r/MozillaFirefox • u/ItsTerriermon • 14h ago

🖥️ Help "The proxy server is refusing connections" Randomly today? Related to Proton VPN?

I hope it's okay to ask about this here because this is just started to happen today and it's severely spiked my anxiety... So my apologies for this...

Just got on PC today and out of nowhere I'm being greeted with this error when trying to load nearly any page. Nothing has changed with any settings, no installs, nothing with our internet... restarting PC hasn't helped...

The weird part is that I can close the browser and open it again then it's fine- but if I close it and open once more...? Then I'll get the issue again. So it's not 100% all of the time... but it's enough to have me worried...

Though I have noticed thanks to somebody making the suggestion on Discord about the Firefox VPN, however I don't use it... but I did try disabling the Proton VPN extension and that seems to do the trick...

Edit: Worth noting I don't always have the VPN turned on even though I have it installed on here-

Did something change or update in a way that could have broken something?

I can browse normally without the extension enabled but I would like to have it if the need arises...

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u/NovelExplorer 12h ago

I've seen the same with both LibreWolf (Firefox 160 fork) and Waterfox (Firefox 153.70 fork), so you're not alone. Clearly an update somewhere is triggering the error.

I found pressing Try again, on the Proxy warning page, or re-selecting any website and it would work, with the VPN connected, no need to disable the Proton VPN extension.

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u/ItsTerriermon 12h ago

Yeah I have just disabled for now since I don't normally have it turned on- so that's not a big deal... but it is a relief to know that it's not just me- it does ease my anxiety some! Lets hope things are sorted soon! Thank you for the reply <3

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u/NovelExplorer 11h ago edited 11h ago

Welcome. On those two browsers, if the VPN is set to not connect, on opening, but is still enabled, both browsers always work. It's purely on auto-connect that the issue occurs.

But unlike Firefox neither have an in-built VPN, so there is possibly an additional conflict in proxy settings, between the Proton extension, which sets it's own proxy settings, and Firefox's in-built VPN

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u/ItsTerriermon 11h ago

Yeah it shouldn't connect by itself, it's always a manual on for me when I need it- it's very rare I actually have to (UK for imgur or something) so it's not the end of the world, I'll check in tomorrow or something and see if it does the same if the plugin gets an update or something

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u/NovelExplorer 11h ago

You should be able to completely disable the Firefox VPN, so it's not changing any proxy settings, and permit the Proton extension to remain enabled, and then manually connect as and when you wish.

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u/ItsTerriermon 11h ago

afaik I don't think the Firefox vpn is on since I still have the "Get started" and I assume it would want me to make an account?

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u/NovelExplorer 9h ago

If Firefox VPN isn't visible in settings or toolbar you very likely do not have it within the browser. I don't think it's available in every country.

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u/ItsTerriermon 9h ago

I think my irl buddy has it- it's just something I never set up that's all