How to use Windows 10 SOCKS5 proxy settings
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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.
How can I set socks proxy on windows? – Super User
Hi I have a PC with a proxy internet connection. When I use for example flutter it needs to download some dependencies by sock connection. How can I set a global configuration for my PC to use socks connection to internet? Thanks
asked Feb 25 ’20 at 14:00
Windows’ basic proxy settings in “Network and Internet” don’t seem to actually allow setting a SOCKS proxy explicitly.
To set a SOCKS proxy (SOCKS4 or SOCKS5, I believe) on Windows 10:
Take note of your public IP address by searching Google for “my ip” (open this in a new tab and keep it open)
Open Internet Options (either by searching in the start/search bar, or through Control Panel > Network and Internet > Internet Options)
Open the Connections tab and click LAN Settings
Check the box to “Use a proxy server for your LAN”. You’ll likely also want to check “Bypass proxy server for local addresses”. Then click the “Advanced” button:
Uncheck “Use the same proxy server for all protocols”, remove all proxy addresses except for “Socks”, and replace the Socks address/port with that of your server:
Click OK on the Proxy Settings window, OK on the LAN Settings window, and Apply on the Internet Properties window. All connections should now be going through your SOCKS proxy. Double check by again searching Google for “my ip” and comparing to your original external IP address (this should now show the IP address of your SOCKS5 server)
Credit to for getting me pointed in the right direction, after trying the suggestions on this page
answered Jan 17 at 22:15
2
If you use Windows 10, follow the steps below to set proxy:
Open Settings.
Click Network & Internet.
Click Proxy.
In the Manual Proxy Setup section, set the Use a Proxy Server switch to On.
In the Address field, type the IP address.
In the Port field, type the port.
Click Save; then close the Settings window.
There is 4 main types of proxy:
HTTP — allows to visit web-sites and download files from HTTP.
HTTPS — also called SSL proxies. With these proxies you can view HTTP and HTTPS special software they may be used with any protocol like SOCKS proxies.
Socks 4 — can be used with any TCP/IP protocol with any destination address and port..
Socks 5 — you may also use UDP protocol, make DNS requests, und use BIND function for port forwarding.
answered Feb 25 ’20 at 14:41
10
The only way I was able to set a socks proxy in windows 10 was via Internet Explorer.
Search for and run the Internet Explorer App.
From the Tools menu click on Internet Options.
Click on the Connections tab.
Click the “LAN settings” button.
Add a check to the “Use a proxy server for your LAN” if its not already checked.
Click on the Advanced setting
Uncheck the box for “Use the same proxy server for all protocols” if it’s checked.
Set your SOCKS server here and clear the fields for all the other proxy types.
Click OK, click OK, click OK, and now your system is configured to use a SOCKS proxy.
answered May 18 ’20 at 4:04
The Windows 10 proxy setup UI is terrible.
To use socks, you need to enter this into the address field:
socks=localhost
Replace localhost with the actual proxy address.
Set the port as per usual.
answered Dec 17 ’20 at 1:21
RyanRyan1515 bronze badges
1
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Personal firewall
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Includes platform support
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Single sign-on
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Offers protocol support
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Frequently Asked Questions about socks5 client windows
How do I install SOCKS5 on Windows 10?
Mozilla FirefoxDownload 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.Aug 18, 2020
Is SOCKS5 a software?
Socks5 Proxy software grants stable and high-speed anonymous work on the Internet.
Does NordVPN have SOCKS5?
Fortunately, when you buy NordVPN, you can also use some of our servers as SOCKS5 proxies. With all of our other features, you can easily switch between maximum security, maximum speed, or the best of both worlds.