How do I test whether my proxy is working correctly?

Here are practical ways to test whether your proxy is working correctly.

1) Check your external IP

The easiest test is to compare your public IP with and without the proxy.

Using curl

Without proxy:

curl https://ifconfig.me

With proxy:

curl -x http://PROXY_HOST:PROXY_PORT https://ifconfig.me

If the proxy is working, the IP shown should be the proxy’s exit IP, not your normal one.

If your proxy requires auth:

curl -x http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@PROXY_HOST:PROXY_PORT https://ifconfig.me

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2) Test with verbose output

This helps confirm whether the connection is actually being routed through the proxy.

curl -v -x http://PROXY_HOST:PROXY_PORT https://example.com

Look for lines showing that curl is connecting to the proxy host/port, not directly to the destination.

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3) Check DNS behavior

Some proxies only tunnel traffic, while others may still leak DNS requests.

For HTTP/SOCKS proxies

Use a site that reports DNS info, or test with:

curl -x socks5h://PROXY_HOST:PROXY_PORT https://ifconfig.me

Note the socks5h:// version sends DNS through the proxy.
SOCKS5:// without h may resolve DNS locally, which can be a leak.

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4) Use browser proxy test sites

Open a browser configured to use the proxy, then visit:

• https://ipinfo.io
• https://whatismyipaddress.com
• https://browserleaks.com/ip

These sites usually show:

• your public IP
• proxy detection flags
• DNS leak indicators
• WebRTC leak behavior

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5) Verify the proxy type and behavior

Depending on the proxy type:

HTTP/HTTPS proxy

Test:

curl -x http://PROXY_HOST:PROXY_PORT http://example.com
curl -x http://PROXY_HOST:PROXY_PORT https://example.com

SOCKS5 proxy

Test:

curl --socks5-hostname PROXY_HOST:PROXY_PORT https://example.com

--socks5-hostname is often the better choice because it resolves hostnames through the proxy.

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6) Inspect traffic with a packet capture

If you want deeper verification, use tcpdump, Wireshark, or similar.

You should see your client connecting to the proxy server, and not directly to the final destination.

Example:

tcpdump -n host PROXY_HOST

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7) Common signs the proxy is not working

• Your public IP doesn’t change
• Requests fail because auth is missing or wrong
• HTTPS works, but HTTP does not, or vice versa
• DNS leaks show your real network
• The app ignores system proxy settings
• WebRTC in the browser reveals your local IP

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8) Quick checklist

• Confirm proxy host/port are correct
• Confirm username/password, if required
• Test both HTTP and HTTPS through it
• Confirm IP changes
• Check DNS leak behavior
• Check browser/app is actually using the proxy

If you want, I can give you:

1. a one-line test command for your specific proxy type, or
2. a step-by-step browser proxy test.