You’ve set everything up according to the instructions, entered the data, clicked «OK»... but nothing works. Websites won’t open, programs throw errors, and anonymity remains an unattainable dream. Sound familiar? A lack of connection through a proxy is one of the most common issues, but its solution almost always boils down to a methodical check of a few key points. There’s no need to panic. Instead of chaotic attempts to «click something,» let’s go through a simple but effective checklist that will help you quickly find and eliminate the cause of the malfunction. We will move from the simplest and most obvious problems to the more complex ones.
Understand the Nature of the Error: A Proxy is a Chain
It is important to understand that when you use a proxy, your connection turns into a chain of several links:
Your computer -> Your ISP -> Proxy service -> Target website.
A problem can arise at any of these stages.
Your checklist helps to consistently check each link:
- Steps 1-3 check your "hardware" and data.
- Steps 4-7 check the connection between your computer and the proxy server.
- Step 8 checks the connection between the proxy server and the final website.
This understanding helps you stay calm and approach diagnostics systematically. You stop seeing one big problem («the proxy isn’t working») and start seeing a logical chain. This allows you to methodically, step by step, rule out working links and quickly find the source of the failure, saving time and nerves.
Stage 1: «Surface» Check — Basic Questions
In 80% of cases, the problem lies right here. Start with the simplest things.
✅ 1. Check the status of the proxy itself
- Is it active? Log into your proxy provider's personal account. Make sure the service has not expired and is in an active status.
- Is the traffic exhausted? If you have a plan with a traffic limit, check if you have reached it.
✅ 2. Double-check your connection data
This is the champion in terms of the number of errors. One typo — and nothing will work.
- IP address (host): Make sure you copied it completely, without extra spaces.
- Port: This is a numerical value (e.g., 8000, 9595). Check every digit.
- Login and Password: The most vulnerable spot. Never enter them manually. Always copy and paste directly from your personal account to avoid errors with case (capital/small letters) or similar characters (e.g., O and 0, l and I).
✅ 3. Check your main internet connection
It sounds cliché, but it’s necessary. Disable the proxy in the program or system settings and try to access any website (e.g., google.com). If the internet doesn’t work without the proxy, then the problem is with your ISP, not the intermediary server.
Stage 2: Technical Diagnostics — Looking Deeper
If everything is fine in the first stage, the problem is likely more technical in nature.
✅ 4. Check your firewall and antivirus
Your security software may perceive the proxy connection as suspicious network activity and block it.
- How to check: Temporarily disable your antivirus and/or the built-in Windows/macOS Firewall and try to connect again.
- What to do if it helped: Do not leave your protection turned off. Instead, add the program you use for the proxy (e.g., your browser or Proxifier) to your antivirus and firewall exclusion lists.
✅ 5. Check the settings of the program itself
Some applications, especially browsers, may have their own proxy settings that take priority over system settings.
- How to check: Go to the network settings of the program you are trying to use. For example, in Firefox, it’s «Settings» -> «Network Settings» -> «Configure...». Make sure that «No proxy» is not selected and that no old, incorrect data is entered.
- What to do: In the program settings, select the «Use system proxy settings» option. This will force the application to follow the general rules you set for the entire OS. Or, if you want to use the proxy only for that specific program, enter the data manually directly there.
💡 Tip: If you are using an antidetect browser or specific software, study the Guide for the corresponding case/browser/program in the sections on the left. There, we have gathered step-by-step instructions for most popular tools.
✅ 6. Ensure the correct protocol is selected
Proxies come in different types. Specifying the wrong protocol in the settings will prevent a connection from being established.
- HTTP/HTTPS vs. SOCKS5: Check with your provider exactly which type of proxy you purchased. SOCKS5 is more modern and universal, but if you bought HTTP(S), you must specify exactly that in the settings. These are not interchangeable things.
✅ 7. Technical connection check (curl)
To accurately understand if the proxy is working, it is best to use the terminal (command prompt). This eliminates the influence of browser settings. Enter the following command:
curl -x http://user:password@proxy_host:proxy_port -L http://google.comReplace user, password, proxy_host, and proxy_port with your data.
For example: curl -x http://pcQedolPkt-res-any:PC_7CJ2WQqdGBm42dHWj@51.77.190.247:5959 -L http://google.com
If you receive the HTML code of the Google page in response, it means your proxy is working correctly, and the problem should be sought in the settings of the specific program.
Fig. 1. Example of html code output after executing the curl command.
✅ 8. Problem on the target website side?
Sometimes the proxy itself works, but the website you are trying to access is blocking it.
- How to check: Try accessing a different, neutral website through the proxy (e.g., ipinfo.io or browserleaks.com/ip). If it opens and shows your proxy's IP, then the server is working, and the problem lies specifically in the security policy of the target resource. It is possible that your proxy's IP has landed on its blacklist.
Stage 3: If Nothing Helped — Contact Support
We understand that downtime in work can be critical. Every problem of yours is important to us, and we are ready to help solve it as quickly as possible.
If you have gone through all the steps but the connection is still not established, please contact our support team. You can message us in the chat in the bottom right corner of the screen or contact us via Telegram: @CyberYozh_support_bot.
To get a fast and helpful response, prepare in advance:
- The data of the proxy you are having trouble with (IP and port). No need to provide the password.
- Your real IP address. You can find it on the browserleaks.com/ip website with the proxy disabled.
- A clear description of the problem: «Cannot connect», «Low speed», «Website X gives an error».
- A screenshot of the error, if there is one.
- The result of executing the curl command (from point 7).
- What steps you have already taken for self-diagnosis. This will save time and show the specialist that basic checks have already been conducted.
Conclusion
Technical glitches happen, but they shouldn't stop your business. The key to solving them is a consistent and methodical approach. By moving from simple to complex using this checklist, you are highly likely to find the cause yourself. If not, our CyberYozh App support team is always available to help you get back to work as soon as possible.