In this guide, we’re assuming that you have Mozilla Firefox installed and a proxy available. If you don’t, you can download and install Mozilla Firefox from their official website. For proxies, we suggest you get our own datacenter proxies that will be easy to integrate by following this guide.
1. Open Firefox and go to settings
There are two ways to reach Mozilla Firefox system settings. Either way, you’ll have to first start the Firefox browser. After that, use the address bar and type in about:preferences and press “Enter”.
Another option is to use the upper right hand corner of the screen and to click on the three vertical dashes. From there, use the context menu and move downwards until you reach “Settings”.
2. Go to Mozilla Firefox Network settings
Once the main setting menu opens, all you have to do is scroll down to the network tab. There’s no clicking to be done, but there’s quite a bit until you get to the final option – “Network settings”. Click on the “Settings” button and Firefox will take you to the proxy configuration menu.
3. Select manual proxy configuration
The Firefox browser has a multitude of proxy settings available. There’s a lot to tinker with, but most of those system proxy settings are usually reserved for advanced use. We’ll go through the simplest and most accessible way – manual configuration.
In the connection settings window, there’s 4 options:
- No proxy. Self-explanatory.
- Auto-detect proxy settings for this network. You won’t have much use out of this one.
- Use system proxy settings. Equalizes the Firefox proxy settings with the ones put into the operating system. Can be used if you have set up a proxy in that way.
- Manual proxy configuration. Lets you input proxy servers manually.
We’re picking the 4th option.
4. Input proxy settings
Your proxy provider, regardless of which you chose, should have sent you a combination of IP address and port number. There might be a lot of them, however, Firefox only supports a single proxy server. If you want proxy server rotation options, you will have to find an extension that supports it.
In most cases, you will get settings for a HTTP proxy. These will be proxies with a bog-standard IP address and port number. Some companies have an additional security layer for their HTTP proxy pool. These can sometimes be called a HTTPS proxy. If there is any indication of HTTPS, we recommend using the HTTPS proxy bar instead of the regular HTTP one.
Otherwise, you might have received SOCKS proxies. These will also use the same IP address and port number combination as any other proxy server. SOCKS, however, are different and are used for more than regular browsing. If you are a beginner, go with HTTP(S) ones as they are more suitable for a wide range of operations.
Finally, there’s an option called “No proxy for”. It does exactly what it says – you can input an address and proxies will not be applied when an internet connection is initiated to it.
5. Click OK
You don’t need a screenshot for this one. Simply click OK in the proxy options window and you’re done. If the proxy server isn’t working at this point, try restarting Firefox. Double check if the custom proxy settings are in place. Firefox is then guaranteed to attempt to connect to every web server through those proxies.
FAQ
What are the best proxies for Firefox?
Datacenter proxies are the best proxies for Firefox.
There are two primary types of proxies: residential and datacenter. A residential proxy is good for those who need to go through geo-restricted content, just like you would do with a VPN. A datacenter proxy is great for those who want anonymity, speed, and reliability.
A residential proxy comes from household devices. Since their IP addresses are granted by Internet Service Providers, they seem more legitimate to websites. Unfortunately, you have no control (usually) over how long an IP address lasts. They are also less reliable and slower.
A datacenter proxy comes from servers that are owned by businesses. While these IP addresses are easier to detect as proxies since they come from servers, they still hide the original IP address. Additionally, business-class internet is generally way faster and more reliable than anything a residential homeowner might have.
Why should you use proxies with Firefox?
A proxy enhances your privacy, anonymity, and allows you to change your IP address freely without compromising much stability or internet connection speed.
Most common proxy server errors
- Connection error. You are not receiving a response from the server. It might be your connection, it might be the server’s. Check if your internet connectivity and whether all the settings were inputted properly. If the issue does not resolve, simply wait it out.
- Proxy authentication required. In short, it means you haven’t logged in. Most proxy providers supply a set of credentials or a way to whitelist your IP address. There’s either a mistake in the credentials inputted or the IP address hasn’t been whitelisted.
- Too many requests. If you use a rotating or dedicated proxy, it’s unlikely to ever appear. Shared ones can return such an error, which means too many people are using it at the same time.
- Internal server error. It’s likely that the server crashed or something else happened on the other end. There’s nothing you can do outside of waiting for the issue to be resolved.
How to set up a proxy in Firefox Android?
- Open the browser.
- Type “about:config” in the address bar and press “Enter”.
- Type “proxy.http” into the search box.
- Tap on “network.proxy.http”. Input the server address.
- Tap on “network.proxy.http_port”. Input the port.
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