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Socks5

Socket Secure (SOCKS) is a protocol used for proxy servers. According to Wikipedia:

“Socket Secure (SOCKS) is an Internet protocol that exchanges network packets between a client and a server through a proxy server. Practically, a SOCKS server proxies TCP connection to an arbitrary IP address, and provides a means for UDP packets to be forwarded.“

There are more versions of Socks web proxies available but Socks5 is its extension which is considered to be the most flexible server protocol because it can’t differentiate network traffic types (FTP for torrent files, HTTP for web browsing, SMTP for email, etc.).

In simple words, a Socks proxy works as a bridge between your device and the Internet. In this way, all the traffic generated while using this proxy server can’t be associated with your real IP.

An important thing to mention is that Socks5 is popular among users who don’t require a high level of security and don’t want to connect securely. In other words, the Socks5 proxy server will change your real IP but will not encrypt your traffic.

Socks5 proxy vs. HTTP proxy.

The most common protocol on the internet is the HTTPS, the secure extension of the HTTP protocol (HyperText Transfer Protocol).

As the name suggests, the HTTP proxies work together with the HTTP protocol, while sending data over the internet.

An HTTP proxy features built-in encryption and is a good solution for unblocking specific geo-blocked content, but the proxy connection doesn’t work so well with other protocols.

Compared to the HTTP proxies, the Socks5 works well with different protocols. Also, the SOCKS server does not interpret the traffic between a device and the server in any way. This is the reason why is a good solution for clients behind a firewall who can’t establish TCP connections to servers outside the firewall.

Socks5 vs. VPN

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is gaining a lot of well-deserved attention these days.

The VPN provides a secure way to keep users internet connections safe. To be more specific, the VPN technology will add a layer of encryption to your internet connection while surfing the web. In more simple words, a VPN will pass all your data via a VPN server, before transmitting your request to the internet. In this way all your data is encrypted, your connection is secured, and your real IP is hidden.

This technique prevents your ISP from being able to see in the plain text your online activities, including the websites you open and any data you send and receive so, we can conclude that a VPN will highly contribute to your online privacy and security.

If you’re wondering when to use a VPN connection, the answer is ALWAYS, no matter if you’re connecting to public or private networks.

So, what’s better? Socks5 or a VPN?

A VPN changes your IP address and also creates a secure tunnel between you and the VPN server. All the applications from the computer are using the encrypted tunnel when the VPN is connected.

Socks5 changes your IP address and is faster than VPN, but doesn’t encrypt the traffic. Only selected applications are using Socks5 (browsers, torrent apps).

When it comes to downloading torrents, both solutions are helping you but, in this case, the VPN is the winner because it encrypts your connection. Also, a VPN should provide your P2P servers, so you can download torrents in a legal manner.

For a better and faster way to understand the similarities between these two technologies, check out the image below.

The advantages and disadvantages of Socks5.

Advantages of using Socks5:

Ideal for torrent – masks your IP address and it has a great performance for torrents and P2P;

Faster than VPN – the speed is not affected because there is no encryption;

Easy to configure – can be configured with almost any program;

Torrent Protection – some torrent apps stop downloading if Socks5 connection is not active;

Bypass censorship and firewalls – get around IP blocks that are based on IP restrictions;

Efficient connections – Can use both TCP protocol and UDP protocol.

Disadvantages of using Socks5:

When it comes to speaking about the disadvantages of a Socks5 proxy, the most important thing to mention is the lack of encryption.

Even if for some users this is not a huge inconvenient, for the ones preoccupied with online privacy and security matters, using a Socks5 proxy is definitely not an option.