In today's Internet, where the issue of ensuring anonymity is becoming more acute, many people begin to think about what tools to use for this. This is where confusion often arises, as not everyone understands aspects of existing technologies. And there are a huge number of them, and even the solution of the same problem of hiding the real IP address can be implemented in different ways.
Today we will talk about the SOCKS proxy technology, how it works, the advantages and differences from other tools for ensuring anonymity on the Internet.
Note: this is a breakdown for those who are not entirely aware of the details of this technology and its differences from other tools, in this topic we do not pretend to be a deep analysis.
The most recent protocol specification is SOCKS5. It uses UDP and TCP connections to forward traffic. SOCKS5 also uses several authentication methods:
In some cases, in this way it is possible to overcome the blockages imposed by government agencies. However, there are limitations here - when using DPI (deep packet inspection) technology, traffic will be blocked at the level of the Internet provider even before it reaches the site. In this case, a simple proxy will not help.
An important point. Some HTTP proxies can only work with web pages, while SOCKS5 can handle any traffic. Such proxies work at a lower level
TCP is a protocol with guaranteed message delivery between client and server. TCP is a protocol with guaranteed message delivery between client and server. It is also a streaming protocol. In UDP, delivery of all packets is not a guaranteed condition, and it is a packet protocol. Its use allows traffic to be forwarded faster, since time is not wasted on re-sending unreceived packets, and data packets are parsed faster than streams.
SOCKS5 proxies never change the headers of data packets, which happens when using other types of proxies. This improves performance when forwarding traffic. However, there are also disadvantages here - the headers can also contain personal data of users, which means that, in theory, it will be possible to recognize them.
It is important to understand that proxies allow you to hide the IP address and solve a number of other tasks (such as bypassing blocking), but by themselves they are not a tool for ensuring privacy. The proxy user can be tracked down and its traffic intercepted.
However, using a proxy in combination with a VPN allows you to achieve good performance and better protect sensitive information.
Today we will talk about the SOCKS proxy technology, how it works, the advantages and differences from other tools for ensuring anonymity on the Internet.
Note: this is a breakdown for those who are not entirely aware of the details of this technology and its differences from other tools, in this topic we do not pretend to be a deep analysis.
What it is
SOCKS is an Internet protocol that is used to transfer data packets from server to client using an intermediate proxy server. Today it is the most advanced mass proxy technology. When using it, traffic passes through a proxy server that uses its own IP address, from which the final connection to the desired destination is already in progress.The most recent protocol specification is SOCKS5. It uses UDP and TCP connections to forward traffic. SOCKS5 also uses several authentication methods:
- Null authentication - in this case, you do not need to go through the authentication procedure to connect to the proxy;
- authentication by login and password - the connection is established after entering the correct credentials;
- GSS-API authentication - both client and server use OS-level authentication methods.
Why use SOCKS proxies
There are several reasons for using SOCKS proxies, here are two main ones:Bypass locks
The most obvious use of a proxy is to hide the real IP address for some purpose, such as bypassing blocking. For example, if a certain IP address is blacklisted by a site, it will be enough to use a proxy to access it.In some cases, in this way it is possible to overcome the blockages imposed by government agencies. However, there are limitations here - when using DPI (deep packet inspection) technology, traffic will be blocked at the level of the Internet provider even before it reaches the site. In this case, a simple proxy will not help.
An important point. Some HTTP proxies can only work with web pages, while SOCKS5 can handle any traffic. Such proxies work at a lower level
Increased speed and performance
Other varieties of SOCKS technology worked with the TCP protocol, and the new proxies can handle UDP traffic as well.TCP is a protocol with guaranteed message delivery between client and server. TCP is a protocol with guaranteed message delivery between client and server. It is also a streaming protocol. In UDP, delivery of all packets is not a guaranteed condition, and it is a packet protocol. Its use allows traffic to be forwarded faster, since time is not wasted on re-sending unreceived packets, and data packets are parsed faster than streams.
SOCKS5 proxies never change the headers of data packets, which happens when using other types of proxies. This improves performance when forwarding traffic. However, there are also disadvantages here - the headers can also contain personal data of users, which means that, in theory, it will be possible to recognize them.
SOCKS vs VPN: What's the Difference
Not all proxy providers write about this, but the main difference between SOCKS and VPN is the level of anonymity that can be achieved. In the case of a VPN, all transmitted data is encrypted, which is not the case with a SOCKS proxy.It is important to understand that proxies allow you to hide the IP address and solve a number of other tasks (such as bypassing blocking), but by themselves they are not a tool for ensuring privacy. The proxy user can be tracked down and its traffic intercepted.
However, using a proxy in combination with a VPN allows you to achieve good performance and better protect sensitive information.
