Proxies cause a large share of connection problems, and they are usually quick to identify once you test the proxy separately from the app.
Messages you might see
"Cannot connect through proxy"
The proxy did not accept the connection. Check the address, the port, and the username and password. A single wrong character produces exactly this.
"Connection blocked by firewall"
Something between the app and the internet is refusing the traffic. On a work or campus network this is often the network itself rather than your settings.
"Content blocked based on geographic location"
The proxy is exiting in a country where the content is restricted. Switch to an exit location that matches where the account normally operates.
Testing the proxy on its own
This is the step that saves the most time. Turn the proxy off in the app and try a small action.
- Works without the proxy: the proxy is the problem. Check the credentials with your provider, or try a different endpoint.
- Fails either way: the proxy is not the cause and something else is going on. Send us a ticket.
Choosing a proxy that behaves
- Residential beats datacentre. Datacentre ranges are widely recognised and treated with suspicion.
- Stay in one place. An account that appears in three countries in a day will be challenged.
- Match the account's usual location. If the account has always been used from the UK, a sudden US exit looks like a compromise.
- Change proxies rarely. Each change is a new location as far as the platform is concerned.
Do you need one at all?
If you run one account from one home connection, often not. Proxies earn their place when you run several accounts and need to keep them apart. Added to a single account for no particular reason, a proxy introduces a new way for things to break and a new reason to be challenged.