Most people who reach this page want to know what the proxy setting on a Nintendo Switch does, and whether it should be on. Some also hope a proxy will open a cheaper eShop. This page answers both from the Nintendo support pages. The short answer: leave the proxy Off unless your network needs one, and the eShop follows your account, not your connection.
The proxy setting on a Switch
Each network you register on a Switch has its own settings, and one of them is a proxy. Nintendo lists it next to the others: the article covers "wireless security, IP address, DNS, Proxy, MTU" on Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch. What to set depends on the network.
| your network | what Nintendo says to do |
|---|---|
| a home network without a proxy | keep Proxy Settings on Off, the recommended value |
| a network that connects through a proxy | select Yes, then enter the server, port and authentication |
| error 2809-1028 | check the DNS and proxy settings, then set the proxy to Off if you do not use one |
For the second case, Nintendo adds: "Your Internet Service Provider can help you determine this information, if needed". At a school or office, the network administrator has the details. Our guide on a proxy server on PS5, PS4 and Switch walks through the screens.
On or off
Off is the answer for most people. Nintendo marks it as the recommended value for home networks. It also warns that a proxy may block internet access unless specific ports are open for the device.
That also answers the search for a free proxy server for the Switch. The field exists for a network that already requires a proxy. It is not a way to add a stop that your connection does not need.
Error 2809-1028
This error appears when a Switch tries to connect to the internet. The Nintendo steps include this one: "Check the DNS and Proxy settings". If you are not connected through a proxy, Nintendo says to set the proxy to Off.
The eShop follows your account, not your connection
Some searches ask for the cheapest eShop region. Nintendo is clear on how the eShop country is set.
| what | what decides it |
|---|---|
| the eShop you see | the country setting of your Nintendo Account |
| your eShop balance | the old country; it does not carry over after a change |
| your payment card | the region that issued it |
| the account country | your country of residence, set on the Nintendo Account website |
In the words of the support page: "Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch will always match the country setting for your Nintendo Account". A card from one region also does not work in the eShop of another. A proxy changes none of these rows.
Changing the account country
If you move, the change runs on the Nintendo Account website. Under Profile, you pick a new country in the country or region of residence setting and confirm.
Nintendo blocks the change in three cases. They are an unspent eShop balance, an active auto-renewal for a membership or subscription, and a pre-order that is not yet out. Spend the balance first, because it does not carry over. For children in a family group, the country follows the setting of the family group admin.
The rules
Nintendo sets two lines that touch proxies. The website Terms of Use, last updated on 24 May 2016, bar attempts to "bypass or circumvent measures employed to prevent or limit access". They also ask for accurate, complete and up-to-date account information.
The Nintendo Switch User Agreement warns about "unauthorized modification of the Console or Software, or the use of an unauthorized device". The setting in the menu is not that: it is the proxy field Nintendo documents itself.
If you use proxies for other work
This page sets up no proxy for a Switch, because Nintendo recommends Off unless your network needs one. For other work, where a proxy is allowed, start with what a residential proxy is and whether free proxies are safe. Our free proxy list and proxy checker cost nothing.
We sell residential, ISP and mobile proxies. Residential traffic starts at $0.44/GB, and a static ISP address costs $2.70/IP. Every plan is on our pricing page.
The limits of this page
We have no Switch to test on, so every step here comes from Nintendo. Nintendo does not say which proxy protocols the field accepts; it asks for a server, a port and authentication. The Nintendo Account User Agreement loads by script, so we could not read it. This page is due for a check by 27 December 2026.
Sources
We read every source below on 27 September 2026.
- Nintendo Support (Australia), How to Change/View Existing Internet Connection Settings.
- Nintendo Support (Americas), Error Code 2809-1028 and Can I Change the eShop Country?.
- Nintendo Support, How To Change Nintendo Account Country, in the Americas and Australia versions.
- Nintendo, Terms of Use, last updated 24 May 2016, and the Nintendo Switch User Agreement.
More pages in this series: proxies for PlayStation, proxies for Xbox and proxies for Pokemon GO.
