What are Residential Proxies - A Complete Guide

A residential proxy is an intermediary that uses an IP address assigned by an ISP rather than a data centre. A physical address is assigned to each residential proxy address. Moreover, despite billions of digital devices being connected to the internet at any given time, their IP addresses can be used to pinpoint the location of any device. As a result, you give out information about your browser preferences, cookies, and IP address whenever you go online.

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What Are the Benefits of Using Residential Proxies?

Residential proxies can be used in various ways, both legitimate and illegal. Some examples are as follows:

Ad placements are being tested. Companies that sell ad space could use a residential proxy to help verify the ads on their website (in conjunction with a custom bot/program script to test the ad). You could use a proxy server when “checking and verifying ads displayed on your pages, allowing you to recognize and block suspicious ads,” according to residential proxy service provider Bright Data.

Disguising Bot Traffic. Fraudsters frequently use residential proxies (and other IP masking techniques) to hide their IP addresses so their bots can bypass basic anti-fraud filters or work around IP blocking strategies. A bot program can avoid simple IP address allowlists/blocklists by hiding behind a “trustworthy” IP address. This is frequently used to empower other schemes via bots—for example, web scraping. Bots are commonly used to scrape websites to quickly steal content and code, allowing fraudsters to create fake websites to trick their victims later on. With residential proxies, fraudsters can conceal the origin of the scraper bot, delaying the detection of their schemes.

Scalping Agents. Scalpers who use bots to purchase limited-edition products may use residential proxies to conceal their bots from IP-blocking attempts by storefronts attempting to stop scalpers. This allows the bot to circumvent the IP block and purchase large quantities of electronics, clothing, or other luxury goods for its user to resell at a profit when the original seller runs out of stock.

Advertising deception. Fraudsters who use bots frequently use residential proxies, VPNs, and other IP masking techniques to conceal the traffic source that generates the clicks. Form fills and impressions for which they want to be paid. After all, if you could easily track all of a single affiliate’s leads, clicks, or appearances to a single IP address, it would be all too easy to identify that affiliate as a fraudster. They can make it more challenging to locate their fraudulent actions by hiding behind many proxy IP addresses.

How Do Proxy Services Get Access to Real Residential IP Addresses?

Everyone loves free stuff. However, the reality is that nothing is free. There is always a price to pay. One example is so-called “free” residential proxy services.

Does some residential proxy service provide How Do Proxy Services Gain Access to Real Residential IP Addresses?

Everyone enjoys receiving freebies. However, nothing is truly free. There is always a cost. One example is “free” residential proxy services.

Some residential proxy service providers (not all, but some) will provide consumers with a “free” proxy service app for their home computer, phone, or other devices that will allow them to connect to a proxy network. When the consumer downloads the app, it installs software that grants the proxy service and provides remote access to their network or computer, allowing them to route other customers’ traffic through the consumer’s network.

Dees (not all, but some) will provide consumers with a “free” proxy service app for their home computer, phone, or other devices that will allow them to connect to a proxy network. When the consumer downloads the app, it installs software that grants the proxy service and provides remote access to their network or computer, allowing them to route other customers’ traffic through the consumer’s network.

The consumer’s awareness of hosting someone else’s traffic through their network (and thus having that stranger’s activities traced back to them) varies depending on the consumer and proxy service. Some may disclose how their residential proxy service works right away in their sales pitch and advertising, while others may bury it on a page a 99.9% of their customers will never read their “Terms of Service” agreement. Still, others may fail to mention that they grant others access to the consumer’s network.

Non-residential proxy services and VPNs may have significant, formal data centres through which they route all of their traffic to anonymize it; however, these service providers typically charge for the privilege.

What to think about before purchasing residential proxies

Budget

Residential proxies are frequently prohibitively expensive. You can, however, always find a better deal. All you have to do is compare prices from different providers.

Use and purpose

What is the purpose of residential proxies? This is an excellent question. If it’s just for basic security and small-scale scraping, reconsider. Perhaps you don’t require residential proxies. Datacenter proxies may be precisely what you need. On the other hand, residential brokers are necessary if you want a proxy package for large-scale scraping, anonymity, and security.

Always try to understand why you require residential proxies. Spending so much money when a low-cost shared proxy package may suffice is not prudent. This is also true when purchasing various residential proxy packages.

Automation tool compatibility

For example, if you are interested in SEO for site optimization. You should confirm that the residential proxy package supports SEO tools. Make sure to confirm this before making a purchase.

Unlocking the website

Residential proxies allow you to access content from geo-restricted websites without being blocked or flagged. Some service providers may have blocked IP addresses. Before making a payment, inspect and verify the package.

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