Survives network changes
Switching Wi-Fi, plugging in a cable or waking the laptop from sleep — Shprot notices and brings the tunnel back on its own.
A SOCKS5 proxy over SSH that stays connected
Shprot turns any server you can reach over SSH into a stable SOCKS5 and HTTP proxy. It watches your network, brings the tunnel back after Wi-Fi changes and sleep, and tells you exactly what went wrong — no command line needed.
Version 1.5 for Windows and Linux
- Free and open source
- Windows 10 / 11 and Linux
- 49 languages
Everything a tunnel needs to keep running
Catches silent failures
Regular checks through the proxy itself detect a tunnel that looks connected but passes no traffic, and restart it.
Kind to your server
Retries back off gradually, and failed logins are repeated at most once a minute, so fail2ban won’t ban your IP over a wrong key.
SSH keys in two clicks
Generate or import a key and copy the public key for authorized_keys right from the settings window.
Clear server verification
On the first connection the server’s host key fingerprint is shown in a dialog, so you can check it before trusting the server.
HTTP proxy, too
Apps that don’t support SOCKS5 can use an optional HTTP proxy that goes through the same tunnel.
Lives in the tray
The icon shows whether the tunnel is up, notifications explain why it isn’t, and logs are one click away.
Speaks your language
The interface is translated into 49 languages, with right-to-left layout for Arabic, Persian, Hebrew and Urdu.
Why not just ssh -D?
ssh -D 1080 user@server gives you a SOCKS5 proxy in one command — until the connection silently stops working. Shprot runs the same OpenSSH client and takes care of everything the command alone doesn’t.
ssh -D | Shprot | |
|---|---|---|
| Network change, Wi-Fi switch, wake from sleep | Restart it yourself | Reconnects automatically |
| Tunnel connected but not passing traffic | Goes unnoticed | Detected by health checks through the proxy |
| Repeated authentication failures | Up to your scripts | Rare retries, so the server doesn’t ban your IP |
| Client keys | ssh-keygen and files in ~/.ssh | Generate or import, copy the public key in one click |
| Server identity check | Terminal prompt | Dialog with the host key fingerprint |
| Apps without SOCKS5 support | Not covered | Optional HTTP proxy through the same tunnel |
| Tunnel status | Terminal window | Tray icon and notifications with the failure reason |
Tools like autossh help with restarts, but still need manual setup and have no user interface.
What it’s good for
Your own infrastructure
Reach internal dashboards, staging environments and admin tools that are only accessible from your server’s network.
Untrusted networks
Send your traffic through your own server when using public Wi-Fi in cafés, hotels or airports.
Remote work on a laptop
Keep a stable proxy on a machine that sleeps and changes networks all day.
Up and running in three steps
Prepare a server
Any Linux server with OpenSSH will do. Nothing is installed on it — a dedicated user that can only forward ports takes a few commands.
Connect Shprot
Enter
user@server, generate a key and add its public part to the server’sauthorized_keys. Check the server fingerprint once.Point apps to the proxy
Use
socks5h://localhost:1080in your browser or system proxy settings — the tray menu copies the address for you.
Step-by-step setup guide with server hardening →
A closer look
Download Shprot
Version 1.5. Free, open source, no accounts or subscriptions.
Windows
Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit. To update, install a newer version over the old one.
Installer (.exe)Ubuntu, Debian
Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian 12+ and compatible distributions.
Package (.deb)Fedora, RHEL
Fedora 39+, RHEL 9+, AlmaLinux 9+ and compatible distributions.
Package (.rpm)Shprot uses the OpenSSH client (ssh and ssh-keygen). It comes with Windows 10 / 11 and most Linux desktops; if it’s missing, Shprot will tell you how to add it.
Every release includes a SHA256SUMS file to check that the download wasn’t altered. All releases and changes →
Questions and answers
Is Shprot a VPN?
No, it’s a proxy. Only apps that are set up to use it — a browser, curl, git, an IDE — send traffic through the tunnel; everything else goes directly. No virtual network adapters are installed.
What do I need on the server?
A regular OpenSSH server and an account that is allowed to forward TCP ports. Nothing has to be installed on the server; any VPS or home server you can reach over SSH will do.
Can I log in with a password?
No, Shprot uses SSH keys only. Keys are safer than passwords and let the tunnel reconnect unattended. The key can be generated in the app in one click.
Which apps can use the proxy?
Browsers, curl, git, package managers and any app with SOCKS5 or HTTP proxy settings or support for the ALL_PROXY / HTTP_PROXY variables. Use socks5h:// so that site names are resolved on the server.
How does Shprot check the tunnel?
From time to time it opens a randomly chosen popular website through the proxy. If that fails while the internet itself is available, the tunnel is restarted.
Is it free?
Yes. Shprot is free and open source software under the GNU GPL v3 license, with no accounts, subscriptions or ads.
Is there a macOS version?
Not yet. Shprot currently supports Windows 10 / 11 and Linux.