Configure FoxyProxy to Use Your Proxy Server(s)

• 1). Begin by selecting one or more proxies to use with FoxyProxy. Know that by selecting more than one proxy you will benefit from increased efficiency and variety and allow FoxyProxy to automatically change between proxies as needed, should the connection speed be less than adequate or any problems accessing one of your selected proxies. Be aware that free proxy services tend to be slower and less secure, as well as limited in features. Benefit from increased security, speed and bandwidth by investing in a paid proxy service that will guarantee best performance. Notate the IP address and port number associated with each proxy you have selected for use in configuring your FoxyProxy settings.
  
  
• 2). Ensure that you have the latest version of Firefox--1.5 or later is required--as well as the most current installation of the FoxyProxy plug-in. Update your software as needed. Be sure to restart your Firefox browser before beginning proxy configuration and after any installations. Click "No" if a pop-up window appears asking whether you would like to configure FoxyProxy for use with Tor (a third-party anonymity software).
  
  
• 3). Click on the "Tools" menu in your open Firefox browser. Click on the fourth option titled "FoxyProxy" to open the options menu and then select "Options" to open the options dialog menu in a new window. Select "Add a New Proxy" on the first tab of the newly opened menu window, titled "Proxies."
  
  
• 4). Fill in the details under the first tab of the window that appears, titled "General." Using the information from your proxy, give the proxy a unique name that will identify it in your memory for future modifications and prioritization. Consider adding any notes in the provided box to assist you in differentiating; this is valuable for those using many proxies.
  
  
• 5). Click on the second tab titled "Proxy Details" and select "Manual Proxy Configuration." Enter the web address or IP address of the proxy of your choice in the field marked "Host Name" and indicate the "Port" in the provided field. Select "OK" to save your settings and select "Yes" in the dialog box that appears. Ensure that you now see two proxies listed on the first window that you saw previously. Look for the default proxy, created by the FoxyProxy plug-in, and your self-titled proxy server that you have just saved. Select "Add a New Proxy" and repeat Steps 4 and 5 to save additional proxy servers, as needed. Select "OK" to save your settings once all proxy servers have been defined.
  
  

Automating and Using FoxyProxy

• 1). Use FoxyProxy by clicking on the new icon and status that appears in the bottom right corner of your Firefox browser. Select manually from here whether you would like use the default Internet settings, with standard configuration, or enable a proxy of your choice. Enable a proxy by selecting its name from the drop-down list that appears. Be aware that after clicking on a proxy, it is enabled for all websites that you access during your Internet session.
  
  
• 2). Choose whether you would like to have FoxyProxy automatically use a proxy server before loading specified websites. Know that this enables you to place rules by which your web browser knows to always use your proxy when instructed to navigate to certain websites and web domains; this may be particularly useful when you want to always access email, messenger and other private web services from behind a proxy server and do not want to manually select your proxy with each access.
  
  
• 3). Automate FoxyProxy by creating "patterns," or rules, that dictate to the FoxyProxy plug-in that a given proxy should be enabled prior to accessing any site that you specify. Be aware that this will institute your proxy server on a case-by-case basis and is valuable to those who frequently access sites and are looking for a convenient way to automatically ensure privacy, without manual selection from the standard menu. Open the "Tools" menu in your open Firefox browser, click on "FoxyProxy" to open the options menu and then select "Options" to open the options dialog menu in a new window. Select "Add a New Proxy" on the first tab of the newly opened menu window, titled "Proxies," or select and open an existing proxy to modify.
  
  
• 4). Select the option "Automate proxy configuration url" on the proxy details tab and be sure that the web or IP address of your proxy server as well as the port number is correctly input. Select the third tab titled "Url Patterns" and click on "Add a new pattern." Enable the pattern by selecting the appropriate check box, name the pattern and enter the URL for which the proxy rule should be applied. Note that in FoxyProxy, a whitelist pattern defines a URL that should be loaded through a proxy, and a blacklist pattern indicates a URL that should not. Select whether to whitelist or blacklist your pattern, and select the "wildcards" option below if you would like any URL within the domain indicated above to be included in the pattern rule. Select "OK" and repeat as needed for additional pattern rules. Remember to always select "OK" to save your settings. Surf the web with the knowledge that the appropriate proxy will automatically be enabled whenever you access a site matching your pattern rules.