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Proxy Settings

Problem: Your network requires HTTP traffic to route through a proxy server, but the default proxy auto-detection fails or you need to use a different proxy for load testing than for regular browsing.

When You Need Proxy Configuration

You'll know you need proxy settings if:

  • Recording fails with "connection refused" or "host not found" errors despite working in your regular browser
  • IT department requires all HTTP traffic to route through a corporate proxy
  • Test environment uses a different proxy than production environment
  • Load Tester auto-detected the wrong proxy during initial setup

Common scenarios:

  • Corporate networks with mandatory proxy servers for security/logging
  • Isolated test environments with dedicated proxy infrastructure
  • Geographic testing through region-specific proxies
  • Bypassing proxies for internal URLs while using proxies for external URLs

Proxy Auto-Detection

On first recording, the Recording Configuration Wizard attempts to auto-detect your system's proxy settings (from browser configuration, Windows registry, macOS network preferences, or environment variables).

If auto-detection succeeds, you don't need to configure anything. Load Tester uses the detected proxy automatically.

If auto-detection fails:

  • Recording fails with connection errors
  • Test cases record successfully but contain no transactions (proxy blocked them)
  • Load Tester doesn't route traffic through the expected proxy

In these cases, you'll manually configure proxy settings in the Preferences dialog.

Configuring Proxy Settings

To configure or modify proxy settings:

  1. Navigate to: Tools → Preferences (or Window → Preferences on macOS)
  2. Expand: Load Tester in the tree
  3. Select: Proxy Settings

You'll see the Proxy Settings preference page with a list of configured proxies and an asterisk (*) marking the default proxy.

Adding a New Proxy

To add a new proxy configuration:

  1. Click: Add button (right side of the proxy list)
  2. Enter proxy details in the lower-right panel:
Field Description Example
Name Descriptive name for this proxy Corporate Proxy, Test Lab Proxy
Proxy Host Hostname or IP address of the proxy server proxy.corp.com, 10.0.0.50
Proxy Port Port number the proxy listens on (usually 8080, 3128, or 80) 8080, 3128
Username (Optional) Authentication username if proxy requires credentials jdoe
Password (Optional) Authentication password if proxy requires credentials P@ssw0rd
  1. Click: Apply to save the new proxy
  2. Make it the default: Select the proxy in the list and click Make Default (adds an asterisk *)
  3. Click: OK to close Preferences

The default proxy (marked with *) is automatically configured in the browser when you start a recording.

Modifying an Existing Proxy

To change an existing proxy:

  1. Select the proxy in the list (upper-left panel)
  2. Edit the details in the lower-right panel (host, port, credentials)
  3. Click: Apply to save changes
  4. Click: OK to close Preferences

To restore original settings: Before clicking Apply, click Restore Defaults to undo your changes.

Deleting a Proxy

To remove a proxy configuration:

  1. Select the proxy in the list
  2. Click: Delete button
  3. Confirm deletion

Important: You cannot delete the default proxy. If you want to remove the current default, first make a different proxy the default (or select No Proxy), then delete the unwanted proxy.

Disabling Proxy (Direct Connection)

To bypass all proxies (use direct connection):

  1. Select: No Proxy in the proxy list
  2. Click: Make Default
  3. Click: Apply and OK

This is useful for:

  • Testing on networks that don't require a proxy
  • Troubleshooting whether proxy configuration is causing issues
  • Comparing performance with and without proxy overhead

Copying an Existing Proxy

To create a new proxy based on an existing one:

  1. Select the proxy you want to copy
  2. Click: Copy button
  3. Edit the copied proxy (it appears in the list as "Copy of ...")
  4. Rename it and modify settings as needed
  5. Click: Apply to save

This is useful when you need multiple proxy configurations that differ slightly (e.g., different credentials, different ports, different hostnames).

Re-Detecting Proxy Settings

To force Load Tester to re-detect your system's proxy (useful if network configuration changed):

  1. Click: Auto Detect button
  2. Load Tester scans system settings (browser config, registry, network preferences)
  3. If a proxy is found, it's added to the list or updated
  4. Click: Apply and OK

Proxy Authentication

If your proxy server requires authentication, enter your credentials in the Authentication Credentials section (lower-right panel):

  • Username: Your proxy authentication username
  • Password: Your proxy authentication password

If your proxy does NOT require authentication, leave these fields blank.

Security note: Credentials are stored in Load Tester's workspace (encrypted on macOS, obfuscated on Windows). If multiple users share the same workspace, they'll share the same proxy credentials. For sensitive environments, consider using individual workspaces or environment-specific proxy configurations.

Troubleshooting Proxy Configuration

Recording Fails with "Connection Refused"

Symptom: Recording starts, browser opens, but no transactions appear in the recording, or all transactions fail with connection errors.

Likely causes:

  1. Wrong proxy host or port
  2. Proxy requires authentication but credentials are missing
  3. Proxy is down or unreachable from your network
  4. Firewall blocks Load Tester from connecting to the proxy

Solution:

  • Verify proxy settings with your IT department (correct host, port, credentials)
  • Test the proxy from a command line: curl -x http://proxy.corp.com:8080 http://www.example.com
  • Check firewall rules: Ensure Load Tester is allowed to connect to the proxy
  • Try "No Proxy" temporarily to verify the problem is proxy-related

Browser Uses Wrong Proxy During Recording

Symptom: Recording succeeds, but the browser routes traffic through a different proxy than expected (or bypasses the proxy entirely).

Likely causes:

  1. Wrong proxy is marked as default (doesn't have the * asterisk)
  2. Browser cached old proxy settings and didn't apply the new configuration
  3. Browser extension overrides proxy settings (e.g., proxy switcher extension)

Solution:

  • Verify default proxy: Check that the correct proxy has the * asterisk in the list
  • Restart the recording: Close the browser and start a new recording session
  • Disable browser extensions: If the browser has proxy-related extensions, disable them during recording
  • Check Preferences: Ensure you clicked Apply and OK after changing proxy settings

Ask the AI to Configure Proxy Settings

If you're unsure about proxy configuration or troubleshooting connection errors:

My recording fails with connection errors. I think I need to configure a
proxy server, but I'm not sure what settings to use. Can you help me figure
out the correct proxy configuration?

The AI can:

  • Guide you through finding your system's current proxy settings
  • Generate the exact Preferences configuration based on your proxy details
  • Troubleshoot connection errors and verify proxy settings
  • Explain authentication requirements and credential storage
  • Compare proxy vs. no-proxy performance to isolate issues