If you add use warnings; to the top of your code after use strict; you will find you get this error:

 Argument "^E" isn't numeric in integer eq (==) at ./try.pl line 40.
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When you do your connect. This could be a big clue for you :o)

use warnings; is your friend!

I think this should do what you want it to:

    if ( $ver =~ /\x05/ && $nm ) {
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or even:

my $x05 = sprintf "\x05"; # hex 05 as a raw character for ver test.

for ( ; my $paddr = accept( CLIENT, SERVER ); close CLIENT ) {

    my ( $ver, $nm, $methods ) = ();

    recv( CLIENT, $ver, 1, 0 );
    recv( CLIENT, $nm,  1, 0 );

    if ( $ver eq $x05 && $nm ) {
        print "Okay, getting $nm methods\n";
        recv( CLIENT, $methods, $nm, 0 );
    }

}
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PS: your debugging could also be easier if you format your die statements more helpfully:

socket( SERVER, PF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, $proto ) ||
    die "Can't create socket: $!\n";

setsockopt( SERVER, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR, pack( "l", 1 ) ) ||
    die "Can't set socket option: $!\n";

bind( SERVER, sockaddr_in( $port, INADDR_ANY ) ) ||
    die "Can't bind to socket: $!\n";

listen( SERVER, SOMAXCONN ) ||
    die "Can't set max connections (listen): $!\n";
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