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Windows Proxy Setup

Last updated: April 2026

By Hex Proxies Engineering Team

Learn how to configure system-wide and per-application proxy settings on Windows 10/11 using Settings, PowerShell commands, and environment variables with Hex Proxies.

beginner12 minutesos-setup

Prerequisites

  • Windows 10 or Windows 11
  • Hex Proxies account with active plan
  • Administrator access (for some methods)

Steps

1

Open Windows proxy settings

Press Win+I to open Settings, then navigate to Network & Internet → Proxy.

2

Enable manual proxy setup

Under Manual proxy setup, click "Set up" (Windows 11) or toggle "Use a proxy server" on (Windows 10).

3

Enter proxy server details

Set Address to gate.hexproxies.com and Port to 8080. Check "Don't use the proxy server for local addresses".

4

Save the configuration

Click Save. Windows will now route internet traffic through the Hex Proxies gateway.

5

Enter authentication when prompted

On your first web request, a dialog will prompt for proxy credentials. Enter your Hex Proxies username and password.

6

Verify the connection

Open a browser and visit https://httpbin.org/ip. The returned IP should match your Hex Proxies proxy IP, not your real IP.

Windows Proxy Configuration Methods

Windows offers multiple ways to configure proxies, each with different scopes and use cases. This guide covers every method from the simplest GUI approach to advanced PowerShell automation.

Method 1: Windows Settings (GUI)

Windows 11

  1. Press Win + I to open Settings
  2. Navigate to Network & Internet → Proxy
  3. Under Manual proxy setup, click Set up
  4. Toggle Use a proxy server to On
  5. Enter:
Proxy IP address: gate.hexproxies.com
Port: 8080
  1. Check Don't use the proxy server for local (intranet) addresses
  2. In the exception list, add: localhost;127.0.0.1;*.local
  3. Click Save

Windows 10

  1. Press Win + I to open Settings
  2. Navigate to Network & Internet → Proxy
  3. Under Manual proxy setup, toggle Use a proxy server to On
  4. Enter gate.hexproxies.com in the Address field and 8080 in the Port field
  5. Check Don't use the proxy server for local (intranet) addresses
  6. Click Save

Important Notes

  • Windows system proxy settings apply to all browsers that use system settings (Chrome, Edge, Internet Explorer mode) but not Firefox (which has its own settings)
  • Windows Settings does not support proxy authentication fields — you will be prompted for credentials on first use
  • The system proxy does not support SOCKS5 through the GUI; use PowerShell or third-party tools for SOCKS

Method 2: Internet Options (Legacy Control Panel)

The legacy Internet Options dialog provides additional proxy configuration features not available in Windows Settings.

  1. Press Win + R, type inetcpl.cpl, press Enter
  2. Go to Connections tab → LAN settings
  3. Check Use a proxy server for your LAN
  4. Click Advanced to set per-protocol proxies:
HTTP:    gate.hexproxies.com    Port: 8080
Secure:  gate.hexproxies.com    Port: 8080
Socks:   gate.hexproxies.com    Port: 1080
  1. In Exceptions, enter: localhost;127.0.0.1;*.local;10.*
  2. Click OK through all dialogs

The Advanced dialog is the only Windows GUI that supports separate HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS proxy settings.

Method 3: PowerShell Configuration

Set System Proxy

# Enable proxy
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings" -Name ProxyEnable -Value 1
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings" -Name ProxyServer -Value "gate.hexproxies.com:8080"
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings" -Name ProxyOverride -Value "localhost;127.0.0.1;*.local"

Disable System Proxy

Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings" -Name ProxyEnable -Value 0

Check Current Settings

Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings" | Select-Object ProxyEnable, ProxyServer, ProxyOverride

Toggle Script

Save as Toggle-Proxy.ps1:

$regPath = "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings"
$current = (Get-ItemProperty -Path $regPath).ProxyEnable

if ($current -eq 1) {
    Set-ItemProperty -Path $regPath -Name ProxyEnable -Value 0
    Write-Host "Proxy DISABLED" -ForegroundColor Yellow
} else {
    Set-ItemProperty -Path $regPath -Name ProxyEnable -Value 1
    Set-ItemProperty -Path $regPath -Name ProxyServer -Value "gate.hexproxies.com:8080"
    Write-Host "Proxy ENABLED" -ForegroundColor Green
}

Run with: powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File Toggle-Proxy.ps1

Method 4: Environment Variables

Environment variables configure proxies for command-line tools (curl, wget, npm, pip, git) and many desktop applications.

Set for Current Session

$env:HTTP_PROXY = "http://YOUR_USERNAME:YOUR_PASSWORD@gate.hexproxies.com:8080"
$env:HTTPS_PROXY = "http://YOUR_USERNAME:YOUR_PASSWORD@gate.hexproxies.com:8080"
$env:NO_PROXY = "localhost,127.0.0.1,.local"

Set Permanently (User Level)

[System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("HTTP_PROXY", "http://YOUR_USERNAME:YOUR_PASSWORD@gate.hexproxies.com:8080", "User")
[System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("HTTPS_PROXY", "http://YOUR_USERNAME:YOUR_PASSWORD@gate.hexproxies.com:8080", "User")
[System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("NO_PROXY", "localhost,127.0.0.1,.local", "User")

Set for All Users (Requires Admin)

[System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("HTTP_PROXY", "http://YOUR_USERNAME:YOUR_PASSWORD@gate.hexproxies.com:8080", "Machine")
[System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("HTTPS_PROXY", "http://YOUR_USERNAME:YOUR_PASSWORD@gate.hexproxies.com:8080", "Machine")

Command Prompt (cmd.exe)

set HTTP_PROXY=http://YOUR_USERNAME:YOUR_PASSWORD@gate.hexproxies.com:8080
set HTTPS_PROXY=http://YOUR_USERNAME:YOUR_PASSWORD@gate.hexproxies.com:8080

Method 5: Per-Application Proxy

Git

git config --global http.proxy http://YOUR_USERNAME:YOUR_PASSWORD@gate.hexproxies.com:8080
git config --global https.proxy http://YOUR_USERNAME:YOUR_PASSWORD@gate.hexproxies.com:8080

npm

npm config set proxy http://YOUR_USERNAME:YOUR_PASSWORD@gate.hexproxies.com:8080
npm config set https-proxy http://YOUR_USERNAME:YOUR_PASSWORD@gate.hexproxies.com:8080

WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)

WSL does not inherit Windows proxy settings. Configure the proxy inside the WSL shell:

export http_proxy="http://YOUR_USERNAME:YOUR_PASSWORD@gate.hexproxies.com:8080"
export https_proxy="http://YOUR_USERNAME:YOUR_PASSWORD@gate.hexproxies.com:8080"
export no_proxy="localhost,127.0.0.1"

Add these lines to ~/.bashrc or ~/.profile for persistence.

Method 6: PAC File (Auto-Configuration)

Using a PAC File in Windows

  1. Open Settings → Network & Internet → Proxy
  2. Under Automatic proxy setup, toggle Use setup script to On
  3. Enter the PAC file URL: file:///C:/Users/you/proxy.pac or a hosted URL
  4. Click Save

Example PAC File

function FindProxyForURL(url, host) {
  if (isPlainHostName(host) || host === "localhost") {
    return "DIRECT";
  }
  if (dnsDomainIs(host, ".targetsite.com")) {
    return "PROXY gate.hexproxies.com:8080";
  }
  return "DIRECT";
}

Hex Proxies Session Configuration on Windows

Rotating Proxies

Standard credentials rotate the IP on every request:

Server: gate.hexproxies.com
Port: 8080
Username: YOUR_USERNAME
Password: YOUR_PASSWORD

Sticky Sessions

Append a session identifier to your username:

Username: YOUR_USERNAME-session-win01
Password: YOUR_PASSWORD

Country Targeting

Append a country code:

Username: YOUR_USERNAME-country-us
Username: YOUR_USERNAME-country-uk-session-win02

Troubleshooting

Proxy settings not taking effect

  • Close and reopen your browser after changing proxy settings
  • Some applications cache proxy settings — restart the application
  • Verify the proxy is enabled: check HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ProxyEnable is set to 1

"Unable to connect to the proxy server"

  • Verify the proxy address and port are correct
  • Test from PowerShell: Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://httpbin.org/ip" -Proxy "http://gate.hexproxies.com:8080"
  • Check Windows Firewall is not blocking outbound connections on port 8080

Proxy works in browser but not in command line

  • CLI tools use environment variables, not Windows system proxy settings
  • Set HTTP_PROXY and HTTPS_PROXY environment variables as shown above
  • Some tools use lowercase (http_proxy) — set both cases for compatibility

Authentication fails repeatedly

  • Windows credential manager may cache incorrect passwords
  • Open Control Panel → Credential Manager → Windows Credentials → remove entries for gate.hexproxies.com
  • Re-enter credentials when prompted

FAQ

Does Windows system proxy apply to all applications?

No. It applies to browsers using system settings (Chrome, Edge) and many Microsoft apps. Firefox, WSL, and most CLI tools use their own proxy settings or environment variables.

Can I set up SOCKS5 proxy on Windows without third-party software?

Yes, through the legacy Internet Options (inetcpl.cpl) Advanced proxy dialog. The modern Windows Settings app does not expose SOCKS proxy fields, but the registry and Internet Options still support it.

How do I configure proxy for Windows Store / UWP apps?

UWP apps use the system proxy settings configured in Windows Settings. If they do not pick up the proxy, ensure you are using the system proxy (not just environment variables) and that the app has network capabilities in its manifest.

Can I set different proxies for different Wi-Fi networks?

Windows does not natively support per-network proxy profiles. Use a third-party tool or create PowerShell scripts that detect the connected network and set the proxy accordingly.

Tips

  • The legacy Internet Options dialog (inetcpl.cpl → Connections → LAN settings → Advanced) is the only Windows GUI that supports separate HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS proxy settings.
  • Set both HTTP_PROXY and HTTPS_PROXY environment variables for CLI tools — most command-line applications do not use Windows system proxy settings.
  • Create a PowerShell toggle script for fast proxy on/off switching during development and testing.
  • WSL does not inherit Windows proxy settings — configure proxy inside WSL separately using export commands in ~/.bashrc.
  • Clear Windows Credential Manager entries for the proxy server if authentication keeps failing after a password change.

Ready to Get Started?

Put this guide into practice with Hex Proxies.

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