Shadowsocks Socks5

How to Create a SOCKS5 Proxy Server with Shadowsocks

This guide shows you how to create a SOCKS5 proxy server with Shadowsocks on Ubuntu and CentOS. Shadowsocks is a lightweight SOCKS5 web proxy tool primarily utilized to bypass network censorship and block certain websites and web protocols. A full setup requires a Linode server to host the Shadowsocks daemon, and a client installed on PC, Mac, Linux, or a mobile other proxy software, Shadowsocks traffic is designed to be both indiscernible from other traffic to third-party monitoring tools, and also able to disguise as a normal direct connection. Data passing through Shadowsocks is encrypted for additional security and cause currently, there is no Shadowsocks package available for Ubuntu or CentOS, this guide shows how to build Shadowsocks from the You BeginThe commands in this guide require root privileges. To run the steps as an elevated user with sudo privileges, prepend each command with sudo. If two commands are presented in the same instance (separated by &&), remember to use sudo after the && (ex. sudo [command] && sudo [command]). To create a standard user account with sudo privileges, complete the
Add a Limited User Account section of our Securing your Server guide. A working firewall is a necessary security measure. Firewall instructions
are provided for UFW, FirewallD, and Iptables. To configure a firewall on a Linode, visit one of the following guides:How to Configure a Firewall with UFWIntroduction to FirewallD on CentOSWhat Is SOCKS5 Proxy Service? SOCKS5 is an internet protocol of SOCKS that helps to route packets through a proxy between a client and a server. To carry out a secure communication, SOCKS5 uses three different modes of authentication: Null authentication, GSS-API based authentication, and a username-password based SOCKS5 uses a NULL authentication, any request between client and server connects to the set proxy without requiring any authentication. With GSS API authentication, a client’s or server’s identity is verified at the OS level to authenticate. A username and password-based authentication uses credentials to connect to the Is Shadowsocks? Shadowsocks is an open source, free encryption protocol client designed to securely transmit information between clients and servers. It uses asynchronous input-output and is event-driven to deliver speed. Shadowsocks isn’t a proxy, but it enables connecting to 3rd party SOCKS5 proxy connections. It also supports UDP stall the Shadowsocks ServerHow Do You Run ShadowSocks On Ubuntu? To run and install Shadowsocks on Ubuntu Server follow these steps:Download and update the packages to the newest versions on Ubuntu apt update && apt upgrade -yuf
Install dependencies on the Ubuntu server by running the following command: apt install -y –no-install-recommends gettext build-essential autoconf libtool libpcre3-dev
asciidoc xmlto libev-dev libudns-dev automake libmbedtls-dev
libsodium-dev git python-m2crypto libc-ares-dev
Navigate to the /opt directory on Ubuntu and download the Shadowsocks Git module: cd /opt
git clone cd shadowsocks-libev
git submodule update –init –recursive
Install Shadowsocks-libev:. /. /configure
make && make install
How Do You Run ShadowSocks On CentOS 7? To run and install Shadowsocks on CentOS7 follow these steps:Download and update the packages to the newest versions yum update && yum upgrade -y
yum install epel-release -y
Install dependencies on CentOS7 yum install -y gcc gettext autoconf libtool automake make pcre-devel asciidoc xmlto udns-devel
libev-devel libsodium-devel mbedtls-devel git m2crypto c-ares-devel
Navigate to the /opt directory on CentOS7 and download the Shadowsocks Git module: cd /opt
git submodule update –init –recursive
How Do You Use Shadowsocks Libev? Shadowsocks libev is a lightweight, purely C-based proxy implementation for embedded devices. To use Shadowsocks libev after its installation, simply add a system user to Shadowsocks, create a directory with its configuration nfigure the Shadowsocks ServerCreate a new system user for Shadowsocks:Ubuntu 16. 04 adduser –system –no-create-home –group shadowsocks
CentOS 7 adduser –system –no-create-home -s /bin/false shadowsocks
Create a new directory for the configuration file: mkdir -m 755 /etc/shadowsocks
Create the Shadowsocks configuration file located at /etc/shadowsocks/ Paste the contents listed below into the file, noting the instructions in the
Breakdown table for each property. Follow these instructions to determine the value you should set for each /etc/shadowsocks/shadowsocks. json1
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{
“server”:”your_public_IP_address”,
“server_port”:8388,
“password”:”your_password”,
“timeout”:300,
“method”:”aes-256-gcm”,
“fast_open”: true} BreakdownPropertyDescriptionPossible ValuesserverEnter the server’s public IP determinedserver_portShadowsocks listens on this port. Use the default value of determinedpasswordConnection password. Set a strong determinedtimeoutConnection timeout in seconds. The default value should be sufficient determinedmethodEncryption method. Using AEAD algorithms is
Stream Ciphers and
AEAD Ciphersfast_openReduces latency when turned on. Can only be used with kernel versions 3. 7. 1 or higher. Check the kernel version with uname, falsenameserverName servers for internal DNS determinedOptimize ShadowsocksApply the following optimizations to the system kernel to provide for a smooth running Shadowsocks the /etc/sysctl. d/ system optimization file and paste the contents shown below into the file:CautionThese settings provide the optimal kernel configuration for Shadowsocks. If you have previously configured the system kernel settings for any reason, make sure no conflicts /etc/sysctl. d/ 1
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# max open files
= 51200
# max read buffer
= 67108864
# max write buffer
# default read buffer
= 65536
# default write buffer
# max processor input queue
= 4096
# max backlog
# resist SYN flood attacks
p_syncookies = 1
# reuse timewait sockets when safe
p_tw_reuse = 1
# turn off fast timewait sockets recycling
p_tw_recycle = 0
# short FIN timeout
p_fin_timeout = 30
# short keepalive time
p_keepalive_time = 1200
# outbound port range
net. ipv4. ip_local_port_range = 10000 65000
# max SYN backlog
p_max_syn_backlog = 4096
# max timewait sockets held by system simultaneously
p_max_tw_buckets = 5000
# turn on TCP Fast Open on both client and server side
p_fastopen = 3
# TCP receive buffer
p_rmem = 4096 87380 67108864
# TCP write buffer
p_wmem = 4096 65536 67108864
# turn on path MTU discovery
p_mtu_probing = 1
# for high-latency network
p_congestion_control = hybla
# for low-latency network, use cubic instead
p_congestion_control = cubicApply optimizations:sysctl –system
Create a Shadowsocks Systemd ServiceThe Shadowsocks systemd service allows the daemon to automatically start on system boot and run in the a systemd file with the following content:File: /etc/systemd/system/rvice 1
[Unit]
Description=Shadowsocks proxy server
[Service]
User=root
Group=root
Type=simple
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/ss-server -c /etc/shadowsocks/ -a shadowsocks -v start
ExecStop=/usr/local/bin/ss-server -c /etc/shadowsocks/ -a shadowsocks -v stop
[Install]
Enable and start rvice:systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl enable shadowsocks
systemctl start shadowsocks
Open Firewall Port for Shadowsocks ClientDepending on your preference, you may use either the iptables, UFW, or firewalld (CentOS 7 only) commands to complete this port 8388 for the Shadowsocks Client:Iptablesiptables -4 -A INPUT -p tcp –dport 8388 -m comment –comment “Shadowsocks server listen port” -j ACCEPT
UFWufw allow proto tcp to 0. 0. 0/0 port 8388 comment “Shadowsocks server listen port”
FirewallDfirewall-cmd –permanent –zone=public –add-rich-rule=’
rule family=”ipv4″
port protocol=”tcp” port=”8388″ accept’
firewall-cmd –reload
Install a Shadowsocks ClientThe second stage to a Shadowsocks setup is to install a client on the user’s device. This could include a computer, mobile device, tablet, and even home network router. Supported operating systems include Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux, Android, and Shadowsocks ClientDownload the
ShadowsocksX-NG GUI Client for macOS:Launch the application on your Mac. The app preferences is available from a new status menu bar icon. Select the Server Preferences menu item:In the Server Preferences window, click the + (plus-sign) button in the lower left. Enter the details for your Shadowsocks Linode. Be sure to select the same port and encryption scheme that you listed in your Linode’s file. Afterwards, close the window:In the Shadowsocks menu, make sure that Shadowsocks is turned on and that the Global Mode item is selected:Verify that the Shadowsocks connection is active by visiting an IP address lookup website like
When the connection is working as expected, the website lists the Shadowsocks Linode’s public dows Shadowsocks ClientNavigate to the
Windows Shadowsocks page. Click on under Downloads. Extract the contents of the file into any folder and run Shadowsocks runs as a background process. Locate the Shadowsocks icon in the taskbar (it may be in the Hidden Icons taskbar menu), right-click on the Shadowsocks icon, then click on Edit Servers. Enter the information that you saved in the file:Right-click on the Shadowsocks icon again. Mouse over PAC and select both Local PAC and Secure Local confirm that the Linode’s IP address is selected, mouse over that the Shadowsocks connection is active by visiting an IP address lookup website like
When the connection is working as expected, the website lists the Shadowsocks Linode’s public Do You Know If SOCKS5 Proxy Is Working? To check if the SOCKS5 proxy is working, open the terminal and run the netstat command to see if there is an open port:netstat -tlnp
If the SOCKS5 proxy is working, you should see an output similar to below in the terminal:tcp 0 0 232. 222. 333. 414:8888 0. 0:* LISTEN
Another way to test whether SOCKS5 proxy is working is by using the curl command on the right port of the proxy. For a SOCKS5 proxy hosted at 232. 414 listening at port 8080, run the following command in the terminal:timeout 5 curl -x socks5232. 414:8080 If the SOCKS5 proxy isn’t working properly on a proxy hosted at 232. 414, it returns a timeout on our to Go from HereAfter the Shadowsocks server is online, configure a client on your mobile phone, tablet, or any other devices you use. The
Shadowsocks client download page supports all mainstream InformationYou may wish to consult the following resources for additional information on this topic. While these are provided in the hope that they will be useful, please note that we cannot vouch for the accuracy or timeliness of externally hosted adowsocks officialShadowsocks-libev GitHubThis page was originally published on
Thursday, December 7, 2017.

Install Shadowsocks-libev SOCKS5 proxy server – Tutorial

Tutorials How to install Shadowsocks-libev SOCKS5 proxy server
Shadowsocks is a free open-source SOCKS5 proxy widely used to protect privacy on the Internet. Shadowsocks-libev, written in C, ports Shadowsocks to create a regularly maintained, lighter and faster version of the original Shadowsocks. The data passing through the Shadowsocks-server and Shadowsocks-client is encrypted and can be made indistinguishable from any other web traffic to avoid third-party monitoring.
In this tutorial, we’ll show the steps for installing Shadowsocks-libev on a cloud server, configuring the proxy server, and using a client to connect to the proxy. The instructions are given here for CentOS 8, Debian 10 and Ubuntu 20. 04 but the process should be much the same on any operating system supported by Snap.
Test hosting on UpCloud!
Installing Shadowsocks-libev
Shadowsocks-libev recommends using their Snap releases for an easy way to install the latest binaries.
On CentOS 8 servers you will need EPEL repository before you can install Snap. Add it using the following commands:
sudo dnf install -y epel-release
sudo dnf update -y
Then install and enable Snap by running the next two commands:
sudo dnf install -y snapd
sudo systemctl enable –now
For Debian 10 and Ubuntu 20. 04 systems, first, update the server software and then install Snap with the commands below.
sudo apt update && apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y snapd
Before installing Shadowsocks-libev, you may wish to install haveged to improve randomness but this is optional.
# CentOS 8
sudo dnf install -y haveged
# Debian 10 and Ubuntu 20. 04
sudo apt install -y haveged
Once you have Snap and the optional haveged installed, reboot the server before continuing.
sudo reboot
When your cloud server is up and running again, log back in over SSH. Then install Shadowsocks-libev proxy via Snap using the following command:
sudo snap install shadowsocks-libev
Once you’ve installed Shadowsocks-libev, continue to the next section about how to configure the proxy server.
Configuring proxy server
Snap will install Shadowsocks-libev for you but it’ll need a little help with the setup. Make a directory to hold your configuration files.
sudo mkdir -p /var/snap/shadowsocks-libev/common/etc/shadowsocks-libev
Next, create a JSON file for Shadowsocks-libev configuration. It can be named anything. Here we are using simple config as the name.
sudo touch /var/snap/shadowsocks-libev/common/etc/shadowsocks-libev/
Then edit the file and add the following configuration to the file.
sudo nano /var/snap/shadowsocks-libev/common/etc/shadowsocks-libev/
{
“server”:[“[::0]”, “0. 0. 0”],
“mode”:”tcp_and_udp”,
“server_port”:443,
“password”:”your-secure-password”,
“timeout”:60,
“method”:”chacha20-ietf-poly1305″,
“nameserver”:”1. 1. 1″}
Let’s go over each of the configuration parameteres and what they do.
Server
The example configuration uses the server definition values which accept any IP address, both IPv6 and IPv4:
“server”:[“::0”, “0. 0”],
Not binding to a specific address can be useful if you wish to create a template of the configuration or a custom image of your Shadowsock server. This way the configuration will work regardless of the public IP address.
You can also use your public IPv6 and IPv4 addresses, for example:
“server”:[“2a04:3543:1000:2312:4631:c1ff:feb5:01f0”, “95. 123. 198. 234”],
If you have a domain name that resolves to your cloud server’s IP address, you can also use it to have the proxy only respond to a certain domain.
“server”:””,
Mode
The different modes define the data communication protocol used by the proxy. There are three valid values for “mode”:
1. “tcp_and_udp”
2. “tcp_only”
3. “udp_only”
Using both TCP and UDP allows the proxy to negotiate the best connection available at the time and should be fine. If your network has specific requirements or restrictions, you may need to select tcp_only.
Server port
Our example Shadowsocks config uses the port 443 but it can be set to any free port. If you’re not using HTTP (80) or HTTPS (443) ports by hosting a website on the same server, you should use either of these ports. Note that using a common port such as 80 or 443 can attract unauthorised connection attempts so make sure your password is secure.
Password
The server password is used to authenticate connections to the proxy. Make sure to select a secure password with adequate complexity and length.
Timeout
This is the socket timeout in seconds. The example value of 60 should be fine. However, if you installed Shadowsocks from backports you might need to set it higher but it’s suggested you keep it under 5 minutes, i. e. 300 seconds.
Method
The method refers to the encryption cipher used by the proxy to secure the communications. The cipher used in the example config is a modern and efficient option:
“method”:”chacha20-ietf-poly1305″
You can choose other ciphers if you want. Another popular alternative is:
“method”:”aes-256-gcm”
Nameserver
Our example also includes a domain name server which is not strictly necessary. Without this parameter the proxy will use the DNS used by your cloud server. You can have Shadowsocks use your preferred DNS by setting the nameserver in your config file.
For example, to use Google’s DNS, enter the following:
“nameserver”:”8. 8. 8″
Or if you prefer Cloudflare’s DNS, use their IP address instead:
“nameserver”:”1. 1″
Once you are done editing the configuration, save the file ctrl+o and exit the editor ctrl+x.
Creating systemd service unit
Shadowsocks-libev can be run manually in the terminal but this isn’t very practical in the long-term. Instead, create a systemd service unit file using the following command:
sudo touch /etc/systemd/system/[email protected]
Next, open the newly created file for edit:
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/[email protected]
Then copy and paste the following content into the file:
[Unit]
Description=Shadowsocks-Libev Custom Server Service for%I
Documentation=man:ss-server(1)
[Service]
Type=simple
ExecStart=/usr/bin/snap run -c /var/snap/shadowsocks-libev/common/etc/shadowsocks-libev/
[Install]
Afterwards, save the file and exit the editor.
You can then enable the systemd service unit for your config file by running the following command. Note that the @config is used to select the configuration file, in this case, but without the file format notation.
sudo systemctl enable –now [email protected]
Check that the server started up successfully by using the status command:
sudo systemctl status [email protected]
You should see Shadowsocks listening to the IP addresses, ports and protocols you defined in the configuration. In our example output below, you can see both TCP and UDP running on IPv4 and IPv6 addresses as set in the configuration step.
● [email protected] – Shadowsocks-Libev Custom Server Service for config
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/[email protected]; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Sun 2020-08-30 10:37:06 UTC; 3s ago
Docs: man:ss-server(1)
Main PID: 1229 (ss-server)
Tasks: 1 (limit: 1074)
Memory: 18. 0M
CGroup: /x2dlibev[email protected]
└─1229 /snap/shadowsocks-libev/508/bin/ss-server -c /var/snap/shadowsocks-libev/common/etc/shadowsocks-libev/
Aug 30 10:37:06 systemd[1]: Started Shadowsocks-Libev Custom Server Service for config.
Aug 30 10:37:07 snap[1229]: 2020-08-30 10:37:07 INFO: UDP relay enabled
Aug 30 10:37:07 snap[1229]: 2020-08-30 10:37:07 INFO: initializing ciphers… chacha20-ietf-poly1305
Aug 30 10:37:07 snap[1229]: 2020-08-30 10:37:07 INFO: using nameserver: 1. 1
Aug 30 10:37:07 snap[1229]: 2020-08-30 10:37:07 INFO: tcp server listening at [::0]:443
Aug 30 10:37:07 snap[1229]: 2020-08-30 10:37:07 INFO: tcp server listening at 0. 0:443
Aug 30 10:37:07 snap[1229]: 2020-08-30 10:37:07 INFO: udp server listening at [::0]:443
Aug 30 10:37:07 snap[1229]: 2020-08-30 10:37:07 INFO: udp server listening at 0. 0:443
Aug 30 10:37:07 snap[1229]: 2020-08-30 10:37:07 INFO: running from root user
With Shadowsocks-libev proxy server up and running, we are almost ready to start testing the connection. Before then, check the next part of the tutorial to configure your firewall to allow a connection.
Allowing connection through firewall
If you are using a firewall like UFW or firewalld, make sure you open up the port used by server_port as set in the configuration file, port 443 in this example.
# Ubuntu
sudo ufw allow 443
# CentOS
sudo firewall-cmd –add-service= –permanent
sudo firewall-cmd –reload
If you’re not using a software firewall on your server we recommend enabling the UpCloud’s Firewall service on your cloud server.
Check out the tutorial for managing UpCloud Firewall to find out more.
Connecting using proxy client
Shadowsocks-libev is now ready for proxy connections. To be able to connect to your Shadowsocks proxy server, you’ll need a client.
Client software
Shadowsocks is supported by a number of different clients and devices. You can find the list of available clients for your devices at the Shadowsocks download page.
Install a client of your choosing and test out the connection with the help of the details below.
For example, you can use the same Shadowsocks-libev software in client mode by installing it on your local system. Follow the installation steps like when installing the Shadowsocks-libev server then continue in the Linux client configuration step underneath.
Configuring mobile devices
As a light-weight proxy, Shadowsocks-libev works great with mobile devices. If you want a quick way to connect using a smartphone, go to the Shadowsocks’ QR generator and fill your config details in the following format:
ssmethod:[email protected]:port
Replace the hostname with your server’s public IP if you are using the IPs instead of a domain name. For example:
sschacha20-ietf-poly1305:[email protected]:443
Then import the generated URI or QR code on your device using the client software. Select the imported profile and activate the connection. And finally, configure your system to use the proxy.
In mobile devices like iOS and Android, the connection can serve as a full VPN.
Configuring another Linux host
Connecting using the Shadowsock-libev as a client can be done by configuring the proxy in localhost mode. Once installed, create file as underneath.
Set the file to include the server IP address and port as you configured on the proxy server. Also, include local address and port like shown below. Lastly, set the password and encryption method to match your Shadowsocks proxy server.
“server”:”95. 234″,
“local_address”:”127. 1″,
“local_port”:1080,
“method”:”chacha20-ietf-poly1305″}
Next, create a systemd unit file for the Shadowsocks client and edit it to have the following content.
Description=Shadowsocks-Libev Local Service for%I
Documentation=man:ss-local(1)
Once done, save the file and exit the editor.
Then start the client proxy using the following command. Note that the @config is used to select the configuration file, e. g. but without the file format.
sudo systemctl start [email protected]
The local proxy creates a connection to your cloud server and allows data to pass through them. To actually have application data to use the proxy, you’ll need to configure your web browser or operating system to use the local proxy. The actual process depends on your use case but by our configuration, the proxy is running on the IP 127. 1 and port 1080.
Testing the connection
Once you are connected, check that your traffic is running through the proxy. For example, open the following URL to test the IP address you are connecting from as seen by others on the Internet.
Alternatively, you can test it directly by using curl in the terminal:
curl –proxy socks5127. 1:1080 Or by starting Google Chrome with the following command-line option:
google-chrome –proxy-server=”socks5127. 1:1080″
You should then see your connection details listing the IP address of your cloud server instead of the IP of your client device.
Note that using a VPN connection to your cloud server does not guarantee anonymity and any network traffic must comply with UpCloud Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy.
Making further optimisations
You should now have a fully functional proxy securing your connection to your cloud server. You may not need any additional optimisations, but in the off-chance that you are having a less than ideal experience, the following tweaks might help.
Increasing open file descriptors
Check the current values by running:
ulimit -aH
If open files parameter shows less than 51200, do the following:
Open the file in a text editor.
sudo nano /etc/security/
Then add the following lines just before the # End of file:
* soft nofile 51200
* hard nofile 51200
Alternatively, use the following if the proxy server is running as root:
root soft nofile 51200
root hard nofile 51200
Tuning the kernel parameters
Depending on the performance of your proxy server, you may wish to make the following changes to your system configuration:
sudo nano /etc/
Add the following lines to the end of the file:
= 51200
= 250000
= 4096
p_syncookies = 1
p_tw_reuse = 1
p_tw_recycle = 0
p_fin_timeout = 30
p_keepalive_time = 1200
net. ipv4. ip_local_port_range = 10000 65000
p_max_syn_backlog = 8192
p_max_tw_buckets = 5000
p_fastopen = 3
p_mtu_probing = 1
= 67108864
p_mem = 25600 51200 102400
p_rmem = 4096 87380 67108864
p_wmem = 4096 65536 67108864
Then save the file and run the command below to reload the settings.
sudo sysctl -p
Using TCP BBR
TCP BBR is a TCP congestion control algorithm developed by Google and its been reported to improve performance on certain networks. You can enable it by adding the following to lines to your system configuration file.
p_congestion_control=bbr
Then save the file and reload the settings.
Check the changes by running the next command.
sudo sysctl p_congestion_control
If the output is as follows the setting was applied successfully.
p_congestion_control = bbr
These optimisations should help alleviate any possible performance issues.
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How to use Windows 10 SOCKS5 proxy settings

Elena started writing professionally in 2010 and hasn’t stopped exploring the tech world since. With a firm grasp of software reviewing and content editing, she is always trying new things to improve her skill… Read more
SOCKS5 is a proxy server that can hide your IP address and make you anonymous online. You can use it to circumvent Internet blocks and access restricted can use Windows 10 proxy settings by configuring the built-in system options. Alternatively, you can download and install third-party software like Shadowsocks or a VPN with SOCKS5 our Proxy Server section to find out more about this our VPN Troubleshooting Hub to fix more VPN-related issues.
Windows 10 has built-in SOCKS5 proxy settings, but you can also set it up on your PC through other means. Find out how.
What is SOCKS proxy?
SOCKS is an Internet protocol that sends and receives data packets through a proxy server, which assigns a different IP address before the information reaches its destination.
Unlike a VPN, a proxy server doesn’t encrypt the network traffic, so you can take advantage of data protection against man-in-the-middle attacks.
What is SOCKS5 and why should you use it?
SOCKS5 is the latest SOCKS version. Compared to its predecessors like SOCKS4, SOCKS5 brings more security and authentication methods.
Here’s what you can do with a SOCKS5 proxy server:
Circumvent Internet blocks to access sites restricted to your true IP address
Use web-enabled applications that run under various request types: HTTP and HTTPS (web browsing), POP3 and SMTP (email), FTP (torrent and other peer-to-peer clients).
Make your Internet connection faster and more reliable by using not only TCP but also UDP.
Improve your performance by reducing errors caused by rewritten data packet headers.
Speed up downloads in torrenting and other P2P clients by transferring smaller data packets.
How do I use SOCKS5 proxy settings on Windows 10?
Internet Options
Go to Control Panel > Internet Options.
Switch to the Connections tab.
Click LAN settings.
Enable Use a proxy server for your LAN.
Activate Bypass proxy server for local addresses.
Click Advanced.
Disable Use the same proxy server for all protocols.
At Socks, specify the server address and port of the SOCKS5 proxy.
Delete everything at HTTP, Secure, and FTP.
Click OK > Apply.
You can configure SOCKS5 proxy settings in Windows 10 without having to install any additional software. Plus, the setup applies to all software applications with Internet access, not just your web browser.
Mozilla Firefox
Download Firefox and install it on Windows 10.
Click the ≡ button and go to Options.
In the General tab, scroll down to Network Settings.
Click Settings.
Select Manual proxy configuration.
Set SOCKS5 Host and Port to the server address and port of the SOCKS5 proxy.
Select SOCKS5 v5.
Click OK.
If you prefer using a web browser with SOCKS5 proxy instead of the entire computer, Firefox is your best bet. While using Firefox for SOCKS5, you can use any other browser for direct Internet connections.
Firefox is one of the few web browsers that have individual proxy settings, unlike Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Opera.
If you wish to regularly switch SOCKS5 proxy servers, you can install a Firefox extension like FoxyProxy.
Shadowsocks
Go to the Shadowsocks page.
Download the latest version for Windows 10.
Unzip the archive and run the executable file.
Set the IP address, port, and password of the SOCKS5 proxy.
Right-click the Shadowsocks systray icon.
Select System Proxy > Global.
Shadowsocks is a SOCKS5 proxy client that can be easily installed on Windows 10 to use SOCKS5 proxy settings. It runs in the systray and can be quickly configured, enabled, and disabled.
Furthermore, Shadowsocks features several encryption methods to make up for the fact that SOCKS5 doesn’t have one, including 256-bit AES military-grade encryption.
In addition to security, a huge benefit of using Shadowsocks is that it applies the SOCKS5 proxy settings globally to Windows 10. As such, all Internet-enabled programs will use it.
uTorrent
Download uTorrent on your Windows PC.
Install the torrent client and launch it.
Open the Options menu and select Preferences.
Go to Connection.
Set Proxy Server Type to Socks5.
Set Proxy and Port to the server address and port of the SOCKS5 proxy.
Click Apply.
On Windows 10 and other operating systems, you can configure SOCKS5 proxy settings directly in a torrent client to make your IP address anonymous and protect your true identity in the torrent swarm.
Private Internet Access
Sign up for a PIA subscription plan.
Download and install PIA for Windows 10.
Right-click PIA’s systray icon and go to Settings.
Switch to the Proxy tab.
Select Shadowsocks, click Configure, and choose a location.
Or, choose SOCKS5 Proxy, click Configure, and set the SOCKS5 proxy details.
Left-click PIA’s systray icon.
Press the big power button to connect to a VPN server.
If you want to not only spoof your IP address but also encrypt your traffic, use a VPN like PIA with a SOCKS5 proxy at the same time.
In Shadowsocks mode, you can connect the VPN server to a second location for increased privacy and security. It’s similar to using a double VPN to stay connected to two VPN servers at once.
In SOCKS5 proxy mode, you simply specify the connection details of a SOCKS5 proxy server. It’s the custom alternative to Shadowsocks mode, but it’s a bit more complicated.
Check out how to correctly use PIA SOCKS5 proxy.
Use PIA to stay connected to a VPN and a SOCKS5 proxy server at the same time.
To summarize, you can easily set up SOCKS5 proxy settings on Windows 10 using the built-in system options.
However, it’s also possible to resort to other methods, like configuring Firefox, uTorrent or Shadowsocks settings.
But the best solution is to use VPN and SOCKS5 at the same time with the help of Private Internet Access.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you use SOCKS5?
You can use SOCKS5 on Windows 10 by configuring system settings or by turning to alternative methods that require additional software.
Is SOCKS5 a VPN?
No, SOCKS5 is a proxy server. Unlike a VPN, a proxy server can’t encrypt your data traffic. However, you can use a VPN and proxy together.

Frequently Asked Questions about shadowsocks socks5

Is Shadowsocks a SOCKS5?

Shadowsocks is a free open-source SOCKS5 proxy widely used to protect privacy on the Internet.Nov 6, 2020

How do I setup a SOCKS5 proxy?

How do I use SOCKS5 proxy settings on Windows 10?Go to Control Panel > Internet Options.Switch to the Connections tab.Click LAN settings.Enable Use a proxy server for your LAN.Activate Bypass proxy server for local addresses.Click Advanced.Disable Use the same proxy server for all protocols.More items…•Aug 18, 2020

Is Shadowsocks a proxy?

Shadowsocks is based on a technique called proxying. … It creates an encrypted connection between the Shadowsocks client on your local computer and the one running on your proxy server, using an open-source internet protocol called SOCKS5.Sep 19, 2017