Socks5 Client
The Nym Socks5 Client was built in the building nym section. If you haven’t yet built Nym and want to run the code on this page, go there first.
To install and operate nym-socks5-client, visit Setup & Run and Using Your Client pages.
Current version
1.1.39
What is this client for?
Many existing applications are able to use either the SOCKS4, SOCKS4A, or SOCKS5 proxy protocols. If you want to send such an application’s traffic through the mixnet, you can use the nym-socks5-client to bounce network traffic through the Nym network, like this:
External Systems:
+--------------------+
|------>| Monero blockchain |
| +--------------------+
| +--------------------+
|------>| Email server |
| +--------------------+
| +--------------------+
|------>| RPC endpoint |
| +--------------------+
| +--------------------+
|------>| Website |
| +--------------------+
| +--------------------+
+----------------------------------+ |------>| etc... |
| Mixnet: | | +--------------------+
| * Gateway your client is | |
| connected to | +--------------------+ |
| * Mix nodes 1 -> 3 |<-------->| Network requester |<------+
| * Gateway that network | +--------------------+
| requester is connected to |
+----------------------------------+
^
|
|
|
|
v
+-------------------+
| +---------------+ |
| | Nym client | |
| +---------------+ |
| ^ |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| v |
| +---------------+ |
| | Your app code | |
| +---------------+ |
+-------------------+
Your Local Machine
There are 2 pieces of software that work together to send SOCKS traffic through the mixnet: the nym-socks5-client, and the nym-network-requester.
The nym-socks5-client allows you to do the following from your local machine:
- Take a TCP data stream from a application that can send traffic via SOCKS5.
- Chop up the TCP stream into multiple Sphinx packets, assigning sequence numbers to them, while leaving the TCP connection open for more data
- Send the Sphinx packets through the Nym Network. Packets are shuffled and mixed as they transit the mixnet.
The nym-network-requester then reassembles the original TCP stream using the packets’ sequence numbers, and make the intended request. It will then chop up the response into Sphinx packets and send them back through the mixnet to your nym-socks5-client. The application will then receive its data, without even noticing that it wasn’t talking to a “normal” SOCKS5 proxy!
Since the introduction of nym-node binary, nym-network-requester is incorporated in every node running in exit-gateway mode. The narrow whitelist was exchanged for a less restrictive Nym exit policy, where except the IPs and ports all internet access is permitted. nym-socks5-client users can find a full list of Network Requester addresses on Nym Harbourmaster under tab called SOCKS5 NETWORK REQUESTERS.