Intelligent individuals and organizations use proxies consistently for a variety of reasons. Proxies are third-party servers that allow you to access the web more securely. Instead of using the servers of your hosting provider to access the web, you can use a proxy server to do this.
Proxies act as middlemen between users and the internet, and this kind of setup has a lot of different uses and brings many benefits. Security and accessibility are critical in the modern day and age. Luckily, we have many different tools we can use for this purpose.
This post will focus on proxies and explain how you can benefit from using one.
Common types of proxies
Proxies can be divided into many subcategories, and when you look at them closely, there are dozens of unique types. However, there are several primary types you should know about as all other proxies fit in these categories.
Datacenter proxies
Datacenter proxies give users a digitally-created IP address. Basically, these proxies work as cloud servers that don’t have a physical address. Datacenter proxies are named this way because they come from large data centers that generate resources for many users who share their infrastructure.
That makes them cheap but also much slower. At the same time, not having a physical address makes it easier to detect them.
Residential proxies
Residential proxies are the cornerstone of many other types of proxies. What makes them so effective is that they have real IP addresses attached to physical addresses in the real world. ISPs issue these IPs, and websites can’t recognize that you’re using someone else’s IP.
Residential proxies are generally used for web scraping, where you must make many requests and avoid getting your IP flagged.
Reverse proxies
Reverse proxies are servers placed just in front of web servers designed to forward web browser requests to those servers. These proxies help boost reliability, performance, and security.
Reverse proxies are made for websites, not internet users. In other words, you can set them up on your site to give visitors specific benefits.
Transparent proxies
These proxies don’t give any anonymity, and web servers can see your original IP when using this kind of proxy. The purpose of these proxies is to work as a cache for sites. Combined with gateway results, these proxies can intercept network-level communication without configuration.
They can also work as routers or gateways that authenticate communication without changing responses or requests passing through a server.
Top benefits of using proxies
As we said, many proxies are available, and all are more or less suited for specific applications depending on their benefits. Here are the top five benefits of using any proxy server.
1. Reliable performance
Many proxies cache data meaning that once you’ve visited a website, your proxy will store important information ready to be used the next time you visit that page. Because of this, you will open those pages faster when you visit the next time.
2. More anonymity
One of the primary functionalities proxies have is to hide your IP address or replace it with a new one. That’s why websites and hackers won’t be able to track you online that easily while also opening up more opportunities for different online operations we’ll discuss later.
3. Filtered content
You might open many malicious pages, emails, and messages when browsing the web. When you visit a malicious site with a proxy, you won’t request content directly – it will go through the proxy first. It will recognize something is wrong and prevent that content from reaching you.
4. Unblock content
Websites restrict content to users from different geographical locations because of copyright laws and many other reasons. With proxy IP rotation, users can access all this content. For example, a US proxy can help people from China access US-based content like Netflix. Many IPSs block access to torrenting sites on other content, and proxies can help here.
5. Cost-effectiveness
Proxies have become so popular that there are many service providers through which you can use out-of-the-box- solutions and pay for the service every month. In other words, you don’t have to invest much money in setting up and maintaining your proxy.
How are proxies used?
Here are a few main reasons people use proxies:
Accessing geo-blocked content: Many individuals and organizations need content located far away from them. A US proxy can let people outside the US access content restricted to people from the country.
Web scraping: Scraping is the process of gathering online data in an automated fashion, but many sites set up different kinds of blocks to prevent this. Proxies disguise scrapers and make them look like actual users.
Pricing intelligence: Proxies can help you see your competitors’ pricing strategies in different areas and see how they adjust to get the desired results.
Brand protection: Proxies are a valuable protection layer ensuring your online data is safe. On top of that, proxies can let you see what others are saying about your business online and manage brand perception.
As you can see, there are quite a few ways to use a proxy – each with its own set of benefits.
Conclusion
These solutions are precious, especially in business. Companies use them daily, and we only expect to see new applications in this highly digitalized business environment.