How to set up a proxy on Windows

Which proxy to use

Residential proxies with a sticky session are the usual choice for browsing, because the IP address looks like a home connection and stays the same while you work. For heavy use such as video, a time-based Unlimited Datacenter plan avoids paying by the gigabyte.

• Residentialfrom $2.64 per GB
• Mobilefrom $2.64 per GB
• Unlimited Datacenterfrom $0.24 per hour

What to enter

A PiratProxies plan gives you four things: a host, a port, a username and a password. These are the values for Residential; the username and password are on your plan page.

The country and the session are chosen in the username, not in a separate setting. The generator on your plan page writes the username for you, and Targeting and sessions explains each part.

Steps

1. Open Settings, then Network & internet, then Proxy.
2. Under manual proxy setup, switch on the proxy server.
3. Enter the address resi.piratproxies.com and the port 8080, and save.
4. Open a browser. When it asks, enter your username and password.
5. Visit an IP-check page to confirm the address.

Menu names can differ a little between versions of Windows. The four values to enter are always the same.

Rotating or sticky

A device or browser that sends everything through the proxy is acting as one visitor, so a sticky session is usually what you want: the IP address stays the same while you work. Remember that gigabyte plans count all traffic, so video and large downloads use a plan up quickly.

A sticky username looks like this:

USERNAME-country-us-time-600-session-a1b2c3d4

If it does not work

• Windows has no field for the proxy login, and some programs never ask for it. For those, use Proxifier, which sends the login for them.
• The setting covers the whole computer: updates and background apps use your plan as well.
• A 407 error means the username or password was not accepted. Copy both again from your plan page, and check that nothing added a space or cut the username short.
• If the IP address is in the wrong country, look at the username: the country code is part of it. More fixes.

Questions

Windows is a product of its own makers. PiratProxies is not affiliated with it; the name is used here only to say what this guide is about. Use it within the rules of the sites you work with and our acceptable use policy.