[Answers](https://scrapfly.io/blog)   /  [curl](https://scrapfly.io/blog/tag/curl)   /  [What is The cURL (28) Error, Couldn't connect to server?](https://scrapfly.io/blog/answers/what-is-the-curl-28-error)   # What is The cURL (28) Error, Couldn't connect to server?

 by [Mazen Ramadan](https://scrapfly.io/blog/author/mazen) Apr 18, 2026 1 min read [\#curl](https://scrapfly.io/blog/tag/curl) [\#proxies](https://scrapfly.io/blog/tag/proxies) 

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The cURL (28) indicates a proxy connection error. The full error traceback looks like the following:

bash```bash
curl: (28) Failed to connect to XXXX port XXXX after 21057 ms: Couldn't connect to server
```



This error arises when the cURL request can't connect to the proxy server, either because the server isn't responding or the proxy details are invalid. To solve the cURL (28) error, double-check your proxy IP and port or use another proxy, as it can be down or unresponsive.

For further details on proxies, including their types and best practices when choosing a proxy, refer to our introduction guide.

[The Complete Guide To Using Proxies For Web ScrapingIntroduction to proxy usage in web scraping. What types of proxies are there? How to evaluate proxy providers and avoid common issues.](https://scrapfly.io/blog/posts/introduction-to-proxies-in-web-scraping)



 

    



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