Start with the basics
Before digging into code, confirm the proxy works at all with cURL:
curl -x "http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@HOST:PORT" https://httpbin.org/ipUse the exact values from the Rayobyte dashboard. If that returns an IP that isn't yours, the proxy works and the problem is in your tool. If it fails, the error message points to the cause. Our common proxy errors guide covers errors in general; here are the Rayobyte-specific fixes.
407 Proxy Authentication Required
- Copy credentials again from the dashboard; trailing spaces are a classic cause.
- URL-encode special characters in the password when using a proxy URL.
- Check the product: credentials for one product won't work on another product's gateway.
- Whitelisting: if you rely on IP whitelisting, confirm your current public IP is on the list. Home and cloud IPs change.
- Browsers and SOCKS5: Chromium doesn't support SOCKS5 with credentials. Use HTTP or whitelist your IP.
More in Rayobyte authentication options.
Timeouts and connection errors
- Wrong port. Products and protocols may use different ports; check the connection options page.
- Firewall. Corporate networks sometimes block outbound connections to proxy ports.
- Narrow targeting. A small city or ZIP pool can take longer to connect. Widen the target and retry. See geo-targeting.
- Timeout too short. Residential IPs are slower than datacenter. Allow 20 to 30 seconds for heavy pages.
- Concurrency limit reached on Scale Residential or monthly plans. See concurrency and threads.
Wrong location
- Check the targeting parameters in your proxy string against the docs.
- DNS leaks: with SOCKS5, use
socks5h://so DNS resolves through the proxy. - Geolocation databases disagree, especially at city level. Test with more than one.
- Browser signals: time zone and language can make a site show the wrong region even if the IP is right.
Residential tip: Before scaling, run a short pilot with Rayobyte on your real targets and record success rate, latency and GB per result. Our our complete Rayobyte guide explains which Rayobyte product fits which job.
Blocked requests and CAPTCHAs
If the proxy works but the site blocks you:
- Check your fingerprint. Realistic headers, a current user agent and consistent browser settings matter more than the IP on many sites.
- Slow down. Lower per-domain concurrency and add jitter.
- Upgrade the product for that domain: datacenter to rotating ISP to Premium Residential.
- Try the managed tools for persistent failures: the Web Unblocker or Scraping API.
See CAPTCHAs and proxies and avoiding IP bans when scraping.
Requests to some sites always fail
Rayobyte blocks banks, government sites, login pages and abuse-reporting sites on residential traffic. If one domain always fails through residential but works through static ISP, that's likely the reason. See compliance review and restricted sites.
Sticky sessions changing IP
Residential sessions can end early when the device goes offline. Build retries that start a new session, and keep sessions short. See Rayobyte sticky sessions.
Bandwidth disappearing fast
- Browsers load images, fonts and video. Block them when you don't need them.
- Retry loops on a blocked target can burn GB quickly. Cap retries.
- Compression: make sure your client accepts gzip or brotli.
- Background traffic: browser extensions and telemetry may be using the proxy.
Proxy tip: If your residential usage goes up and down, compare Geonode: its per-GB residential bandwidth doesn't expire, so you only pay for what you use. See Rayobyte vs Geonode.
Static IP suddenly failing
If one static IP fails on one site while others work, replace it. If all of them fail, the issue is your setup or the site. See replacing Rayobyte IPs.
When to contact support
Contact support with the product, the proxy string format (without your password), a timestamp, the target domain and the exact error. Rayobyte says its support is staffed by people who can fix network problems, so a precise report gets a faster answer.
Rayobyte, Geonode and Webshare are three options among many. Our best proxies in 2026 guide explains how to match a proxy type to each task, and cheap proxies that work shows where budget providers fit.
Budget tip: If you want a cheap proxy to try this with, Webshare has a free plan with 10 datacenter proxies and 1 GB of bandwidth a month, no card required. Paid lists let you pick proxy count, bandwidth and location. See fixing common Webshare errors.
Key takeaways
- Test with cURL first to separate proxy problems from tool problems.
- 407 errors are credentials, encoding, product or whitelist mistakes.
- Timeouts often come from wrong ports, narrow targeting or short timeouts.
- Blocks are usually fingerprint or rate problems; upgrade the product per domain when needed.
FAQ
Why does my proxy work in cURL but not in my browser?
Usually authentication: browsers handle proxy credentials differently, and Chromium can't use SOCKS5 with a password. Try HTTP or IP whitelisting.
Why do I get a different city than I asked for?
The pool may be thin in that city, or the geolocation database you're checking with disagrees with the one Rayobyte uses. Widen the target or check with another database.
Where can I find Rayobyte's status and docs?
In the dashboard and on Rayobyte's documentation and troubleshooting pages.
Editorial note: Proxy providers change their pools, features and prices often, so treat any figures here as typical ranges at the time of writing and confirm current terms with the provider before you buy.