Mini: SingLink’s disguise layer, not a standalone protocol

What Mini is: a disguise layer often mistaken for a separate protocol

Mini is SingLink’s own disguise technology. Once the underlying protocol has established the connection, Mini adds a further pass that changes how the traffic looks on the network — it does not introduce a new set of authentication, encryption, or transport rules of its own.

It cannot form a network on its own, and there is no complete "Mini protocol" with its own lifecycle. Mini only works attached to a protocol that already handles a full connection lifecycle — Beta, Sola, or SingLink 2.0. Detached from a base protocol, Mini by itself is not a usable way to connect.

Think of Mini as a coat the protocol wears, not another protocol. Every other question on this page follows from that.

How to read node names like "Sola Mini" or "2.0 Mini"

SingLink’s node naming follows one rule: a node whose name ends in Mini has the Mini disguise layer applied on top of its underlying protocol. "Sola Mini" runs the Sola protocol with Mini applied; "2.0 Mini" runs the SingLink 2.0 protocol with Mini applied.

• Sola Mini = the Sola protocol + the Mini disguise layer
• 2.0 Mini = the SingLink 2.0 protocol + the Mini disguise layer
• No Mini suffix = the plain form of that protocol, with no disguise layer

What the disguise layer actually does

The disguise layer is about what a connection looks like on the network, not about how it is secured. Authentication, the encrypted session, and data encapsulation are still handled entirely by the underlying protocol — Sola, SingLink 2.0, or Beta. Mini adds a layer on top, tuned for sessions that are sensitive to startup speed and connection stability, without replacing anything the base protocol already does.

The three things Mini is good at, and when each one matters

The Mini disguise layer is tuned for three specific needs, each mapping to a different kind of session.

• Video that starts instantly: a video app gets into a playing state faster, cutting the buffering wait on the first screen.
• High-speed streaming: sessions that pull large amounts of data continuously, like a long show or a music station, are where Mini nodes stand out.
• Very low latency: round-trip-sensitive sessions — voice calls, real-time interaction — feel smoother with Mini’s lower latency.

Base protocol to Mini variant, mapped

The table below lists the base protocols that currently have a Mini variant. Whether a given protocol’s Mini variant is available on your plan is whatever the client shows you in real time.

Which plans have Mini

Mini starts at Plus: the Plus protocol list includes Mini, and Pro inherits everything Plus has, so Pro includes Mini as well. Fast does not list Mini among its protocols.

Because Mini is attached to a base protocol, which Mini nodes you can actually see also depends on which base protocols your plan unlocks — a plan without the Sola protocol will not show a node named "Sola Mini" either. The client’s live node list is the source of truth.

When a plain node beats a Mini node, and vice versa

Both run the same base protocol underneath; the only difference is whether the disguise layer is applied. The choice is not "which is better" — it is "what does this session care about."

• For instant video start, smooth streaming, or low latency — a video app, a voice call, real-time interaction — reach for the matching protocol’s Mini node first.
• For ordinary browsing or downloads, a plain node (no Mini suffix) works just as well.
• If a Mini node is unstable or briefly unavailable, switching to the plain node of the same name uses the identical base protocol.

How to switch between a plain node and a Mini node in the client

In the node list, a plain node and its Mini counterpart are usually shown next to each other, differing only by the "Mini" suffix — "Sola" and "Sola Mini" sit side by side. In manual mode, just tap the one you want; no extra toggle or setting is required.

If you use smart node selection, the client picks automatically based on latency, availability, and similar factors. Whether it moves between a plain node and its Mini variant automatically depends on the client’s current version and behavior.

Frequently asked questions