If you are among the millions of people who are searching for a way of using the internet for their benefits while securing their data, saving bandwidths and having complete access to blocked contents, then you might have heard about proxies. The word proxy seems like a very technical term, but its meaning is very simple.
A proxy server is simply another computer/server that receives requests from your computer, sends those requests to the global network, then receives the answer and sends them back to your computer. In doing so, the proxy server changes your IP address to its own, making your online presence anonymous.
There are different types of proxies, such as forward, reverse, transparent, open, performance-enhancing, anonymous, or elite proxies. All of them have some special features that make them stand out. In this article, we will zoom in on elite proxies and their capabilities.
Definition of an Elite Proxy
An elite proxy, also known as a high anonymous proxy, is believed by many to be the best type of proxies out there because of its high level of anonymity. An elite proxy comes with all the basic functions of any other proxy but it also has some unique features on top of that. While other proxies add an http header to your IP address that contains more information about your computer, operating system, browser and many more, an elite proxy simply scrubs away a header, giving you maximum anonymity possible, while also hiding the fact that you are using a proxy server.
Please note that not all proxies do that. Depending on proxies’ anonymity levels, some announce about you plain and clear. Others hide you but not the fact that you’re connecting via the proxy’s IP address. That’s why an elite proxy is considered to be the best type of proxy when it comes to anonymity.
How Does an Elite Proxy Work?
Every time you connect to a website, your computer sends an HTTP request header. This header includes information about your device, preferences, browser you’re using, languages you prefer, and whether you’ve logged in before.
When you use a proxy server, it has the option to send additional headers in web requests, informing the website that you’re accessing it via a different device. There are quite a few headers that can give you away, but the usual ones include:
- X-Forwarded-For with your original IP address.
- Via with the proxy server’s IP address.
Elite proxies scrub away any header which reveals that a proxy server is involved. With them, you send the same information as if you were connecting to the website directly. Naturally, it completely hides your real IP address.
What are the Advantages of Using an Elite Proxies
An elite proxy has a number of additional unique features, apart from the basic functions that any other HTTP proxy can do. When a high anonymity proxy is used, the most advanced security is provided by enabling the best protection and privacy on the internet. Users’ IP addresses are completely hidden and it appears as if the server is the user.
- high level anonymity – the advantage elite proxies give when it comes to anonymity cannot be overemphasized. Even anonymous proxies do not guarantee complete anonymity while elite proxies do. The reason is that anonymous proxies hide your original IP address but still announce that someone is connecting via a proxy server. They can work for anonymity purposes but websites will always be on guard for suspicious behavior towards them. Some websites may even block these anonymous proxies as a preventative measure. On the other hand, elite proxies avoid this by hiding your original IP address and not announcing that someone is connecting via a proxy server, giving a supreme level of anonymity in comparison to other types of proxies;
- web scraping – web scraping is one of the ways companies keep up in the competition through monitoring the latest developments in the relevant fields, data analysis, ad verification, SEO monitoring, extracting data from ecommerce websites and many others. Elite proxies are the best option for web scraping because of the extra layer of protection they add. They guarantee high security by hiding the IP address of the user’s device, while enabling a user to access region specific content, avoid IP bans, make more concurrent sessions on the same website, etc;
- unblocking websites – It is best to use an elite proxy to unblock websites or when downloading or accessing foreign programs, as the foreign server will not be able to determine that a user is browsing from outside the region. If you, for example, want to check deals offered by a competitor in the target region you can use an elite proxy linked with this territory;
- decreasing the probability of cybercrimes – Using high anonymity proxy servers generally decreases the probability of cybercrimes, including identity theft. You can perform sensitive tasks without worrying about a potential spy keeping an eye on them.
Where You Can Get Elite Proxies?
There are many providers selling elite proxies. And your choice still depends on the kind of proxy server you need. This depends on your budget and use case. The main types are:
- datacenter proxies – Datacenter proxies are one of the most common types of proxies used by both businesses and individuals. They cost the least, perform well but are simple to detect. Rather than being linked to a specific internet service provider, datacenter proxies are owned by third-party companies and are associated with their data centers;
- residential proxies – Residential proxies offer authentic IP addresses connected to genuine residential internet service providers (ISPs). The strongest advantage of residential proxies is their unprecedented reliability. Unlike datacenter proxies, residential IPs are almost impossible to be banned, as they are linked to real consumer devices. They cost more, charge by traffic, and need to rotate after a while. However, they’re very hard to identify with the right setup;
- mobile proxies – The most expensive but also most effective option. They are often used for social media, emulating mobile devices, or working with app stores.
Seeing the advantages and use cases of elite proxies, you may be tempted to use free proxies to achieve the same results, but free proxies are public and public proxies have some drawbacks, like unpredictable uptime, slow speed associated with f overuse, and some of them can even modify the content you send through, putting you at risk. While elite proxies, though are paid, would give you the best experience and value for your money.
Despite its sophisticated nature, elite proxies are easy to use to protect your identity when surfing the web. With an elite proxy, you can be rest assured that you are safe and protected.
SOAX, for instance, offers an exclusive regularly updated proxy pool with over 191M IPs active worldwide, which facilitates flexible targeting by country, region, city, and provider.
