SOCKS5 Proxy – What Is It and How Does it Work?
Aside from offering you a variety of VPN encryption options at ZoogVPN, we also provide you with the option of setting up a SOCKS5 Proxy. This useful internet protocol comes with many advantages that can help ease your privacy concerns. In this week’s Zlog, we will talk about how SOCKS5 proxy works and take a look at how you can pair it up with a VPN to enjoy enhanced security benefits.
What is a SOCKS5 Proxy?
A SOCKS Proxy is an internet protocol that exchanges network packets between the client and server through a proxy server. To put it differently, this protocol works as a secure bridge between you and the internet, so that any of the traffic exchanged between the two can’t be traced back to your real IP address. It was originally developed close to three decades ago, as a security tool that made firewalls and similar security products easier to administer. SOCKS5 is just the latest specification in the SOCKS protocol. It is an extension of the SOCKS4 protocol and includes support for IPv6 and UDP. The latter is crucial, as it can be applied for DNS lookups.
Before we move on to the main part of this week’s blog, the advantages of SOCKS5, we have to mention one important thing. While this internet protocol comes with advantageous features, it does not encrypt your internet traffic. This means that it does a great job of keeping your real IP location private, but doesn’t offer a high level of security when it comes to the data that’s being exchanged between the servers.
Advantages of SOCKS5 Proxy
There are many reasons why you should consider using a SOCKS5 Proxy, with the biggest ones being:
- Fast Network Connections – Unlike some other proxy technologies, SOCKS5 proxies never change packet headers. This allows them for an increased performance overall of the shared data packets.
- No Traffic Limitations – Unlike HTTP proxies, which can only work with web pages, SOCKS5 can process any kind of traffic. This level of flexibility means that SOCKS5 can handle any program, protocol or type of traffic.
- Censorship Circumvention – Since the main feature of a proxy is to act as a link between you and the internet, it can easily be used to bypass internet censorship and location restrictions.
The above advantages make SOCKS5 Proxy a great tool for several types of online activities. This includes torrenting, streaming content, and accessing geo-restricted sites. Most importantly, since it can use both UDP and TCP protocol, SOCKS5 offers very efficient connections.
Can You Use a SOCKS5 Proxy and a VPN?
Not all VPN providers go into the details about this protocol, but there is a clear difference between a VPN and SOCKS5. Aside from the fact that a VPN encrypts all of your information, and the SOCKS5 Proxy doesn’t, there are several other important distinctions. The SOCKS5 Proxy is much faster, but also more prone to connection drops. Depending on the protocol, a VPN service can encrypt your data beyond anyone’s decryption abilities and offers a connection with significantly fewer drops. That’s why, when used in combination, the two can provide the best of both worlds – a security system that is both fast and reliable.
Should You Use a Free SOCKS5 Proxy?
Just like free VPN services, free SOCKS5 Proxy protocols are never a good idea. While this may seem like one if you’re only looking for a short-term solution, a free SOCKS5 Proxy comes with many potential risks. This is understandable, since proxy services still cost money to maintain, and can’t offer the same level of service if they’re not bringing in money. The two biggest disadvantages of free SOCKS5 proxies include poor performance and various privacy issues, which can range from unwanted ads to data leaks.
If you put a lot of thought into your online privacy and security, it’s always better to go with a premium paid subscription service. At ZoogVPN, our rates start at only a couple of bucks per month. The best part is, when you have a paid subscription, you can use both our VPN protocols and SOCKS5 proxy. This will provide you with the convenience of switching between or combining the two when need be. Sign up with ZoogVPN today and secure your private information for good!
- Yaroslav S.CEO at ZoogVPN. Yaroslav is a versatile manager with extensive customer support experience. His historical background and a deep passion for philosophy perfectly complete a real desire to create meaningful content and tech products.
