Would you believe it if we told you that you could visit a local webpage of any region without leaving your seat? It might be hard to imagine, especially with all the geo-location restrictions on the website. However, thanks to a proxy, this isn’t impossible.
By changing your original IP address, a proxy helps to hide your identity and cover it with a new address. As a result, you appear as a local user surfing the net and exploring regional websites. Interesting, isn’t it?
There are three primary types of proxies: mobile proxy, datacenter proxy, and residential proxy. But which one should you get?
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Know Everything About Proxies
Whether you run a business or are still a student, getting data from the internet can be quite tricky at times. This is especially true when you wish to extract data from a webpage that blocks or blacklists your IP.
In that case, you may find it hard to perform certain use cases like market research, SEO monitoring, and price comparison.
This situation can be frustrating, but here is a solution. A proxy is an excellent intermediary technology that sends all your outgoing data to a server, which then transfers it to the desired webpage server.
The destined server then sends the received data back to the proxy server, from where it is transferred to your computer system. This results in you getting your desired content via a third party but without giving your real location to the world.
You remain anonymous and secure as you surf the internet.
Proxies-How Can You Use Them?
Proxies can be used in more ways than you can imagine. One of the most popular ones is web scraping. This process uses bots to extract data and content from a website.
Web scraping extracts the HTML code and also the data stored within it.
There are three primary types of proxies, but we will look at two today. These are mobile and residential proxies. Each comes with its own benefits and downsides, so let’s explore them.
Mobile Proxy
This proxy server is usually set up on a 4G, 3G, or 5G phone network. A mobile proxy works by providing an intermediate internet connection through a mobile device provided by a service provider.
Mobile proxies are sourced from mobile devices that are owned by real people, making their requests appear as natural as possible. This benefit works great for people who run multiple accounts on social media and constantly log in and out of them.
Moreover, since these proxies are not tied to a certain location and are constantly shifting, it is tough to block or detect them. This characteristic makes mobile proxies great for web scraping. They help in bypassing all restrictions and prevent any IP blocking. What’s more, you can use them to access a wide range of data to meet the time-sensitive requirements for your business.
Usually, these proxies have a lot of features, but they are available at a high price. Also, they may not have a speed as fast as a datacenter or residential proxy because they use mobile data.
Residential Proxy
Older and much more popular than mobile proxies, residential proxies use IPs provided by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) when forwarding your request to a web server. So, when you use a residential proxy, you appear to be connected from a real home’s connection, located in the same region as the proxy server.
Unlike a mobile proxy, a residential proxy is tied to a fixed location. Fortunately, very few websites block residential proxies, making them a great option for you.
However, before you invest in one, you should know that this proxy has its downsides. This proxy isn’t one of the cheapest or fastest options available. But offers a balanced service that scores moderate in all areas and provides immense flexibility to experience it for multiple uses.
Mobile or Residential Proxy – Which One Is Better?
Now that you know the purpose of each, which one should you pick for your tasks? Mobile proxies are usually more expensive than residential proxies; therefore, they are not great for people with tight budgets.
Residential proxies offer better security. So, if you want to maintain strict anonymity online, residential proxies may serve you well.
Other than that, residential proxies usually have better speeds than their counterpart. Make sure to evaluate each option properly before spending your money.
Conclusion
A proxy can do wonders for you and open doors to new opportunities and information on the internet. But for that, it must have all the right features.
And so, make sure you buy your proxy from an independent and reliable provider. In addition, get one that matches your budget. To save yourself from any bans, use the proxy wisely and lawfully.
A proxy can help you attain all your business goals easily, so invest in this before your competitors take the lead.
