The definition of the word proxy is a power or authority that acts on behalf of another. In IT terms, the proxy server acts on behalf of other internet-connected devices. Every such gadget has a unique identifier known as an IP address. The IP address can show information such as your location, internet service provider, or browser type.
If you have a proxy server connected to your computer, server or browser, your IP address remains hidden. In its stead, any entity tracking or analyzing your digital activity will view the proxy server’s IP address instead.
Proxy servers work as gateways, receiving data sent out from your computer. The proxy routes this data to the recipient websites, ensuring that queried sites only view the proxy server’s IP address. The information sent back also goes through the proxy server, which routes it back to your computer, ensuring an anonymous internet experience.
Types of proxy servers
There are different classifications of proxy servers. One category that companies need to pick between is shared and dedicated proxies.
Shared proxies
More than one user uses shared proxies at a time. Users of the proxy on a server can be as few as one or as many as ten. This proxy type implies that ten people might use the same IP address at the same time. Such occurrences might make the proxy server slow, unsafe, or easy to flag, blacklist, or ban.
Dedicated proxies
Private or dedicated proxies are proxy servers that are only used by one person at a time. They, therefore, offer high levels of anonymity and are faster. They are also safer for businesses that transmit sensitive data through them. Dedicated proxies will give you a different unique IP address from that of your device.
Please keep it in mind, however, that the proxy server’s provider also has access to the proxy since it is up to them to log into the server and initiate maintenance activities. It is of paramount importance, therefore, to ensure that your private proxies are supplied by high quality and industry-recognized vendors. If you would like to dig in deeper into dedicated data center proxies – learn more here.
Shared vs. dedicated proxies
Speed
Every internet user is craving speed, and a slow proxy can put a wet blanket on the drive to have safer and private internet activities. Shared proxies can disappoint some users in the area of speed. If each one of the proxy’s users is online at the same time, they could overload the server’s bandwidth.
This factor will leave users reeling in frustratingly slow internet experiences. If you have access to your server, speed should not be a hindrance to the anonymous internet experience. A dedicated proxy server is, therefore, faster than a shared one, especially for multiple tasks such as web scraping.
Security
Some of the users of a shared or public proxy server could be spammers or hackers. If you choose to use a shared proxy for your businesses from an unverified provider, you could be at the risk of cybercrime. Remember, the proxy server receives data from your server or computer. Meaning that if there is a malicious server administrator, they could access personal information such as financial or contact data.
Shared proxies could also be used by hackers to infiltrate your company’s servers or computers or to hijack your browser for malicious use. Private proxies are safer since you are the only person using them at any time. The only risks involved are security concerns from your provider.
A security lapse of this nature is, however, addressed legally, if you use dedicated proxies from recognized registered businesses.
Reliability
Low cadre shared proxies do not have any Know Your Customer (KYC) registration details. There are no authentication processes, too, and their testing can be a challenge. It would be best if you avoided proxies that have these qualities since they will be unreliable and slow due to a lack of maintenance or server upgrades.
In many cases, such servers go offline while they are still in use. Most dedicated proxies are reliable because their providers charge a premium to see to their maintenance, upgrades, and security features.
Ad presence
If you hate the surfing disruption that ads and spam bring to the whole internet experience, you should avoid free-shared proxies. Some shared proxy providers will install adware on your browser, which triggers ads every time you are using the proxy. This process can slow your device down, or worse, send your email address to different advertisers.
It is not uncommon to find your online experience flooded with ads and spam if you are using shared proxies. Private proxies come at a cost and are therefore devoid of spam and annoying banners or ads. With them, you do not have to keep closing a ton of banners and ads or filling your spam folder with unwanted emails.
Costs
Some public proxies are free but have a ton of disadvantages, such as insecurity and unreliability. Shared proxies are cheaper than dedicated proxies are. Private proxies are, therefore, the more expensive of the two options.
Speed, security, anonymity, and reliability do come at a cost. These proxies will also have 24/7 top-notch support to ensure a flawless internet experience for every company.
Conclusion
It is dawning on a vast majority of internet users that cybersecurity is a critical component to the wellbeing of the online visitor. They are beginning to understand online privacy and their ability to protect them from online threats.
Consequently, over 26% of global online traffic uses a proxy server or VPN to increase online activity anonymity. Proxy server use is one the rise, and it is time too to make them central to your online company experience as well as look at dedicated proxies over shared.
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