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3proxy is a lightweight proxy server: on a VPS you get your own HTTP and SOCKS5 proxy with a username and password on the server’s static IP. It’s a single datacenter IP: sites with anti-fraud often flag such addresses, and under load it’s easy to burn out.

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Installation

Connect over SSH as root: Connection. Commands are for Ubuntu/Debian. Package names and config syntax change between versions, check the 3proxy/3proxy repo.
  1. Package – take the latest version number from the releases on GitHub and substitute it for X.Y.Z:
    For example, for version 0.9.4:
    Check the exact file name on the release page: some builds have a different architecture suffix, for example amd64 instead of x86_64.
  2. Install:
  3. Version – check that 3proxy is installed:

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Config

Open the config: nano /etc/3proxy/3proxy.cfg. A minimal version with a username and password:
  • nserver – DNS servers for resolving names.
  • users user:CL:strongpassword – username and password, CL means the password is stored in the config as plain text.
  • auth strong – let in only with a username and password. Without it and a user with a password (or an IP restriction) the proxy is open to everyone: bots find such proxies within hours and push other people’s traffic through them, the IP loses its reputation and gets abuse reports.
  • allow user – access for this user.
  • proxy -p3128 – HTTP proxy on port 3128.
  • socks -p1080 – SOCKS5 proxy on port 1080.

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Start

Enable the service and autostart:
  • Status – systemctl status 3proxy. If there’s no 3proxy unit, the package didn’t install a systemd service: run the proxy manually with 3proxy /etc/3proxy/3proxy.cfg or build a unit following the instructions from the release.
  • After config edits – restart: systemctl restart 3proxy.

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Firewall

If ufw is on, open only the ports you use, details: Firewall.

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Check

Run it on your computer, the reply should be the server’s IP:
For SOCKS5: curl -x socks5://user:strongpassword@IP:1080 https://api.ipify.org. 3proxy won’t give you a pool of residential or mobile IPs with rotation. Such proxies are in @lumiproxy_bot, details: Proxy types. You set up the software yourself, Lumi handles the server and network. If the network or a port doesn’t work, message @lumisup_robot. Next: Firewall, WireGuard.