How to Run a SOCKS5 Proxy in 30 Seconds

In a world where digital privacy is becoming a luxury and network restrictions are tightening, having a reliable proxy server is an essential tool for any developer or power user. But why are most proxy servers so hard to set up?

Config files, dependencies, docker containers… effective tools shouldn’t be a chore to use.

Enter socks-proxy.

The “Slap It and Forget It” Solution

We built socks-proxy with one philosophy: Simplicity.

• Zero Dependencies: No installing libraries or wrestling with package managers.
• Single Binary: Just one file to download and run.
• Cross-Platform: Works seamlessly on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
• High Performance: Written in pure C for minimal footprint and maximum throughput.

It is the perfect solution for tunneling traffic, bypassing firewalls, or testing network applications.

Getting Started

Here is how to get your own SOCKS5 proxy running up and running.

1. Download

Grab the latest release from our GitHub repository.

2. Run It

Open your terminal and run the binary. It’s that simple.

./socks-proxy

By default, this starts a SOCKS5 server on 0.0.0.0:1080 with no authentication.

3. Connect

Configure your browser or application to use the proxy:

• Host: localhost (or your server’s IP)
• Port: 1080
• Type: SOCKS5

Power User Features

Need more control? We’ve got you covered.

Custom Port

Want to run on a specific port? Use the --port flag:

./socks-proxy --port 8080

Security (Authentication)

Don’t leave your proxy open to the world. Secure it with a username and password:

./socks-proxy --user "myuser" --pass "mypassword"

Now, only users with those credentials can route traffic through your machine.

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