How to Test Proxies Effectively

Many businesses involved in online scraping might be seeking ways to verify if their proxies are functioning properly and efficiently. While the most reliable method is to use your own script for testing, there are other approaches that can be helpful even if you don't have technical expertise.

This post will detail the process of testing proxies, identify the key parameters to assess, and explore various tools that can aid in the evaluation.

Basic Knowledge for Testing Proxies

The key initial step is to ensure that your proxy is operational. Proxies are usually set up in a browser, which lets you understand their performance. For details on configuring proxy settings in Chrome, please refer to our earlier blog.

Another way to check if your proxy is operational is by using a proxy manager. Proxy managers are particularly useful if you manage many proxies and need a simple way to switch between them.

· IP Detection Tools

Online IP checkers can help you determine if your proxy is working correctly. Many such tools are available online; simply visit the site, which will immediately show your IP address, location, and the HTTP headers of the software you're using.

While some IP checkers can display your IP address and indicate if you’re using a proxy, their capabilities are often limited. For a comprehensive analysis, advanced tools are needed.

· IP Databases Access

Websites often use third-party IP location databases, such as IP2Location or MaxMind, to identify the type of visitors and verify their legitimacy. These databases analyze IP status and usage type, and use proprietary algorithms to determine whether an IP address is associated with a data center or a residential address.

The easiest way to assess your proxy’s status is to use IP2Location. This highly accurate IP database allows you to view detailed information about your IP address, including its expected usage type.

If the residential proxy you're using is identified as a datacenter by this database, many of your target websites may receive the same classification. As a result, this means they may block both the proxy and a genuine residential IP address swiftly.

· Evaluate Proxy Performance with FOGLDN Proxy Tester

To assess the performance of your proxies, you can use tools like the FOGLDN Proxy Tester. It provides real-time ping timings to any website worldwide, helping you monitor proxy latency by showing the connection time. This tool is versatile and can test various types of proxies, including rotating proxies.

The FOGLDN Proxy Tester has several limitations. For example, if a test fails, it doesn't provide details about the exact cause. Additionally, it does not reveal the proxy's location, mode of operation, or level of anonymity. Furthermore, you have no control over the number or frequency of requests during the testing process.

This proxy tester is easy to use. To test your proxies, follow these steps:

1. Install the software

2. Add the list of proxies you want to test. If your gateway address changes often, you can enter it multiple times

3. Input the URL you want to evaluate

4. Click on 'TEST PROXIES'

· Understanding Proxy Anonymity with Hidemy.name

Hidemy.name is an advanced free proxy checker that can identify the proxy type, exact location, speed, and level of anonymity. It automatically gathers proxies from various websites and private databases online. The proxies are categorized based on their protocol type, which may include HTTP, HTTPS, or SOCKS.

Hidemy.name also evaluates the level of anonymity, including whether your real IP address is masked and the likelihood that the destination server will detect the use of a proxy. The proxy lists provided by this checker include the following categories of anonymity:

No anonymity: The server you're connecting to can see your true IP address and knows you are using a proxy.

Limited anonymity: The remote server recognizes that you are using a proxy, but your true IP address is hidden.

Average anonymity: The target server might be misled into thinking it knows your IP address, though the displayed IP address is incorrect. The server is aware that you are using a proxy.

High anonymity: The server cannot detect your real IP address or recognize that you are using a proxy.

Another concern is whether your proxies are restricted from accessing certain websites. The only way to check if a proxy is blocked is to test it directly on those websites. While your IP address might eventually be flagged as suspicious, it often requires a significant number of requests before being blocked.

· Develop Custom Proxy Verification Scripts

Another way to verify proxies is by developing your own script or software. This approach provides greater control over the proxy testing process but requires a significant investment of time and effort. The basic method involves creating a scraper that uses the proxy to gather data from a small, preferably static website that offers only minimal information.

The first step is to check if the proxy is responding. You should verify the content of the response by looking for a specific string in the HTML or by checking the content’s size if it is static. The status code can be found in the response headers. While an HTTP status code of 200 indicates that the proxy has successfully delivered the content, examining the actual output is a more reliable method.

Each request made through a proxy should have a suitable timeout setting—generally ten seconds for datacenter proxies and up to thirty seconds for residential proxies. If the proxy does not return any content within this time frame, it is deemed ineffective. Additionally, it's important to record the time taken for each request. Even if requests do not time out, they may still be too slow for practical use. Once this data is collected, it should be recorded in a database or displayed on the screen for analysis.

Conclusion

There are various tools available for testing proxies. Online IP checkers can provide information about your IP address, location, and HTTP headers. IP databases like IP2Location and MaxMind help identify the type and usage of your proxy. FOGLDN Proxy Tester is a user-friendly tool that supports different proxy types and helps monitor latency. Additionally, the Hidemy.name proxy checker can assess the level of anonymity your proxy offers.

While various proxy checkers and testers exist, the most effective and reliable way to test proxies is to create a custom script. This script can send requests to specific websites, receive responses, and measure the time taken to complete each request.