SOCKS5 proxies
SOCKS5 proxies for apps, scrapers and non-HTTP traffic
Route any TCP connection, and UDP on supported plans, through residential, mobile, ISP or datacenter IPs. SOCKS5 works below HTTP, so tools that cannot use an HTTP proxy can still connect through Proxonym.
# Residential over SOCKS5; socks5h lets the proxy resolve the hostname
curl -x socks5h://gw.proxonym.com:1080 -U "USERNAME-country-de:PASSWORD" https://api.ipify.org
# Same request with a sticky session and the credentials in the proxy URL
curl --proxy "socks5h://USERNAME-country-de-session-a7k2:[email protected]:1080" https://api.ipify.org
# Shared datacenter IP from your list: SOCKS5 on port 1081, server IP whitelisted
curl -x socks5h://203.0.113.25:1081 https://api.ipify.org
# Python (pip install "requests[socks]")
python3 -c 'import requests; p = "socks5h://USERNAME:[email protected]:1080"; print(requests.get("https://api.ipify.org", proxies={"http": p, "https": p}).text)'The basics
What are SOCKS5 proxies?
SOCKS5 is a general-purpose proxy protocol. Instead of interpreting web requests like an HTTP proxy, it relays connections: your client asks the proxy to open a TCP connection to a host and port, authenticates with a username and password, and bytes then flow in both directions unchanged. SOCKS5 can also relay UDP datagrams.
That makes SOCKS5 the right fit for traffic that is not plain HTTP: custom TCP protocols, desktop apps, game and streaming clients, or tools that only offer a SOCKS setting. It also lets the proxy resolve domain names, so DNS lookups happen at the exit location instead of on your machine.
Every Proxonym product speaks SOCKS5: port 1080 on the residential and mobile gateway and on unlimited gateways, port 1081 on shared datacenter IPs, and the same port as HTTP on ISP and dedicated proxies. Compare both protocols in SOCKS5 vs HTTP proxies.
| Feature | SOCKS5 | HTTP(S) proxy |
|---|---|---|
| Works at | Session layer, relays raw connections | Application layer, understands HTTP |
| Traffic types | Any TCP protocol, plus UDP on supported plans | HTTP, and HTTPS through CONNECT tunnels |
| DNS resolution | Local or by the proxy (socks5h) | By the proxy, for the target host |
| Data handling | Relays bytes without reading them | Reads plain HTTP; HTTPS stays encrypted |
| Typical clients | Desktop apps, custom tools, browsers | Scrapers, HTTP libraries, browsers |
| Proxonym ports | 1080 (gateways), 1081 (datacenter) | 8000 (gateways), 3129 (datacenter) |
Benefits
Why teams choose SOCKS5 proxies.
What changes for your jobs once SOCKS5 proxies are part of the setup.
Protocol-agnostic
SOCKS5 relays raw TCP connections, so it carries any protocol on top, not only HTTP. If an app offers a SOCKS setting, it can use Proxonym.
UDP where you need it
Relay UDP datagrams on shared datacenter and ISP proxies, and on unlimited residential with the UDP add-on, for real-time apps and streaming workloads.
Remote DNS resolution
Use socks5h:// in cURL and many libraries to let the proxy resolve hostnames, so lookups happen at the exit location instead of on your local resolver.
Authenticated access
Connect with the username and password from your dashboard, targeting parameters included. Shared datacenter plans can also whitelist your server IPs, with 3 included.
How it works
Set up in three steps.
Same account, same credentials for every proxy type. Connection details live in your dashboard.
- 1
Pick the SOCKS5 endpoint
Use gw.proxonym.com:1080 for residential and mobile, port 1080 on your unlimited gateway, port 1081 on shared datacenter IPs and the listed port on ISP and dedicated IPs.
- 2
Authenticate and target
The username syntax is the same as on HTTP: USERNAME-country-de-session-a7k2 targets Germany with a sticky IP over SOCKS5, exactly as it does over HTTP.
- 3
Resolve DNS remotely
Use the socks5h scheme in cURL, Python requests and many other clients so hostnames are resolved by the proxy at the exit location, not by your local resolver.
Products
Proxy types that support it.
All of them work with the same account, credentials and dashboard. Pick by target and budget.
FAQ
Questions about SOCKS5 proxies.
Still unsure? Our team helps you pick the right product and size.
Ask a proxy expertIs SOCKS5 faster than HTTP?
Neither protocol is meaningfully faster in practice. SOCKS5 does less processing because it never parses requests, while HTTP proxies handle web traffic natively. The exit IP, its location and the target matter far more for speed than the protocol. Use SOCKS5 when your tool needs it or when the traffic is not HTTP.
What does socks5h mean?
socks5h is the scheme cURL and Python requests use to say that the proxy should resolve hostnames. With plain socks5, your machine looks up the domain and sends only the IP address. With socks5h, the lookup happens at the exit location, which avoids local DNS leaks and returns location-appropriate answers.
Which Proxonym plans support UDP?
UDP over SOCKS5 is available on shared datacenter proxies, on ISP proxies and on unlimited residential plans with the UDP add-on selected at checkout. Residential GB plans and mobile proxies relay TCP connections, which covers HTTP, HTTPS and most other application protocols.
Do targeting parameters work over SOCKS5?
Yes. The username carries the same parameters on every protocol, so USERNAME-country-us-city-new_york-session-a7k2 behaves identically on port 1080 and port 8000. Country, state, city, ASN, sessions, lifetime and -type-mobile all apply to SOCKS5 connections with no extra configuration. Switching protocols never means rewriting your targeting logic.
Why does my SOCKS5 connection fail to authenticate?
Check that your client actually sends a username and password, since some tools default to no authentication, and that the credentials match your dashboard. Special characters in a password may need URL-encoding inside a proxy URL. On shared datacenter IPs, also confirm that your server IP is whitelisted or that you are using user:pass.
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