What to Do When Your Proxy Stops Working

Identifying the Nature of Proxy Failure

• Symptom Analysis
  The initial step is to discern the precise nature of the failure. Is your proxy returning connection timeouts, HTTP errors, or authentication failures? Each symptom whispers its own tale. For instance:

Error Message	Probable Cause	Recommended Action
ERR_PROXY_CONNECTION_FAILED	Proxy server unreachable	Check IP and port, test ping
407 Proxy Authentication	Credentials rejected	Re-enter username/password
Connection timed out	Network latency or proxy offline	Test with different network
403 Forbidden	IP banned or blacklisted	Switch proxy, clear cookies

• Testing Connectivity
  Employ curl or telnet to probe the proxy’s responsiveness:

bash
curl -x http://IP:PORT -I http://example.com
telnet IP PORT

Observe the response: a lack thereof may indicate the proxy is defunct or blocked by your ISP or firewall.

---

Verifying Proxy Configuration

• Browser and Application Settings
  A misconfiguration in your client settings often masquerades as a proxy failure. Review your proxy settings:

• For Chrome: Settings → System → Open your computer’s proxy settings.

• For command-line tools: Confirm the http_proxy and https_proxy environment variables.

bash
export http_proxy=http://USER:PASS@IP:PORT
export https_proxy=http://USER:PASS@IP:PORT

• Authentication Details
  Should your proxy require credentials, ensure they are current. Password changes or expired accounts are frequent culprits.

---

Testing with Alternative Proxies

• Sourcing Reliable Proxies
  When your proxy is found wanting, seek a replacement. ProxyMist offers a curated selection of free proxies, updated daily.

• Comparison Table: Free vs. Paid Proxies

Feature	Free Proxies (ProxyMist)	Paid Proxies
Cost	Free	Subscription-based
Reliability	Variable	High
Anonymity	Moderate	Strong
Geographic Options	Limited	Extensive
Speed	Variable	Consistent

• Integration Example
  To swap proxies in a Python script:

“`python
import requests

proxies = {
“http”: “http://user:pass@ip:port”,
“https”: “https://user:pass@ip:port”
}

r = requests.get(“http://example.com”, proxies=proxies, timeout=10)
print(r.status_code)
“`

---

Diagnosing Network and Firewall Issues

• Local Network Restrictions
  Should your proxy be unreachable, ascertain whether your firewall or antivirus is the villain. Temporarily disable these barriers or add exceptions for your proxy’s IP and port.

• ISP Blocking
  Some ISPs, with a heavy hand, block proxy traffic. Test the proxy on a different network—mobile hotspot, VPN, or a colleague’s connection—to confirm.

---

Clearing Browser and System Caches

• Stale cache or cookies
  A browser’s memory is long; clear cache and cookies to banish vestiges of erroneous proxy sessions.

• In Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Clear browsing data.

• In Firefox: Options → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data.

---

Rotating Proxy and User-Agent Strings

• Automating Rotation
  Web services often blacklist static IPs and User-Agents. Rotate both to maintain access.

“`python
import random

proxy_list = [
“http://ip1:port1”,
“http://ip2:port2”,
# etc.
]

user_agents = [
“Mozilla/5.0 …”,
“Opera/9.80 …”,
# etc.
]

session = requests.Session()
session.proxies = {“http”: random.choice(proxy_list)}
session.headers.update({“User-Agent”: random.choice(user_agents)})
“`

For a trove of proxies, consult ProxyMist’s free list.

---

Consulting Proxy Logs and Documentation

• Server-Side Diagnostics
  For those who hold dominion over their own proxy servers (e.g., Squid, HAProxy), inspect the logs:

bash
tail -f /var/log/squid/access.log

Analyze entries for denied connections, authentication errors, or resource exhaustion.

• Documentation and Official Resources
  Peruse the official documentation for your proxy server:

• Squid Proxy Troubleshooting

• HAProxy Troubleshooting Guide

---

Contacting Proxy Provider Support

• Escalation
  If all else fails, seek assistance from your provider—be it ProxyMist, with its contact page, or another vendor.

---

Summary Table: Troubleshooting Actions

Step	Tool/Action	Resource/Link
Test connectivity	curl, telnet	curl, telnet
Check settings	Browser/app proxy config	ProxyMist Setup Guide
Try new proxy	Get from ProxyMist	ProxyMist Free Proxy List
Review server logs	tail, grep	Squid Logs
Clear cache/cookies	Browser settings	Chrome Help
Rotate proxies	Script automation	Python requests docs
Contact support	Provider email or form	ProxyMist Contact

---

Further Reading

• ProxyMist Blog
  For contemporary wisdom and curated proxy lists.
• How to Set Up a Proxy in Windows
• Python: Using Proxies with Requests

---