Backconnect proxy: one gateway, many exit IPs, how to test

Originally published on proxymint.

A backconnect proxy is one gateway address that routes your traffic to exit IPs from a pool. Gateway vs exit, rotation, proxy lists, and how to test one.

TL;DR

• A backconnect proxy is one gateway address with a pool of exit IPs behind it. Your client configures the gateway, and the target only ever sees the exit.
• The port is the unit you work with. On a list-based gateway every line shares one host and one login and differs by port, so parallel sessions mean more ports, not more logins.
• Rotation is a setting, not a different product. The same gateway rotates per request, on a 5-60 minute timer, or holds an exit while the device stays online.
• Test before you scale. A short script shows whether rotation follows requests or connections, how ports spread over exits, and how long sticky ports hold.

Key takeaways

• Pick the mode by the longest step that must share an IP. Then write the client to survive an early IP change, because a device can drop before the timer ends.
• Give each browser context or worker its own port. Keep per-request rotation away from live pages that load many assets.
• Use http:// or socks5h:// in the proxy URL. Names then resolve on the proxy side, and HTTPS targets stay encrypted inside the tunnel.
• Move identity that must hold for days to an ISP address. A gateway gives short windows, not a fixed IP for weeks.

Read the full guide on proxymint, with the commands, tables and sources.