It seems obvious you shouldn’t go around showing your ID to everyone you meet. It could have severe consequences. Your data could be used to scam you or sold to advertisers to intrude on your peace. Yet, not many internet users understand that the same applies to online privacy.
If you are one who understands, this article is for you, as the next step is mastering the tools for online privacy. The most essential of which are private proxies. Once you know a thing or two about them, you can stay anonymous and achieve a great deal of online tasks more efficiently.
What are proxies?
Proxies are online privacy and security tools that act as intermediaries between you and the websites or services you visit. Simply put, the internet works as a series of requests and responses. You send a request to the website’s server, and it answers by providing the data. Then, the website loads on your web browser.
When you use a proxy, there is one additional step in between. You first connect to the proxy server and send all your requests. Then, it forwards your connection and sends the data back.
A good proxy ensures that the end result is the same in function and efficiency. The website loads on your screen at virtually the same speed. However, it also ensures that you are anonymous to the website’s server and allows you to bypass geo-restrictions.
This is possible because the website’s server only sees the IP address of the proxy. Your original IP is left unknown to the web server. This special string of numbers provides to the whole internet the name of your internet service provider (ISP) and your approximate location.
Without this information, the website cannot track your online activity. There’s simply no one IP address to pinpoint to you. Also, by choosing from a selection of proxy IPs, you can bypass various restrictions.
For example, many online retailers target prices according to the purchaser’s location. But if you use a proxy service, you can always choose an IP location that has the most affordable prices for your goods.
Private vs shared proxies
Once you start looking for proxies, you’ll notice that there’s a variety of different options. I’d argue that the most important one is between shared and private proxies.
- Private proxies (also called dedicated) have a sole user connecting to them at all times.
- Shared proxies are accessed by multiple users on rotation or simultaneously.
- Semi-shared proxies take a middle ground with a limited number of users.
There are benefits and drawbacks to all three types, but private proxies take the lead no matter how you look at it. The only reason one might choose shared or semi-shared proxies is the price. Sharing something with others is obviously cheaper than using it alone. But the cost is the loss in performance and reliability.
The negative effects of shared proxies are described as the bad neighbor effect. Although this term is more commonly used for website hosting, it applies to proxies as well. Generally, there are two types of bad neighbors when it comes to proxies.
Some users might use up a lot more traffic than others. So, if you are not using the proxy for very traffic-intensive tasks, you will still have a slow connection speed. Good proxy providers try to mitigate this by limiting the traffic and banning certain traffic-intensive tasks.
However, you’ll still feel the loss of performance when the number of users rises. Unfortunately, these are the hours when most people want to actively surf the web. But bad neighbors can become even worse.
Some users might use shared IPs for tasks that are against the terms and conditions of the target website. For example, shared proxies are often used to run bots on social media. Obviously, this is forbidden by the website’s rules, so the IP address gets blocked, and now, no one with this shared IP can access that website. Even if he never had an intention of using bots.
Yes, you can save a buck or two with a shared proxy, but in the long run, they cost more. The loss of performance, constant CAPTCHAS, and IP bans will only waste your time and forbid you from getting any real work done.
Types of private proxies
It’s important to know that not all private proxies are equally good for all tasks. It all depends on how the proxy is set up and from where it sources its IP address. For similar reasons, you are more likely to encounter some types of private proxies rather than others.
Private residential proxies
Private residential proxies are the most common private proxy type. Any reputable proxy provider will have one as it is the most trustworthy proxy type, frequently even labeled as a premium proxy.
Residential proxies work by sourcing IPs from physical devices with IPs set up in locations verified by the ISP. Essentially, it is the same as using your friend’s home connection as a proxy. You are highly unlikely to stand out from the crowd and face disturbances with this type of private proxy.
Private datacenter proxy pool
Private datacenter proxies are a rarity. These proxies are created in bulk by using virtual machines on a powerful server. They use commercial-tier internet connection and can ensure lighting-fast speeds. They are great for traffic-intensive tasks but are under scrutiny from websites.
For this reason, datacenter IPs are sold in large quantities, so you are more likely to encounter a private pool of such proxies. With a large number of your private IPs, you can rotate them and try to balance the speed with anonymity and a good price.
Wrapping up
Without bad neighbors sabotaging your efforts, you can achieve more with one private proxy than a hundred shared ones. The choice between datacenter and residential depends on your tasks, but whichever you choose, it’s better to go private.
Also Read: SPOTO Proxy Service passes any Exam fast and easily!
