Depth exploration: Comparison of functions and safety between SOCKS5 and SOCKS4

Published Time: 27/02/2024

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Reading time : 5 min read

With the continuous development of network technology and the increasing complexity of application scenarios, network proxy protocols play a vital role in protecting user privacy, improving network security, and achieving more flexible network communications.

Among the many proxy protocols, the SOCKS (Socket Secure) protocol is a popular choice, and its main versions include SOCKS4 and SOCKS5. Although they only differ by a single number in name, there are actually significant differences in functionality and security.

This article will delve into the functional features, security comparison, and applicable scenarios of SOCKS5 and SOCKS4, aiming to help readers better understand and choose a proxy protocol that suits their needs.

Comparison of functional features

Authentication method: SOCKS5 supports multiple authentication methods, including user name/password authentication, GSSAPI authentication, etc., while SOCKS4 does not support authentication. This makes SOCKS5 more flexible and protective in terms of network security.

Supported address types: SOCKS5 supports not only IPv4 addresses, but also IPv6 addresses and domain name addresses, while SOCKS4 only supports IPv4 addresses. This makes SOCKS5 more flexible and adaptable when facing different types of network environments.

Protocol support: SOCKS5 not only supports TCP protocol, but also supports multiple protocols such as UDP and ICMP, while SOCKS4 only supports TCP protocol. This makes SOCKS5 cover a wider range of application scenarios and can meet more types of network communication needs.

Security: SOCKS5 provides a higher level of security by supporting encryption protocols, multiple authentication methods, and remote resolution of proxy servers. In comparison, SOCKS4's security is relatively weak.

Data transmission method: SOCKS5 is more flexible in data transmission method and supports a variety of instructions (such as CONNECT, BIND and UDP ASSOCIATE, etc.), while SOCKS4 only supports the CONNECT instruction. This makes SOCKS5 more efficient and versatile when handling network traffic.

Security comparison

SOCKS5 has obvious advantages over SOCKS4 in terms of security. First of all, SOCKS5 supports multiple authentication methods, and you can choose the appropriate authentication method according to actual needs, thereby improving network security.

Secondly, SOCKS5 provides more comprehensive and high-level security by supporting functions such as encryption protocols and remote parsing of proxy servers. In comparison, SOCKS4's security is relatively weak because it does not support authentication and cannot verify user identity, making it vulnerable to malicious attacks and network intrusions.

Applicable scenario analysis

Scenarios with high security requirements

For scenarios that require higher network security, such as corporate intranets, financial transactions, etc., it is recommended to choose SOCKS5. Because it supports multiple authentication methods and encryption protocols, it can provide a higher level of security and effectively prevent malicious attacks and data leakage.

Scenarios that require high network communication flexibility

For scenarios that require flexible handling of different types of network communications, such as instant audio and video calls, online games, etc., it is recommended to choose SOCKS5. Because it supports multiple protocols and data transmission methods, it can better meet the network communication needs in different application scenarios.

Scenarios that require high network communication efficiency

For scenarios that require high network communication efficiency, such as large-scale data transmission, network load balancing, etc., it is recommended to choose SOCKS5.

Because it supports a variety of command and data transmission methods, it can handle network traffic more efficiently and improve network communication efficiency and stability.

Conclusion

To sum up, there are significant differences between SOCKS5 and SOCKS4 in terms of functional features, security, and applicable scenarios. Relatively speaking, SOCKS5 has more comprehensive, flexible and secure features and a wider range of applications. Therefore, when choosing a proxy protocol, it is recommended to give priority to SOCKS5 proxy to obtain a better network experience and security.

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Depth exploration: Comparison of functions and safety between SOCKS5 and SOCKS4

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