What is A Socks Proxy? Everything You Need to Know

November 11, 2024 By Johan Curtis No Comments 10 minutes

A SOCKS proxy is a network protocol that creates a TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) connection with another server. This connection is created on behalf of the client (your browser) and conducted behind the firewall, where exchanges of network packets are induced between the actual server and the client. Some VPNs offer a Socks proxy service, and even though it hides your IP address, there is no actual security protection.  

NOTE: A Socks Proxy can reroute your connection request and help you in a couple of tasks, but it is not the complete answer to your question. A VPN is a complete package of rerouting your internet traffic to hiding your IP address from your local ISP. Check out FastestVPN today and get a full bandwidth on your internet speeds for gaming and browsing.

This guide will briefly highlight the basics of a SOCKS Proxy, its uses, benefits, when you need one, and more.

What is SOCKS

First things first, what is a Socks proxy? SOCKS stands for Socket Secure. It is a network protocol that creates a safe path for communication with servers through a firewall. Once facilitated, it routes all online traffic to the actual server. This is done on behalf of a client, which is your browser. In short, SOCKS is created to route all network traffic initiated by any protocol.

How does a SOCKS proxy work?

A Socks proxy creates TCP connections to other servers behind the firewall, exchanging network packets. Speaking of a SOCKS proxy, the SOCKs5 is the latest socks proxy version that replaced SOCKS4.

A proxy server is designed to give you unrestricted access to the internet, which is sometimes blocked due to geo-restrictions. Proxies intercept your request, deliver the data packets to their destination, and then return the requested action to you, such as opening a webpage. SOCKS stands alongside HTTP and HTTPS proxies, but it’s slightly more flexible than the latter.

HTTP (Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol) is a protocol for web communication. The webpage you currently view is an example of HTTP communication. HTTPS – on the other hand – is a secure version of HTTP. It encrypts communications and relies on authentication for a secure connection. SOCKS is flexible in its inherent ability to work with web pages and other protocols, such as POP3, which is used for e-mails.

It works on Layer 5 (Session Layer) on the OSI Model. The OSI Model conceptualizes different levels of network communication, from the application to the hardware. SOCKS can bypass firewalls, which HTTP cannot.

What is a SOCKS Proxy?

If you know what a proxy is and what it does, then a SOCKS5 proxy is a secure and more reliable alternative to it. It creates a space to protect your online traffic within a source. For instance, an application. 

Once you use a SOCKS 5 Proxy, the remote server through which all data packets are routed allows you to change an IP address associated with them. This makes it look like you’re physically in another country. 

If we talk about SOCKS5, it’s currently the optimized and latest SOCKS protocol. It’s an internet protocol that routes all web traffic through its remote proxy server. It’s built on the foundation of the previous versions of the SOCKS protocol but stronger – adding extra layers of advanced security. It even utilizes multiple authentication methods, where only particular users with authorization can access these SOCKS5 proxy servers.

SOCKs5 uses Secure Shell Host (SSH) on either a TCP or UDP connection to relay traffic. The addition of UDP allows for faster performance. You can learn about TCP and UDP in our blog here.

A SOCKS5 proxy is an alternative to a VPN, protecting web traffic within a particular app or website. While using the SOCKS5 proxy, all data packets are routed through a remote proxy server, changing your IP address, and then passed to the final point.

However, even though a SOCKS5 proxy is helpful, it cannot be compared to a VPN. VPNs are much more secure and come with encryption. We will get to the differences later on.

What are the Benefits of SOCKS Proxy?

You now know what a SOCKS Proxy is, but in case you’re not sure what it does or how it helps, here are some of its benefits: 

• Bypasses Geo-Restrictions

Many websites are geo-restricted in most countries, while others are censored. Alternatively, there are websites that also blacklist your IP address, limiting your access to the sites. This is where a SOCKS proxy can help. It routes all your traffic through the SOCKS5 proxy, hiding your real IP address and allowing you to curb the block. However, there is only a limit to how many blocked websites you get access to since the SOCKS proxy does not work the same as a VPN. 

• Faster Speeds

The SOCKS5 proxy servers utilize UDP protocol, which best ensures a smooth, secure, and stable connection.  and efficient performance. Unlike TCP, which ensures all content runs in a standard format, UDP does not transfer packets in the same order. Secondly, a Socks Proxy does not come with encryption, which means less loading time and data transfer. 

• Built for All Kinds of Data Traffic

Most proxies take care of a specific kind of data; however, SOCKS5 proxies are designed to handle all kinds of protocols, not just a specific one, like HTTP proxies. This makes the SOCKS5 proxy more versatile and convenient.

• Better Performance and Limited Errors

Compared to other proxies, the SOCKS5 proxy does not re-write any data packet headers. In short, it leaves less room for error, meaning the proxy is unlikely to misinterpret your data and route it to the correct location. This is why the SOCKS5 proxy is far more recommended than other proxies, ensuring better and more accurate performance. 

• More Compatible with P2P Platforms

Because the SOCKS5 proxy transfers smaller data packets, it makes it faster. This makes it adequate for faster downloads on P2P platforms. This is why most users often utilize proxies to torrent. However, a sock proxy is not a good idea, considering that torrenting platforms are susceptible to cyberattacks. This is because proxies don’t come with encryption. 

How to use a SOCKS5 proxy on Windows 10

1. Go to “Control Panel” and then click on “Internet Options.”
2. Head to the “Connections” tab.
3. Click on “LAN settings.”
4. Enable “Use a proxy server for your LAN.”
5. Now, enable “Bypass proxy server for local addresses.”
6. Click on “Advanced.”
7. Disable the “Use the same proxy server for all protocols” option.
8. On the “Socks” tab, enter the socks proxy server address and port of the SOCKS5 proxy.
9. Clear out the “HTTP,” “Secure,” and “FTP” tabs completely.
10. Click on “OK” and then “Apply.”

Setting up a SOCKS proxy on your Windows 10 is easy, but ensure you know the risks! We still recommend using FastestVPN and connecting to its secure and private servers. Plus, its encryption will protect your connection, which is something a proxy cannot do.

How is SOCKS5 Different from a VPN?

A SOCKS5 proxy and VPN will both route your internet traffic through its server and then to the final destination. However, even though users might think using a sock proxy server is a good idea, it’s not safer than a VPN and comes with certain risks.

The difference comes down to core functionalities. A proxy server does not provide the kind of encryption compared to a VPN.  For instance, FastestVPN uses AES 256-bit encryption to secure your connection. This way, your data and device are both secure, which is something a Socks Proxy does not offer. It’s an encryption standard that security experts around the world trust. What it means for you is impenetrable security that’s not susceptible to external threats.

How is a VPN better than a SOCKS proxy?

Compared to a VPN, the SOCKS5 proxy doesn’t have many features – something a provider like FastestVPN offers. Features such as a Kill Switch, Anti-Malware Protection, Ad-Blocker, multi-logins, and the ability to choose from a sizable global network of VPN servers are standard across all FastestVPN packages.

Yes, the socks proxy is faster than the VPN because it does not have encryption. But would you rather have stable speeds and tight security with a VPN than be open to cyber threats with a proxy? 

When you connect to a Socks Proxy, it handles your traffic, meaning they can see what websites you visit. Your internet activities can potentially get logged and sold to advertisers for marketing purposes.

Running a server 24/7 requires money, and if proxy services are not charging you to use the server, you can bet they are selling your data.

Unless you trust the proxy service, we highly recommend using a VPN to bypass restrictions and for anonymity. FastestVPN follows a strict no-logs policy, so your browsing history will remain confidential.

Socks5 vs VPN – Is a Socks Proxy Better Than a VPN?

There will always be a feud between “Socks5 vs. Proxy,” but the short answer is that a VPN is better than Socks Proxy. Even though a Socks Proxy and VPN hide your IP address, VPNs are better in every aspect.

However, again, it highly depends on your VPN provider. A VPN comes with encryption that secures your network connection. It is to ensure that no one spies on your online activities. VPNs come with global servers you can connect with to change your IP address; proxies do not offer servers. 

This means you won’t be able to change your IP address to the location you want using a socks proxy, which is something a VPN does offer. Where speeds matter, the socks proxy is faster, only because there is no encryption. So, if speeds with detection are what you’re looking for, then the socks5 proxy will work. 

A VPN is much easier to use, considering all you need to do is download the VPN app and connect to the best server. On the other hand, a proxy needs to be manually configured and used, which is not easy for everyone.

SOCKS4 vs SOCKS5 – What’s the difference?

If we talk about the Socks proxy, there are only two versions of it – SOCKS4 and SOCKS5. However, there are quite distinct differences between the two.

For starters, the SOCKS5 proxy is much safer to use. This is because SOCKS5 supports various authentication methods, whereas SOCKS4 does not. We’ve also mentioned that the SOCKS5 proxy supports both UDP and TCP connections, while the SOCKS4 proxy only supports TCP.

Generally, this is why SOCKS5 is considered much more secure – offering multiple authentication methods and utilizing the Secure Shell (SSH) encrypted tunneling method, which transfers data. The SOCKS5 proxy with SSH tunneling methods offers many advantages, like better performance, no extra setups, and more!

Conclusion

A SOCKS proxy, in short, is a network protocol that routes your data but without encryption. The latest version of it is the SOCKS5 proxy, which allows users to bypass censorship and geo-restrictions.

It’s lightweight and sits at layer 5 of the OSI model; the speeds are faster when compared to a VPN; however, a privacy tool needs to do more! It should be able to keep you cloaked when the connection to the server drops by suspending your internet connection, which is something FastestVPN does.

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