The Best Program for Socks5 Proxy. Top 5 Software for Anonymous Access

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More and more users have become concerned about anonymous access to web resources. There are a lot of ways to hide your web actions from providers and to bypass their regional restrictions. The simplest one is to use proxy servers, allowing users to hide their real IP addresses.

The most widespread proxy servers are HTTP proxy servers which use ports 80, 8080 and 3128 for transferring data. This servers have a lot of significant drawbacks. For example, HTTP proxy servers can use only HTTP protocol and save logs of your connection. It also transfers headers with information about using proxy servers and can filter and spoof transferred data, and this might adversely effect on your security and anonymity.

Another way is to use socks proxy, which can forward not only HTTP data, but also data from other applications of your operating system. For example, socks proxy enables user with an ability to forward traffic from email clients, messengers and other applications. Socks5 proxy servers are highly protected and support UDP protocol, making it a universal instrument for anonymous data transferring. Additionally, socks proxy supports network chains, allowing you to use several socks servers to make your connection more anonymous.

Thus, socks proxy is a preferable way to build anonymous connection, as it is more universal, secured and convenient than HTTP proxy. Socks proxy servers are easy to use and can be configured by a beginner user, who knows nothing about network administration.

So, how can the average user build an anonymous web connection using socks proxy? There are a lot of programs which can help you to create anonymous web connection. The most popular are SocksCap, FreeCap, ProxyCap, WideCap and Proxy Helper, whose features will be described in this article.

SocksCap

SocksCap is a program used to configure Windows applications for working through socks proxy ver. 4/5. This program has a simple interface and can be easily installed and configured.

It should be noted that the most widely spread version of SocksCap fully supports only Windows XP and doesn’t work in Windows 7 or later. However, there is a modified version named SocksCap64, which correctly works in modern Windows 32 bit and 64 bit versions.

After installation and first launching, the program offers you to automatically determine and add browsers installed in your operation system. In addition, you can manually list programs whose traffic must be forwarded through socks proxy. A list of added browsers and programs is displayed in the program’s main menu. Enter socks proxy parameters in program options and launch an application you wish from the SocksCap’s main window.

Advantages:

  • Easy installation

  • Easy configuration. Click Options button in the program’s menu and enter socks proxy parameters.

  • User-friendly interface. Just click on the application shortcut in the main window of the program to launch it and forward its traffic to socks proxy.

Disadvantages:

  • SocksCap doesn’t support Windows 7 or later. However, you can use SocksCap64, which supports Windows 7 and later.

FreeCap

FreeCap is a free software for forwarding traffic to socks server. FreeCap supports socks 4 and socks 5 protocols and can forward traffic from any application installed in your operation system.

The program has a user-friendly interface and can be easily configured – just enter socks server’s parameters and choose the destination of an application you want to use with proxy. After that you can launch this application directly from FreeCap’s main window.

FreeCap supports Windows95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/Longhorn/Blackcomb OS and doesn’t work in Windows Vista and later.

Advantages:

  • This program is free for use.

  • Easy installation and configuration.

  • Easy to use. Once you enter the socks proxy parameters, then all applications launched from Freecap work through proxy.

Disadvantages:

  • Old interface.

  • Doesn’t support Windows 7 or later.

WideCap

More advanced software from FreeCap developers. The program is created on a new platform and, unlike FreeCap, utilizes improved algorithms to resolve compatibility problems. WideCap offers a lot of configuration options, allowing users to configure their connections using their own rules and conditions. The program has advanced functionality, has a configurable interface and supports Windows Vista OS. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work in Windows 7.

Advantages:

  • Modern interface with skins

  • Supports Windows Vista

  • Flexible configuration

Disadvantages:

  • Doesn’t support Windows 7 or later.

ProxyCap

One of the best applications for socks proxy connection. The program supports Windows 7 32/64 bit or later. It has a lot of options for flexible configuration, supports TCP, UDP and SSH. Additionally, ProxyCap supports chains of different types, which allows you to get maximum anonymity. It also supports DNS forwarding to hide the real address of a user.

ProxyCap is easy to install - just launch the installation file and wait until the installation process is finished. At first glance, the interface of a program is not convenient, but once you understand it, you can use the program without any problems. You must enter the parameters of socks proxy server into the program’s settings, and specify the destination of executable files of the programs, which traffic you want to forward to proxy. You can find more detailed information about ProxyCap configuration on our website.

Unlike the other programs, ProxyCap has a built-in proxy checker for testing proxy server’s availability. You can easily determine which servers are unavailable and delete them from your server list. You can also use proxy checker for testing network chains.

If you have any problems with ProxyCap, you can get support from its developers, and that’s why this program is the most stable socks proxy forwarding software available on the web.

ProxyCap is a shareware software, so you can test it’s functionality during 30 days free period, and then buy a license to continue using it.

Advantages:

  • Perfectly works in all Windows OS

  • Simple use. Once you’ve configured it, you do not need any further setup manipulations. Just define programs which traffic you want to forward to proxy, then you can launch this programs directly from your desktop or start menu.

  • Supports SSH, remote DNS, IPv6

  • Built-In proxy checker

  • Flexible routing

  • Strong log system

  • Supports chains up to 16 proxy servers

  • Strong technical support

Disadvantages:

  • Not user friendly interface

  • There is no automatic search of available servers

  • You have to buy a license

Proxy Helper

The best program for anonymous web access through socks proxy. The main feature of the program is to ensure continues operation in web through socks proxy without any disconnections. The program automatically switches from unavailable proxy server to any available proxy server, thus you even don’t notice that the server you worked with became unavailable. Proxy Helper uses 5socks.net service, which greatly improves the reliability of your network connection and allows you to get rid of the constant search for available proxy servers.

The program supports Socks 4/5, HTTP, HTTPS, FTP. Thus, you can use all web services with maximum safe and anonymity.

ProxyHelper has a very convenient user interface (unlike ProxyCap). You need to configure it just once after installation, which greatly simplifies its practical use as you needn’t to reconfigure it every time your proxy server becomes unavailable.

The program perfectly works in all Windows, has a great logging system, allows to enable/disable proxy in Explorer, delete cookies, enable/disable javascript, enable/disable active-x, etc.

Proxy Helper works without installation and you can use it immediately after launching, because it automatically uses your proxy account when downloading from the site. All you need is register on 5socks.net and enter your account details when downloading the program.

You can read full description of the program on our website.

Advantages:

  • User friendly interface

  • You needn’t perform any installation and configuration actions

  • Forwards traffic from all programs, even if it doesn’t support proxy

  • Supports Socks 4/5, HTTP, HTTPS, FTP

  • Monitors proxy server’s availability and connects to another server, if it doesn’t respond program’s requests

  • You can manually connect to any proxy servers listed in the program menu.

  • Fast IP address changing

  • Logging system

  • Network activity indication and traffic control

Disadvantages:

  • This program is not free, but the user gets rid of searching and configuring proxy server parameters, which greatly simplifies and speeds up his work in web.

Summary

The best and the most convenient program is Proxy Helper, which enables user to get an anonymous and safe access to web resources without any problems and the need of performing wasting time actions. Proxy Helper automatically searches available socks proxy server and forwards your traffic to it.

ProxyCap is also very good socksification program, but it costs much more than Proxy Helper and can’t automatically check availability of proxy servers. You need to periodically configure its parameters and enter new socks proxy configuration data.

Free and freeware software as SocksCap, FreeCap и WideCap doesn’t work correctly in modern versions of OS Windows, so you have to waste a lot of time for its configuration. This programs work correctly only in virtual machine with Windows XP, which is not easy to configure.