How to use HttpURLConnection over SOCKS proxy on Android

Question

Well, I have been trying to use SOCKS proxy on android. Too much I am struggled and I failed to use it correctly.

Basically I do want to get a content of a page over a SOCKS proxy using HttpURLConnection (is a must).

The code I am using is this:

    String proxyHost = "192.168.2.2";
    int proxyPort = 1999;
    InetSocketAddress proxyAddr = new InetSocketAddress(proxyHost, proxyPort);
    Proxy proxy = new Proxy(Proxy.Type.SOCKS, proxyAddr);

    URL request = new URL("http://requestb.in/sgjga5sg");

    HttpURLConnection urlConnection = (HttpURLConnection) request.openConnection(proxy);
    urlConnection.setDoInput(true);
    urlConnection.setConnectTimeout(36000);
    urlConnection.setReadTimeout(44000);

    InputStream is = urlConnection.getInputStream();

    for (int x = is.read(); x >= 0; x = is.read()) {
        System.out.print((char) x);
    }
    System.out.println();

I do get SocketTimeOutException, here is the stack trace:

java.net.SocketTimeoutException
at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.read(PlainSocketImpl.java:488)
at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.access$000(PlainSocketImpl.java:37)
at java.net.PlainSocketImpl$PlainSocketInputStream.read(PlainSocketImpl.java:237)
at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.socksReadReply(PlainSocketImpl.java:440)
at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.socksRequestConnection(PlainSocketImpl.java:340)
at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.socksConnect(PlainSocketImpl.java:326)
at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.connect(PlainSocketImpl.java:181)
at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.connect(PlainSocketImpl.java:456)
at java.net.Socket.connect(Socket.java:887)
at com.android.okhttp.internal.Platform.connectSocket(Platform.java:174)
at com.android.okhttp.Connection.connect(Connection.java:152)
at com.android.okhttp.internal.http.HttpEngine.connect(HttpEngine.java:276)
at com.android.okhttp.internal.http.HttpEngine.sendRequest(HttpEngine.java:211)
at com.android.okhttp.internal.http.HttpURLConnectionImpl.execute(HttpURLConnectionImpl.java:382)
at com.android.okhttp.internal.http.HttpURLConnectionImpl.getResponse(HttpURLConnectionImpl.java:332)
at com.android.okhttp.internal.http.HttpURLConnectionImpl.getInputStream(HttpURLConnectionImpl.java:199)
at com.android.okhttp.internal.http.DelegatingHttpsURLConnection.getInputStream(DelegatingHttpsURLConnection.java:210)
at com.android.okhttp.internal.http.HttpsURLConnectionImpl.getInputStream(HttpsURLConnectionImpl.java:25)
at com.guness.testsocks.MainActivity.doTheThing(MainActivity.java:81)

Some curious things:

• The proxy points to my SSH tunnel (apparently tested on other devices using firefox socks proxy feature).
• When I change Proxy.Type to HTTP and choose an appropriate HttpProxy from internet it works, but I need socks.
• Don't mind System.out.print and the loop, it is there for test purpose.
• Test device is a C6603 model and Android version 5.1.1

---

Edit: It seems that SOCKS proxy does not work with HttpURLConnection on android. Some references: This thread and this thread claims so. I want to be sure if there is a way without using 3rd party libraries.

Answer 1

I have found the problem, and solution partially. As stated in my question, the device was Lollipop(5.1.1). When I use an emulator to check Marshmallow(6.0) it was working like charm, without any change. Emulator check also fails for Lollipop.

So for the future reference:

Android did not support socks proxy natively(using HURL) on devices previous than Marshmellow.