Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Use curl --proxy (or -x) to route one cURL request through a proxy. For GNU Wget, set http_proxy and https_proxy in the environment or configure them in .wgetrc. Both tools support bypass settings; authentication and SOCKS options differ. The examples below use illustrative proxy details—replace them with values supplied by your proxy operator.
Use a proxy with cURL for one request
Pass the proxy URL with --proxy or its short form, -x:
curl --proxy http://proxy.example:8080 https://example.com/The equivalent short form is:
curl -x http://proxy.example:8080 https://example.com/The proxy host and port above are examples, not a working service. Use the scheme, address, and port specified by your proxy operator. cURL treats a proxy URL without a scheme as HTTP, but an explicit scheme makes the intended connection clearer. A request to an HTTPS website can commonly pass through an HTTP proxy using a tunnel; the proxy URL’s scheme describes the connection to the proxy, not the destination website.
An explicit --proxy option takes precedence over proxy environment settings. This is useful for a one-off request or when you need to override a proxy inherited from your shell or service environment. See the cURL command-line manual and cURL tutorial.
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Set a proxy for Wget
GNU Wget commonly reads proxy URLs from lowercase environment variables. Set the variables in the shell that launches Wget:
export http_proxy="http://proxy.example:8080"
export https_proxy="http://proxy.example:8080"
wget https://example.com/Here, http_proxy is used for HTTP destinations and https_proxy for HTTPS destinations. An HTTP proxy URL can be appropriate for an HTTPS destination: Wget connects to the proxy and the proxy can tunnel the encrypted connection. Confirm the required proxy scheme and port with its operator rather than assuming every endpoint works this way.
For a single command in a POSIX-style shell, you can set a variable just for that invocation:
https_proxy="http://proxy.example:8080" wget https://example.com/This assignment syntax is not universal across shells and operating systems. In Windows or a different shell, use that environment’s syntax to set the variable for the process running Wget.
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Keep Wget proxy settings in .wgetrc
GNU Wget also accepts proxy settings in its startup configuration. The documented settings include:
http_proxy = http://proxy.example:8080
https_proxy = http://proxy.example:8080
ftp_proxy = http://proxy.example:8080
no_proxy = localhost,127.0.0.1,.internal.exampleUse the configuration file and syntax appropriate to your Wget installation. The GNU Wget 1.25.0 manual documents these settings in its proxy chapter. Environment variables are often simpler for a temporary session; a startup file is useful when the same proxy should apply repeatedly.
Choose environment variables and bypass rules
Environment settings let a process inherit proxy behavior without repeating a command-line flag. The names and precedence rules are not identical between the clients.
| Client | Proxy settings | Bypass settings | Important detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| cURL | http_proxy, protocol-specific [scheme]_proxy variables, or ALL_PROXY |
NO_PROXY, or per-command --noproxy |
http_proxy must be lowercase. Protocol-specific variables take precedence over ALL_PROXY; explicit --proxy overrides environment settings. |
| GNU Wget | http_proxy, https_proxy, and ftp_proxy |
no_proxy, or --no-proxy |
The cited GNU Wget manual documents lowercase environment names and equivalent startup-file settings. |
For cURL, the exception is important: use lowercase http_proxy, not uppercase HTTP_PROXY. The cURL project explains that CGI servers can create uppercase HTTP_ environment variables from incoming request headers, so treating HTTP_PROXY as trusted proxy configuration could expose requests to an unintended proxy. Other cURL proxy variables can be uppercase; check the cURL proxy environment guide for the names supported by your installed version.
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Wget’s manual uses lowercase names such as http_proxy and no_proxy. When a command unexpectedly goes direct or uses the wrong proxy, check the variables visible to the actual process, not just a different terminal or user account.
Bypass the proxy for selected destinations
For a single cURL invocation, use --noproxy:
curl --noproxy example.com https://example.com/To configure a list in the environment, use a comma-separated value:
export NO_PROXY="localhost,127.0.0.1,.internal.example"cURL’s guide documents exact host entries and leading-dot domain entries; a leading dot can match the domain and its subdomains. The special value * matches all hosts. CIDR exclusions for IP networks are supported by cURL since version 7.86.0, so check your installed version before relying on that matching form.
For Wget, set the lowercase no_proxy variable to the domain extensions to exclude, or use --no-proxy for an invocation. See the GNU Wget proxy documentation for its behavior and configuration syntax.
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When a request bypasses a proxy unexpectedly, inspect both the explicit options and inherited environment. For cURL, a matching NO_PROXY entry or --noproxy exclusion can explain direct routing; an explicit --proxy can override environment proxy settings. For Wget, check no_proxy and whether --no-proxy was included.
Authenticate to the proxy without confusing credentials
Proxy credentials are separate from credentials for the destination website. cURL provides --proxy-user (short form -U) for proxy credentials, along with proxy-specific authentication method options. For example, the syntax below shows where credentials go; do not paste a real password into shared scripts or shell history:
curl --proxy http://proxy.example:8080
--proxy-user 'username:password'
https://example.com/cURL documents proxy Basic, Digest, Negotiate, and NTLM authentication options, but the supported method depends on the proxy and the cURL build. Supply the method your proxy operator requires rather than assuming that a username and password in the URL will work. The cURL manual warns that command-line credentials may briefly be visible to other users through process listings, even if cURL hides the argument after parsing. Prefer retrieving secrets from a protected file or another approved credential source.
GNU Wget’s cited manual documents proxy authorization through --proxy-user and --proxy-password, and corresponding .wgetrc settings. It documents Basic authentication for proxy authorization. Avoid placing a password in a proxy URL: URLs can be copied into shell history, logs, and shared scripts. Use the credential-handling method approved for your system and confirm the proxy’s authentication requirements with its operator.
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- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
Use SOCKS with cURL; do not assume Wget is identical
cURL supports SOCKS proxy URL schemes including socks4://, socks4a://, socks5://, and socks5h://. The DNS behavior matters: cURL’s --socks5 option resolves the destination hostname locally. If you want the proxy to resolve the target hostname, select the appropriate hostname-resolving SOCKS variant and confirm its exact behavior in the cURL SOCKS documentation and the installed manual. Available schemes can also depend on the build.
cURL’s --preproxy can place a SOCKS proxy before an HTTP or HTTPS proxy, creating a chained setup. This is a specialized configuration; a single proxy normally needs only --proxy. The cited GNU Wget proxy chapter documents HTTP and FTP proxy settings, not cURL-style SOCKS syntax. Do not assume SOCKS commands or URL schemes transfer between the clients.
Troubleshoot a proxy request
- Verify endpoint details. Confirm the proxy host, port, and required scheme with its operator. Determine whether it expects HTTP proxying, TLS to the proxy, or SOCKS; these are different connection setups.
- Check the process environment. Make sure the variable is set in the same shell, service, container, or job that launches the client. For cURL, use lowercase
http_proxy; for Wget, use the documented lowercase variables. - Look for overrides and exclusions. Check cURL’s explicit
--proxy,NO_PROXY, and--noproxy, plus Wget’sno_proxyand--no-proxy. A correct setting in one place can be superseded or bypassed elsewhere. - Confirm the authentication method. cURL and Wget do not document identical proxy authentication capabilities. Verify which method the proxy requires and which your installed client supports.
- Inspect cURL’s request behavior. Run with
-vto see connection and proxy negotiation details. Review verbose output before sharing it; it may contain sensitive information. - Check the installed version and build. A live online manual may describe options absent from an older binary or unavailable in a particular TLS/backend build. Consult the local cURL or Wget manual when a documented option is rejected.
These checks follow the clients’ documented controls; no particular proxy endpoint or compatibility combination is guaranteed by the examples.
Or skip the browser setup
cURL and Wget are appropriate when you need to fetch a resource through a proxy. If what you actually need is a browser-rendered website screenshot, ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server; it is a different tool, not a proxy configuration for either command-line client. One GET request returns an image or PDF. For example, save a WebP capture with cURL:
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minutecurl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options and response details. Before capture, it accepts cookie or consent banners like a visitor and removes 60+ known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each of those steps can be turned off. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits cost nothing, and response headers report the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does cURL use a proxy automatically?
It can use proxy environment variables available to the process; an explicit --proxy sets the proxy for that request and takes precedence over environment settings.
Can Wget use a SOCKS proxy with the same syntax as cURL?
Do not assume so. The cited GNU Wget proxy chapter documents HTTP and FTP proxy settings, not cURL-style SOCKS schemes.
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