Residential proxies

Residential proxies are a kind of forward proxy. Residential proxies have IP addresses which are assigned to a physical location by  internet service providers (ISPs). Residential proxies act as an intermediary server.

Residential proxies appear as genuine residential connections, tied to real end-users. Using a residential proxy gives you increased anonymity and privacy, as websites are more likely to recognize you as a regular user rather than someone using a proxy server.

People commonly use residential proxies for web scraping, ad verification, accessing geo-restricted content, and conducting market research. Residential proxies offer a higher level of trustworthiness compared to other proxy types because they are tied to legitimate residential IP addresses.

Residential proxies function by rerouting internet traffic through real IP addresses assigned to individual users by ISPs. Proxy providers build a pool of these addresses by collaborating with willing participants.

When you visit a website, the website sees the IP address of the residential proxy server instead of your real IP address, allowing you to access websites as if you were a regular residential user, which enables tasks like web scraping and bypassing anti-bot measures.

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) encrypts all your internet traffic and routes it through a remote server. It masks your IP address and provides privacy, security, and access to geo-restricted content.

Residential proxies, on the other hand, route traffic through genuine residential IPs assigned by ISPs, making your activity appear as though it's coming from a real user.

While VPNs are ideal for personal security and general online privacy, residential proxies are better suited for specialized tasks like web scraping, ad verification, or managing multiple accounts. They offer higher anonymity and scalability without encrypting all device traffic.

Static residential proxies (also known as ISP proxies) give you a residential IP address that remains constant throughout the session. This type of residential proxies are ideal for tasks requiring consistency, like managing accounts or accessing geo-restricted content.

Rotating residential proxies, on the other hand, cycle through a pool of residential IPs and select a new IP for each request or at set intervals.

This makes them better suited for activities requiring high anonymity and scalability, like web scraping or accessing multiple accounts.

You can think of the difference as stability versus anonymity. They're both residential proxies, but one offers more reliability, whereas the others offers more anonymity and privacy.

Shared residential proxies are cost-effective because multiple users share the same IP, but they may experience slower speeds and a higher risk of being flagged due to shared usage.

Dedicated residential proxies, on the other hand, are exclusively assigned to one user, offering superior speed, reliability, and privacy, making them ideal for high-priority tasks like account management or running ads.

Shared proxies are suitable for less sensitive, low-priority tasks, while dedicated proxies provide the exclusivity needed for critical operations.

We offer different proxy types:

• Mobile proxy: For when you have to manage multiple social media accounts or verify ads.
• Datacenter proxy: For when you need high-speed proxies and anonymity is less of a concern.
• ISP proxy: For when you require anonymity, but you need something faster than residential and mobile proxies. 

You can use residential proxies for different purposes. For example, you can use them for market research, analyze competitors or consumer trends, scrape e-commerce websites, compare prices in different locations, or collect data for other business needs. 
You can also use residential proxies to monitor your marketing activities, verify ads, protect your brand from fraud, or monitor search results. 
Proxy servers help businesses improve their website performance for better customer experience: for example, you can check your website availability in a specific location or test connection speed.

To distinguish between datacenter and residential proxies, you can take several steps: 

Firstly, analyze the IP range, as datacenter proxies often fall within specific ranges used by hosting providers, while residential IPs vary widely.

Secondly, employ reverse IP lookup tools to identify whether the IP is linked to a datacenter or an ISP.

Header analysis of HTTP requests may also reveal the proxy's origin, with datacenter proxies often bearing distinctive headers.

Additionally, consider using proxy detection services that maintain databases of known proxy types. Lastly, assess response times, geolocation, and user reports for further insights into the proxy's nature.

The SOAX proxy network provides extensive global coverage with access to over 195 locations worldwide. However, please note that, due to the intricate regulatory landscape concerning IP address usage and anonymity in Texas, we currently do not include or support proxy servers located within the State of Texas.

You can check your proxies online by using this tool. It will give you the location, latency, and other stats. 

You could, but it's not a good idea. When you're routing your internet traffic through a random IP address or proxy, the person controlling that IP can see your traffic. This means that you're opening yourself up to having your information stolen and you have zero privacy. You simply don't know who's behind that free IP and what their intentions are.

When you use a proxy service like SOAX, those IPs have been vetted for you. You know they're safe. that's why it's recommended you always use a premium residential proxy.