How to Set Up Proxies in Edge Browser (Configuration Tutorial)

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Browsing privately, accessing restricted content, hiding your location – proxies make it all possible! Integrating them with Microsoft Edge allows you to unlock the full potential of proxies for an enhanced browsing experience.

This comprehensive 3000 word guide will cover everything you need to know about setting up proxies on Edge browser across various desktop platforms.

Why Use Proxies with Edge?

There are several compelling reasons to use proxies with Edge browser:

Enhanced Privacy and Anonymity – Proxies hide your real IP address, making your browsing activities anonymous. Your physical location is concealed, preventing tracking.
Access Geo-restricted Content – Proxies allow you to bypass geographic restrictions and access content locked to certain locations. Unblock sites and services blocked in your country.
Enhanced Security – Route your traffic through proxies to add a layer of protection against cyber threats and malicious actors online.
Faster Speeds – Premium datacenter proxies offer blazing fast internet speeds compared to residential proxies. Great for large downloads or streaming HD video.
Evade Censorship – Proxies are commonly used globally to circumvent government censorship and access banned websites.
Better Deals – Get exclusive online prices, deals and offers meant for specific countries by appearing to access sites from different locations.
Web Scraping – Automate data extraction from websites faster and more reliably using proxies to avoid getting blocked.

Let's see how to set up and use proxies efficiently with Microsoft Edge on all major platforms.

Choosing Proxy Providers

There are many proxy service providers out there, both free and paid. For the best experience, we recommend opting for premium proxies from leading vendors like:

BrightData – Reliable residential and datacenter proxies starting at $500/month. Rotating IPs, high uptime and dedicated support.
Smartproxy – Residential and static datacenter proxies. Free plan available. Prices from $14/month.
Proxy-Seller – Specialize in backconnect rotating proxies. Plans from $10/month.
Soax – Residential proxy plans for individuals starting at $99/month. Excellent value.

Residential vs Datacenter Proxies

Residential proxies originate from real residential IP addresses. This helps mimic genuine user traffic for anti-detection. Great for accessing sites like Netflix and Amazon Prime. But speeds are slower than datacenter proxies.

Datacenter proxies come from dedicated proxy servers hosted in datacenters. They provide lightning fast speeds but are easier to detect. Ideal for general web scraping and accessing informational sites.

Setting Up Proxies with Edge Browser on Windows

Here are the simple steps to configure proxies on the Windows version of Edge:

Launch Edge browser and click the three-dot menu > Settings.
Go to Privacy, search and services > Security > Manage proxies.
Select ‘Manual proxy setup' and enter the details from your proxy provider.
Click ‘Save' to apply the proxy settings.

Now Edge will route your requests through the proxy server. Obtain the proxy hostname/IP, port, username and password from your provider beforehand.

Tip: You can specify different proxies for HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, etc under Connection settings for more customization.

Here are some sample residential proxy configurations:

BrightData Residential Proxies

Hostname/IP: zproxy.lum-superproxy.io
Port: 22225
Username: LUM-SUBSCRIBER-XXXXXXXXX
Password: propass

Smartproxy Residential Proxies

IP: premium-residential.smartproxy.com
Port: 12345
Username: customer-50gb
Password: proxypassword123

Disabling Windows Proxies

To quickly disable proxies, access the proxy settings in Edge and select ‘No proxy'. You can also select each protocol like HTTP and ‘Clear' the hostname/IP.

Tip: Use a proxy manager like Proxycap if you need to constantly switch between multiple proxies for sites.

Setting Up Proxies with Edge Browser on macOS

The process is very similar on macOS. Follow these steps:

In Edge, go to Settings > Privacy, search and services.
Under ‘Security', click ‘Proxy' to open macOS network proxy settings.
Choose ‘Manual proxy configuration' and enter proxy details.
Click ‘Apply' to activate proxies system-wide including in Edge.

Here are sample proxy configurations for macOS:

Proxy-Seller Backconnect Proxies

IP: us.proxy-seller.com
Port: 8080
Username: ps123654
Password: proxypassword

Soax Datacenter Proxies

IP: static.soax.com
Port: 80
Username: soaxcustomer
Password: proxypassword123

To disable, select ‘No proxy' or clear individual proxy entries in the network proxy settings on macOS.

Setting Up Proxies with Edge Browser on Linux

The steps may vary across different Linux distros but generally involve:

Open terminal and edit the environment file, usually /etc/environment.

Add proxy details like:

http_proxy="http://proxyIP:port" 
https_proxy="http://proxyIP:port"

Save changes and run source /etc/environment to apply.

Now proxies will be active across Linux including in Edge. Provide your proxy provider credentials in the format they require.

Tip: Some distros require editing /etc/profile or ~/.bashrc instead of /etc/environment. Refer to your specific Linux distro's docs.

To disable, simply delete or comment out the proxy environment variables and re-apply the changes.

Proxy Extensions as an Alternative

Proxy extensions like Browsec, FoxyProxy, etc provide another simple option for proxy management specifically in the browser.

The benefits of proxy extensions include:

Quickly add and switch between multiple proxies
No need to change system-wide settings
Import proxy lists for rotation
Available across Windows, macOS, Linux etc

The downsides are that they only work for the browser installed, and can be slower than system proxies. Still, proxy extensions are great for quick testing.

Tips for Using Proxies Effectively

Here are some tips to use proxies for maximum benefit:

Rotate IPs frequently to prevent detection, using proxy manager tools to automate switching.
Choose proxy locations close to the sites/services you want to access for best performance.
Use residential proxies for sites like Netflix that block datacenters.
Employ multi-threaded tools for heavy web scraping via proxies to speed up the process.
Troubleshoot errors like HTTP 407 and 409 by switching protocols or clearing cookies/cache.
Leverage different proxies per virtual machine for greater isolation when automating tasks.

Conclusion

In this guide, we detailed how proxies in Microsoft Edge enhance privacy, security, and content access across Windows, macOS, and Linux. We covered Edge-specific and system-wide setups, using providers like BrightData and Smartproxy as examples.

Tips on proxy location, speed optimization, and IP rotation were shared. We also discussed browser-level proxy extensions and their merits. Use this concise guide to optimize your Edge browsing with proxies for a more private and unrestricted web experience.