Introduction

This guide is for developers who use 2Captcha residential proxies and run into common issues: wrong connection string format, confusion between HTTP and SOCKS5 protocols, or TLS errors when working with HTTPS sites.

We will walk through how to properly generate credentials in the new configurator, how to pick the right protocol for your task, and how to quickly test your connection with ready-to-use code examples.

What you need:

• A 2Captcha account with proxy access
• Balance to cover traffic costs
• Any coding environment: terminal with Python or Node.js, or an online sandbox

1. Residential proxies at 2Captcha: the basics

1.1. Supported protocols

It matters which transport protocol your proxy uses versus the protocol of the target site:

2Captcha proxies do not support HTTPS as a transport protocol. This is a common cause of errors like SSL_ERROR_SYSCALL or Tunnel connection failed.

1.2. Login structure for residential proxies

The login string is generated automatically in the configurator and looks like this:

ACCOUNTNAME-zone-custom-region-us-session-AbCdEfGh-sessTime-15

Breaking it down:

• ACCOUNTNAME — your account or sub-account name
• zone-custom or zone-cis — routing zone, CIS covers Russia and nearby countries
• region-us — target country or region
• session-AbCdEfGh — unique session identifier
• sessTime-15 — session lifetime in minutes, options are 1, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, 120

Important: Use the entire login string as your username. Do not try to manually substitute values for ACCOUNTNAME or PASSWORD. Always copy the ready string from the configurator.

1.3. Limits and policies

• Access to government, financial, and high-risk sites is restricted
• Attempts to reach such resources may result in silent connection drops
• For work from Russia, use the server ru.proxy.2captcha.com

1.4. Smart routing via eu3

The server eu3.proxy.2captcha.com acts as a redirect gateway. It automatically routes your connection to the proxy node with the lowest ping in your chosen region. This simplifies setup and improves stability.

We recommend using eu3.proxy.2captcha.com as your default entry point unless you have strict requirements for a specific node.

2. Setting up your environment

2.1. Getting your credentials

1. Log in at 2captcha.com/proxy
2. In the new, updated configurator interface, select:
   • Proxy type: residential
   • Geo: country or region
   • Session time: recommended values are 10, 15, or 30 minutes
   • Server: eu3.proxy.2captcha.com for automatic routing
3. Copy the ready values:
   • Login, the full string
   • Password
   • Server address and port

2.2. Storing credentials securely

We recommend using environment variables:

export PROXY_LOGIN="ACCOUNTNAME-zone-custom-region-us-session-AbCdEfGh-sessTime-15"
export PROXY_PASSWORD="PASSWORD"
export PROXY_HOST="eu3.proxy.2captcha.com"
export PROXY_PORT_HTTP="2334"
export PROXY_PORT_SOCKS="2333"

3. Troubleshooting

3.1. Checking login format

If you see authentication errors or 407 Proxy Authentication Required in your logs, make sure that:

• The login is copied in full, nothing cut off
• There are no extra spaces or line breaks in the login
• You are using the current string, sessions may update when settings change, but existing connections will keep working

3.2. Picking the right protocol for your task

3.3. Diagnosing TLS errors

If you get SSL_ERROR_SYSCALL or Connection reset after a successful CONNECT:

1. Make sure you are not using https:// as the proxy transport
2. Check if the target site is on the restricted list, government or financial sites often block proxy access
3. Try switching server or region
4. Lower the sessTime value for more frequent IP rotation

4. Ready examples to test your proxy

Below are minimal working examples that are already available in the configurator at 2captcha.com/proxy. They help you quickly verify your connection and credentials.

4.1. Python example with requests

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import requests

username = "username"
password = "password"
PROXY_DNS = "eu3.proxy.2captcha.com:2334"
urlToGet = "http://ip-api.com/json"
proxy = {"http":"http://{}:{}@{}".format(username, password, PROXY_DNS)}
r = requests.get(urlToGet , proxies=proxy)

print("Response:{}".format(r.text))

How to use:

1. Replace username with the full login string from the configurator
2. Replace password with the password from the configurator
3. Run the script: python3 test_proxy.py
4. The response will show your external IP address, matching your selected region

4.2. Node.js example with axios

const axios = require('axios');
const username = 'username';
const password = 'password';
const PROXY_DNS = 'eu3.proxy.2captcha.com';
const PROXY_PORT = 2334;

axios
  .get('http://ip-api.com/json', {
    proxy: {
      protocol: 'http',
      host: PROXY_DNS,
      port: PROXY_PORT,
      auth: {
        username,
        password,
      },
    },
  })
  .then((res) => {
    console.log(res.data);
  })
  .catch((err) => console.error(err));

How to use:

1. Install the dependency: npm install axios
2. Replace username and password with values from the configurator
3. Run the script: node test_proxy.js
4. Check the output: the query field should contain an IP address from your chosen region

4.3. What these examples verify

• Correct login and password format
• Proxy server availability and successful authentication
• Traffic routing through the selected region
• Tunneling readiness for follow-up requests

If the example returns data from ip-api.com, your proxy is set up correctly and ready for your project.

5. Notes on the examples

Proxy string structure:

• The format http://login:password@host:port is used by requests and axios to configure proxies
• The login is passed in full, including all session parameters

Server selection:

• eu3.proxy.2captcha.com automatically redirects to the nearest node
• For work from Russia, you can explicitly use ru.proxy.2captcha.com

Test target URL:

• http://ip-api.com/json returns information about your external IP
• We use HTTP here to avoid TLS complications during initial diagnostics

Error handling:

• In the Python example, errors appear in the console via exception
• In the Node.js example, errors are handled in the .catch() block

6. Common errors and fixes

7. Additional resources

• Proxy configurator: 2captcha.com/proxy
  New, updated interface for generating credentials and managing settings

• Proxy API docs: 2captcha.com/api-docs/proxy
  Endpoint descriptions, request formats, and integration examples

• Knowledge base: 2captcha.com/support
  Answers to frequent questions, usage policies, and contact info

8. Pre-launch checklist

• Credentials copied from 2captcha.com/proxy configurator in full, unchanged
• Correct protocol selected: HTTP port 2334 or SOCKS5 port 2333
• HTTPS not used as proxy transport protocol
• Target site is not on the restricted list, government or financial
• Server eu3.proxy.2captcha.com selected for automatic routing
• sessTime set to 10, 15, or 30 minutes for a balance of stability and rotation
• Connection tested with the ip-api.com example

Final thoughts

Working with 2Captcha residential proxies needs attention to detail: correct login format, protocol choice for your task, and awareness of access policies. The new configurator at 2captcha.com/proxy makes credential generation easier, and the eu3.proxy.2captcha.com server handles route optimization for you.

Key tips:

• Always get login and password from the configurator, do not build them manually
• Use the ready examples with ip-api.com for quick connection checks
• Pick eu3.proxy.2captcha.com as your entry point for stable performance
• Verify target sites against restrictions before large-scale runs

Follow these steps and 2Captcha proxy integration becomes a reliable tool for data collection and automation.