Start With This One
AstriaVeilLink-5 is our recommended default — the mode to try first, on any network. It's a direct encrypted connection with no extra wrapping around it at all: the leanest of our five modes, and the fastest and most stable one we offer.
If it connects cleanly, you're done — there's no reason to look further. If a specific network ever gives it trouble, step down through AstriaVeilLink-4, then -3, -2, and -1 only as needed; each step trades a little speed for a little more concealment. Most people will never need to leave AstriaVeilLink-5.
Think home broadband you trust, a university or office network you know doesn't interfere with traffic, or any connection where you've already confirmed nothing is standing in the way. That's the environment AstriaVeilLink-5 is built for.
Why "Direct" Doesn't Mean "Less Protected"
"Direct" describes how the connection is shaped, not how well it's encrypted. AstriaVeilLink-5 still runs on our own AstriaVeilLink protocol and still encrypts everything you send and receive — it simply skips the extra layers our privacy-tier modes add specifically to blend into ordinary traffic on hostile networks. On a network that isn't looking for that in the first place, those layers are pure overhead, and AstriaVeilLink-5 doesn't carry them.
The result is the lowest overhead and the steadiest performance of any mode we offer — well suited to long sessions where consistency matters as much as raw speed.
When to Use Something Else
Start with AstriaVeilLink-5 regardless — it's still the right first try even on a network you don't fully trust. But if it doesn't connect cleanly or you already know the network is actively hostile, step down through AstriaVeilLink-4, -3, -2, and -1 in that order until you find one that holds up.
Switching to AstriaVeilLink-5
Go to Settings → Connection type in the app and select AstriaVeilLink-5. It applies on your next connection.