📋 Before You Begin
Ensure you have your username and SSH password ready. You'll need your SSH server hostname (provided via email when you requested SOCKS access), username, and password to connect to our secure SOCKS proxy servers.
Important: All SOCKS proxy servers are under the cotse.net domain. The codamail.com domain is exclusively for email services. SOCKS access must be requested separately from your email account.
💻 Step 1: SSH is Pre-installed on macOS
macOS (based on FreeBSD) includes SSH by default, so no additional software installation is required. You'll use the built-in Terminal application to create your SOCKS proxy tunnel.
Accessing Terminal:
Press ⌘ + Space to open Spotlight search
Type "Terminal" and press Enter
Alternatively: Applications → Utilities → Terminal
Or: Launchpad → Other → Terminal
🔐 Step 2: Create SOCKS Proxy Tunnel
Open a Terminal window and type the command below. Make sure to substitute your account name and the SSH server you were assigned:
ssh -L 5000:127.0.0.1:1080 youraccount@yourassignedsocksserver
SOCKS Configuration: This command creates a SOCKS proxy tunnel on port 5000, forwarding to port 1080 on the server. Unlike HTTP tunnels, SOCKS works at a lower network level.
🚀 Step 3: Establish SOCKS Connection
First Connection:
Paste the command into Terminal and press Enter
On first connection, you'll see a host key verification prompt (example server shown):
The authenticity of host 'sp1.cotse.net (67.159.26.71)' can't be established.
DSA key fingerprint is 88:f6:bc:71:bf:6f:1f:be:85:a0:81:4d:ed:3c:d7:dc.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?
Type yes to accept the server key
Enter your password when prompted (typing may not echo - just type and press Enter)
Important: Leave the Terminal window open - this maintains your SOCKS tunnel
Connection Success: Once connected, you'll see a shell prompt or the connection will appear to "hang" - this is normal and means your SOCKS tunnel is active.
🦊 Firefox Configuration (Recommended)
Configure Firefox SOCKS Proxy:
Run Firefox
Click menu (☰) → Settings
Scroll to Network Settings and click Settings
Select Manual proxy configuration
Enter 127.0.0.1 and port 5000 in the SOCKS Host field only
Select SOCKS v5
Important: Every other field must be blank for SOCKS
Click OK
Click OK again
Recommendation: We recommend Firefox with the NoScript and AdBlock Plus addons for your best protection with a SOCKS proxy.
🌐 Other Browser Configuration
Safari Configuration:
Note: Safari uses system proxy settings and may have compatibility issues with SOCKS proxies. Firefox is strongly recommended.
If you must use Safari: Safari → Preferences → Advanced
Click Change Settings next to Proxies
In System Preferences → Network → Advanced → Proxies
Check SOCKS Proxy
Server: 127.0.0.1, Port: 5000
Click OK and Apply
Chrome Configuration:
Chrome uses system proxy settings on macOS
Follow the Safari system preferences steps above
Alternatively, launch Chrome with command line flags:
google-chrome --proxy-server="socks5://127.0.0.1:5000"
🍎 macOS-Specific Features
Terminal Enhancements:
Background Connection: Use
nohup to keep connection alive:
nohup ssh -L 5000:127.0.0.1:1080 youraccount@yourassignedsocksserver &
SSH Config File: Create
~/.ssh/config for permanent settings:
Host cotse-socks
Hostname yourassignedsocksserver
User youraccount
LocalForward 5000 127.0.0.1:1080
ServerAliveInterval 60
Then connect with: ssh cotse-socks
Automation Options:
Automator Script: Create an app to launch SOCKS tunnel automatically
LaunchAgent: Set up automatic connection on login
Shell Alias: Add shortcuts to your .bash_profile or .zshrc
Understanding SOCKS vs HTTP:
SOCKS Proxy: Works at lower network level, supports more protocols
Port 1080: Standard SOCKS port (vs HTTP ports 8888/8080/9999)
Application Support: Works with more applications beyond browsers
SOCKS v5: Preferred version with authentication and UDP support
🔧 Troubleshooting
Common macOS SOCKS proxy issues and solutions:
Connection Refused: Verify your SOCKS server hostname is correct
Permission Denied: Check username is lowercase, password is case-sensitive
Host Key Verification Failed: Remove old key with ssh-keygen -R hostname
Terminal Window Closes: Connection dropped, restart the SSH command
Port Already in Use: Kill existing connection with lsof -ti:5000 | xargs kill
Browser Not Using Proxy: Verify SOCKS settings and restart browser
macOS System Issues:
Firewall Blocking: System Preferences → Security → Firewall, allow Terminal
Network Changes: WiFi switching may break connection, restart tunnel
Sleep Mode: SOCKS tunnel may disconnect when Mac sleeps
VPN Conflicts: Disable other VPN software while using SOCKS tunnel
System Proxy Conflicts: Other proxy settings may interfere
📞 Need Help?
If you need additional assistance with SOCKS proxy setup on macOS or encounter any issues not covered in this guide, please contact our support team at helpdesk@codamail.com.
We're here to help ensure your SOCKS proxy works perfectly and keeps your Mac browsing secure and private.
