Guide to Buying Proxies

A proxy server is a dedicated software system running on a computer system that acts as an intermediary between an endpoint device such as a phone or a computer and another server from which the client is requesting a service. It could be in the same machine as a firewall server or on a separate computer that forwards requests through the firewall. Proxies and VPNs have become popular in the recent past due to stern media restrictions and censorship regulations that ban content. A private proxy is basically a paid proxy as free ones will just change your IP address quickly but at a cost. When you use something for free, there is almost always a hidden cost, in this case, your personal user data. A proxy is either private or free. Free proxies are also slow, affecting your browsing experience.

Why do you need a proxy?

It is important that you understand the need for a proxy in depth so as to know what is at stake and make informed decisions. The main reason for using proxies is the quest for anonymity, as everyone want to browse under a mask, be it for professional or personal reasons. Each person and industry, however, have their own reasons for seeking anonymity. Proxies allow people to browse and research about their competitors without being tracked through cookies or other methods. Once your PC’s requests are routed through your selected proxy server, the former’s identity is hidden meaning you can browse your competitor’s website or access a website that is blocked in your country, for whatever reason.

Internet marketers who engage in web scraping find proxies helpful since there is always a chance that the remote web server can block their IP address, denying them access to the site. Under a proxy server, their IP addresses are concealed and there is no way they can be identified during data mining. Other reasons include running mass queries to a search engine. When a large number of requests come from the same IP address, it may be interpreted as a Denial of service attack, hence requiring a proxy. Proxies are also used in automating mass social media accounts. Multiple requests for multiple accounts from the same address could be detected as illegitimate by the sites, hence the need for a private proxy.

On a more professional note, there is much more that proxy servers do than unblocking Netflix content. For corporate matters, proxy IP addresses can be used for a good number of vital business functions ranging from customer service to security. To begin with, every company today is worried about hackers, as data breach is very expensive in terms of money and reputation. Proxy servers reduce the chance of a breach by improving corporate and institutional security. They provide an additional security layer between your servers and incoming traffic. As such, hackers will have trouble reaching your servers even if they have access to your proxy. The ability of proxies to anonymize web traffic is an important function, good for business. Security officers, reporters and whistle blowers are can count on private proxies to carry out sensitive tasks such as spying.

A crashed server is a disappointment to both customers and the business. Proxy servers and cloud data storage ensure that the business website does not go down when customers need it most. A proxy server creates a single access point, balancing the requests sent to each of the servers across which your website’s data and content is stored, making sure that none of them overloads. All these activities run in the background, ensuring a seamless customer experience.

Internal network admins find proxy servers helpful as they allow for control of the sites accessed by employees. They can block undesirable content as well as insecure or inappropriate sites on the company network. It is also possible to record what content is accessed via any computer on the network and this can be used as reference or evidence in case of illegal activities or a security breach.

Finally, proxy servers can be used to save bandwidth and increase speeds, by caching files, compressing traffic, and striping ads from websites. Precious bandwidth is freed, and your team has faster internet access.

Types of Proxies

A common mistake people make when buying proxies is choosing the wrong proxy, thanks to their ignorance. To avoid this pitfall, here is the info. All proxies are not the same and knowing their difference will save you time and money. There are different types of proxies, one being transparent proxies. These perform the basic function of proxies — anonymizing web traffic and do not enforce any local policies. This means that they will not add, delete or change any information that is contained in the traffic. Typically, they are used to cache websites and do not provide the user with any substantial amount of anonymity. They are however useful in working around IP bans, and you can access a site blocked in your country or if your address was denied access to the site. While using these, you do not need to configure your browser in any way. The website cache is clearly visible to the end-user.

Anonymous proxy servers mask your PC’s IP address, replacing it completely with a different one. They are used to conceal and protect identities for whatever reason. Under an anonymous proxy, a website cannot determine that it is you although you can still get blocked if they choose to. It is ideal for those who wish to conceal their identity throughout their browsing. A distorting proxy server identifies itself as a proxy server, making all the websites you visit aware that you are using one.

Simply put, it hides your original IP address and makes an incorrect one available through HTTP headers. It is however not the best, because it can provide access to your personal information. High anonymity proxy servers neither reveal themselves as proxy servers nor make your IP address visible. Reverse proxies typically passes requests from the internet through a firewall to private networks. An intercepting proxy combines a server with a gateway. Connections from different browsers are combined and redirected through the proxy without any configuration.

The decision on whether to buy shared on dedicated proxies is a major one and will determine whether you get value for your money. While some people prefer using dedicated proxies, others go for shared ones. A shared proxy is utilized by a number of people although it does conceal one’s identity. Its main problem, however, is the little security that comes with it. Dedicated proxies, on the other hand, are used by only one person and come with a certain guarantee of security and privacy, the two issues that are a major cause for concern with most people. Buying a dedicated proxy service is probably the best option if you want to keep your identity on the web concealed.

Tips for Buying Proxies

With all the information above, you are now in a better position to decide the best proxy depending on your personal or business needs. A few tricks and tips, however, always help out. To begin with,

• Buy The Right Type of Proxy

When you start searching for one, you will realize that you have a lot of options. Public proxies will probably be the first option in the list, along with an attractive price tag. They are however the worst choice on the list and this is why: They are free or cost close to free, but you should run when you see them. To begin with, you will be stuck sharing bandwidth with thousands of people, only the owner knows how many. It’s pretty much like turning your Wi-Fi password off and letting everyone in the neighborhood use it.

That would really slow down the connection. That is definitely how you want to spend your time online. Another problem is that when you share IP addresses, which is what happens with free proxies, your IP address could be blocked from a site when someone you shared it with does something he was not supposed to be doing. You could get blocked from a website even before you visit it. Not fair, but it’s free. For basic web surfing, semi-dedicated proxies are perfect while dedicated is the best for managing multiple social media accounts and a number of other tasks.

• Be Sure to Check the Speed

You do not spend an eternity online and even if you do not do the same thing and even if that is the case, not waiting for a web page to load. Some proxy providers limit the speed and threads you can use or even throttle the bandwidth if they think you are using too much. Be sure not to overlook this. Go over their papers and check out if they do. Otherwise, you may have to deal with a lot of lags when online.

• Choose The Right Country

Some regions are considered high risk while others may be from halfway across the globe. In the first case, you are more likely to be banned because such areas are known for scams, attacks, and hacking. Let’s say you use a proxy from a high-risk country to scrap data. The large number of requests you send will be noticed by search engines, and since they come from a high-risk area, they might be all blocked even if they are coming from different addresses. If you had your proxies from the US or another trusted country, search engines will not regard your requests as suspicious.

• Don’t Sacrifice Value for Price

When shopping for a proxy, do not rely solely on price. It’s understandable that everyone likes a deal, but at what cost? Be careful not to sacrifice value for the price, especially when your security is at stake consider all factors we’ve discussed before you decide on what private proxy to buy. Looking beyond the price gives you the best, without question.

• Choose A Company That Offers Support

After buying and setting up your proxies, you may think everything is alright until you use a variety of tools and you get confused about how everything works. That is when you need to turn to someone for help. If your company does not offer support, you will access free support from the company. Otherwise, you will have to pay a professional to help you out. Additionally, the best proxies are from companies that offer support. The reason for this is that these companies stand behind their proxies and are proud of their product. They are happy to help customers out and will make sure you get the best out of their proxies. If you buy from a good company, there’s a good chance that you’ll never need the support staff but if you do, they will be at your disposal.

• Check for Compatibility with Various Tools

You will most likely want or need to use ScrapeBox and other tools with your proxy. In that case, make sure the proxy you settle for works with an assortment of tools and this will save you ab big deal of stress down the road. To confirm compatibility, you need to have tools in the first place. Before diving right into what you need to do, make sure you acquire all the additional tools that will help you accomplish what you need online. For example, if you acquired a dedicated proxy for SEO, you will need ScrapeBox and other tools to get the job done quicker. Other tools will also help you build backlinks and other tasks. If you are building the social media presence for your client, you can combine tools such as Autopin and Follow liker for more social networking.

• Try Before You Buy

You never know what you bought before you try it out. A proxy may be tempting and all but may not work on the site you intend to use it. It may also be slower than your needs. If you blindly buy a proxy before trying it out in the presence of the company’s staff, there’s a good chance it will take you some time before you figure everything out. It is also possible that after figuring it out, it does not perform as per your expectations. Most companies do not offer refunds and you will end up feeling conned. It is advisable to go for a company that offers a free trial period. This will give you a couple of days to look for what you require in their product before you commit. If it suits you, you can then proceed with confidence and make the purchase.

• Get Enough Proxies

If your job requires a number of proxies, make sure you get them. The simple reason for this is that if you transact too much with one proxy, will end up getting banned. Suppose you need to scrape a lot of data from search engines. If you have four proxies, you will have four IP addresses at work. Using them and ScrapeBox will have data coming in pretty fast. However, search engines will notice the high number of requests made and ban the IP addresses. You will be unable to use your four proxies and you’ll have to swap them or buy more. When you buy four more, the same thing will happen and you will be in that vicious circle forever unless you change your ways. Suppose you had 50 proxies. Your requests will spread out, making it difficult for search engines to catch you in the act. You will then work as fast as you want. Having said that, it is better to buy proxies in bundles as you will get good deals on multiple proxies.

• Do Not Share Proxies

It might be enticing to share your proxy with your friend but doing so has its downsides. You will then share settings, meaning that you will both access the proxies. Here is the flip side — if your friend does something she wasn’t supposed to be doing on a website, you will both get blocked and you will have to acquire new proxies. That’s a costly mistake. It’s no different from using a shared (or free) proxy. Get your own proxy and tell your friend to get theirs too. It only costs a few dollars a month.

Finally Words

Regardless of your reasons for acquiring a proxy, it is paramount that you understand how proxies work, the different types, dos, and don’ts from those who have the knowledge and have been there before. With the information in this article, you will be in a better position to decide from whom to buy proxies and what type you should buy, depending on your selfish interests. Avoid some mistakes that will make your online experience a rough one. It is not very hard to buy the best-dedicated proxies and with the info above, you will be avoiding pitfalls and the rest will fall into place. Don’t forget to reach out to your company if you are having issues.