Help Center

Setting up your ProxyBox takes about 5 minutes:

1. Connect the hardware: Plug your ProxyBox into your router with the included ethernet cable, then connect the power adapter. The LED will blink blue while booting up.
2. Create an account: Go to proxybox.us/signup and create your account.
3. Claim your device: Open the ProxyBox app or go to your dashboard. Click "Add Device" and enter the 6-character claim code printed on the bottom of your device.
4. Configure WiFi (optional): If you want to use WiFi instead of ethernet, tap "WiFi Setup" in the app and follow the Bluetooth pairing instructions.
5. Start using it: Your proxy credentials will appear in the dashboard. Configure your browser or tools with the provided address and port.

Bluetooth is used for initial WiFi configuration and local device management:

1. Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on your phone.
2. Open the ProxyBox app and tap "Connect via Bluetooth."
3. Your device will appear as "ProxyBox-XXXX" where XXXX matches the last 4 characters of your device ID.
4. Tap to pair. The LED on your ProxyBox will flash green to confirm the connection.
5. Once connected, you can configure WiFi credentials, check device status, or run diagnostics without needing internet access.

Bluetooth range is approximately 30 feet. If you have trouble connecting, move closer to your ProxyBox.

Claiming links your ProxyBox hardware to your account. This enables:

• Remote monitoring and management through the dashboard
• Proxy credentials generation for your device
• VPN configuration and key management
• Firmware updates delivered automatically
• Bandwidth monitoring and health alerts

Each device can only be claimed by one account at a time. If you need to transfer a device to a different account, unclaim it first from your dashboard, then claim it on the new account.

ProxyBox has minimal requirements:

• Internet: Any broadband connection (cable, fiber, DSL). Minimum 10 Mbps recommended.
• Router: An available ethernet port (or WiFi for wireless setup).
• Power: Standard power outlet. The device draws about 5 watts.
• Phone (for setup): iOS 15+ or Android 12+ with Bluetooth for initial configuration.

No special router configuration is needed. ProxyBox handles NAT traversal automatically through its relay infrastructure.

Your proxy credentials are shown in your dashboard under the device details. You'll have a proxy address, port, username, and password.

For Chrome/Brave: Use an extension like SwitchyOmega or FoxyProxy. Add a new proxy profile with your ProxyBox credentials as an HTTP/HTTPS proxy.

For Firefox: Go to Settings > Network Settings > Manual proxy configuration. Enter your ProxyBox address and port.

For system-wide: On macOS, go to System Settings > Network > Proxies. On Windows, go to Settings > Network > Proxy.

Your proxy uses HTTP CONNECT tunneling, so it works with both HTTP and HTTPS traffic. The proxy itself authenticates with username/password -- your actual web traffic is encrypted end-to-end as normal.

Log into your dashboard, click on your device, and look for the "Proxy" section. You'll see the proxy address (host:port), your username, and a button to reveal or copy your password. You can also regenerate your proxy password if you think it's been compromised.

Yes. ProxyBox works with any tool that supports HTTP/HTTPS proxies. Common examples:

• Puppeteer: Pass --proxy-server=http://your-proxy:port as a launch arg
• Selenium: Set the proxy in your WebDriver capabilities
• cURL: Use -x http://user:pass@your-proxy:port
• Python requests: Pass the proxies dict with your credentials

Since this is your own residential IP, websites see a real home connection -- not a datacenter IP that's been flagged and blocked.

If your proxy connection is timing out, check these things in order:

1. Is your device online? Check the dashboard -- the status indicator should be green.
2. Is your home internet working? The ProxyBox routes traffic through your home connection, so if that's down, the proxy won't work.
3. Are your credentials correct? Double-check the proxy address, port, username, and password from your dashboard.
4. Is your firewall blocking it? Some corporate networks block outgoing proxy connections. Try from a different network.
5. Power cycle: Unplug your ProxyBox for 10 seconds, plug it back in, and wait 2 minutes for it to reconnect.

1. Install WireGuard: Download the WireGuard app for your device (available on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux).
2. Generate a config: In your ProxyBox dashboard, go to VPN > Create Connection. Give it a name (e.g., "My Laptop").
3. Import the config: You can scan the QR code with the WireGuard app, or download the .conf file and import it manually.
4. Connect: Toggle the connection on in WireGuard. All your traffic will now route through your ProxyBox and exit from your home IP.

Free tier users get 1 VPN connection. Premium users get up to 5 simultaneous connections.

The easiest way to set up VPN on a phone:

1. Create a VPN connection in your ProxyBox dashboard.
2. Click "Show QR Code" next to the connection.
3. Open WireGuard on your phone and tap the + button.
4. Select "Create from QR code" and scan the code from your screen.
5. Give the tunnel a name and tap "Create Tunnel."

The QR code contains your complete VPN configuration including encryption keys. Don't share it or let anyone photograph it.

Yes! The proxy and VPN are independent features that both route through your ProxyBox. You might use the VPN on your phone for general browsing while using the proxy on your laptop for web scraping. Both will exit from your home IP, and both can run simultaneously without conflict.

Both route your traffic through your ProxyBox, but they work differently:

• Proxy: Works per-application. You configure specific apps (browsers, tools, scripts) to use it. Best for web scraping, automation, and per-app routing.
• VPN: Routes ALL traffic from your device through the tunnel. Best for general privacy, accessing your home network remotely, and whole-device protection.

The free tier includes:

• Full residential proxy access using your home IP
• 1 WireGuard VPN connection
• Dashboard monitoring and device management
• Automatic firmware updates

In exchange for the free service, your device shares a small portion of idle bandwidth with the ProxyBox network. This only happens when you're not actively using the proxy or VPN, and it never affects your connection quality.

Go to your dashboard and click "Upgrade to Premium" or visit the pricing page. You can choose monthly ($10/mo) or annual ($8/mo billed yearly). Payment is processed securely through Stripe. Your premium features activate immediately after payment.

Go to Dashboard > Account > Subscription and click "Cancel Subscription." Your premium features will remain active until the end of your current billing period. After that, your account will revert to the free tier. You can resubscribe at any time.

We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on both hardware and subscriptions. If you're not satisfied within 30 days of purchase, email support@proxybox.us for a full refund. No questions asked. After 30 days, subscription cancellations are effective at the end of the current billing period.

• No traffic logging: We don't inspect or store the content of your proxy or VPN traffic.
• Encryption everywhere: All communication between your devices and ProxyBox uses TLS 1.3. VPN traffic uses WireGuard's state-of-the-art encryption.
• Device authentication: Your ProxyBox authenticates with our servers using HMAC-based signatures, preventing impersonation.
• Token rotation: Login sessions use refresh token rotation with reuse detection -- if a token is stolen and used, all sessions for that account are automatically revoked.
• VPN key encryption: Your WireGuard private keys are encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM.

Firmware updates are delivered over-the-air (OTA) and applied automatically during low-usage periods. Each update is:

• Cryptographically signed to prevent tampering
• Verified before installation by the device
• Rolled out gradually (canary releases to catch issues early)
• Reversible -- if an update causes problems, the device can roll back to the previous firmware

You can check your current firmware version in the dashboard. Updates typically happen within 24 hours of release.

Two-factor authentication is on our roadmap and will be available soon. In the meantime, we strongly recommend using a unique, strong password for your ProxyBox account. Our refresh token rotation system provides an additional layer of session security -- any suspicious token reuse automatically locks out all sessions.

If your device shows offline:

1. Check the LED: A solid blue LED means it's running. No LED means no power. Blinking red means an error.
2. Check the cable: Make sure the ethernet cable is firmly plugged into both the ProxyBox and your router. Try a different cable if available.
3. Check your internet: Verify that other devices on your network can access the internet.
4. Power cycle: Unplug the ProxyBox, wait 10 seconds, and plug it back in. Give it 2 minutes to reconnect.
5. Router restart: If nothing else works, restart your router and then power cycle the ProxyBox.

If the device still shows offline after these steps, contact support.

WiFi can be less reliable than ethernet. Try these fixes:

• Move closer: Place the ProxyBox closer to your WiFi router. Walls and floors reduce signal strength significantly.
• Check signal strength: Your dashboard shows WiFi signal strength. Anything below -70 dBm is weak.
• Switch to 2.4 GHz: If you're on 5 GHz, try 2.4 GHz instead. It has better range, though lower peak speed.
• Use ethernet: For the most reliable connection, plug in directly with an ethernet cable. This is always our recommendation for consistent proxy performance.

Proxy speed depends on your home internet speed. Here's how to maximize it:

• Check your home speed: Run a speed test on a device connected to the same network. Your proxy speed can't exceed your home upload speed.
• Use ethernet: WiFi adds latency and reduces throughput.
• Upgrade to Premium: Free tier users share bandwidth. Premium users get dedicated, priority bandwidth.
• Check for heavy usage: If someone is streaming 4K video on your home network, it will affect proxy speeds.
• Geographic distance: The further you are from your ProxyBox, the higher the latency. This is normal for any proxy or VPN.

A blinking red LED indicates an error state. The blink pattern tells you what's wrong:

• 1 blink: No network connection. Check your ethernet cable or WiFi.
• 2 blinks: Can't reach ProxyBox servers. Your internet may be up but our API is unreachable. Check status.proxybox.us.
• 3 blinks: Firmware error. Power cycle the device. If it persists, contact support.
• Solid red: Hardware failure. Contact support for a warranty replacement.