Encrypted SOCKS5 Proxy Using VPS (Noob Friendly)

One thing that many people don't realize they can do is set up a SOCKS5 proxy with just a VPS with SSH Enabled, and PuTTY. The cool thing is that it is encrypted at whatever level of encryption your SSH session is established at. This allows for encrypted web browsing from YOU to your VPS - of course, from your VPS to the website is unencrypted.

To explain what this does, is when you open PuTTY, it opens a local port to relay, or tunnel over SSH, to your VPS. From there, the VPS will retrieve the data you're requesting, and keep it nicely secured. This is good for when you are out at a public or unencrypted hot spot and don't want those scrubs using FireSheep to know what it is that you're doing!

Now, down to the meat of it.

1) Launch PuTTY
2) Expand the 'Connection' and 'SSH' trees. Select 'Tunnels' Option.
3) Enter a 'Source' Port. This can be anything, and it is the port you will configure your web browser or other client to connect to. Press Add.
4) Below 'Destination', select "Dynamic" and "Auto".
5) Select Open, and log in to your VPS with your usual credentials (Hopefully you're not SSH'ing in as root).

You can now proceed to your web browser or client, and input the proper settings.

A more thorough description of how to do this, with screenshots, is available over at DevDaily.

Configuring a tunnel to your SSH server - Setting up the PuTTY Tunnel
Configure FireFox to USE The SSH Tunnel

From here, you can go ahead and check wether or not you're masked by visiting WhatIsMyIp.com

thanks, never thought of this, can something like this be used for mailing?

ghostrecon. said:

thanks, never thought of this, can something like this be used for mailing?

Click to expand...

Yes, assuming your mailing software supports SOCKS proxies.

Keep in mind, the IP of your VPS will still be seen in the header information of the e-mail. Your IP will be safe.

This is good info. I have been looking into setting up something similar, however, I am at a loss for how to go about purchasing additional private IP addresses or a C-class IP block.

** I can't use Ubiquity, because they are banned from Facebook.

Any suggestions?

Hello,

I never thought we can use putty and I tried this today using Putty
but when i go to Connection -> SSH -> Tunnels and added new forwarded and selected destination - Auto and Dynamic and when i click Open the putty didn't launch or open..

Is there something i missed?

Please let me know and i am really interested to know how to use a vps as a proxy server

Many thanks..

purewealthinc said:

Hello,

I never thought we can use putty and I tried this today using Putty
but when i go to Connection -> SSH -> Tunnels and added new forwarded and selected destination - Auto and Dynamic and when i click Open the putty didn't launch or open..

Is there something i missed?

Please let me know and i am really interested to know how to use a vps as a proxy server

Many thanks..

Click to expand...

It should have opened up and prompted you to enter your user name and password like a normal SSH/Shell.

I've used a variety of VPS providers to do this. Most recently, Delimiter. They are just another webexxpurts reseller, but offer pretty decent deals once in a while. Unfortunately, their support sucks.

Sounds great to hear that..

I have also 2 VPS account and i used it for over 1 year now, and i really want to use this as proxy server..

But the problem is the PUTTY, yes it should prompted like we used it everyday to access our server via SSH. The Putty is fine if i used to login as a root

but when i go to vConnection -> SSH -> Tunnels , it didn't prompted when i click open..

I used a latest PUTTY, i don't know why this can't be done I'm very interested to use my vps as proxy server

Man,

I did it now.. it works like a charm!

You forgot to mention to save it and click back to sessio tab and click open and enter the details.. i did this way and it works

Thanks man..

But i have question, how could set this proxy vps to make a vpn server or to encrypt our main computer ip? Can we make this happen?

purewealthinc said:

Man,

I did it now.. it works like a charm!

You forgot to mention to save it and click back to sessio tab and click open and enter the details.. i did this way and it works

Thanks man..

But i have question, how could set this proxy vps to make a vpn server or to encrypt our main computer ip? Can we make this happen?

Click to expand...

I apologize for being late, but I'm not really sure what you're asking here. The connection between you and your VPS/ will be encrypted. The connection between your VPS and the rest of the world will not be encrypted. What do you mean by 'encrypt our main computer ip'?

Can you suggest me where to get bulk list of US proxies/SOCKS? For web browsing like CL, not for spam.