Verify that your proxy is properly hiding your identity. Test for IP leaks, header leaks, and DNS leaks.
Proxies are used to hide your real IP address from websites and services. However, not all proxies provide the same level of anonymity. Transparent proxies reveal your real IP in HTTP headers. Anonymous proxies hide your IP but identify themselves as proxies. Elite proxies provide the highest level of anonymity by hiding both your IP and the fact that a proxy is being used. Testing your proxy ensures you are getting the anonymity level you expect.
To test if your proxy is leaking your real IP address, visit an IP checking website like whatismyip.com both with and without your proxy configured. If the IP addresses are different, your proxy is hiding your IP. If they match, your proxy is not working correctly or is transparent. Some proxies also leak your IP through WebRTC, DNS, or IPv6 traffic.
HTTP headers can reveal information about your connection even when using a proxy. The X-Forwarded-For header may contain your real IP address if the proxy adds it. The Via header identifies the proxy software being used. The Accept-Language header can reveal your geographic location. Test your proxy with a header checking tool like whatismybrowser.com to see what information your proxy leaks.
Many proxies do not route DNS queries through the proxy tunnel. When you use a proxy but your DNS queries still go to your ISP, your browsing activity is visible even if your IP is hidden. Test for DNS leaks using our DNS speed test tool or a DNS leak test website. If you see your ISP's DNS servers instead of anonymous DNS resolvers, you have a DNS leak.
Transparent proxies (often used by content filters) identify themselves and pass your real IP. Anonymous proxies hide your real IP but identify themselves as proxies. Elite proxies (high anonymity) hide both your IP and the proxy identity. SOCKS5 proxies can handle any traffic type but may leak DNS. HTTP/HTTPS proxies only work for web traffic but typically have better DNS handling.
Check your IP with and without the proxy. Use a header checker to see what information is leaked. Test for DNS leaks separately.
Elite (high anonymity) proxies provide the best anonymity. They hide both your real IP and the fact that you are using a proxy.
Yes. Many proxies do not handle DNS, leaving your DNS queries exposed. Always test for DNS leaks when using a proxy.
No. VPNs encrypt all traffic including DNS and provide better protection. Proxies only handle the specific traffic type they are configured for.
Check for DNS leaks and find the fastest resolver.