TIP Auto-detect proxy settings using Opera

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This article is part of the Tips & Tricks series.

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1 Introduction
2 Work around
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Introduction

Certain computer networks (workplace, university, etc.) require that "Automatically Detect Setting" as in Internet Explorer or "Auto-Detect Proxy Setting for this network" as in Firefox be used in order to connect to the Internet. Opera doesn't provide such an option (not 9.23, at least). Although Opera allows one to use an auto-configuration script, it is not able to automagically determine the address of the proxy script.

[edit] Work around

One work around this problem is to determine the proxy settings that Firefox uses and set these settings in Opera. To do this, you have to:

make sure you have a working Internet connection with Firefox,
browse for a web page (just to make sure),
determine the proxy by accessing this web page (listed next to the HTTP_VIA variable),
fill the URL in Opera's Preferences > Advanced > Network > Proxy servers, for the protocols you need (probably HTTP, HTTPS and FTP).

Now Opera should be back on-line.