Same Proxy IP, Different Ports: Are They Duplicates?
An IP address and port identify an endpoint together. Keep that distinction when importing, testing, or deduplicating a proxy list.
Two rows with the same IP address and different ports are different endpoints. Removing one just because the IP repeats can delete a working proxy or a different proxy protocol.
For example, 203.0.113.10:8080 and 203.0.113.10:1080 connect to different ports. One may run HTTP and the other SOCKS5. They can also have different access rules or availability. These example port numbers suggest nothing certain about the actual service.
Test the full endpoint
If port 8080 times out, a successful request to port 1080 does not prove that the first row works. Record the protocol, address, and port for each test. A report containing only “this IP is dead” loses information that can explain the result.
The reverse is also true: two ports might eventually use the same outbound address. That does not turn them into the same connection endpoint. They may share infrastructure or limits, so keeping both rows is not evidence that you have two independent operators or two different exits.
What should count as a duplicate?
For a plain list in one known protocol, deduplicate on normalized IP address and numeric port. An IPv4-only Python cleanup example applies that rule to plain IP:port lines. If the file mixes protocols, retain that protocol information as well. When importing entries from a free proxy list, keep the protocol alongside each address and port.
Two labels on exactly the same IP:port need closer inspection. An entry labelled HTTP and another labelled HTTPS might describe one HTTP proxy that also supports CONNECT. Or a service could accept more than one handshake type. Merge records only when you understand what those labels mean; do not discard capabilities as part of text cleanup.
Formatting can create false differences
A port written as 08080 and one written as 8080 refer to the same numeric value if both are intended as decimal ports. IPv6 addresses can also have several equivalent text forms. Normalize the address and port before comparing them, while keeping the original source for troubleshooting.
Deduplication improves the list's format. It does not check whether an endpoint is online, whether two endpoints have separate exits, or whether a country label is correct.