Does NordVPN Still Offer the SOCKS5 Proxy?

Does NordVPN offer Socks5 proxy? Yes, luckily, the NordVPN SOCKS5 proxy is still very much active. The set-up procedure is pretty easy to execute, provided that you know which of its servers support it. However, don’t worry about that, we’ve got you covered.

NordVPN often gets great reviews due to a number of solid reasons. With that said, regardless of you going for its VPN service or the SOCKS5 proxy – both results will be desirable with the way NordVPN works.

Both the NordVPN app and the proxy service offer a great deal of perks. In fact, where the VPN lacks, the proxy makes up for it, and vice versa. So, you could say that one compliments the other. Luckily, NordVPN is one service among a few others that have included a SOCKS5 proxy option within its service. Where the provider itself is reliable, trusting the proxy service should come naturally.

With all this in mind, this guide will show you all that you need to know about the VPN and the proxy service, what it’s for, and how to use it.

What is a SOCKS5 proxy?

If you’ve heard about the SOCKS protocol, then SOCKS5 is the newest, most improved, and updated version of it. It’s defined as an internet protocol that moves around data packets from a server and a client using a proxy server. The SOCKS5 is the newest version of this kind of protocol, with the only difference being that it offers better and more advanced security compared to the latter versions.

It doesn’t offer multiple servers to connect to, just how the VPN service itself offers, but instead, routes all data packets through a NordVPN proxy server, which then generates an arbitrary IP address. For starters, in case your IP address is (1.1.1.1), it will be seen as (2.2.2.2) when passed through the SOCKS5 proxy.

NordVPN and its SOCKS5 Proxy service

Now that you have a little know how about what the SOCKS5 proxy is and how it operates, let’s now discuss the NordVPN VPN app and its SOCKS5 proxy a little more in detail. Did you know that you can use both the VPN and the proxy together?

However, configuring both together is a little trickier than you think. You need to be able to set both of them up correctly for it to work smoothly. If not, it could land you into more of a pickle than before; latching on some newer vulnerabilities.

For a provider like NordVPN, the possibilities are almost endless. This provider knows that its users require VPN and proxy services for particular uses, and sometimes using different ones from multiple unknown providers can be a little daunting. For this reason, NordVPN introduced both the VPN and its SOCKS5 proxy service – knowing that its users will find it way easier to configure for whatever reason.

Now, here’s what you need to understand; NordVPN offers around 5200+ VPN servers in its network collection, but not all of them can be used with the SOCKS5 proxy. You will need to contact their support team to understand which servers are integrated with the proxy. To make things easier on you, here’s a clipping from my conversation with the chat support agent. Here is the list of proxy servers it offers:

• nl.socks.nordhold.net
• us.socks.nordhold.net
• us.socks.nordhold.net
• ie.socks.nordhold.net
• socks.nordhold.net
• los-angeles.us.socks.nordhold.net
• socks.nordhold.net
• socks.nordhold.net
• se.socks.nordhold.net
• socks.nordhold.net

The best part about NordVPN is that it allows its users to take the lead and optimize their experience for whatever reason using the proxy and the VPN. It allows you to choose what you need the VPN and proxy for. Here’s what it looks like:

Use NordVPN SOCKS5 Proxy Servers

For users who require heavier encryption and privacy

If any user requires maximum security and encryption perks, they will need to let go of a new of the Proxies abilities. In case you didn’t already know, a proxy doesn’t offer the best or any encryption, which is why setting it up with a VPN is a better idea.

For users who require faster speeds

Compared to a VPN, a proxy offers far more consistent speeds. If this is what you’re looking for, you’re going to need to bank on the SOCKS5 proxy a whole lot more than the VPN. With that done, you will lose a little more of the encryption that a VPN offers.

A combination of both

Last, but not least, if you’re looking for both solid encryption and faster speeds, you will need to configure the settings to create a balance between both the VPN and the proxy service.

However, there’s only one drawback to this, if you haven’t already guessed, there is no longer a one-click option for the NordVPN SOCKS5 option. You will need to manually configure the settings.

Now, with that said, let’s move on with the rest of the guide, showing you how to use the SOCKS5 proxy on various platforms.

How to use the NordVPN SOCKS5 proxy

After reading the above, and understanding a little on what the NordVPN SOCKS5 proxy is about, and how you can utilize it, let’s talk about how you can use it, starting with:

Using NordVPN SOCKS5 proxy with qBittorrent

Most users utilize the SOCKS5 proxy for torrenting and streaming, but most for P2P. NordVPN also works with qBittorrent, which is one of the most popular torrenting platforms. With that said, let’s continue with the tutorial on how you can make your experience with qBittorrent a whole lot better with the SOCKS5 proxy:

1. Launch the qBittorrent client
2. On the task bar on top, click on “Tools” and then on “Options.”
3. When the “Options” window opens up, click on “Connection.” You will find it on the left-side panel.
4. Scan the entire window, and take a look at the portion under “Proxy Server.” You will see a bar under it that says “Type,” click on its drop-down menu and click on “SOCKS5” as your type.
5. Now, next to “Type” is the “Host” box. Fill in any of the NordVPN SOCKS5 proxy addresses. I’ve mentioned them towards the top, here’s what it looks like:
6. Once entered, take a look next to it, you will see the “Port” bar. Use “1080”
7. Next, enter in your NordVPN username and password, the same one you used to sign up with the service.
8. Lastly, click on “OK” to proceed. You could always run some leak tests to see if it’s working.

Using NordVPN SOCKS5 proxy on Firefox desktop

You now know how to use SOCKS5 proxy with qBittorrent. Now, we move on to the Firefox desktop version of it. This too will have to be manually configured since the NordVPN one-click solution for it has now been discontinued. The process is quite easy, here’s how to get started:

1. Launch the Firefox browser and download the add-on “FoxyProxy Standard” to get started.

1. Once downloaded and installed, click on the FoxyProxy icon on the top-right side of the task bar.
2. You’ll see a small box with three options, like in the image below. Click on “Options.”

1. You will be redirected to another page called the “FoxyProxy Options,” click on “Add.”

1. Now, again you’ll be redirected to another screen, where you will need to fill in a few details. In the portion that says “Proxy Type,” fill in (SOCKS5), where it says “Proxy IP address or DNS name” fill in the any one of the server addresses that was mentioned above. Next, is the “Port” option, fill in (1080), and then enter in your NordVPN username and password. Here’s what it looks like:

1. Lastly, click on “Save.”
2. If you’re not too sure about the result, you could always run the address or leak test through any IP checker website.

Can we use the NordVPN SOCKS5 Proxy for Netflix?

NordVPN is by miles one of the best VPNs for streaming, and works remarkably with Netflix.  As we mentioned above, NordVPN offers around 5200+ servers, with a large portion of them in the US. In fact, almost all the servers are optimized for streaming and torrenting.

The good news is that yes, you can also use the NordVPN SOCKS5 proxy to access the US Netflix. Some users mention that using a proxy for Netflix often brings on faster speeds.

However, as we all know how difficult Netflix is to get access to, you need to double check with the NordVPN support chat about which US proxy server works best. Although, the list mentioned above is an updated one, and in fact was asked on the 24^th of September’21. You could try using any of these for access to Netflix.

• us.socks.nordhold.net
• us.socks.nordhold.net
• los-angeles.us.socks.nordhold.net
• socks.nordhold.net

Also note that because the one-click proxy option was discontinued, and because there is no sign of the SOCKS5 working for Chrome and other extensions just yet, you will need to use it via. Firefox.

FAQs

Which port works the best for the NordVPN SOCKS5 proxy?

Almost all the ports work effectively with the SOCKS5 proxy. However, after testing and several results, we find that the 1080 port works the best out of all, which is why we recommend it.

Can we use the SOCKS5 proxy with the VPN?

Yes, you can use a SOCKS5 proxy and a VPN together. However, you need to also come to terms with the fact that using them together also comes with certain issues. For starters, a VPN offers better encryption, while a proxy offers better speeds. Merging them together might cause a falter overall.

Can you get tracked using a SOCKS5 proxy?

The purpose of a proxy is to shield your physical IP address and keeps you anonymous despite of it not having any solid encryption. However, make sure that you use one from a reliable provider, which in this case is NordVPN with its SOCKS5 proxy service.

To conclude

The NordVPN SOCKS5 proxy servers are a little limited, but the provider does promise some updates and optimization in the future that hopefully doesn’t take too long. However, in the meantime, you can enjoy some perks using the tutorials above.