Numerous businesses engaged in online scraping may be wondering how to determine whether their proxies are operating properly and efficiently. While the most effective method of testing a proxy is through your own script, there are additional methods that may be useful even if you lack technical skills.
This post will explain how testing proxies work, which parameters to examine, and which tools, both complicated and straightforward, may be useful.
Testing Proxies: What Do We Need?
The critical first step is to verify that your proxy is operational. Typically, proxies are configured in a browser, where their activity can also be monitored. We have covered how to use proxy settings in Chrome in one of our earlier articles.
Another technique to determine whether your proxy is running is to use a proxy manager. Proxy managers are ideal if you use too many proxies and wish to switch between them easily.
1. IP checkers
You can utilize online IP checkers to determine whether your proxy is functioning properly. While many of them are available over the internet, we may turn to whatismyproxy.com to see how their general logic works. But, first, you must visit the website, which will immediately reveal your IP address and location and the HTTP headers for the software you are currently using.
While some IP checkers will show your IP address and determine if you’re connected with a proxy, their capability is fairly limited. Advanced tools are required for a complete study.
2. IP databases
Certain websites use third-party IP location databases, such as IP2Location or MaxMind, to determine the type of visitors who visit their site and whether they are genuine. To determine this, an IP status or usage type must be examined. In addition, IP location databases have their own algorithms for determining if an IP address is associated with a data center or a residential address.
The simplest approach to determine the proxy’s status is to navigate to IP2Location. This IP database, largely regarded as one of the most accurate, lets you view detailed information about your IP address, including the anticipated usage type.
Suppose that the residential proxy you are attempting to utilize is classified as a datacenter by this database. In this case, many of your target websites will likely receive the same information and will likely block both this proxy and a genuine residential IP address much more quickly.
3. FOGLDN Proxy Tester
To test the performance of your proxies, tools such as the FOGLDN Proxy Tester can be utilized. It offers real-time ping timings to any website on the planet. Since it displays the time required to connect, you can use it to monitor the latency of your proxies. This proxy tester allows you to test any form of proxy, including rotating proxies.
FOGLDN Proxy Tester is not without flaws. For instance, if the test run fails, you will not be able to determine the precise cause. In addition, it conceals the proxy’s location, mode of operation, and level of anonymity. Finally, you do not influence the quantity or frequency of requests.
This proxy tester is quite simple to use. You can use this tool to test your proxies by performing the following steps:
- Install the software
- Include a list of the proxies that you wish to test. If your gateway address changes frequently, you can add it many times
- Enter the URL to evaluate
- Then, select ‘TEST PROXIES’
4. Hidemy.name
Hidemy.name is a more advanced free proxy checker. It is capable of determining the proxy type, precise location, speed, and level of anonymity. The Hidemy.name proxy checker automatically collects proxies from different websites over the internet, including private databases. Proxies can be classified according to their protocol type, which may include HTTP, HTTPS, or SOCKS.
Another aspect that hidemy.name can assess is the level of anonymity: whether your true IP address is concealed and whether the destination server has a probability of suspecting you are using a proxy server. This proxy checker’s proxy lists encompass the following categories of anonymity:
- There is no anonymity. The server you’re connecting to is aware of your true IP address and that you’re using a proxy.
- Limited anonymity. The remote server is aware that you are connecting through a proxy. However, your true IP address is concealed.
- Anonymity is average. The target server can be duped into believing it knows your IP address, but the reported IP address is incorrect. The server is aware that you are connecting through a proxy.
- A high degree of anonymity. The server to which you are connecting does not detect your actual IP address or the presence of proxies.
Another factor that is more likely to cause concern is whether or not your proxies are prohibited from accessing specific websites. The only way to determine whether a proxy is blocked is to test the targeted websites directly. Your IP address may be flagged as suspicious at some point, but it may have to make a large number of requests before being blocked.
5. Custom software
Another method of verifying proxies is to develop your own script or piece of software. This way, you’ll have more control over how your proxies are checked. However, this requires time and work. The fundamental method is to construct a scraper that uses a proxy for a list to collect data from a small, preferably static, website that returns the barest minimum amount of information.
The first step is to determine whether the proxy actually responds. You must verify the body’s content by looking for a specific string in the HTML output or by examining the content’s size (if the content is static). The status code can be found in the response headers. Although an HTTP status code of 200 indicates that the proxy was successful and you get the material, inspecting the actual output is always more reliable.
Each request made over a proxy should include an appropriate timeout. It may be as little as ten seconds for a datacenter proxy and as much as thirty seconds for a residential proxy. If no material is returned during that period, the proxy is considered useless. Additionally, it makes sense to note the time required to complete each request. While certain requests do not time out, they can still be excessively slow for real-world use scenarios. After collecting all of this data, it should be entered into a database or printed out on the screen for examination.
The Bottomline
There are numerous tools available for testing proxies. IP checkers are available online and can reveal the IP address, location, and HTTP headers of your software. IP databases, such as IP2Location or MaxMind, can assist you in determining the IP address and type of usage of your proxy. FOGLDN Proxy Tester, a simple-to-use tool that supports a wide variety of proxy types, assists you in monitoring the latency of your proxies. The hidemy.name proxy checker can be used to determine a user’s degree of anonymity.
While there are several proxy checks and testers available, the most effective and reliable method of testing proxies is to write a script capable of sending requests to certain websites and receiving responses and tracking the time required to complete the request.
