Glossary · Proxy types
SOCKS5 proxy
A proxy speaking the SOCKS5 protocol, which forwards any kind of TCP or UDP traffic without inspecting it, not just web requests.
SOCKS5 is a protocol, not a network. Where an HTTP proxy understands and handles web requests specifically, a SOCKS5 proxy is a blind relay: it moves whatever bytes you hand it, HTTP, email, a game protocol, a torrent, without caring what they mean. That generality is why it is the protocol of choice for anything that is not a plain browser session.
The version number matters. SOCKS5 added authentication and UDP support over SOCKS4, which is what lets it carry things like DNS lookups and real-time traffic rather than TCP alone. When a tool offers SOCKS5, it is usually because it needs that breadth.
SOCKS5 says nothing about whether the address behind it is residential, datacenter or mobile, those are separate questions. It only describes how your client and the proxy talk to each other.
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