Configuring a SOCKS proxy

In this scenario, you can make MQIPT act as a SOCKS proxy.

Before you begin

Before you start to use this scenario, make sure that you have completed the prerequisite tasks listed in Getting started with IBM MQ Internet Pass-Thru.
Enable SOCKS on either the whole IBM MQ computer or just the IBM MQ client applications amqsputc and amqsgetc.
Configure the SOCKS client as follows:
1. Use MQIPT as the SOCKS proxy.
2. Enable SOCKS 5 support.
3. Disable user authentication.
4. Restrict connections to the MQIPT network address.

About this task

See text. — Figure 1. SOCKS proxy network diagram

This diagram shows the connection flow from the IBM MQ client (called client1.company1.com on port 1415) through MQIPT to the IBM MQ server (called server1.company2.com on port 1414).

Procedure

To configure a SOCKS proxy, complete the following steps:

Configure and start MQIPT:

Edit mqipt.conf and add the following route definition:
```
[route]
ListenerPort=1080
Destination=server1.company2.com
DestinationPort=1414
SocksServer=true
```
The values of the Destination and DestinationPort route properties are ignored as the true destination is obtained from the IBM MQ client during the SOCKS handshaking process.

Open a command prompt and start MQIPT:

C:\mqipt\bin\mqipt C:\mqiptHome -n ipt1

where C:\mqiptHome indicates the location of the MQIPT configuration file, mqipt.conf, and ipt1 is the name to be given to the instance of MQIPT.

The following messages indicate that MQIPT has started successfully:

5724-H72 (C) Copyright IBM Corp. 2000, 2026. All Rights Reserved
MQCPI001 IBM MQ Internet Pass-Thru V9.4.0.0 starting
MQCPI004 Reading configuration information from mqipt.conf
MQCPI152 MQIPT name is ipt1
MQCPI021 Password checking has been enabled on the command port
MQCPI011 The path C:\mqiptHome\logs will be used to store the log files
MQCPI006 Route 1080 has started and will forward messages to :
MQCPI034 ....server1.company2.com(1414)
MQCPI035 ....using MQ protocol
MQCPI052 ....SOCKS server side enabled
MQCPI078 Route 1080 ready for connection requests

At a command prompt on the IBM MQ client system, enter the following commands:
1. Set the MQSERVER environment variable:
```
SET MQSERVER=MQIPT.CONN.CHANNEL/tcp/10.20.5.6(1414)
```
2. Put a message:
```
amqsputc MQIPT.LOCAL.QUEUE MQIPT.QM1
Hello world
```
  Press Enter twice after typing the message string.
3. Get the message:
```
amqsgetc MQIPT.LOCAL.QUEUE MQIPT.QM1
```
  The message, "Hello world" is returned.