All proxies (except for our Free Plan) use our premium Webshare network, ensuring the fastest possible speeds for your subscriptions.
However, there are occasions when proxy performance may be slower than expected. Proxy speed can depend on several factors, such as:
Outages;
Server load;
Your own network connection speed;
Distance to the proxy location;
High bandwidth usage on an unlimited bandwidth plan;
The number of concurrent requests you are making;
Proxy type and sub-type;
Connection method.
Connectivity Issues Caused by Ongoing Incidents
If you notice proxy speed issues, before diving into any troubleshooting steps, it’s important to rule out any ongoing incidents or outages that may be affecting connectivity. You can do this by checking our System Status page.
Checking the Status Page is the quickest way to determine whether a proxy speed issue is widespread or specific to your account or proxies. If the slowdown is caused by an ongoing outage, no further action is required on your part, as our engineering team will address the issue as quickly as possible.
You can read more about outages and our System Status page here: 'Outages and Webshare System Status'.
Overloaded Servers and Auto-Replace
Proxy speeds can occasionally be slower due to temporary server load. When this occurs, it typically affects only specific IP ranges.
However, if you don't want to wait for your slow proxies to return to normal performance, we offer a free auto-replacement option for any proxies experiencing a temporary slowdown. Don't worry; these replacements do not use your Individual Replacement balance.
To enable this feature:
Go to the 'Proxy Settings' page.
Click on the 'Replace Proxies' tab.
Check the option "Proxy may be experiencing temporary slowdown."
Click Save Changes.
If you want to maintain a static proxy list, simply wait for your proxies to be replaced and then disable this feature.
For more information on our Auto-replace feature, feel free to check out 'Understanding the Auto-Replace Feature'.
How Your Network Connection Affects Proxy Speed
Proxy performance is not determined solely by the proxy server itself; your own network connection plays a significant role in overall speed and reliability.
To determine whether your own internet connection could be contributing to slow proxy speeds, we recommend running a speed test on Fast.com both with and without the proxy enabled.
Keep in mind that using a proxy will usually make your connection slightly slower, as your traffic passes through the proxy server first.
Distance to the Proxy Location
The physical distance between your device and the proxy server can have a noticeable impact on proxy speed. The farther your connection has to travel, the higher the latency, which can result in slower response times and reduced overall performance.
Whenever possible, choose proxies that are geographically closer to your region to improve performance.
For a step-by-step guide on how to change your proxy location, check out the article 'How can I change the country of the proxies?'
Unlimited Bandwidth and Connection Throttling
While we offer unlimited bandwidth, we also have a Fair Usage Policy similar to how many network providers operate. This means that although the bandwidth for this plan is technically unlimited, using an unusually high amount of bandwidth may temporarily throttle your connections.
The high-bandwidth threshold for your plan also depends on how many proxies you have. Having more proxies in your plan increases your overall bandwidth capacity. However, all unlimited bandwidth plans guarantee at least 10 TB of usage before any throttling is applied.
If your connections slow down and you receive an email about high bandwidth usage, it means you've reached the bandwidth threshold. To resolve this, you can:
Renew your bandwidth early and reset your bandwidth to restore regular proxy speed.
Add more proxies to your plan to increase your available bandwidth capacity.
High Concurrency and Connection Throttling
Sending too many simultaneous requests through your proxies can affect performance and may trigger temporary throttling. By default, your account supports up to 500 concurrent requests. Exceeding this limit can cause connection interruptions, decreased speeds, and concurrency errors.
To resolve this, you can either reduce the number of simultaneous requests or upgrade to the High Concurrency feature in the Plans & Pricing section, which increases the limit to 3,000+ concurrent requests.
You can read more about concurrency here: 'What is Concurrency?'
Proxy Types and Connection Methods
Not all proxies offer the same performance, as speed can vary depending on the proxy type and how you connect to it.
Proxy Type and Speed
Datacenter vs. Residential Proxies:
Datacenter proxies are generally faster than Static Residential proxies because they are hosted on high-speed servers in data centres with strong network infrastructure. In contrast, static residential proxies route traffic through ISPs, which can introduce higher latency and slower response times.Dedicated vs. Shared Proxies:
Dedicated proxies, assigned solely to one user, provide more consistent and higher speeds compared to shared proxies, which are used by multiple users simultaneously.
Connection Method and Speed
Direct vs. Backbone Connections:
Using Direct Connection with your proxy usually provides faster speed, than using Backbone Connection.Authentication Type:
Connecting via username and password is generally faster than IP authorisation.
Need Help?
If you're still experiencing issues, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]. We're here to assist you in any way we can!