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Here are my understandings about these and I see few gaps there; especially when and where to use
HTTP(s) proxy:
TCP Proxy
My question(s)
SOCKS5 Proxy
Socket Secure (SOCKS) is an Internet protocol that exchanges network packets between a client and server through a proxy server. SOCKS5 additionally provides authentication so only authorized users may access a server. Practically, a SOCKS server proxies TCP connections to an arbitrary IP address, and provides a means for UDP packets to be forwarded.
SOCKS performs at Layer 5 of the OSI model (the session layer, an intermediate layer between the presentation layer and the transport layer). SOCKS server accepts incoming client connection on TCP port 1080
My questions
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Unlike HTTP proxies, which can only interpret and work with HTTP and HTTPS webpages, SOCKS5 proxies can work with any traffic. HTTP proxies are high-level proxies usually designed for a specific protocol. While this means you get better connection speeds, they're not nearly as flexible and secure as SOCKS proxies.
HTTP proxies can add a layer of security between the client and the server and can detect and deny suspicious data packets or spyware. SOCKS proxies do not directly use the HTTP protocol. It is commonly used for more general purposes such as content streaming and P2P file sharing.
SOCKS4: On the authentication level, SOCKS4 is not conducive to tasks requiring authentication, while SOCKS5 is purpose-built to handle a diverse assortment of authentication methods. SOCKS5: SOCKS5 supports User Datagram Protocol (UDP) proxies, while SOCKS4 does not.
The key difference between a reverse proxy and a forward proxy is that a forward proxy enables computers isolated on a private network to connect to the public internet, while a reverse proxy enables computers on the internet to access a private subnet.
If I only accept HTTP web traffic what are the use cases where we should use TCP proxy instead of HTTP Proxy
A TCP proxy terminates the incoming TCP socket, opens an outbound socket and moves data in between. It doesn't/can't change the data in between since it doesn't understand any of it. Most often, a TCP proxy can only create connections to a single host:port combination.
An HTTP proxy understands HTTP. It looks at the incoming HTTP request and uses an outbound, potentially changed HTTP request to fulfill the request. The proxy can read the HTTP's request host address and connect to multiple hosts that way. It is aware of the HTTP application level which a TCP proxy isn't. Some HTTP proxies can even fulfill FTP or HTTPS requests for clients just using HTTP.
A "forward" proxy is a proxy connecting from private to public IP space (which was the original idea for a proxy) while a "reverse" proxy connects from public to private IP (e.g. mapping different web servers to a single, public IP). Technically, it's the same, but from the security POV there's a huge difference (in "forward" you trust the clients, in "reverse" you trust the servers).
Is this understanding connect? TCP clients can connect to a single socket on TCP proxy and TCP Proxy can open up multiple connections to the backend servers something similar load balancers
Yes.
Difference between TCP and SOCKS5 proxy
SOCKS5 is a general proxy protocol that can do more than a TCP proxy, including one-to-many connections, listening ports, and UDP.
In TCP/IP model is it a transport layer protocol
To me, SOCKS5 is an application layer protocol to arbitrate a transport protocol connection. Some argue that SOCKS5 is a session layer protocol in between transport and application layer - that holds some truth but the session layer is ill-defined in TCP/IP.
What are the use cases for proxying UDP connections
For instance, SOCKS5 can be used for private-to-public Internet access or for (insecure) public-to-private LAN access.
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