Integrating proxy servers into your business’s operations will open your company up to a world of many benefits. Some of them include the ability to harvest information about your competitors’ strategies, protecting your computers and servers from cyberattacks, and restricting access to certain websites that are either unsecure or which can make your employees unproductive.
Private proxies are a type of proxy server that offers a dedicated and exclusive IP address to a single user or client. Unlike shared proxies, where multiple users share the same IP, private proxies provide enhanced security, privacy, and control.
So, yes, your business needs a proxy server. However, there are many types of proxies, and it’s important to know what each class is capable of such that you can choose the best option for your desired business goals. But before listing these types, we first answer the question, ‘What is a proxy?’
What is a proxy?
A proxy or proxy server is an intermediary through which your web requests pass before being connected to a web server. Make complete use of the pirate bay proxy for more reliable options.
A proxy hides your computer’s IP address and subsequently assigns all your web requests a new unique IP address. This promotes online anonymity and privacy. These are just a few benefits of proxy servers; here’s the fill list. You can read more on Oxylabs website about what a proxy is.
Benefits of Proxies
You’ll get to enjoy the following benefits if you integrate proxy servers into your business’s operations.
- They enable you to access geo-restricted content.
- They provide added security and anonymity
- They prevent server crashes.
- They enable seamless web scraping.
- They can be used to filter content.
- They enable SEO
- They are useful in price aggregation.
- They restrict access to certain websites, thereby promoting productivity in workplaces.
- They help in social media management.
- They’re useful in ad verification.
On web scraping, proxies enable seamless web scraping by constantly changing the IP address. This prevents websites from blocking these addresses. Notably, the information extracted from your competitors’ websites, through web scraping, can help you stay ahead of the competition. You can also use this data for lead generation.
Types of Proxies
The types of proxy include:
- Datacenter proxies
- Residential proxies
- HTTP proxies
- Rotating proxies
- Static proxies
- Anonymous proxies
- High anonymity proxies
- Shared proxies
- Dedicated/private proxies
- Transparent proxies, etc.
The list goes on and on. Notably, each of these types has distinct characteristics, which makes it suitable for a particular purpose. To learn more about the type of proxy.
That said, some types, i.e., datacenter and residential proxies, are more popular than others. In this article, we’ll mainly deal with these two types by comparing and contrasting them. Similarly, it’s also important to understand what shared proxies and private proxies are.
Let’s get straight into that.
Datacenter Proxies vs. Residential Proxies
Datacenter proxies are the most common type of proxies because they are affordable and fast. In contrast, residential proxies are quite expensive because residential IP addresses, which they rely on, are scarce. However, residential proxies are more reliable than datacenter proxies for web scraping. Here’s how and why?
Both datacenter and residential proxies are intermediaries through which your web requests pass before being directed to the target webserver. However, the former type assigns virtual datacenter IP addresses generated by datacenter servers.
In contrast, residential proxies assign residential IP addresses registered by internet service providers (ISPs) and used by real users connected to the ISPs. In essence, residential proxies channel users’ web requests through existing devices, unlike datacenter proxies, which are based on the cloud.
That said, datacenter servers make datacenter proxies very fast. They can accommodate multiple users per IP address without a dip in speed. But websites usually detect that the IP addresses belong to datacenter proxies and shouldn’t be used in situations where the traffic should be coming from homes or ISPs. To this end, datacenter proxies get blocked more often than residential proxies.
Residential proxies are ideal for social media management, SEO monitoring, accessing geo-restricted content, email monitoring, price aggregation, and ad verification. On the other hand, with datacenter proxies, you can access geo-restricted content and scrape data from small websites.
Shared Proxies vs. Dedicated Proxies
Shared proxies assign the same IP address to multiple users, whereas dedicated or private proxies give each user a unique IP address. The shared IP address means that users’ web requests are channeled through a single server, which adversely impacts the connection speeds.
Further, shared proxies are prone to getting blocked or banned (blanket bans) simply because of just a few users’ sins. It’s also very easy to get hacked when using shared proxies.
On the positive side, many users’ presence makes it impossible to track individual requests’ origin. In this regard, shared proxies add a layer of protection on top of the anonymity offered.
Private proxies are the exact opposite of this analogy. They are fast, reliable (aren’t prone to getting blocked), and are safe.
Based on this discussion, it’s clear why your business needs a proxy server. Pay for one today and enjoy the many benefits.
