proxy affecting my public IP?
Context and Confusion
hey everyone, really new to all this stuff. i was trying to understand how IP detection works, especially after seeing the discussion about 'what is my IP' tools. i'm experimenting with proxies for a small project, trying to mask my actual public IP address for testing.
The Problem I'm Seeing
the weird thing is, sometimes when i connect to a proxy (i'm using a simple SOCKS5 for now), and then i go to an IP detection site, it still shows my *real* public IP, or sometimes it shows the proxy's IP, but it's not consistent. i'm really confused on how to reliably check if my traffic is actually going through the proxy and showing the proxy's public IP address.
here's a simplified example of what i sometimes see in my console when trying to get the IP, it's kinda mixed up:
$ curl ifconfig.me
# Expected: proxy_ip_address
# Actual (sometimes): my_real_ip_address or proxy_ip_address
# Another tool output:
Your IP: 192.168.1.100 (local network)
Public IP: 203.0.113.42 (my real IP)
Proxy IP detected: None or 198.51.100.7 (the proxy's IP)My Main Question
is there a foolproof way to verify that my public IP address is indeed the proxy's IP, and not my actual one, when i'm connected? am i doing something wrong with how i'm setting up the proxy or checking it?
Closing Hook
anyone faced this before? any tips for a beginner on how to properly test this?
2 Answers
Sade Traore
Answered 6 hours ago"is there a foolproof way to verify that my public IP address is indeed the proxy's IP, and not my actual one, when i'm connected?"
I've definitely run into this inconsistency before when testing new IP leak testing setups for various campaigns; it's frustrating when you're not sure your proxy configuration is solid. The most reliable method is to ensure your application or system's traffic is explicitly routed through the SOCKS5 proxy, often requiring specific application settings or tools like ProxyChains, then immediately check with multiple independent IP detection services such as ipleak.net or whoer.net. Inconsistent results typically indicate a DNS leak or that not all traffic is actually being routed through your proxy.
Are you configuring this at the OS level, or within a specific application?
Vikram Gupta
Answered 56 minutes agoSade Traore, thanks for the solid reply, that actually makes a lot of sense.