There are multiple kinds of proxies, and one of them is SOCKS5. While there are many proxies out there, here, we’ll briefly explain some of them but mainly focus on SOCKS5 – what it’s about and how we use it to our advantage.
Choosing the right proxy can be tricky because of the numerous options available out there. One popular proxy type is the socks5 proxy, which we’ll be discussing further below. From its definition to its benefits, learn more about this proxy type here.
What is a proxy?
In computer networking, a proxy is like a gateway between the website and the user accessing it. When visiting a web page, the proxy will first send out a request to the proxy server before anything else happens.
From then on, the proxy server will send out your web request to the corresponding web server. Once approved, you will then be able to see the website you are trying to access.
There are times when users are denied from accessing some websites due to their IP addresses. Some websites tend to have a specific access requirement that may sometimes include the location of the user.
If your location is not within the requirement, you will then be denied from viewing the website. This is when a proxy will be of great use to you. So if you are concerned where to buy proxies, well there are many types of proxies available and you may search for the appropriate one for yourself.
What is a SOCKS5 proxy?
The SOCKS5 proxy is an upgrade of one of the well-known proxies back then, the SOCKS (Secure Socket) proxy. The SOCKS protocol was specifically designed to initiate a web traffic redirection through the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) proxy web servers.
With the upgrade of the SOCKS protocol to socks5, any web traffic type can now be redirected through the proxy web servers. The SOCKS5 proxy has also been known to provide some encryption to protect the users from any malicious intent.
There are different types of proxies, such as HTTP and SOCKS, but the latest and most-used one is SOCKS5. Most people use the SOCKS5 proxy because of its benefits, unlike other proxy servers that are limited. If you’re interested, you can get a socks5 proxy at Oxylabs.
The SOCKS5 proxy server benefits
So, what are the benefits of a SOCKS5 proxy?
Enhanced performance on peer-to-peer platforms
SOCKS5 is the fastest when it comes to peer-to-peer or P2P platforms because it transfers tinier data packets.
With this, your download speed is greatly enhanced, making it faster and more stable. This is the reason a lot of users use SOCKS5 when connecting to peer-to-peer platforms.
Minimized errors and overall performance is improved
Other proxies tend to rewrite or redo entire data packet headers, which will sometimes result in errors in handling data. Mislabeling or misrouting of data is pretty standard with other types of proxies.
The SOCKS5 proxy, though it is different from them, doesn’t rewrite data packet headers, thereby minimizing errors.
There is, however, a downside to not rewriting the data packet headers. Since the packet headers contain personal information and are easily identifiable, your privacy and security could be compromised.
Bypass internet blockage
Just like any other proxy, the SOCKS5 is an excellent way for you to bypass internet blocks. So, if your IP address has been blocked from a specific website, you can easily bypass it using a proxy server.
However, unlike a Virtual Proxy Network or VPN, you won’t be able to bypass national firewall protection since VPNs use what they call deep packet inspection or DPI.
This would mean that your Internet Service Provider will block you before your request reaches the website you are trying to access.
Quicker response time and more reliable network
Unlike the old proxies, SOCKS5 no longer uses Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). Instead, it uses the highly advanced User Datagram Protocol (UDP). This will result in a more reliable connection between the user and the website and a faster response time.
What makes UDP faster than TCP is how it transfers all the packets. TCP uses a static method in which it will follow a certain kind of format for the transfer of packets which will slow down the process.
Unlike TCP, UDP will not focus on the order of how the data packets have been transferred, and it doesn’t convert the data into fixed packets, thus allowing the process to finish faster.
Conclusion
Because SOCKS5 is the latest innovation in proxy servers, it has all the necessary features to make your browsing experience more efficient and reliable.
The benefits you can get from using SOCKS55 will be incomparable to its predecessors and other proxy servers. There may be some cons to using SOCKS5, but the pros you can get from it tend to outweigh the cons.
So, whenever you are blocked from a particular website, always remember that you can use SOCKS5 as a means to bypass that specific website’s protocols.