/reference/req/req.socket.md

# req.socket

If the current Request (`req`) originated from a connected Socket.io client, `req.socket` refers to the raw Socket.io socket instance.

### Usage

```js
req.socket;
```


### Details

> **Warning:**
> 
> `req.socket` may be deprecated in a future release of Sails.  You should use the [`sails.sockets.*`](./#!documentation/reference/Sockets) methods instead.

If the current request (`req`) did NOT originate from a Socket.io client, `req.socket` does not have the same meaning.  In the most common scenario, HTTP requests, `req.socket` actually _does exist_, but it refers instead to the underlying TCP socket. Before using `req.socket`, you should check the [`req.isSocket`]() flag to ensure the request arrived via a connected Socket.io client.

`req.socket.id` is a unique identifier representing the current socket.  This is generated by the Socket.io server when a client first connects, and is a valid unique identifier until the socket is disconnected (e.g. if the client is a web browser, until the user closes her browser tab.)

Sails also provides direct, low-level access to all of the other methods and properties from a Socket.io `Socket`, including `req.socket`, including `req.socket.join`, `req.socket.leave`, `req.socket.broadcast`, and more.  See the relevant docs in the [Socket.io wiki](https://github.com/LearnBoost/socket.io/wiki/Rooms) for more information.


### Example

```js
if (req.isSocket) {
  // Low-level Socket.io methods and properties accessible on req.socket.
  // ...
}
else {
  // This is not a request from a Socket.io client, so req.socket
  // may or may not exist.  If this is an HTTP request, req.socket is actually
  // the underlying TCP socket.
  // ...
}
```





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