> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nodemaven.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How can I test my proxies?

> Three ways to test a proxy: Check proxy in the dashboard, an online IP checker, or a request from your own code.

You can test a NodeMaven proxy in three ways, from easiest to most technical: **Check proxy** in the dashboard, an online IP checker in your browser, or a request from your own code. Start with Check proxy. It takes one click and needs nothing installed.

This article covers Residential, Mobile and ISP proxies. The connection details are different for ISP, so each section below shows both.

## Method 1 - Check proxy in the dashboard

**Check proxy** is the fastest way to confirm a proxy is working, and it is the first thing to try whenever something looks wrong. We run a live check from our side and report back in a few seconds.

Where to find it:

* **Residential and Mobile** - go to **Rotating Residential Proxy** and click **Check proxy** next to your generated proxy under **Proxy generator**.
* **ISP** - go to **ISP proxies**, open the **My proxies** tab, click **Details** on your order, then click **Check proxy** next to the IP you want to test.

Check proxy shows you three things:

* **Fraud risk** - for example, "Low fraud risk"
* **Resolved location and IP** - for example, "US, New York, New York City, 188.215.124.227"
* **A link to Scamalytics** for that IP, if you want the full report

If Check proxy returns a result, the proxy is working.

![Check proxy result in the dashboard](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/yvkc0rpk/2589572804/e5fe524fd5f81c37d806ac99a6a3/image.png)

![Check proxy on an ISP order](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/yvkc0rpk/2589570340/57f233ef336f0981af8bfa75cd37/Screenshot+2026-08-06+at+12_16_11.png)

## Method 2 - Check your IP and location in a browser

To confirm what a website actually sees when you browse through the proxy, configure the proxy in your browser or anti-detect browser, then visit:

* [maxmind.com/en/locate-my-ip-address](https://www.maxmind.com/en/locate-my-ip-address) - the geolocation database we benchmark against

The IP shown should be the proxy's IP. If you still see your own IP, the browser is not routing through the proxy. Check the proxy settings in the browser.

## Method 3 - Test from your own code

A request from the command line or a short script tells you whether the proxy responds, independently of any browser or anti-detect tool.

**Replace `USERNAME` and `PASSWORD` with your own credentials. Keep the quote marks** - in all the examples below the credentials sit inside quotes, and only the `USERNAME` and `PASSWORD` text should be replaced.

### Residential and Mobile

The host is always `gate.nodemaven.com`. Copy the **Proxy username** and **Proxy password** straight from the Proxy generator in the dashboard.

**cURL:**

```bash theme={null}
curl -v -x "http://USERNAME-country-us:PASSWORD@gate.nodemaven.com:8080" -L http://ip-api.com
```

**Python.**

```python theme={null}
import requests

username = "USERNAME-country-us"
password = "PASSWORD"
proxy = f"http://{username}:{password}@gate.nodemaven.com:8080"

response = requests.get(
    "http://ip-api.com/json",
    proxies={"http": proxy, "https": proxy},
)
print(response.text)
```

**Node.js.**

```javascript theme={null}
const axios = require('axios');

axios.get('http://ip-api.com/json', {
  proxy: {
    protocol: 'http',
    host: 'gate.nodemaven.com',
    port: 8080,
    auth: {
      username: 'USERNAME-country-us',
      password: 'PASSWORD'
    }
  }
})
  .then(res => console.log(res.data));
```

### ISP proxies

ISP proxies do not use `gate.nodemaven.com`. The host is the IP address itself, and the port is the one assigned to your order. Both appear in your proxy string on the Order Details page, formatted as `IP:Port:Username:Password`.

**cURL:** an example IP of 178.83.35.19 on port 11000:

```bash theme={null}
curl -v -x "http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@178.83.35.19:11000" -L http://ip-api.com
```

**Python:**

```python theme={null}
import requests

proxy = "http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@178.83.35.19:11000"

response = requests.get(
    "http://ip-api.com/json",
    proxies={"http": proxy, "https": proxy},
)
print(response.text)
```

**Node.js:**

```javascript theme={null}
const axios = require('axios');

axios.get('http://ip-api.com/json', {
  proxy: {
    protocol: 'http',
    host: '178.83.35.19',
    port: 11000,
    auth: {
      username: 'USERNAME',
      password: 'PASSWORD'
    }
  }
})
  .then(res => console.log(res.data));
```

<Note>
  Substitute your own IP and port. Every IP in an ISP order shares the same username, password and port, so only the IP changes between them.
</Note>

### A note on running these

**The Python and Node examples will not work if you paste them straight into a terminal.** They are programs, not shell commands. Save each one to a file and run the file. Only the cURL example runs directly in a terminal.

Pasting a Python or Node example into a terminal typically produces an error such as `zsh: parse error near '}'` or `command not found`. Save the code to a file and run the file instead.

## What a successful test looks like

A working proxy returns a JSON response with the proxy's IP and its location:

```json theme={null}
{
  "status": "success",
  "country": "United States",
  "countryCode": "US",
  "regionName": "California",
  "city": "Los Angeles",
  "isp": "Spectrum",
  "query": "188.215.124.227"
}
```

Three things to confirm:

* **`status` says `success`.** Anything else means the request did not complete.
* **`query` is not your own IP.** That field holds the IP the request came from. If it matches your real IP, traffic is not going through the proxy.
* **`countryCode` matches what you selected.** For Residential and Mobile, that is the country in your username parameters. For ISP, it is the country you bought.

## Why different tools may show different locations

Checking the same IP on two different tools can return two different cities, regions, or occasionally countries. This is expected.

IP-to-location data is built separately by each provider, from different sources and on different update schedules. Two databases can disagree about the same IP.

**MAXMIND is the database we benchmark against.** If [MAXMIND](https://www.maxmind.com/en/locate-my-ip-address) shows the correct country for your IP, the proxy is delivering what was ordered, even if another tool reports something different.

One more thing to check if you are using an anti-detect browser: that browser profile has its own timezone and geolocation settings, and those override whatever the proxy reports. If the location looks wrong there, check those settings first. See [I selected a specific Country and Region and my anti-detect browser is showing my IP is from a totally different one](/troubleshooting/wrong-ip-location).

## If your test fails

Work through these in order:

1. **Run Check proxy in the dashboard.** If it returns a result, the proxy is responding, so continue with the steps below.
2. **Check your credentials.** Copy the username and password straight from the dashboard rather than retyping them. Proxy credentials are not your NodeMaven account login.
3. **Check your traffic balance.** Residential and Mobile stop working when your traffic runs out or is frozen. ISP proxies have unlimited traffic and are not affected.
4. **Try a different port.** Networks sometimes block specific ports. HTTP and HTTPS accept `8080-9080` and `32000-33000`; SOCKS5 accepts `1080-2080` and `42000-43000`. Any port in the range works. ISP proxies use only the port assigned to your order.
5. **Check the protocol.** A SOCKS5 port will not answer an HTTP request. Make sure the port and the protocol match.
6. **Confirm your IP is whitelisted** if you use IP whitelist authentication rather than username and password.

Still not working? Open a ticket and include the exact proxy string you are using and the error message you are seeing. Those two details let us look into it straight away.


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