Proxy servers promote online security, privacy, and anonymity. In a world that has become more conscious about data security and privacy, as evidenced by the recent uproar and backlash regarding the new policies WhatsApp was to introduce.

According to these policies, WhatsApp was to send Facebook, its parent company, user data, e.g., phone numbers, a user’s IP address/location, etc. Facebook would then use it for target marketing. Although WhatsApp shelved the plans, Facebook’s actions point to the need to safeguard one’s privacy. And what better way to do this than using proxy servers.

For instance, by their very nature, proxy servers would have prevented Facebook from receiving users’ real IP addresses, in effect hiding their locations. While other user data forms would have still been sent to the parent company, hiding the user’s IP address would have been a solid start. Of course, this is not the only way proxy servers can help individuals and businesses. Other uses of these essential tools exist.

What is a proxy?

By now, you might be wondering what a proxy is, given its obvious significance. A proxy is an intermediary between your computer and the internet. All web requests from your computer are routed through a proxy, which assigns them a new online identity (IP address) before completing the connection to the web server.

Assigning a new IP address is central to proxy servers’ promotion of anonymity, security, and privacy, as hinted earlier. It also makes Proxies important for both businesses and personal use.

Importance of proxies

Proxy servers are important because:

• They bypass geo-restrictions/geo-blocking.
• They act as firewalls, thereby protecting computer networks from malware and spyware attacks.
• They prevent web server crashes by distributing content among multiple servers.
• They provide online anonymity
• They increase connection speed by saving bandwidth

For businesses, these benefits of proxies result in revenue gains. For instance, through the anonymity proxy servers provide, businesses can monitor competitors’ moves and pricing strategies. Further, fewer web server crashes ensure reliable and smooth service delivery. On the backend, it promotes the website’s ranking.

However, not all proxy servers can perform the tasks needed to enable you to enjoy these benefits. This makes knowing the various types of proxies a necessity.

Types of proxies

There are different types of proxies, each of which is unique in terms of functionality and how it assigns the online identifier. The most common types of proxies are:

• Datacenter proxies
• Residential proxies
• Private proxies
• Shared proxies
• HTTP Proxies

Datacenter proxies

Datacenter proxies are the most popular type of proxies. Datacenter servers generate thousands of virtual IP addresses, which create the virtual proxies when assigned to users’ web requests.

Because powerful datacenter computers power them, datacenter proxies are extremely fast. You can use them for:

• Scraping small websites
• Ad verification
• Email monitoring
• Accessing geo-restricted content, etc.

Residential proxies

Residential proxies assign users residential IP addresses that belong to internet service providers and are attached to existing user devices, e.g., phones and laptops. These reasons make residential proxies very reliable for web scraping because websites interpret web requests as originating from real users and not bots. Thus, blacklisting is usually rare.

You can use residential proxies for:

• Email monitoring
• Web scraping
• Accessing geo-restricted content
• Price monitoring
• Social media management
• Ad verification

The only downside of residential proxies is that usually they are costly.

Shared proxies

As the name suggests, shared proxies assign the same IP address to multiple users. They are ideal for:

• Accessing geo-restricted content
• Providing anonymity since they make it harder to track down a single user from a pool of many individuals.

Private proxies

Private proxies assign each user a unique IP address, thus, guaranteeing security and privacy. They are ideal for:

• Social media management
• Web scraping
• Scalping limited products and purchasing them

Nonetheless, private proxies are not available in isolation but as either private residential proxies or private datacenter proxies.

Of these types, none is as unique as HTTP proxies.

HTTP proxies

An HTTP proxy is unique because it does not require a service provider, unlike other types of proxies. Anyone with a technical background can create an HTTP proxy by configuring a computer or web server using instructions readily available online.

There are two types of HTTP proxies – the HTTP client proxy and the HTTP server proxy. When you configure your browser or computer, you create an HTTP client proxy. On the other hand, an HTTP server proxy is found on a server end.

HTTP proxies serve the following functions:

• To restrict access to certain content.
• To prevent unauthorized files from getting stored in your computer or server
• To increase connection speed by caching data, files, and texts
• To promote privacy and anonymity by masking a user’s IP address.
• To prevent web scraping.

To enjoy the benefits listed herein, choose a type that aligns with your business’s operations.

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