This article covers how to evaluate your proxy performance, what to do when things are not working as expected, and how to request IP replacements.
Understanding Proxy Performance
Proxy performance depends on several factors including the target website's anti-bot measures, your session configuration, and network conditions. A lower success rate on a heavily protected target is normal and does not necessarily indicate a problem with your proxies.
For best results:
Use rotating mode for high-volume scraping tasks where a fresh IP per request reduces block risk.
Use sticky sessions when your target requires maintaining state (logins, multi-step flows). Sessions last up to 1440 minutes.
Match your proxy type to your use case — Mobile proxies offer the highest bypass rates on challenging targets, while Datacenter proxies are better for speed-sensitive, lower-risk targets.
Common Issues and Fixes
Connection refused or timeout
Verify your endpoint and port. All per-GB products use proxy.proxiware.com:1337. Unlimited Residential uses unlimited.proxiware.com. Static ISP proxies connect directly to the IP assigned to you — not through a shared endpoint. Check that your username and password are correct, or that your whitelisted IP matches the machine you are connecting from.
Authentication rejected or connection suddenly refused
Proxy users are tied to the plan they were created under. A user from your Mobile plan will not work on Eco Residential, and a user from one Residential plan will not work on another. Make sure the username you are using belongs to the plan you are connecting to, and that the plan is active with data remaining.
Repeated failed authentication attempts from the same IP will temporarily block that IP to prevent abuse. This usually happens after using the wrong credentials or connecting to a plan that has expired or run out of data. Fix the cause, wait a few minutes, and try connecting again.
Email connections not working
Email ports, including IMAP, are blocked on our network to prevent spam and abuse. If you believe you have a legitimate need, contact support with a short summary of your use case and our team will review it.
Connection fails on one specific website
Some websites are blocked on our network, and connections to them will fail while other sites continue to work normally. If a single site consistently fails and other sites load fine through the same proxy, it is likely blocked. Contact support if you would like to confirm.
High block or CAPTCHA rate
Try enabling rotating mode, or upgrading to Mobile proxies for targets with aggressive anti-bot systems. Reducing request frequency can also help.
Slow speeds
If you are using Datacenter proxies and experiencing slowness, contact support as this may indicate a routing issue. For residential proxies, some variation in speed is normal since IPs belong to real residential devices. For Unlimited Residential, check your configured speed tier in the dashboard.
Session drops
Sessions typically last up to 1440 minutes. If you are losing sessions earlier than expected, check whether your session duration parameter is set correctly in your proxy string.
Data usage seems high
Each HTTP request consumes bandwidth, including headers and retries. Review your request volume and retry logic. You can monitor real-time usage in your dashboard. If your volume is consistently high, consider switching to Unlimited Residential to remove per-GB concerns entirely.
My proxies show a high fraud score on a checker site
Third-party reputation checkers like IPQualityScore and Scamalytics are not a reliable indicator of how a proxy will perform on your actual target. A high score does not mean the proxy is broken or will get flagged — performance depends on the platform, your use case, and how the IP has been used historically, not on what a checker reports.
We recommend testing your proxies directly in your use case before drawing conclusions. If testing is not practical (for example, if you are doing account management and need a clean IP from the start), you can swap the IP yourself from the Static ISP section of your dashboard.
Selecting Specific IPs or Subnets
Subnet selection at checkout is available for United States Static ISP subscriptions only. Under the subnet dropdown, select Specific, check the subnet you want, and click Apply. Static ISP subscriptions in other countries do not support subnet selection.
For rotating proxy products, there is no subnet or IP selection. IP targeting is configured after purchase through the proxy builder in your dashboard, where you can target by country, state, city, ASN, or other supported parameters depending on your product. You cannot request a specific IP address for rotating plans.
For Static ISP proxies, swaps are handled from your dashboard and assign a new IP from available inventory. You can choose which of your own IPs to swap on United States subscriptions, but you cannot choose which replacement IP you receive.
Requesting an IP Replacement
For Static ISP proxies, you can swap your IPs yourself from the Static ISP section of your dashboard. No support ticket is required. A few rules apply:
On United States subscriptions, you select the individual proxy you want to replace and only that IP is swapped.
On subscriptions in all other countries, a swap replaces every IP in the subscription at once.
Each subscription is limited to 10 swaps.
An IP must have fewer than 1,000 connections to be eligible. Past that point the dashboard will return "IP not eligible", since an IP that has handled that much traffic is treated as working normally. Swaps are meant for IPs that are not usable, not for cycling through inventory.
If you hit the eligibility message and the IP genuinely stopped working, contact support with the IP address and we will investigate.
For rotating residential, mobile, and datacenter proxies, IPs rotate automatically so manual replacement is not needed. If you are experiencing persistent issues, contact support.
Need Help?
Reach out via live chat in the dashboard or email support@proxiware.com. Our AI assistant is available 24/7. Our team is available Monday to Friday, 9AM to 5PM EST.