How to run JMeter behind the Proxy

If your company use the proxy, so you might get some problem while working with JMeter. The normal browser can access the website normally but JMeter. So why, and how to fix this, please read this post to find out the answer.

0. Preparation

I created a Proxy Server on my local computer with

Host: localhost (127.0.0.1)
Port: 8888

And I don’t use the Username and Password for authentication.

Then I created a basic test plan like the image below, it consists of 1 HTTP Request Defaults and 1 HTTP Request which will access to the site jmeter.apache.org

If I don’t config anything and run the Test Plan above, you will see the similar error like this:

java.net.ConnectException: Connection refused (Connection refused)
       at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.socketConnect(Native Method)
       at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.doConnect(AbstractPlainSocketImpl.java:350)
       at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.connectToAddress(AbstractPlainSocketImpl.java:206)
       at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.connect(AbstractPlainSocketImpl.java:188)
       at java.net.SocksSocketImpl.connect(SocksSocketImpl.java:392)
       at java.net.Socket.connect(Socket.java:589)
       ...

Now, here we go. There are at least four ways to run JMeter behind the Proxy. Base on what you need and what you want, to use the appropriate way.

1. Way 1

–> Config the Proxy Server into each HTTP Request.

In the HTTP Request, you can find out the Proxy Server section in the bottom of HTTP Request element, from version 3.2, you’ll find it out in the Advance tab of HTTP Request.

Now, input the information of Proxy Server into this section. In my example, because I’m using the Proxy Server with Host localhost(127.0.0.1), Port 8888 and don’t use username/password. So I will input this information like image below

If the Proxy Server doesn’t have the hostname like localhost and has IP only, so we will input that IP into Server Name or IP field.

NOTE: If your proxy required username/password, please input them into the corresponding field Username and Password.

Run the test again, everything should be ok now.

2. Way 2

–> Config the Proxy Server into HTTP Request Defaults.

Imagine, if you have many requests, 100 requests for example, and you’re using the way 1, so you must input 100 times into those 100 requests, that’s not a good idea, right? And in case the Proxy Server is changed, you have to change in those 100 requests. So the idea is to config the Proxy Server into HTTP Request Default.

We will not input anything into the HTTP Requests, just open HTTP Request Defaults, find out the Proxy Server, and do the following:

Use the Proxy host and port

or use the Proxy IP and Port

NOTE: If your proxy required username/password, please input them into the corresponding field Username and Password.

Run the test again, everything should be ok now.

3. Way 3

–> Launch JMeter from the command line with the following parameters:

-H

[proxy server hostname or IP address]

-P

[proxy server port]

-N

[nonproxy hosts] (e.g. *.apache.org|localhost)

-u

[username for proxy authentication – if required]

-a

[password for proxy authentication – if required]

Example: Go to $JMETER_HOME/bin folder and run the command below

Windows:

jmeter -H localhost -P 8888

Or you can use the IP instead of Server name

jmeter -H 127.0.0.1 -P 8888

If your Proxy Server required username and password, use the command below

jmeter -H localhost -P 8888 -u username -a password

If a non-proxy host list is provided, use this command

jmeter -H localhost -P 8888 -u username -a password -N localhost

MAC:

./jmeter.sh -H localhost -P 8888

or

./jmeter.sh -H 127.0.0.1 -P 8888

or (if required username/password)

./jmeter.sh -H localhost -P 8888 -u username -a password

or (if the non-proxy host is provided)

./jmeter.sh -H localhost -P 8888 -u username -a password -N localhost

NOTE: You can also use –proxyHost, –proxyPort, –username, and –password as parameter names

Example:

jmeter --proxyHost localhost --proxyPort 8888

After launching by this way, you can check the Proxy Server in JMeter by:

• Right click WorkBench, select Add > Non-Test Elements > Property Display

– Check the checkbox System, and see the information related to Proxy, it should display the information of the Proxy Server which we launched from the command line above

Now, the JMeter is running behind the proxy, and you can run the test plan without any other configuration. It should run normally

P/S: You can use this way, to run the normal Test Plan with specific proxy

Example:

Window:

jmeter -n -H localhost -P 8888 -t C:\jmeter\my-test-plan.jmx -l C:\jmeter\my-test-plan-result.jtl -j C:\jmeter\my-test-plan-result.log

MAC:

./jmeter.sh -n -H localhost -P 8888 -t C:\jmeter\my-test-plan.jmx -l C:\jmeter\my-test-plan-result.jtl -j C:\jmeter\my-test-plan-result.log

4. Way 4

–> Set the Proxy properties into the System properties file.

• Open the system.properties in edit mode, this file is located under /JMeter/bin/ directory
• Add the following properties to the end of file

http.proxyHost
http.proxyPort
https.proxyHost
https.proxyPort

Example: I will config the properties above into system.properties file with my Proxy Server

http.proxyHost=localhost
http.proxyPort=8888
https.proxyHost=localhost
https.proxyPort=8888

If a non-proxy host list is provided, then JMeter sets the following System properties:

http.nonProxyHosts
https.nonProxyHosts

Example:

http.proxyHost=localhost
http.proxyPort=8888
https.proxyHost=localhost
https.proxyPort=8888
http.nonProxyHosts=example.com
https.nonProxyHosts=example.com

Open the JMeter, and try to check the System Properties as described in the way 3, you should see the information like below:

Now you can define and run your test plan normally without any other configuration.