PacketStream integration

Using PacketStream residential proxies with Firefox

Set up PacketStream in Firefox with a local PAC file, authenticate at the first proxy prompt, and check your residential exit.

Check a page through a residential IP in Firefox without installing an extension. A local PAC file routes browser traffic to PacketStream, and Firefox asks for your proxy credentials on the first request.

Configure

Firefox needs a proxy auto-configuration file to identify a TLS-protected HTTPS proxy. Create a dedicated directory:

mkdir -p "$HOME/.packetstream-pac"

Save this rule as $HOME/.packetstream-pac/packetstream.pac:

function FindProxyForURL(url, host) {
  return "HTTPS proxy.packetstream.io:31111";
}

Serve the file from its directory while Firefox uses it:

python3 -m http.server \
  --bind 127.0.0.1 \
  --directory "$HOME/.packetstream-pac" \
  8765

Open Settings, search for Network Settings, and select Automatic proxy configuration URL. Enter http://127.0.0.1:8765/packetstream.pac, reload the configuration, and open a page. Firefox prompts for proxy credentials on the first proxied request. Enter your PacketStream username as the username and your dashboard auth key as the password.

This uses Firefox’s built-in PAC support. No proxy extension is needed. Firefox’s standard SOCKS settings do not supply username/password authentication to PacketStream’s SOCKS5 endpoint, so use the HTTPS setup above.

Verify your exit

Open ipinfo.io in the configured browser. Check the displayed IP and country before continuing to the page you want to inspect.

Country targeting and sticky sessions

Keep the username unchanged. In the Firefox credential prompt, enter the modified password:

AUTH_KEY_country-US_session-browser42

The proxy host and port do not change.

Troubleshooting

  • Keep HTTPS uppercase in the PAC return value. PROXY selects an unencrypted connection to the proxy and does not match port 31111.
  • Keep the PAC server running and reload the proxy configuration after changing the file. If Firefox does not prompt, clear any saved proxy login for proxy.packetstream.io and make a new proxied request.
  • A refresh or new tab can reuse the current connection and exit. It does not force rotation.

See proxy troubleshooting for authentication prompts, endpoint pairing, TLS, and rotation checks.

Ready to run Firefox through PacketStream? Create an account to get the proxy username and auth key used in the example above.
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