PythonHow-ToBeginner · 4 min read

How to Use Socket Module in Python: Simple Guide and Example

Use the socket module in Python to create network connections by first creating a socket object with socket.socket(), then connecting or binding it to an address. You can send and receive data using send() and recv() methods for TCP sockets.

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Syntax

The basic steps to use the socket module are:

Create a socket: socket.socket(family, type) where family is usually socket.AF_INET for IPv4 and type is socket.SOCK_STREAM for TCP.
Connect or bind: Use connect(address) for clients or bind(address) and listen() for servers.
Send and receive data: Use send() and recv() for TCP sockets.
Close the socket: Use close() when done.

python

import socket

# Create a TCP/IP socket
s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)

# Connect to a server
s.connect(('hostname', 80))

# Send data
s.send(b'Hello')

# Receive data
data = s.recv(1024)

# Close socket
s.close()

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Example

This example shows a simple TCP client that connects to example.com on port 80, sends a HTTP GET request, and prints the response.

python

import socket

# Create a socket object
client_socket = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)

# Connect to example.com on port 80
client_socket.connect(('example.com', 80))

# Send HTTP GET request
request = 'GET / HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: example.com\r\n\r\n'
client_socket.send(request.encode())

# Receive response
response = client_socket.recv(4096)

# Print response
print(response.decode())

# Close the socket
client_socket.close()

Output

HTTP/1.1 200 OK Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Length: ... <!doctype html> <html> <head> <title>Example Domain</title> ... </html>

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Common Pitfalls

Not closing sockets: Always call close() to free resources.
Blocking calls: recv() waits for data; use timeouts or non-blocking mode if needed.
Incorrect address format: Use a tuple (host, port) for connect() and bind().
Mixing UDP and TCP: Use SOCK_DGRAM for UDP sockets, not SOCK_STREAM.

python

import socket

# Wrong: forgetting to close socket
s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
s.connect(('example.com', 80))
s.send(b'Hello')
# No s.close() here - resource leak

# Right: closing socket
s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
s.connect(('example.com', 80))
s.send(b'Hello')
s.close()

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Quick Reference

Here is a quick summary of common socket methods:

Method	Description
socket.socket(family, type)	Create a new socket object
connect(address)	Connect to a remote socket at address
bind(address)	Bind socket to local address
listen(backlog)	Enable server to accept connections
accept()	Accept a connection (server side)
send(bytes)	Send data to the socket
recv(bufsize)	Receive data from the socket
close()	Close the socket

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Key Takeaways

Create a socket with socket.socket() specifying address family and type.

Use connect() for clients and bind() plus listen() for servers.

Send and receive data with send() and recv() methods.

Always close sockets with close() to free resources.

Be careful with blocking calls and address formats.