Everything You Need to Know About SSH SOCKS5 Proxy

SSH SOCKS5 proxy; doesn’t it sound like the most complicated tech phrase you’ve ever heard? Anything sounds confusing if you haven’t heard about it before, so we want to remove that confusion before getting into the details.
Say you see a beautiful cabin in the woods, and your curiosity kicks in; you want to take a look inside but are afraid to get caught. You need to get in and get out without anyone noticing; in other words, be completely invisible. But there is another option; you can fake your location as if you were never there by using a unique tool; SSH SOCKS5 proxy.
Don’t get too excited; SSH SOCKS5 proxy is not a physical object you can use to break into places; it’s a digital tool that hides your actual location on the internet.
Now that you have an idea of what SSH SOCKS5 proxy is, let’s start from the beginning and get a bit more technical.

What is SSH & How Does It Work?

SSH is short for Secure Shell Protocol, and it is like a communication key that opens the connecting door between two parties online; two remote devices, a computer and a server, etc. Say you want to use your personal computer to access a remote server. You run SSH, and the connection is on once you enter the correct password.
Three encryption technologies encrypt any data you send and receive over SSH command; Symmetrical encryption, Asymmetrical encryption, and Hashing. Aside from data transferring/receiving, you can use SSH commands to execute tasks on remote devices.
SSH is a popular remote administration protocol because of one important reason:
It allows users to send and receive encrypted data remotely on an insecure network.

What is SOCKS Proxy?

First, let’s cover the meaning of proxy.
Imagine a connection bridge that allows you to access locally banned websites or digital platforms; that’s a proxy. A proxy server uses an Internet protocol to transfer data to and from users; SOCKS. Think of the SOCKS (short for Socket Secure) proxy as an online bucket that gathers data and then sends it to users. Some countries restrict access to particular platforms or websites, but by using a proxy, your IP remains hidden. When you run the SOCKS proxy, it’s as if your IP address is identical to the proxy server’s IP address.
The SOCKS proxy is so popular because SOCKS proxy uses many protocols to bypass geo-blocks but can also bypass firewalls.

What is SOCKS5 Proxy?

SOCKS5 is the fifth version of the SOCKS proxy, which supports User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connections.
Important note:
A SOCKS proxy is not a VPN. The main difference between the two is that in addition to hiding your original IP address, VPN encrypts your data so cyber snoopers cannot spy on your activity, but a SOCKS proxy does not do this.
However, a SOCKS5 proxy has its own special benefits, such as:

• Bypassing internet blocks by rerouting your traffic
• Reliable connection and performance because of using UDP
• No data packet rewriting resulting in no data misrouting
• Faster download speeds
• Can reroute any type of traffic

What is SSH SOCKS5 Proxy?

SSH solves the lack of encryption in the SOCKS proxy. Once you have your SOCKS proxy, you can set up an SSH tunnel between your computer and the proxy server to encrypt and secure your data to keep it safe from many cyber threats.

What is PuTTY SOCKS Proxy?

PuTTY SOCKS proxy is made up of three independent concepts. Remember SSH?
PuTTY is a Windows configuration software that emulates an SSH tunnel over a proxy server. You need a proxy server to connect to an SSH server, but to do that, you need a connecting bridge, in this case, SOCKS.
So PuTTY SOCKS proxy is not one tool; PuTTY is the terminal emulator button you need to push to connect to a proxy server, and SOCKS is the connecting link between the two.

How to Run SSH via SOCKS Proxy?

To run SSH via SOCKS proxy, you need a terminal application or a terminal emulator, such as PuTTY.
Here are the steps to fire up the PuTTY SOCKS proxy over an SSH server:

1. Launch PuTTY
2. Click on Proxy on the PuTTY configuration sidebar menu
3. In the proxy type section, select SOCKS5
4. Fill in the Proxy hostname section
5. Click on Session in the sidebar menu
6. Choose SSH in the connection type section
7. Enter the connection details of the SSH server
8. Click Open

What is SOCKS Proxy Linux & How to Set It UP?

There is no SOCKS proxy Linux, but you can set a SOCKS proxy on a Linux operating system or turn a Linux-based device into a SOCKS proxy. You can set up a SOCKS proxy Linux by setting up an SSH via SOCKS proxy.
Open your command prompt and type:

ssh -N -D 0.0.0.0:1080 localhost

This command can connect to an SSH over SOCKS5 or SOCKS4.

Also Read: How To Use SSH to Connect to a Remote Server in Linux?

SSH SOCKS5 Proxy; Why & How to Create it?

Setting up an SSH over SOCKS5 allows you to bypass network filtering and limitations and protect your data privacy at the same time. If your government, employer, school, or anyone else is blocking your access to certain websites, you can use SSH SOCKS5 proxy to reroute your traffic and bounce it off and from the proxy server’s IP address.

By using SSH over SOCKS5, all your data will be encrypted, and you can transfer data securely. Whether you have a Linux, Mac, or Windows operating system, the process of SSH config SOCKS proxy is simple and fast. (Windows users can use PuTTY SOCKS proxy for connecting to SSH over SOCKS5)

SSH SOCKS5 Proxy; Configuration

Run the following command in your terminal to set up SSH SOCKS5 proxy:

$ ssh -D 0000 -q -C -N user@VPS_IP

Remote host/device name: user@VPS_IP
SOCKS Proxy local port: -D 0000 (0000 is an example of a local port number, input yours)

VPS Vs. SOCKS5 Proxy; Which is Best for 100% Online Security?

It depends on what you are looking for. If you just want to mask your IP_your location_ to access geo-restricted content, running a SOCKS5 proxy will do.

But if you want to 100% protect your data and critical information from Internet lurkers that are waiting for a chance to exploit data vulnerability, investing in a reliable Linux VPS is a must.

Linux Hosting Simplified

Want a better way to host your websites and web apps? Developing something new? Simply don’t like Windows? That’s why we have Linux VPS.

Get your Linux VPS

A SOCKS5 proxy doesn’t cost much; in fact, some VPN providers offer it for free, but your data is at risk every time you access a restricted website or platform. On the other hand, VPS servers are highly secured and do not leak your information to anybody. Also, you can implement extra security precautions on your VPS server to protect it against malware, viruses, Spam, Phishing, DDoS attacks, and more.

We believe no one should ever pay hefty fees just to protect their data and privacy, so we offer our VPS packages at the most pocket-friendly rates possible.

With Cloudzy VPS, you can eliminate cyber threats and browse the online world in peace.

FAQ

SSH SOCKS5 Proxy Vs. VPS; Which one is better?

With an SSH SOCKS5 proxy, your traffic is encrypted, and your true location is hidden, but you’re not safe from expert hackers; some ports may leave you vulnerable. So VPS is the better choice.

Does PuTTY SOCKS Proxy work on Linux or macOS?

Yes, you can set up a PuTTY SOCKS proxy on macOS and all Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, Debian, etc.