Increased security with SOCKS5 proxy

With the SOCKS5 proxy now installed on all of Mullvad's VPN servers, you can further minimize your computer's identity from being revealed. This simple yet powerful feature also reduces CAPTCHAs.

Read our SOCKS5 proxy guide for instructions on how to configure your web browser or torrent client for increased security.

For advanced users, the proxy is located on IP 10.8.0.1, port 1080, only accessible via Mullvad.

Why the proxy is beneficial

You may already be familiar with the Mullvad client's built-in kill switch feature. In other words, if you have selected the "Block the internet on connection failure" option, your internet access will be blocked in the event that the Mullvad connection is terminated. This keeps your computer's identity from accidentally being revealed.

However, this feature relies on the Mullvad client running. If you decide to browse the web but have forgotten to start Mullvad, you will accidentally leak your computer's identity.

How the proxy works

When, for example, your browser is configured to use SOCKS5 proxy, the browser will direct all of its internet access via the proxy which is only accessible through Mullvad. If the VPN client is not running and functioning correctly, your browser will be denied internet access and therefore won't leak any information.

The proxy also works with routers and any other VPN client used together with Mullvad servers.

Reduced CAPTCHAs

Another benefit is a reduction in the amount of CAPTCHAs you will experience. Many websites and services require this identification when they detect that the traffic originates from a VPN server. The proxy makes this detection more difficult.