A Proxy That Worked Last Week and Fails Now
The short answer
A proxy that worked and then stopped has usually met one of four changes: the site banned the address, the address was reassigned, the plan or authentication expired, or the site tightened what it accepts. Find which by testing the address on a neutral site first.
The proxy is the least likely component to break, because it is a simple forwarder. What changes is everything around it: the site updates its list, an address goes to another customer, a password rotates, or the site decides it no longer likes the browser you present. The order below is roughly the order of likelihood.
First, prove whether the proxy itself still works
Send a request to a neutral page through the proxy and check the apparent address. If that works and shows the address you expect, the proxy is fine and the problem is on the destination side. If it does not work at all, the problem is the proxy, the credentials or the plan.
This test takes a minute and rules out half the possible causes. Without it, people often buy a replacement address for a problem that would have followed them to the new one.
- Neutral page loads through the proxy: proxy is working.
- Apparent address is the one you bought: no reassignment.
- Same page fails through the proxy: the tunnel or credentials are the problem.
- Proxy works, target site refuses: the site has changed its decision.
The four changes that account for most failures
The site banned the address. One address used for a lot of requests, or shared with other buyers, eventually lands on a list. This is the most common cause, and it is why a private address lasts longer than a pool.
The address was reassigned. Some plans, particularly cheap monthly ones, rotate the underlying address at renewal. What you hold is a slot, not a guarantee of the same number, unless the provider says so.
The plan or authentication expired. A password change, a lapsed payment or a subscription ending all look identical from the browser: the proxy stops answering. Check the account before debugging the network.
The site tightened what it accepts. A new browser check, a new requirement for a consistent session, or a change to which countries are served can end a working setup overnight with no notice.
What to change, in the right order
If the address is banned, the fix is a different address, and ideally one that is not shared. Reusing the same address for the same behaviour will ban the replacement too. Slowing the request rate is part of the fix, not a separate nicety.
If the session is the problem, hold the address constant and stop changing everything else: same browser profile, same cookies, one address. Many "the proxy stopped working" cases are really "the site now requires a stable session", which a static address satisfies and a rotating one cannot.
Worked example: a monitoring check that died on a Tuesday
A small retailer used a proxy to check that its own checkout page loaded correctly for overseas customers. It worked for five weeks, then every check started returning the hosting provider's block page while the rest of the internet loaded fine through the same proxy. The proxy was healthy; the store's own firewall had added the proxy address to a suspected-bot list after a spike in requests.
The team could have bought a new address, and it would have worked for another few weeks. Instead they identified their own monitoring as the source, allowlisted the address at the firewall, and reduced the check frequency from every minute to every fifteen. The address has been in place since.
The general point is that "the site blocked the proxy" can mean the site is yours. When the block arrives with a block page rather than a timeout, and only for one destination, checking that destination's own logs is worth ten minutes before buying anything.
Symptom, likely cause, and the check that proves it
| Symptom | Most likely cause | Check | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nothing loads through the proxy | Credentials or plan lapsed | Account status, then a neutral page | Renew or fix credentials |
| Neutral page works, target refuses | Address banned by the site | Try the target from another address | New private address, slower pace |
| Worked at renewal, fails after | Address reassigned | Compare apparent address to your record | Confirm the slot or move plan |
| Login loops or verification repeats | Session not stable | Check the address between pages | Static address, one profile |
| Fails only on one device | Local proxy configuration | Test the same proxy on another device | Reapply the setting |
A private static address is the only setup where "it stopped working" usually means the site changed, not that the address changed under you.
Diagnose in this order
- 1Load a neutral page through the proxy and confirm the apparent address.
- 2Check the proxy account for expiry, password rotation or a plan change.
- 3Try the target site through a different address to separate site policy from proxy failure.
- 4Compare the address you see now with the one in your purchase record.
- 5If the address is the same and the site refuses, slow down and consider a replacement.
Where this connects on this site
- For an address that is not shared with other buyers, see private addresses with a 30-day term
- If the failure only happens at work, read the office-network case
- If the proxy account itself looks wrong, contact support
What this will not do
- A replacement address does not fix a behaviour that caused the block; the same pattern will be blocked again.
- No proxy prevents a site from changing its policy without notice.
- A shared address can be banned by another customer's conduct, which you cannot see or control.
- Monthly plans that rotate addresses at renewal are sold as a slot, not a fixed number, unless stated otherwise.
Questions this page gets asked
- How do I know my proxy address was reassigned?
- Compare the apparent address now with the one in your purchase confirmation. If they differ and you did not request a change, the plan rotates addresses. Ask the provider whether a fixed address is available, because for logins it is the property that matters.
- Why does it fail only on one website?
- That pattern points at the website, not the proxy. A proxy failure affects every destination equally. One site refusing while others load normally means that site has made a decision about your address, and the remedy is address or behaviour, not a new tunnel.
- Can a proxy be blocked by my own antivirus or firewall?
- Yes, and it usually looks like a total failure rather than a site-specific one. Corporate devices often intercept proxy traffic. If the proxy works on a phone but not on the work laptop, the laptop's security software is the difference.
Last reviewed 2026-10-27. Written for readers in the United States and elsewhere; rules about access, email and consent differ by country, and nothing on this page is legal advice.