How to configure a proxy in Firefox
Open Settings > General > Network Settings > Settings…, choose Manual proxy configuration, enter the gateway IP in HTTP Proxy with its port, tick Also use this proxy for HTTPS and click OK. Firefox then proxies only itself, leaving the rest of your computer on its normal connection.
Firefox is the one major desktop browser with its own proxy settings. Chrome, Edge and Safari lean on the operating system, while Firefox can follow the system proxy or ignore it and use a proxy you type in. That makes it the easiest way to put one browser on a proxy while everything else on the computer stays direct.
The trouble spots are specific to Firefox: the HTTPS box left unticked (so secure sites skip the proxy), the gateway typed into the SOCKS field instead of the HTTP one (Storm gateways don’t speak SOCKS), an extension silently taking control of the connection settings, and profiles that share one proxy when you wanted one IP each.
Below you’ll find the built-in setup, the FoxyProxy setup for per-site and per-container rules, a way to give each Firefox profile its own gateway, the DNS question people ask most, and fixes for the error pages Firefox shows.
Which Storm plan fits
Firefox is a good fit for a rotating plan when you use the 3- or 15-minute gateway, because a page’s many connections then share one IP. Count around 10 threads per open tab, so 40 threads is a sensible start and 10 threads is for testing. If each Firefox profile stands for one account you log in to daily, give it a private dedicated proxy or a residential port instead of sharing a rotating gateway.
Rotating proxies (from $14/mo): 700,000+ IPs behind fixed gateway IP:PORTs. New IP on every request, or every 3 or 15 minutes. USA, EU, USA+EU or Worldwide. Unlimited bandwidth on every plan.
Get 40 threads for $39/mo See all rotating proxies plansBefore you start
- Log in to the member area and copy your gateway
IP:PORTs. They never change; the rotation happens on our side. - Add the public IP of the computer or server that will run your tool under Authorized IPs, click Save, and allow up to 15 minutes before testing. Rotating and residential proxies use IP authentication, so there is no username or password.
- Dedicated proxies work with either IP authentication or a username and password. Use user:pass if your IP changes or the tool runs on several machines.
- Count your threads: the tool’s total open connections must stay within your plan (for example 40 threads on the 40-thread plan).
Set a proxy in Firefox’s Network Settings
- Open Connection Settings
Click the menu (three lines) > Settings. Stay on General, scroll to the bottom to Network Settings and click Settings…. The Connection Settings dialog opens. Typing
proxyin the settings search box gets you there too. - Choose Manual proxy configuration
Firefox offers No proxy, Auto-detect proxy settings for this network, Use system proxy settings and Manual proxy configuration. Pick manual. “Use system proxy settings” also works, but then Firefox follows whatever Windows or macOS is set to.
- Enter the gateway as an HTTP proxy
Put the gateway IP in HTTP Proxy and its number in Port. Tick Also use this proxy for HTTPS, which copies the same gateway into the HTTPS field. Leave SOCKS Host empty: Storm gateways are HTTP(S) proxies, not SOCKS.
- Fill in No proxy for
List hosts that should skip the proxy, separated by commas, for example
.example.local, 203.0.113.0/24. Use<local>to send all dot-less hostnames (likerouterornas) direct. Firefox never proxies localhost anyway. - Authorize your IP and click OK
Rotating and residential gateways have no username or password. Add the public IP of this computer under Authorized IPs in the member area and allow up to 15 minutes. For a dedicated proxy with user:pass, Firefox asks for the credentials the first time you load a page and can save them.
- Confirm the exit IP
Open
https://api.ipify.orgor any IP check page. It should show a proxy IP. Load a second HTTPS site as well: if that one shows your real IP, the HTTPS box wasn’t ticked.
about:config and user.js settings
Every option in the Connection Settings dialog maps to a preference. Setting them in a profile’s user.js file is the quickest way to give several profiles their own gateway, or to rebuild a profile without clicking through dialogs. Firefox reads user.js at startup, so close Firefox before editing it.
// user.js in the profile folder (find it via about:profiles > Root Directory)
user_pref("network.proxy.type", 1); // 1 = manual
user_pref("network.proxy.http", "GATEWAY_IP");
user_pref("network.proxy.http_port", PORT); // a number, no quotes
user_pref("network.proxy.ssl", "GATEWAY_IP");
user_pref("network.proxy.ssl_port", PORT);
user_pref("network.proxy.share_proxy_settings", true); // = "Also use this proxy for HTTPS"
user_pref("network.proxy.no_proxies_on", "<local>, .example.local");0 = No proxy
1 = Manual proxy configuration
2 = Automatic proxy configuration URL (PAC)
4 = Auto-detect proxy settings for this network
5 = Use system proxy settingsREM open the profile manager to create "proxyA" and "proxyB"
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -P
REM start each profile in its own process, side by side
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -P proxyA -no-remote
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -P proxyB -no-remote/Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox -P
/Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox -P proxyA -no-remote &
/Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox -P proxyB -no-remote &Proxy: GATEWAY_IP port PORT type HTTP
Patterns (Include, wildcard):
*.example-shop.com
*.example-news.com
Everything else: directFoxyProxy: per-site, per-tab and per-container proxies
The built-in dialog gives you one proxy for all of Firefox. FoxyProxy Standard, a free open-source add-on on addons.mozilla.org, adds what the dialog lacks:
- URL patterns: send only matching sites through a proxy using wildcards or regular expressions, with a pattern tester to check them.
- Per tab, per container, per private window: each Firefox container can use a different gateway. Combined with Mozilla’s Multi-Account Containers, one Firefox window can hold a “Shop A” tab on one residential port and a “Shop B” tab on another.
- Quick switching: pick a proxy from the toolbar menu or a keyboard shortcut, and a global exclusion list for hosts that must stay direct.
- Credentials and WebRTC: it answers proxy login prompts for user:pass proxies and has a WebRTC on/off control.
To add a Storm gateway, open FoxyProxy’s options, add a proxy with type HTTP, the gateway IP and port, and no username. Once FoxyProxy is enabled, Firefox’s Connection Settings dialog shows that an extension controls the connection and offers a Disable Extension button. That’s expected; set proxies in one place, not both.
One profile, one IP
Profiles are Firefox’s strongest feature for proxy work. Each profile has its own cookies, history, extensions and, importantly, its own proxy settings. Typical setups:
- Research profile: a rotating Main gateway for checking pages from many IPs, no logins.
- Account profiles: one per account, each on its own dedicated proxy so the account always appears from the same address.
- Regional profiles: one on a USA gateway, one on an EU gateway, for checking prices or search results in each region.
Create profiles at about:profiles or with firefox -P, and use -no-remote to run them at the same time. Recent Firefox versions also have a profile switcher under the account icon (Manage Profiles). A short user.js per profile, as shown above, saves you from setting each dialog by hand. Mozilla notes that one Mozilla account can’t be signed in on two profiles of the same device, which is another reason to keep sync out of proxied profiles.
Does Firefox resolve DNS through the proxy?
With an HTTP proxy, yes for the sites you visit. Firefox sends the hostname to the gateway inside the request (or the CONNECT line for HTTPS), and the proxy side looks up the address. Your local DNS server doesn’t see the site names you browse through the gateway.
The checkbox Proxy DNS when using SOCKS v5 only matters for SOCKS proxies, so it has no effect with Storm gateways. DNS over HTTPS (DoH) is a separate setting under Privacy & Security; it changes how Firefox resolves names when it does resolve locally, for example for hosts in your No proxy list. You don’t need DoH for the proxy to work.
Threads, tabs and gateways in Firefox
Firefox opens several connections per page, so plan on roughly 10 threads per actively loading tab. On a 40-thread plan, that’s about four busy tabs across all your Firefox profiles combined, because the limit is per plan, not per browser.
Gateway choice matters more in a browser than in a script. The Main gateway assigns a new IP per connection, so one page may come from several IPs and logged-in sites may sign you out. Use the 3-minute gateway (USA, for registrations, social sites and browsing) or the 15-minute gateway for sessions, and a residential port when you want a residential IP that holds for 5 minutes. For Google and other search engines, use the Main gateway and no more than a quarter of your threads.
Common errors and fixes
<local> and your local subnet (the address range your router uses) to No proxy for.FAQ
Does Firefox use the Windows or macOS proxy?
Only if Use system proxy settings is selected in Connection Settings. With Manual proxy configuration, Firefox uses its own proxy and ignores the system one, which is why it’s handy for proxying just one browser.
Should I tick “Also use this proxy for HTTPS”?
Yes, for an HTTP(S) proxy like a Storm gateway. Without it, the HTTPS field stays empty and secure sites, which is most of the web, bypass the proxy.
Can each Firefox profile have a different proxy?
Yes. Proxy settings live in the profile, so set a different gateway in each profile’s Connection Settings or user.js, and start them side by side with -no-remote.
Which Storm gateway should I put in Firefox?
For browsing and logins, the 3-minute or 15-minute rotating gateway, or a residential port. Use the Main gateway when you want a new IP on each connection, such as checking how pages look from many IPs, and for search engines within a quarter of your threads.
Do Storm proxies need a username in FoxyProxy?
Not for rotating or residential plans: leave the username and password empty and authorize your IP in the member area. Private dedicated proxies can use either IP authorization or user:pass, and FoxyProxy can store those credentials.
How do I turn the proxy off in Firefox?
Open Connection Settings and choose No proxy, or in FoxyProxy pick “Disable” from the toolbar menu. Settings in user.js are re-applied at every start, so remove those lines too.
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Related guides
Tool facts checked against the official documentation (October 2026): Mozilla: Connection settings in Firefox · Mozilla: Profile Manager - create, remove or switch Firefox profiles · FoxyProxy Standard on addons.mozilla.org. Storm Proxies facts: our plans page and refund policy.
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