diff --git a/youtube_dl/socks.py b/youtube_dl/socks.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b0c36a189
--- /dev/null
+++ b/youtube_dl/socks.py
@@ -0,0 +1,336 @@
+# This is free and unencumbered software released into the public domain.
+# 
+# Anyone is free to copy, modify, publish, use, compile, sell, or
+# distribute this software, either in source code form or as a compiled
+# binary, for any purpose, commercial or non-commercial, and by any
+# means.
+# 
+# In jurisdictions that recognize copyright laws, the author or authors
+# of this software dedicate any and all copyright interest in the
+# software to the public domain. We make this dedication for the benefit
+# of the public at large and to the detriment of our heirs and
+# successors. We intend this dedication to be an overt act of
+# relinquishment in perpetuity of all present and future rights to this
+# software under copyright law.
+# 
+# THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
+# EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
+# MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.
+# IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR
+# OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE,
+# ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR
+# OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+# 
+# For more information, please refer to <http://unlicense.org/>
+#
+# Example:
+# import socks
+# import ftplib
+# import socket
+#
+# socks.patch_socket()
+#
+# f = ftplib.FTP('ftp.kernel.org')
+# f.login()
+# print f.retrlines('LIST')
+# f.quit()
+# 
+# s = socket.create_connection(('www.google.com', 80))
+# s.sendall('HEAD / HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n')
+# print s.recv(1024)
+# s.close()
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+import os
+import struct
+import socket
+import time
+
+__author__ = 'Timo Schmid <coding@timoschmid.de>'
+
+_orig_socket = socket.socket
+
+try:
+    from collections import namedtuple
+except ImportError:
+    from Collections import namedtuple
+
+try:
+    from urllib.parse import urlparse
+except:
+    from urlparse import urlparse
+
+try:
+    from enum import Enum
+except ImportError:
+    Enum = object
+
+
+class ProxyError(IOError): pass
+class Socks4Error(ProxyError):
+    CODES = {
+        0x5B: 'request rejected or failed',
+        0x5C: 'request rejected becasue SOCKS server cannot connect to identd on the client',
+        0x5D: 'request rejected because the client program and identd report different user-ids'
+    }
+    def __init__(self, code=None, msg=None):
+        if code is not None and msg is None:
+            msg = self.CODES.get(code)
+            if msg is None:
+                msg = 'unknown error'
+        super(Socks4Error, self).__init__(code, msg)
+
+class Socks5Error(Socks4Error):
+    CODES = {
+        0x01: 'general SOCKS server failure',
+        0x02: 'connection not allowed by ruleset',
+        0x03: 'Network unreachable',
+        0x04: 'Host unreachable',
+        0x05: 'Connection refused',
+        0x06: 'TTL expired',
+        0x07: 'Command not supported',
+        0x08: 'Address type not supported',
+        0xFE: 'unknown username or invalid password',
+        0xFF: 'all offered authentication methods were rejected'
+    }
+
+class ProxyType(Enum):
+    SOCKS4  = 0
+    SOCKS4A = 1
+    SOCKS5  = 2
+
+Proxy = namedtuple('Proxy', ('type', 'host', 'port', 'username', 'password', 'remote_dns'))
+
+_default_proxy = None
+
+def setdefaultproxy(proxytype=None, addr=None, port=None, rdns=True, username=None, password=None, allow_env_override=True):
+    global _default_proxy
+    if allow_env_override:
+        all_proxy = os.environ.get('ALL_PROXY', os.environ.get('all_proxy'))
+        if all_proxy:
+            all_proxy = urlparse(all_proxy)
+            if all_proxy.scheme.startswith('socks'):
+                if all_proxy.scheme == 'socks' or all_proxy.scheme == 'socks4':
+                    proxytype = ProxyType.SOCKS4
+                elif all_proxy.scheme == 'socks4a':
+                    proxytype = ProxyType.SOCKS4A
+                elif all_proxy.scheme == 'socks5':
+                    proxytype = ProxyType.SOCKS5
+                addr = all_proxy.hostname
+                port = all_proxy.port
+                username = all_proxy.username
+                password = all_proxy.password
+
+    if proxytype is not None:
+        _default_proxy = Proxy(proxytype, addr, port, username, password, rdns)
+
+
+def wrap_socket(sock):
+    return socksocket(_sock=sock._sock)
+
+def wrap_module(module):
+    if hasattr(module, 'socket'):
+        sock = module.socket
+        if isinstance(sock, socket.socket):
+            module.socket = sockssocket
+        elif hasattr(socket, 'socket'):
+            socket.socket = sockssocket
+
+def patch_socket():
+    import sys
+    if 'socket' not in sys.modules:
+        import socket
+    sys.modules['socket'].socket = sockssocket
+
+
+class sockssocket(socket.socket):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        self.__proxy = None
+        if 'proxy' in kwargs:
+            self.__proxy = kwargs['proxy']
+            del kwargs['proxy']
+        super(sockssocket, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    @property
+    def _proxy(self):
+        if self.__proxy:
+            return self.__proxy
+        return _default_proxy
+
+    @property
+    def _proxy_port(self):
+        if self._proxy:
+            if self._proxy.port:
+                return self._proxy.port
+            return 1080
+        return None
+
+    def setproxy(self, proxytype=None, addr=None, port=None, rdns=True, username=None, password=None):
+        if proxytype is None:
+            self.__proxy = None
+        else:
+            self.__proxy = Proxy(proxytype, addr, port, username, password, rdns)
+
+    def recvall(self, cnt):
+        data = b''
+        while len(data) < cnt:
+            cur = self.recv(cnt - len(data))
+            if not cur:
+                raise IOError("{0} bytes missing".format(cnt-len(data)))
+            data += cur
+        return data
+
+    def _setup_socks4(self, address, is_4a=False):
+        destaddr, port = address
+
+        try:
+            ipaddr = socket.inet_aton(destaddr)
+        except socket.error:
+            if is_4a and self._proxy.remote_dns:
+                ipaddr = struct.pack('!BBBB', 0, 0, 0, 0xFF)
+            else:
+                ipaddr = socket.inet_aton(socket.gethostbyname(destaddr))
+
+        packet = struct.pack('!BBH', 0x4, 0x1, port) + ipaddr
+        if self._proxy.username:
+            username = self._proxy.username
+            if hasattr(username, 'encode'):
+                username = username.encode()
+            packet += struct.pack('!{0}s'.format(len(username)+1), username)
+        else:
+            packet += b'\x00'
+
+        if is_4a and self._proxy.remote_dns:
+            if hasattr(destaddr, 'encode'):
+                destaddr = destaddr.encode()
+            packet += struct.pack('!{0}s'.format(len(destaddr)+1), destaddr)
+
+        self.sendall(packet)
+
+        packet = self.recvall(8)
+        nbyte, resp_code, dstport, dsthost = struct.unpack('!BBHI', packet)
+
+        # check valid response
+        if nbyte != 0x00:
+            self.close()
+            raise ProxyError(0, "Invalid response from server. Expected {0:02x} got {1:02x}".format(0, nbyte))
+
+        # access granted
+        if resp_code != 0x5a:
+            self.close()
+            raise Socks4Error(resp_code)
+
+    def _setup_socks5(self, address):
+        destaddr, port = address
+
+        try:
+            ipaddr = socket.inet_aton(destaddr)
+        except socket.error:
+            if self._proxy.remote_dns:
+                ipaddr = None
+            else:
+                ipaddr = socket.inet_aton(socket.gethostbyname(destaddr))
+
+        auth_methods = 1
+        if self._proxy.username and self._proxy.password:
+            # two auth methods available
+            auth_methods = 2
+        packet = struct.pack('!BBB', 0x5, auth_methods, 0x00) # no auth
+        if self._proxy.username and self._proxy.password:
+            packet += struct.pack('!B', 0x02) # user/pass auth
+
+        self.sendall(packet)
+
+        packet = self.recvall(2)
+        version, method = struct.unpack('!BB', packet)
+
+        # check valid response
+        if version != 0x05:
+            self.close()
+            raise ProxyError(0, "Invalid response from server. Expected {0:02x} got {1:02x}".format(5, version))
+
+        # no auth methods
+        if method == 0xFF:
+            self.close()
+            raise Socks5Error(method)
+
+        # user/pass auth
+        if method == 0x01:
+            username = self._proxy.username
+            if hasattr(username, 'encode'):
+                username = username.encode()
+            password = self._proxy.password
+            if hasattr(password, 'encode'):
+                password = password.encode()
+            packet = struct.pack('!BB', 1, len(username)) + username
+            packet += struct.pack('!B', len(password)) + password
+            self.sendall(packet)
+
+            packet = self.recvall(2)
+            version, status = struct.unpack('!BB', packet)
+
+            if version != 0x01:
+                self.close()
+                raise ProxyError(0, "Invalid response from server. Expected {0:02x} got {1:02x}".format(1, version))
+
+            if status != 0x00:
+                self.close()
+                raise Socks5Error(1)
+        elif method == 0x00: # no auth
+            pass
+
+
+        packet = struct.pack('!BBB', 5, 1, 0)
+        if ipaddr is None:
+            if hasattr(destaddr, 'encode'):
+                destaddr = destaddr.encode()
+            packet += struct.pack('!BB', 3, len(destaddr)) + destaddr
+        else:
+            packet += struct.pack('!B', 1) + ipaddr
+        packet += struct.pack('!H', port)
+
+        self.sendall(packet)
+
+        packet = self.recvall(4)
+        version, status, _, atype = struct.unpack('!BBBB', packet)
+
+        if version != 0x05:
+            self.close()
+            raise ProxyError(0, "Invalid response from server. Expected {0:02x} got {1:02x}".format(5, version))
+
+        if status != 0x00:
+            self.close()
+            raise Socks5Error(status)
+
+        if atype == 0x01:
+            destaddr = self.recvall(4)
+        elif atype == 0x03:
+            alen = struct.unpack('!B', self.recv(1))[0]
+            destaddr = self.recvall(alen)
+        elif atype == 0x04:
+            destaddr = self.recvall(16)
+        destport = struct.unpack('!H', self.recvall(2))[0]
+
+    def _make_proxy(self, connect_func, address):
+        if self._proxy.type == ProxyType.SOCKS4:
+            result = connect_func(self, (self._proxy.host, self._proxy_port))
+            if result != 0 and result is not None:
+                return result
+            self._setup_socks4(address)
+        elif self._proxy.type == ProxyType.SOCKS4A:
+            result = connect_func(self, (self._proxy.host, self._proxy_port))
+            if result != 0 and result is not None:
+                return result
+            self._setup_socks4(address, is_4a=True)
+        elif self._proxy.type == ProxyType.SOCKS5:
+            result = connect_func(self, (self._proxy.host, self._proxy_port))
+            if result != 0 and result is not None:
+                return result
+            self._setup_socks5(address)
+        else:
+            return connect_func(self, address)
+
+    def connect(self, address):
+        self._make_proxy(_orig_socket.connect, address)
+
+    def connect_ex(self, address):
+        return self._make_proxy(_orig_socket.connect_ex, address)