> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.helodata.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.helodata.com/products/overview-2/protocols.md).

# Protocols

Each ISP IP supports HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5 on the same port (`8000`). The protocol is auto-detected from your client handshake — there's nothing to configure per IP.

## HTTP / HTTPS

```bash
# HTTP target
curl -x http://helo_s1a2b3c4d5e:PASSWORD@198.51.100.42:8000 http://example.com

# HTTPS target (end-to-end TLS)
curl -x http://helo_s1a2b3c4d5e:PASSWORD@198.51.100.42:8000 https://example.com
```

For HTTPS targets the client sends `CONNECT example.com:443` to the proxy, which opens a TCP tunnel. helodata never sees the request body.

## SOCKS5

```bash
curl --socks5-hostname helo_s1a2b3c4d5e:PASSWORD@198.51.100.42:8000 \
     https://ipv4.icanhazip.com
```

Use `--socks5-hostname` (curl) or `socks5h://` (Python `requests`, others) to make the proxy do DNS — otherwise your local resolver leaks DNS and breaks geo-based services.

### Python

```python
import requests
proxy = "socks5h://helo_s1a2b3c4d5e:PASSWORD@198.51.100.42:8000"
r = requests.get("https://ipv4.icanhazip.com",
                 proxies={"http": proxy, "https": proxy}, timeout=30)
```

### Node.js

```js
import { SocksProxyAgent } from "socks-proxy-agent";
import fetch from "node-fetch";
const agent = new SocksProxyAgent("socks5://helo_s1a2b3c4d5e:PASSWORD@198.51.100.42:8000");
const res = await fetch("https://ipv4.icanhazip.com", { agent });
```

## When to prefer which

The trade-offs are the same as residential. See [Residential protocols](/products/overview/protocols.md#when-to-prefer-which) for the full table.

## ISP-specific notes

* **HTTP/2 to the target** works through the `CONNECT` tunnel. helodata does not downgrade.
* **Long-lived connections** — ISP IPs are stable, so connection pools (HTTP keep-alive, HTTP/2 multiplexing) pay off handsomely. Hold connections; don't reconnect per request.
* **WebSocket and gRPC** work; treat the IP as a normal HTTP proxy for these.

## What we do not support

* SOCKS4 / SOCKS4a — use SOCKS5
* Username-encoded targeting (no `-type-`, `-region-`, etc.) — ISP credentials are plain `user:pass`. Anything you try to add to the username will be sent to the gateway as-is and rejected with `407 auth-failed`.


---

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