Is Your Proxy Not Working? (Troubleshooting Solutions)

If you’re an avid internet user — like most people nowadays — chances are you’ve at least heard about proxies. It’s always a good idea to use a proxy to navigate the world wide web safely. Security is not the only benefit you can get from using a proxy, though.‌

Proxies also allow you to get around region restrictions and masking your information, which is incredibly useful when using them at a corporate level. However, although not illegal, using a proxy is often frowned upon by some sites, which can lead to a few issues down the road.‌

If you’ve come across a “proxy not working” error message at some point, don’t worry. It’s a lot more common than you might think, but it’s nothing to worry about. Yet, even if you haven’t yet found yourself in this situation, it’s always a smart idea to learn how to identify where the problem is. This way, you can troubleshoot the most common proxy issues and work effectively to fix them on your own.

What to Do When Your Proxy Is Not Working

So, you finally decided to set up a proxy for your business. That’s a great decision for many reasons, but, to be brutally honest, it’s common, and almost inevitable, to face some problems while using one. It’ll all be fun and games until one day, for whatever reason, it starts giving you a few minor headaches — nothing too serious, luckily.‌

If at any point you end up asking yourself, “why is my proxy not working?” we’ve got you covered. Here are some of the most common proxy issues and how to fix them.‌

How do I know if a proxy is working?

First things first. Before you start looking for proxy troubleshooting solutions, you need to make sure you’re actually experiencing proxy-related issues. Keep in mind you can always be dealing with a different problem with your internet connection or even a browser add-on that’s gone rogue.‌

Make sure to check if:

• Your browser is up-to-date
• The site you’re trying to access runs on other browsers
• You’re experiencing issues when using other devices with the same proxy‌

Once you’ve dismissed any problems pertaining to your network, you can better identify if your proxy is the culprit behind you and your team not being able to access certain sites. You could be facing a simple website ban or using the wrong kind of proxy for your needs — among other common proxy issues.‌

Website bans

Naturally, it can be rather frustrating when your proxy stops performing its main function. However, sometimes the proxy is not to blame in these types of situations. If it appears like you have a working web proxy in general, but some sites are giving you trouble, chances are that the page you’re trying to access has banned the proxy’s IP.‌

When this happens, don’t despair. The solution is really simple. All you need to do is call customer service or log directly into your dashboard to change your IP — if you’re using a reputable service, that is. There’s likely a limit to this per-monthly cycle in your plan, though, so proceed with caution.‌

Wrong kind of proxy

Sometimes, when you ask yourself, “is my proxy working?” it actually is. However, you might be dealing with a little misunderstanding on your end.‌

You need to keep in mind there are numerous kinds of proxies out there for specific needs.‌

For example, sneakerheads use very particular proxies to avoid website bans when trying to purchase a fresh pair of the latest sneaker release. If they used a proxy that’s not designed for that purpose, they’d probably have blacklisting issues and miss out on the kicks of their dreams.‌

When acquiring a proxy for your business, it is essential that you do your research so you don’t end up using the wrong kind. Some of the most reliable types of proxies are private data center proxies and residential proxies. Both types of proxies can come in rotating or static varieties, which can be a big factor when trying to understand why you’re having problems. If you’re using data center proxies, for example, the website could detect this as bot activity and ban those proxies. You can solve this by either improving your subnet diversity, increasing your proxy pool, or trying residential proxies on that website instead.

Residential proxies are typically the more reliable option for large-scale processes, especially for businesses that need the highest quality resources. They’re also great for web scraping. If you’re experiencing problems with your data center proxies while web scraping, it will also be a good idea to try static or rotating residential proxies instead. You can develop your own software to “waterfall” through the different proxies yourself, or use a specific proxy management tool like Rayobyte’s Proxy Pilot to do it automatically. 

Your proxy service is down

Free proxy services tend to fall victim to attacks pretty often. This could leave you without a proxy from one second to another at the most inconvenient times. One of the main reasons why you should invest in a reputable proxy for your business is that it reduces the risk of proxy failure due to some random, ransomware drama.‌

When you’re paying for a proxy plan, you call the shots. You can always reach out to customer service, and they can help you figure out if the server is down and why, and even help you fix the problem.‌

Faulty connection

When you’re an inexperienced proxy user, your ISP might be onto you when you start acting like a bot that scrapes data in record time. This could cause it to take action to stop you, worrying your network is under attack. When this happens, your internet connection shuts down.‌

However, sometimes all it takes to fix the problem is for you to log out of your proxy. If this doesn’t get you back on track, unplug your modem and get back online. Log back into your proxy, and you should be back in business in no time.‌

Stern firewall settings

The primary goal of a firewall is to keep malware off your system. This means it could potentially identify your proxy as such and try to stop it from working at all costs. You can always turn it off when using your proxy to see if you can fix any access-related problems. If everything else fails, check your router, unblock the ports, and deactivate the firewalls in the settings.‌

Software authentication issues

Most proxies come with an authentication system that allows you to access them securely. This means you’ll most likely need to have a username and password to be able to take advantage of all the benefits that come with your plan.‌

If you input the wrong credentials, you won’t be able to use your proxy at all. Keep that information in a safe place and only provide it to the members of your team.‌

Avoid Problems by Choosing the Right Proxy

When shopping for proxies online, you’ll need to keep in mind there are two main categories:

• Private proxies: Those you pay for. They have dedicated resources and provide you with your own IP. In some cases, semi-dedicated proxies allow you to share your IP with a few other people.
• Public Proxies: These are often free, but you have to share them with numerous users. This means you split resources, which can and will affect your bandwidth.‌

Whether you pick a public or private proxy for your business, there’s no guarantee it will work all the time.  Even when you’re an experienced proxy user and do everything right, you might still experience some issues from time to time. It happens to the best of us.‌

Yet, private proxies often have their own ways to back you up and get you back on track. They’ll give you the best solutions so that you can go back to scraping data without even thinking about it.‌

As mentioned above, choosing the wrong proxy provider can cause you lots of issues along the way. Sure, it might be tempting to save some money and get yourself a free proxy service, but there’s nothing quite like subscribing to a proxy you can trust, and that’s got your back.‌

Public proxies could put your network and sensitive information at risk. They could even vanish from one day to the next, leaving you stranded when your team needs a proxy the most.‌

Final Remarks

Proxies are terrific tools to boost your business productivity and keep your team happy. However, getting a “web proxy not responding” error is always a possibility. You can run into some browser incompatibility, IP bans from websites, connection issues, and several other problems. A trustworthy proxy provider can help you circumvent these hiccups and find tailor-made solutions for you.‌

Staying away from free proxies is your best bet. However, keep in mind that no provider can control what websites do when it comes to proxies. They can only do their best to offer you support when you need it the most. At Rayobyte, we pride ourselves on our outstanding customer support. Our experts work tirelessly to ensure you have the best proxy experience possible and find custom solutions that work for you.‌

Our goal is to minimize potential proxy issues as much as possible. We have a vast monitoring system that allows us to keep bans at bay with proxy rotation and anticipate anything that could go wrong with our data center proxies. Have a look at our pricing options for residential proxies and enhance your company’s internet browsing experience today.

The information contained within this article, including information posted by official staff, guest-submitted material, message board postings, or other third-party material is presented solely for the purposes of education and furtherance of the knowledge of the reader. All trademarks used in this publication are hereby acknowledged as the property of their respective owners.