How to use HTTP and SOCKS proxy in Wget

Proxies serve as intermediaries between clients and servers, enabling you to route downloads through different networks or mask origin IPs. wget supports both HTTP and SOCKS proxies, offering flexibility for accessing restricted content or ensuring privacy.

wget can read proxy configurations from environment variables, command-line options, or configuration files. Choosing a proxy type depends on your use case—HTTP proxies for caching or filtering, and SOCKS proxies for more versatile routing, including UDP traffic.

wget respects proxy authentication when required. Combining secure credentials handling with proxy usage maintains both access control and secure routing paths.

1. Enable an HTTP proxy with –proxy and authentication as needed.

   $ wget --proxy=on --proxy-user=username --proxy-password=password http://proxy-server:8080 https://www.example.com

   Adjust proxy-server and port accordingly, and include credentials if required.

2. Use a SOCKS5 proxy with the –socks5 option.

   $ wget --socks5=socks5://socks5-server:1080 https://www.example.com

   SOCKS5 proxies route traffic at a lower level, often bypassing certain restrictions.

3. Set proxy variables in the environment for persistent usage.

   $ export use_proxy=on
   $ export socks_proxy=socks5://socks5-server:1080
   $ wget https://www.example.com

4. Configure proxies in .wgetrc for global settings.

   $ echo "use_proxy = on" >> ~/.wgetrc
   $ echo "http_proxy = http://proxy-server:8080" >> ~/.wgetrc

   Global settings apply to all wget requests unless overridden.