IP whitelisting lets you connect to your MarsProxies Residential Proxies without using a username and password. You save a proxy configuration, link it to a specific IP address you trust, and connect using only the hostname and port. The proxy will recognize your IP and let you connect through it.
This guide covers what IP whitelisting is, when it makes sense to use it, and how to set it up in your MarsProxies dashboard.
What Is IP Whitelisting?
IP whitelisting is one of the two proxy authentication methods for MarsProxies Residential Proxies. Instead of using a proxy string containing your hostname, port, username, and password, you can connect to a proxy without providing username and password.
You configure your proxy settings once and attach them to a specific IP address. From then on, you can connect to that proxy from the whitelisted IP using a proxy string only in the HOST:PORT format. No other IP can connect to the proxy using that specific proxy string.
You can whitelist multiple IP addresses, each with its own proxy configuration. This allows you to control which IP addresses can use your residential proxy traffic, ensuring only trusted IPs can connect.
Why Use IP Whitelisting?
IP whitelisting is a good option if you run your proxies from a fixed location, such as a server or an office network. Some of the most significant benefits of using this proxy authentication method include:
Improved security - your username and password never appear in scripts, config files, or third-party tools, so there is less risk of someone else seeing them and using your traffic
More control over access - only the IP addresses you add can use the proxy server
Better compatibility - some software only accepts proxies in HOST:PORT format
Simpler scaling - you can create separate entries with different configurations for different users or projects
Note: If your IP address changes often, for example on a home connection with a dynamic IP or on a laptop you use on different networks, username and password authentication will probably work better for you. Otherwise, you would need to update your whitelist every time your IP changes.
How to Whitelist an IP Address With MarsProxies
1. Open your MarsProxies dashboard and select 'Residential' (1). Scroll down and click ‘Whitelist’ (2).
2. Click 'Add new IP' (3) to open the IP whitelist configuration page.
3. Set up your proxy in the 'Configuration' (4) section. These are the settings every connection from your whitelisted IP address will use, including location, rotation type, and protocol. Add the IP address you want to whitelist (5), and click ‘Create’ (6).
Note: To check your IP and whitelist it, search "what is my IP" from that device. Make sure you have any proxy or VPN turned off.
How to Use Your Whitelisted IPs
To connect to your proxies from your whitelisted IP address, you need the IP and port information. Here’s where to find them:
1. Select ‘Whitelist’ (1) in your Residential Proxies dashboard. Scroll down and select the whitelisted IP (2) you want to use in the section above ‘Formatted Proxy List’. Click the ‘Copy list’ (3) button or select and copy the proxy string (4) in the ‘IP:PORT’ field.
2. Paste the host and port information into your browser, script, or software, and save your proxy configuration.
You can now use your proxies from your whitelisted IP address. Every request you send will go through the proxy using the configuration you saved for that IP.
How to Manage Your Whitelisted IPs
To edit the proxy settings for your whitelisted IP, click the three-dot icon (1) next to it, under ‘Actions’, and select ‘Manage’ (2).
In the 'Record configuration' section, you can change the proxy settings (3) and update (4) them as needed, or delete (5) the whitelisted IP.
