In the current era, when information values more than gold, anonymity on the Internet cannot be overestimated. Proxy providers or servers are those tools that can guarantee your safety, comfort, and fast work on the net.
However, choosing the right proxy is an important task that should be approached responsibly. Unfortunately, most users, especially beginners, have little idea of what a proxy is and how to select a fast and the most suitable option. Let’s look at them in detail and make a list of the handiest tips.
What Is a Proxy Server
To put it simply, modern proxy servers can be called specialized remote computers that anyone can access. A computer working as a proxy is a kind of analog of a spacer or layer between the client and the site he/she is going to visit. It can be data downloading or, on the contrary, unloading.
Proxy servers are widely used for the following tasks and provide such opportunities as:
- the opportunity to receive complete anonymity on the Internet;
- the ability to speed up the current connection;
- to regain access to sites where the user was banned or get access to sources he/she cannot visit because of the IP address;
- the ability to create and use additional accounts on social networks or on resources that do not allow us to have two and more accounts with the same IP address;
- proxy is used for lock bypass and parsing in programs;
- to bypass account locks in online games or even run multiple accounts at the same time;
- one of the main features of a modern proxy is protection against virus attacks, as well as theft of confidential and personal data.
Once you choose a proxy server, the target sites you visit will see the spoofed IP address assigned to you by the server used. Moreover, to ensure maximum security, you can even use several proxy servers, connecting to them one by one to make a chain.
Types of Proxy Servers
There are numerous proxy types, the majority of which are usually applied for highly specialized tasks. The common types of proxies are divided into the following categories:
- private proxy server for corporate networks (CGI proxies usually);
- so-called Socks, which provide a high level of encryption;
- the most widespread, browser-friendly http proxies;
- proxies for local FTP networks.
Proxy servers can also be divided into free and paid products. Paid ones feature high-quality connection, speed, ping, the ability to choose a proxy for a specific country, choose an option for your own purpose. Free proxies offer a minimum set of necessary functions and capabilities. However, some proxy providers also give their proxies from different countries for free.
Rotating Proxies
A rotating proxy is a proxy server that assigns a new IP address to each request. This way, it’s harder for websites to track your online activity.
There are a few different types of rotating proxies, including public and private proxies. Public proxies are free to use but they are often unreliable. Private proxies cost money but they are usually more reliable.
If you’re looking for a rotating proxy, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, make sure the proxy supports the protocol you need. Second, check the speed and uptime of the proxy. Third, make sure the proxy allows you to change your IP address frequently.
People use rotating proxies for a variety of reasons. Some people use them to hide their online activity from websites. Others use them to access geo-blocked content. And still, others use them to scrape data from websites. So make sure to find the right rotating proxy for you.
No matter what your reason for using a rotating proxy, it’s important to choose a reliable one. Otherwise, you might end up with an unreliable connection or worse, your personal data could be compromised.
What to Consider When Choosing a Good Proxy Server
Free or Paid Option
The main advantage offered by paid servers is stability. Proxy servers, which are popular and charged, are almost never disabled. The user has to spend the money, but he/she gets a high-quality connection, stability, and lots of additional functions in exchange. That’s why we’d recommend paid servers to those who need a proxy for professional tasks. Expenses will soon be refunded.
Free proxies lose in this regard as they can be disabled at any time. The set of functions is scarce; the speed given is slightly worse than the one got from a direct connection, without any proxies. But this option also has its advantages. You don’t have to pay anything. Besides, in case of a critical quality decrease, you can easily switch to another server. If you’re looking for a proxy for private purposes or seldom use, free options are more than enough.
Speed of Connection
When planning to install a proxy, the current Internet connection plays a significant role. Before the final decision, we recommend measuring this feature, paying special attention to such indicators as the incoming and outgoing speed, ping value, and IP address
You can then connect the selected proxy servers and test them by measuring speed on one of the various online resources. Reject those options that will show a significant drop in values compared to a standard connection. Having selected several servers, spend some time to compare them, and thereby determine the best one.
Advice: For accurate results, all connection quality tests should be carried out on the same site. It’s not recommended to use several proxies simultaneously or even install them in your OS.
Ping
Ping is the time period required to send the original data packet from the user’s PC to the server (remote computer). Ping parameters determine how fast the server responds to incoming user requests. Thus, the lower the ping, the faster is your connection and proxy operation. Please always mind this factor before choosing a provider.
Ping is also crucial when you have to deal with strange platforms like Asian resources. Access to them is characterized by high ping, so you should choose a proxy based on this. Non-Asian users will certainly face high ping there. So, to avoid a long server response time to user actions, it’s worth installing only that proxy server that has as low ping value as possible.
Market Monitoring and Comparison
It’s worth mentioning that experienced users periodically check their current proxies and compare them with others, especially fresh ones. Thus, you can easily track the slightest deterioration of the connection quality and change your server with a more convenient one.
Conclusion
There are other moments to consider, such as the ability to set an IP address from several possible options to access any site at any time and the like. But these are the main things you should focus on when choosing a fast proxy server. We’d also recommend you check the best proxy lists. It will help you pick up a reliable product with ease.