SOCKS5 versus HTTP proxy#
| SOCKS5 | HTTP proxy | |
|---|---|---|
| Protocols carried | Any TCP | HTTP and HTTPS (CONNECT can tunnel other TCP too) |
| Understands the request | No | Yes for plain HTTP |
| DNS resolution | On the proxy (socks5h) or locally (socks5) | On the proxy for full-URL requests; host name sent in CONNECT |
| Client support | Most tools; some need a library | Universal |
socks5 versus socks5h#
In cURL and Python, socks5:// resolves the destination hostname on your machine and sends the IP to the proxy; socks5h:// sends the hostname and lets the exit resolve it. Use socks5h to keep DNS queries in the exit's country and to avoid leaking hostnames to your local resolver.
socks5h://USER-cc-us:[email protected]:9001How it works at ProxShift#
ProxShift gateways speak SOCKS5 on port 9001 with the same credentials and username parameters as HTTP; dedicated addresses on port 8001. UDP ASSOCIATE and BIND are not supported: TCP only.
Questions people ask#
Is SOCKS5 faster than HTTP?
Not measurably. Both add one hop; SOCKS5 does slightly less parsing but the network path dominates. Choose by tool support and DNS behaviour, not speed.