Types of proxies 🔄
Proxies are divided into different types depending on the level of anonymity, placement, supported protocol, type of use, type of IP address, etc.
Let's understand the difference between proxies in terms of anonymity level, data modification and placement type. As a rule, these criteria are enough to understand which proxies are suitable for the desired tasks. 🤔
Anonymity Levels 🛡️
Standard proxies:
Hide the real IP address by replacing it with their own.
However, HTTP headers indicate that a proxy server is being used, so sites can detect the fact that a proxy is being used.
Such proxies may not be suitable for complex tasks such as data parsing or working with sites that actively fight proxy servers (e.g. Facebook or Google).
The advantage is the ability to bypass blocking and access sites blocked in a certain country.
"Elite" proxies:
Provide the highest level of anonymity.
They do not pass on the information that a proxy is being used and hide both your real IP and your own.
Traffic will look like a normal user request, and sites will not be able to detect the use of proxies.
Suitable for tasks that require complete anonymity, such as traffic arbitrage, working with platforms where trust is important (e.g. posting reviews or comments).
"Transparent" Proxy:
Do not hide the real IP address, so it remains visible to sites.
The main purpose is to speed up websites by caching and optimizing traffic, e.g. in corporate networks.
Usually not used for anonymity, but more to improve performance or save Internet traffic through cache storage.
Location Type 🌐
Server proxies, also known as"Data-Center" proxies, use IP addresses owned by data centers. These proxies are inexpensive but have a number of drawbacks:
Identified as proxies - these IPs are easily recognized as belonging to proxy servers. This means that it is not possible to imitate the behavior of a normal user, and some sites may block access to their resources, as the use of proxies indicates an attempt to hide personal data.
Can be shared - server proxies can be used by multiple users at the same time, unless they are dedicated. However, there are dedicated proxies that are intended for a single user.
These proxies are suitable for accessing blocked sites, but may not pass anti-fraud checks.
Resident proxies use IP addresses issued by ISPs to private users. These proxies look like regular home IPs, making them less suspicious to websites and security systems.
Realistic behavior - resident proxies are not detected as proxies, so they are not suspicious and are suitable for bypassing anti-fraud systems.
Rotational - although resident proxies are often used by a single user, there are rotational proxy options where the IP address changes periodically and can be temporarily used by another user.
The main disadvantages of resident proxies: they are more expensive than server proxies and may be slower.
Mobile proxies use IP addresses provided by mobile operators. These proxies are dynamic: the IP address changes frequently, which adds complexity for anti-fraud systems.
Dynamic addressing - an IP address can be assigned to multiple users simultaneously (e.g., through NAT), making it difficult to identify a specific user, and antifraud systems look for other authentication methods.
Speed variability - mobile proxies can be faster or slower depending on the state of the mobile network and its congestion.
Similar to resident proxies, mobile proxies are more expensive than server proxies, but they are also more effective in bypassing anti-fraud systems.
Data modification ℹ️
Forward proxies are used by browsers or clients to hide the real IP address and filter requests when accessing external resources.
Reverse proxies are used on the server side to protect and optimize traffic by preventing direct access to internal networks. Additional security systems can be used for enhanced protection.
Rotating proxies change their IP address with each request, making them ideal for bulk tasks such as parsing or voting that require constant IP changes.