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The parts of a proxy server address
A full proxy address, as tools write it, has up to four parts. Device settings usually ask only for the host and the port, in two fields.
http://<login>:<password>@gate.proxyfield.io:7000
└┬─┘ └───┬───┘ └───────┬────────┘ └┬─┘
scheme login host port| Part | What it is | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Scheme (protocol) | how to talk to the proxy | http://, https://, socks5://, socks5h:// |
| Login | username and password, if the proxy checks them | <login>:<password> |
| Host | the proxy server's hostname or IP address | gate.proxyfield.io, 10.0.0.5 |
| Port | the number the proxy listens on | 7000, 8080, 3128, 1080 |
Only the host and port are the address itself. The scheme depends on your tool, the login on your account, and the port on the proxy: proxy port lists the common numbers, and proxy format shows how different tools want the parts written.
Proxy hostname vs proxy IP address
A proxy hostname is a name such as gate.proxyfield.io; a proxy IP address is the number the name points to, such as 203.0.113.10. Your device looks the name up through DNS and connects to the IP it gets back.
| Feature | Hostname | IP address |
|---|---|---|
| Looks like | gate.proxyfield.io, proxy.corp.example | 203.0.113.10 (IPv4) |
| Needs DNS | yes, the name is resolved first | no |
| Can change behind the scenes | yes, the provider can move or add servers | no, it is fixed |
| Can point to several servers | yes, for load balancing and failover | no |
Use the hostname whenever the provider gives one. A hostname can resolve to different IPs over time or from different places, so an IP you copied from a lookup can stop working without notice. If the hostname does not resolve at all, the unknown proxy server guide covers the DNS side.
Proxy server address examples
| Where you meet it | Typical address | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Company or school network | proxy.corp.example:8080 | set by the IT team, often through a script |
| Self-hosted Squid proxy | 10.0.0.5:3128 | 3128 is Squid's default port |
Local SOCKS tunnel (SSH -D) | 127.0.0.1:1080 | the proxy runs on your own machine |
| Tor running locally | 127.0.0.1:9050 | a SOCKS port on your own machine |
| Debugging proxy on your computer | 127.0.0.1:8888 or 127.0.0.1:8080 | inspects your own app's traffic |
| ProxyField residential gateway | gate.proxyfield.io:7000 | one address for every customer; the username picks the location |
The addresses starting with 127.0.0.1 point at your own computer, and 10.x.x.x is a private range that only exists inside a local network. Neither can be reached from the internet.
What does proxy.example.com mean?
proxy.example.com is a placeholder, not a real proxy. The domains example.com, example.net and example.org are reserved for documentation (RFC 2606), so guides and settings screens use them to show the shape of an address. Android, for example, shows proxy.example.com as a hint in its proxy hostname field. Replace it with the host your network administrator or proxy provider gives you; typing the example itself leads nowhere.
Proxy endpoint vs exit IP
With a commercial rotating proxy, the address you connect to and the IP websites see are different things:
| Feature | Proxy endpoint (gateway) | Exit IP |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | the host and port your tool connects to | the IP address that reaches the website |
| ProxyField example | gate.proxyfield.io:7000 | a residential IP in the country and city you chose |
| Changes | no, it stays the same | on every request, or after a sticky session of 30 s to 36 h |
| Where you see it | your proxy settings | a proxy checker or curl https:// through the proxy |
This is why one ProxyField address is enough for millions of IPs: the gateway picks an exit IP for each request, by the targeting in your username. Sticky sessions keep the same exit IP for a set time. Rotating proxies explains rotation, and what a proxy IP address is covers the exit side.
What to enter as the proxy hostname
In a device's Server, Host or Proxy hostname field, enter the host alone: no http://, no port, no login. The port goes in its own field.
| Field | Enter | Not |
|---|---|---|
| Server / Hostname | gate.proxyfield.io | http:// |
| Port | 7000 | :7000 |
| Username / Password | your proxy login, if the screen has these fields | the login inside the hostname |
On screens without login fields (Wi-Fi proxy on some devices, the Windows system proxy), use the IP allowlist in your ProxyField account instead; see proxy authentication.
For a SOCKS proxy the host is entered the same way; only the protocol choice differs. In tools that take a URL, socks5h:// makes the proxy resolve the website's hostname, so DNS lookups go through the proxy too. SOCKS5 runs on the same gate.proxyfield.io:7000.
Where to get a proxy server address
- At work or school: from the IT team, or it is set automatically on managed devices.
- On your own device: the current one is in your network settings; how to find the proxy your device uses shows where on each system.
- From a proxy provider: in your account after purchase. ProxyField shows the gateway, your credentials and an allowlist, and its configurator generates as many proxy lines as you need.
- From free proxy lists: addresses of unknown servers that can read or change your traffic; are free proxies safe explains the risks.
Proxy Server Address Explained FAQ
What is a proxy server address?
ProxyField gives every customer one proxy server address, gate.proxyfield.io:7000, in front of 412M+ residential IPs from $1.95/GB. In general, a proxy server address is the hostname or IP address of a proxy plus its port: your device sends its traffic there, and the proxy forwards it to the websites you open.
What is a proxy hostname?
It is the name of the proxy server, such as gate.proxyfield.io or proxy.corp.example, which DNS turns into an IP address. It goes in the Server or Hostname field, without http:// and without the port.
Is a proxy hostname the same as a proxy IP address?
No. The hostname is a name and the IP is the number it currently points to; one hostname can point to several IPs and can be moved to new ones. Both identify the same server, which is why either can go in the host field.
Can I replace a proxy hostname with its IP address?
It may work for a while, but keep the hostname. Providers change or balance the IPs behind a hostname, so a copied IP can stop working without notice, while the hostname keeps pointing to working servers.
Why does my proxy hostname return different IP addresses?
Because the provider points one hostname at several servers, for load balancing and failover, or changes them over time. That is normal; your tool connects to whichever IP DNS returns.
What is a proxy endpoint?
An endpoint is the host and port you connect to, often a gateway that hands your requests to many exit IPs behind it. With ProxyField the endpoint is gate.proxyfield.io:7000, and the username picks the location of the exit IP.
What is the difference between a proxy endpoint and the exit IP?
The endpoint is where your tool connects and stays the same; the exit IP is the address websites see, and with a rotating proxy it changes on every request or after a sticky session. A proxy checker opened through the proxy shows the exit IP.
What does a proxy IP address look like?
An IPv4 address: four numbers from 0 to 255 separated by dots, such as 203.0.113.10, usually followed by a colon and the port, as in 203.0.113.10:8080.
What does proxy.example.com mean?
It is a placeholder from documentation and settings hints, not a real proxy: example.com is reserved for examples by RFC 2606. Replace it with the hostname your administrator or provider gives you.
What is proxy host and port?
The host is the proxy server's name or IP, and the port is the number of the service on it; together they make the address, written host:port. Settings screens ask for them in two separate fields.
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What should I enter as the proxy hostname for Wi-Fi?
The host your provider or network gives you, alone, such as gate.proxyfield.io; the port goes in the Port field. If you don't use a proxy, leave the Wi-Fi proxy off and the field empty.
What is a SOCKS5 proxy hostname?
It is the server name of a proxy that speaks SOCKS5, entered like any other proxy host, with the port in its own field. In a URL it is written socks5://host:port, or socks5h://host:port to resolve website names at the proxy.
Are proxy hostnames secure?
A hostname is just an address; security depends on who runs the server and how you connect. Use addresses from your administrator or a provider you pay, keep HTTPS on the sites you open, and avoid unknown hosts from free lists, which can read unencrypted traffic.