Proxy servers are slowly but surely taking over the world. As cybersecurity becomes the primary concern for all internet users worldwide, the popularity of proxies has risen drastically.
As a result, businesses and individual internet users can choose from a wide selection of various proxy services. Finding the right one isn’t simple, but that’s what we’re here for.
If you’re interested in installing a residential proxy to enhance your online safety and privacy, learning more about these proxy servers is a must. Here, we cover everything about residential proxies from A to Z, so make sure you keep on reading.
How are residential proxies different?
By now, you’ve surely heard about proxies. They’re special servers that act as a gateway between an internet browser and the web page the browser is accessing.
In usual circumstances, an internet browser sends the request directly to the domain it’s trying to access. This is where the domain accesses and collects data about the visitor, which typically includes some valuable personal data such as email, IP address, and other info.
That’s not the case when proxy servers are involved. Since they’re responsible for hiding sensitive information from curious website owners, internet users can safely browse the internet without compromising their private data.
But, how are residential proxies different from regular ones?
Although their primary function of increasing online safety and privacy is the same, residential proxies allow their users to choose a location and access the internet as genuine residents of the specified area.
From choosing a city, region, and country to the desired mobile carrier, each residential proxy enables this feature in its own way. That way, residential proxies mask the real IP and conceal it with another one.
Benefits of residential proxies
Using residential proxy services will equip every user with multiple beneficial features in comparison to traditional proxies. Here are the main benefits of residential proxies:
- Supported by the large majority of web browsers;
- Reliable for keeping confidential information safe;
- Can be simultaneously used by several devices using the same IP address;
- Unique private IP addresses;
- Complete access control;
- Minimum administration rights;
- Reduction of internet traffic;
- Use of proxy filters for balanced traffic;
- Beneficial for data caching and storage;
- Online anti-virus protection.
Besides these, residential proxies come with many other advantages. Because the users are still accessing the internet via real residential IP addresses, it’s easy to get around various proxy detectors that can make the use of proxies less enjoyable.
Finding the right provider is important
Since proxy servers are responsible for keeping your online identity and data safe, it’s crucial to go with a reliable and supportive proxy provider. Not all providers offer the same level of service quality to their users, which is why you need to be aware of some downsides you can experience if choosing the wrong provider.
- Data caching: Although proxies are created to protect you from scammers and other cybercriminals lurking around the internet, they collect and keep your sensitive data safe. However, choosing an unreliable proxy provider can result in your data being stolen or compromised due to the poor online security of proxy servers.
- Configuration: Some residential proxies are well-designed, meaning they’re intuitive and easy to use. Others are more complex and require plenty of configuration. If you’re not an IT expert, configuring your proxy server can be a challenging task.
- Support: When investing in a proxy, you’ll want to have access to the customer support team in case you ever need it. Some providers don’t offer support or aren’t responsive enough, which is something to keep an eye out for.
Top 4 providers
The market is filled with numerous outstanding residential proxy providers. Nevertheless, we chose to mention only the top 4 ones.
Smartproxy
Smartproxy is the first choice for numerous individuals and small businesses looking for a quality residential proxy provider. With affordable pricing plans, top-class performance, and a variety of unique features, Smartproxy is easily one of the best proxy providers out there. User experience is another feature where Smartproxy excels, so it’s a provider supplying its users with a well-rounded app.
Oxylabs
Another favourite is Oxylabs. Equally great, Oxylabs focuses on providing residential proxies for business use. This makes them even better and of higher quality. The best thing about Oxylabs is that they cover all countries and a large majority of cities around the world, so choosing your preferable location should be a piece of cake.
Bright Data
Finally, Bright Data is probably the biggest proxy provider currently on the market. As such, it has a feature many proxy providers can only dream of – an incredibly large pool of rotating residential IPs to choose from. Everyone can make a good deal with Bright Data, from powerful control tools to different subscription plans.
Conclusion
As proxy services grow in popularity and use, more and more internet users are looking to implement proxies and get further away from unprotected web browsing sessions. Residential proxies are the perfect solution as they equip you with a real residential IP address in addition to other proxy benefits.
Choosing one of the 3 providers mentioned here, you’ll surely regret not switching to residential proxies sooner.
Thanks for reading this article, please continue to support us and check out our other reviews and follow us on Social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin and don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter below.
Recent Comments