PIA SOCKS5: How to Setup PIA Proxy & Is It Effective?

Besides its popular VPN service, Private Internet Access (PIA) also offers SOCKS5 proxy to its more tech-savvy customers who are inclined towards increased security/privacy.

However, configuring and using SOCKS5 with PIA might not be immediately obvious.

For that reason, we decided to create this short step-by-step guide that will guide you through the process.

Does PIA have SOCKS5?

Yes. Private Internet Access has a built-in SOCKS5 proxy server.

You can enable it from within the app. SOCKS5 is especially beneficial for those who need to increase Internet speed.

It’s a good option if you are big on torrenting, streaming a lot of multimedia coontent, gaming, or other demanding endevaours.

Does PIA use SOCKS5 proxy automatically?

First and foremost, you’ll have to understand that the SOCKS5 proxy option isn’t enabled by default.

Instead, you’ll have to look around for it, configure it, and enable it manually.

We get it, you’d much likely prefer the elbow-grease-free version, but there’s nothing we can do about it, so buckle up.

How to enable PIA SOCKS5

1. Head to PIA’s website.
2. Log into your account or create one if don’t already have it.
3. Access the Client Control Panel.
4. Go to the Downloads category.
5. Scroll down to the VPN Settings section
6. Click the Re-generate button
7. Copy the username and password

Note that your default username and password combination won’t work with SOCKS5, so you’ll have to use the method above to ‘enable’ it.

Once you’ve jotted down the username and password, we can move on to the next step.

How to use PIA SOCKS5

1. Download PIA on your PC.
2. Install the VPN client
3. Launch PIA
4. Log into your account
5. Click the options button
6. Select Settings from the menu
7. Go to the Proxy category
8. Click the SOCKS5 radio button
9. Launch CMD on your Windows PC
10. Type ping proxy-nl.privateinternetaccess.com
11. Jot down the IP address of the proxy server
12. Go back to your PIA proxy configuration screen
13. Paste/type the proxy IP address in the appropriate field
14. Type 1080 in the Port field
15. Input the proxy username and password generated on the PIA website
16. Click OK

That’s all. In addition to PIA’s default VPN servers, using the SOCKS5 proxy will bounce your connection through an additional connection.

Private Internet Access

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As a result, you’ll benefit from increased privacy and a more secure connection.

PIA SOCKS5 Proxy not working?

A while ago, PIA posted a message letting its customers know that it identified an issue with the SOCKS5 proxy that could negatively impact connectivity.

If you notice that PIA has limited or no connectivity, try disabling the proxy and check again.

1. Launch the PIA VPN client
2. Open the Settings window
3. Head to the Proxy category
4. Click None

Is PIA SOCKS5 slow?

As we’ve explained before, using a VPN could slow down your Internet connection. That happens for a lot of factors, including but not limited to the distance between you and the servers and encryption.

Naturally, bouncing your connection once more through yet another location (i.e. the SOCKS5 proxy) will further add to that distance and slow down your connection even more.

The bottom line is that a bit of slowdown is natural in this case. If you’re nearing the point where the VPN becomes unusable, try disabling the proxy or choose another server.

Read more about this topic

• IPVanish Review: Exploring the VPN’s New Features
• McAfee VPN Not Connecting – Tried and Tested Solutions

Is SOCKS5 better than VPN?

All in all, if you want to boost your privacy/security, PIA’s optional SOCKS5 proxy has got you covered. On its own, a SOCKS proxy is not better than VPN.

However, if you combine it with your encrypted PIA tunnel, you’ll get increased Internet speed as well as top-level privacy. That’s why it’s recommended you use a VPN with a SOCKS5 proxy instead only the proxy.

➡️ Which VPN has SOCKS5?

Keep in mind that not all VPNs have SOCKS5 integrated in their plan. If you want to use the feature, make sure you get a reliable VPN for it. Some of the best options include:

• ExpressVPN
• NordVPN 
• Surfshark

Although setting it up is not exactly intuitive, following the steps in our guide should let you enable and start using PIA’s SOCKS5 in no time.