SOCKS5 is a proxy protocol that tunnels any TCP or UDP traffic without inspecting the data, unlike HTTP proxies that only handle web requests. KnoxProxy includes it on all 4 proxy networks -- residential, datacenter, mobile, and ISP -- at no extra cost. From $0.60/GB, pay as you go.
A SOCKS5 proxy tunnels any TCP or UDP traffic through a server without inspecting or modifying it -- unlike an HTTP proxy, which only understands web requests. KnoxProxy runs it on the same gateway as HTTP/S, on every network, at the same price: connect to gw.knoxproxy.com:7001 with the credentials you already have.
Every KnoxProxy socks proxy runs on the same gateway as HTTP/S -- gw.knoxproxy.com on port 7001 -- so moving an integration from HTTP to SOCKS5 is a one-line change, not a new account. Pick the network by trust and price; the protocol and rate stay the same.
| Metric | Residential | Datacenter | Mobile | ISP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOCKS5 included | ||||
| Gateway port | 7001 | 7001 | 7001 | 7001 |
| Trust score | Very high | Low | Highest | High |
| Price from | $2.10/GB | $0.60/GB | $4.50/GB | $2.90/IP |
Point cURL, Python (requests[socks]), or Node (socks-proxy-agent) at the gateway, or route a whole desktop app through Proxifier. Browser-only workflows can use SwitchyOmega or FoxyProxy instead -- same host, same port, same credentials as HTTP/S.
# SOCKS5 -- same account, any of the 4 networkscurl -x "socks5://USER:PASS@gw.knoxproxy.com:7001" \ "https://httpbin.org/ip"# -> 200 | socks5 | one gateway, one credential pairIt is a protocol that tunnels any TCP or UDP traffic through a proxy server without inspecting or modifying the data -- unlike an HTTP proxy, which only understands web requests. That makes it the right choice for non-HTTP traffic: FTP, SSH, DNS, game clients, and any app that opens a raw socket connection.
No. It is included at the same per-GB or per-IP rate as HTTP/HTTPS on every network -- residential, datacenter, mobile, and ISP. There is no separate SOCKS5 product and no protocol surcharge.
Not measurably, on KnoxProxy. Both protocols run on the same gateway and the same exit pool, so there is no meaningful throughput difference. The lower overhead only shows up on raw, unencrypted traffic, which is a small share of real scraping and browsing workloads.
Point the client at gw.knoxproxy.com:7001 with your existing username and password. For a desktop app with no built-in proxy setting, use Proxifier to route all its traffic through the gateway. For a browser, SwitchyOmega or FoxyProxy do the same job with per-tab or per-site rules.
Yes -- ssh -D 1080 user@server opens a local tunnel through any server you control. It covers one IP and one session, with no rotation and no geo-targeting. A managed network is the difference once a job needs more than one exit or more than one country.
No safe, reliable one runs permanently free -- maintaining IP pools across four networks costs money to source and monitor. What KnoxProxy offers instead is a genuine free trial: no credit card, real access on every network, cancel anytime.
They solve different problems despite the similar name. SOCKS5 is a proxy protocol for routing traffic through a server you trust. Shadowsocks is an obfuscation protocol built to disguise traffic in networks that actively block proxies. KnoxProxy proxies use the standard protocol, not Shadowsocks.
VPNs like Private Internet Access bundle an endpoint for torrent and P2P use, usually on a handful of fixed gateway locations. That is a single static exit, not a rotating, geo-targeted network. Use the VPN's version for its intended P2P use case; use KnoxProxy when a job needs to choose a country, city, or ASN.
Free trial, no credit card. The same credentials work across HTTP/S and SOCKS5 on every network from day one.