We've all found ourselves in situations where regular internet service providers don't quite meet our expectations regarding what we want from the internet.
You may be a researcher looking for material that is geo-restricted in your area, a sneakerhead using bots to get the best deals in the market, or a company needing a versatile tool to protect its internal network—a proxy would be the most ideal option for you.
Great, you've solved half the puzzle. Solving the second part can be difficult because the proxy market is flooded with hundreds of providers.
Which will you opt for? And better still, what type of proxy servers will you be buying?
Today's blog will help you find answers to these questions. By reading, you'll learn how to choose best proxies depending on your needs. Even better, you'll know how to discern between quality and mediocre IP addresses, ultimately ensuring you get the best or nothing. Join us below.
What Is a Proxy?
You can't find the best proxy server without knowing what a proxy really is. That would be like choosing a pair of shoes without knowing your shoe size.
That being said, a proxy is a tool designed to hide your IP address by swapping it with an alternative from a different location and with additional features.
Think of a situation where you want access to a website only available in the Americas. You can configure a proxy server with IP addresses from this region to appear as if you are a resident and easily gain access.
Additionally, you can use a pool of IPs to mimic multiple website users, allowing you to perform automated bulk actions without spooking anti-automation mechanisms.
That being said, there are good and bad proxy services. Knowing the difference can save you lots of trouble down the road. So keep scrolling to discover the factors that make up robust proxy services.
What Are the Qualities of Great Proxies?
Fire up your web browser and type the term "proxy server" on the search bar; the result may overwhelm you because there are hundreds of providers out there. To find the most ideal one, look for the following qualities:
Fast Speeds
Whatever you do, never settle for a slow proxy. Unless you are overly patient, it will most definitely end up compromising performance. Imagine waiting up to a minute or more for a website to load, a video to buffer, or a game to quit lagging; you'd end up punching the screen.
To ensure you enjoy the fastest speeds, choose a proxy server close to your location. This shortens the distance and reduces the number of nodes data must travel from your device to the proxy.
But even then, there's no point to a high-speed connection if you hit the bandwidth limit. To prevent this from happening, work with providers that offer unlimited bandwidth.
IP Replacements
The next thing you want to check for is IP replacements. To understand why, we must closely examine how proxy servers work in the real world.
Suppose you found the ideal provider and decided to purchase datacenter IPV4 proxies. The IP addresses the provider will assign you will probably have been used by someone else. And the reality is there is no way for you or your provider to know what this person used the addresses for.
If they abuse them, the IPs will likely be banned from certain websites, which can leave you locked out for good. For this reason, always look for a proxy server provider that offers free or automatic server replacement.
Affordability
How much money can you comfortably pay for the perfect proxy server? By answering this question, you already have a vector pointing you toward a provider niche that meets your needs.
However, don't make the mistake of opting for free proxies because most tend to be scams or downright mediocre. Invest in a reputable proxy service to keep your data secure and performance smooth.
High Uptime
Imagine the frustration of a proxy server going down right in the middle of intensive research, successful sneaker copping, or video streaming. Only reputable companies will state a percentage to show how often their proxies are up.
Beyond that, ensure that any potential provider has full access to its resources and extensive location support. You also want their customer support to be available round the clock to respond to your queries promptly.
Large IP Pool
Lastly, you want a proxy service provider with a large enough IP pool to handle your needs. In fact, the larger the pool, the better the overall performance because you can quickly switch to another when one IP goes down.
At the same time, a wide pool spread across many locations gives you better access to geo-restricted content. And if you aim to balance your traffic across several IPs, it becomes easier when you have many options.
Choosing the Best Proxy Type for Your Needs
Now that you know the qualities that distinguish good proxy providers, the next step is differentiating the many types of proxies and their uses. Keep reading below:
Residential Proxies
This is what you go for when you want undetectable IPs for sensitive use cases. Residential proxies offer IP addresses sourced from real users around the world. This means your proxy IP will be indistinguishable from other residential internet users, making it ideal for privacy-sensitive situations.
Datacenter Proxies
Datacenter proxies are best known for their speed. Unlike their residential counterparts affiliated with ISPs, they are sourced from third-party cloud data centers, making them faster but easier to detect.
Sneaker Proxies
Sneaker proxies are specifically designed to work with sneaker bots. They help sneakerheads evade detection when using these tools to make bulk purchases on sneaker websites.
When purchasing these proxy servers, opting for those with good location support and unlimited traffic sessions is better for optimum sneaker copping.
Mobile Proxies
Mobile proxies offer IP addresses sourced from mobile service providers, making them ideal for mobile device usage.
Suppose you manage multiple social media accounts from your smartphone. You should consider working with mobile proxies to avoid restrictions limiting the number of handles tied to one IP address (mostly capped at five accounts per IP).
ISP Proxies
ISP proxies are the offspring of residential and datacenter proxies. They are static residential proxies that providers buy from ISPs to host in data centers.
Despite operating as datacenter proxies, websites recognize these IPs as real users because of their affiliation with ISPs.
How to Evaluate Proxy Performance
Once you settle for the ideal proxy server and start using it, there are several techniques you can employ to test its performance. They are outlined below:
- IP checkers
The first thing you should do is search for a reputable IP checker like IPinfo. The tool will reveal your IP address, location, and the HTTP headers of the software that you are using. More advanced tools like FOGLDN Proxy Tester can tell you the latency of your proxies.
- IP location databases
You can also use websites like IP2Location and MaxMind to check the status of your assigned IP address. These tools will tell you whether the IP has been abused or blocked.
Where to Find the Best Proxies
You are now 90% closer to finding the ideal proxy server for your unique needs. When it comes to internet tools, cheap can be expensive because free IP addresses rarely work as advertised.
In fact, you increase the chance of falling victim to a hack when you use these servers because cybercriminals set them up intending to inject malware into user devices to steal data.
That's why you should only work with reputable proxy service providers like MarsProxies. User review sites like Trustpilot and G2 will give you an idea of what people around the world have to say about a particular proxy service.
Conclusion
We hope today's guide has helped you develop a strategy for choosing the best proxies for your internet needs. Depending on your goal, you can opt for residential, datacenter, mobile, ISP, or sneaker proxies.
Remember to avoid free proxies, as most are mediocre and infected with malware. Instead, work with premium providers that distribute good proxy features and have positive web reviews.
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