings": {
        "network": "ws",
        "wsSettings": { "path": "/path" }
      }
    }
  ]
}

You can also launch V2RayN with a subscription URL via command-line parameters:

"C:\V2RayN\v2rayn.exe" /sub "https://example.com/subscription.txt"

Alternative Setup Methods

For advanced privacy requirements, the windows/tor-v2ray.md file in the bannedbook/fanqiang repository documents combining Tor with V2RayN to create multi-hop proxy chains. Additionally, v2ss/V2Ray之TLS+WebSocket翻墙方法.md provides server-side configuration instructions for TLS and WebSocket transport layers necessary when hosting your own V2Ray infrastructure.

Summary

• V2RayN requires Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 and runs portably from the extracted v2rayn.exe without requiring installation.
• Server nodes are managed via subscription URLs imported through the "订阅设置" (Subscription Settings) interface.
• Use Ctrl+A followed by "测试服务器真连接延迟" to benchmark server speeds before connecting.
• Enable "自动配置系统代理" from the tray icon context menu to route all Windows traffic through the selected proxy.
• Configuration follows standard V2Ray JSON structure stored locally in the application directory.

Frequently Asked Questions

What protocols does V2RayN support?

V2RayN supports VMess, Shadowsocks (SS), and SOCKS protocols according to the implementation details documented in windows/V2RayN.md. The client utilizes the standard V2Ray core, enabling support for TCP, WebSocket, and TLS transport configurations.

Do I need a subscription URL to use V2RayN?

No, while subscription URLs streamline the process of importing multiple servers, you can manually configure individual server details through the GUI interface or by directly editing the config.json file. Subscriptions simply automate the synchronization process when server endpoints rotate or update.

How do I update my node list in V2RayN?

Navigate to "订阅设置" (Subscription Settings) and click "订阅/更新订阅" (Update Subscription) to refresh your server list from the configured subscription URL. The application will fetch the latest node configurations and update the main window display with current server availability.

Where does V2RayN store its configuration files?

V2RayN stores all configuration files—including server lists and routing rules—in the same directory as v2rayn.exe, as noted in windows/readme.md. This portable design ensures all settings remain local to the application folder, facilitating easy backups and transfers between Windows machines.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}