Change proxy setting for IE instance using Watin

Question

I know that I can change the computers global proxy setting, Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Internet Settings, to affect IE instances created using Watin.

But is there any way to intercept requests made by the IE browsers and run them through a proxy? My goal is to run multiple instances of IE, each with its own proxy, which isn't possible with my current solution above.

Answer 1

WatiN IE creates multiple ProcessIDs (single instance IE creates multiple process ids). in order to overwrite proxy settings just for WatiN by using Fiddler Core we need to get all child process ids which are created by WatiN IE. Helper class can be found here PInvoke: Getting all child handles of window – Svett Ralchev class. And then we check all process ids inside the BeforeRequest event and wait for watin process id to overwrite proxy settings.

    private void FiddlerApplication_BeforeRequest(Session sess)
    {
        //Debug.WriteLine("FiddlerApplication_BeforeRequest: " + sess.LocalProcessID.ToString());
        if (WatinIEprocessHolder.ContainsKey(sess.LocalProcessID))
        {                
            //see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14284256/how-to-manually-set-upstream-proxy-for-fiddler-core
            sess["X-OverrideGateway"] = WatinIEprocessHolder[sess.LocalProcessID];
        }
    } 

Working Test Application can be downloaded here http://www.rentanadviser.com/downloads/WatiN-2.1.0.1196.zip

Test results with different anonymous proxy below. (ipaddress=browser.Text)

Process Ids:3852,7852,, Your IP address: 119.46.110.17, Proxy:119.46.110.17:8080
Process Ids:2508,6948,, Your IP address: 178.21.112.27, Proxy:178.21.112.27:3128
Process Ids:1348,1368,, Your IP address: 122.96.59.107, Proxy:122.96.59.107:83
Process Ids:7152,5104,, Your IP address: 136.0.16.217, Proxy:136.0.16.217:3127
Process Ids:4128,3480,, Your IP address: 198.52.199.152, Proxy:198.52.199.152:7808
Process Ids:2036,7844,, Your IP address: 122.96.59.107, Proxy:122.96.59.107:82

Sample code:

    private void this_FormClosing(object sender, FormClosingEventArgs e)
    {
        StopFiddler();
    }

    private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        this.FormClosing += this_FormClosing;

        ProxyHolder = new List<string>();
        ProxyHolder.Add("119.46.110.17:8080");
        ProxyHolder.Add("178.21.112.27:3128");
        ProxyHolder.Add("122.96.59.107:83");
        ProxyHolder.Add("136.0.16.217:3127");
        ProxyHolder.Add("198.52.199.152:7808");
        ProxyHolder.Add("122.96.59.107:82");

        StartFiddler();
        System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(500);

        for (var i = 0; i < ProxyHolder.Count; i++)
        {
            WhatIsMyIpThroughProxy(ProxyHolder[i]);
            Application.DoEvents();
            System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(500);
        }
        //WhatIsMyIpThroughProxy();
    }

    private Dictionary<int, string> WatinIEprocessHolder = new Dictionary<int, string>();
    private List<string> ProxyHolder = null;

    public void WhatIsMyIpThroughProxy(string ProxyIPandPort)
    {

        using (var browser = new IE(true))// we should not navigate now. Because we need process ids.
        {
            WindowHandleInfo ChildHandles = new WindowHandleInfo(browser.hWnd);
            foreach (var cHandle in ChildHandles.GetAllChildHandles())
            {
                int pid = new WatiN.Core.Native.Windows.Window(cHandle).ProcessID;
                if (WatinIEprocessHolder.ContainsKey(pid) == false)
                    WatinIEprocessHolder.Add(pid, ProxyIPandPort);
            }

            System.Text.StringBuilder processIDs = new System.Text.StringBuilder();
            foreach (var k in WatinIEprocessHolder.Keys)
            {
                processIDs.Append(k.ToString() + ",");
                //Debug.WriteLine(string.Format("{0}:{1}", k, WatinIEprocessHolder[k]));
            }

            //we got the process ids above. Navigate now.
            browser.GoTo("http://www.rentanadviser.com/en/common/tools.ashx?action=whatismyip");
            browser.WaitForComplete();

            WatinIEprocessHolder.Clear();

            System.Net.IPAddress ip;
            if (System.Net.IPAddress.TryParse(browser.Text, out ip))
            {
                Debug.WriteLine(string.Format("Process Ids:{0}, Your IP address: {1}, Proxy:{2}", processIDs.ToString(), browser.Text, ProxyIPandPort));
            }
            else
            {
                Debug.WriteLine(string.Format("Process Ids:{0}, Your IP address: {1}, Proxy:{2}", processIDs.ToString(), "Failed", ProxyIPandPort));
            }
        }
    }


    private void StartFiddler()
    {
        FiddlerApplication.BeforeRequest += FiddlerApplication_BeforeRequest;
        FiddlerApplication.Startup(8888, true, true, true);
    }

    private void StopFiddler()
    {
        FiddlerApplication.BeforeRequest -= FiddlerApplication_BeforeRequest;
        if (FiddlerApplication.IsStarted())
        {
            FiddlerApplication.Shutdown();
        }
    }


    private void FiddlerApplication_BeforeRequest(Session sess)
    {
        //Debug.WriteLine("FiddlerApplication_BeforeRequest: " + sess.LocalProcessID.ToString());
        if (WatinIEprocessHolder.ContainsKey(sess.LocalProcessID))
        {                
            //see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14284256/how-to-manually-set-upstream-proxy-for-fiddler-core
            sess["X-OverrideGateway"] = WatinIEprocessHolder[sess.LocalProcessID];
        }
    }