What are the types of proxies and their characteristics

Proxy servers can be divided into different types, types, classes, and subgroups. However, there is no single classification of this tool for anonymity and increased security on the network. Below we will analyze in detail the 10 most common proxy server selection criteria. Read to the end to better understand this issue and probably determine which proxy will be needed to solve your problem.

Proxy cost

Proxy servers are:

• paid - these servers are issued for individual use with the possibility of authorization by login and password or IP-address. Not only do not slow down but they also speed up the connection due to data caching. You have to pay for use;
• free - public servers whose data can be freely found on the Internet. You don’t need to pay for them, however, not only you, but anyone else can use them. Work slowly and with failures. Virtually useless in order to bypass account lockout with SMM or data scraping.

This criterion can also be called privacy because even by the very name of public (free) proxies it is clear that they cannot be private. First of all, for this reason, they are not used by professionals to work on the Internet.

You can buy proxies at YouProxy.

Proxy Visibility

For this class, proxies can be divided into:

• standard (visible);
• transparent.

To use ordinary visible proxies, it is necessary to register their data in the system settings of the operating system, in the browser settings or in another program used. Transparent servers do not need this. Their data does not need to be registered anywhere.

If your provider uses transparent proxies, then all work on the Internet will go through them. You cannot connect or disconnect yourself.

Data caching

According to this parameter, proxies are divided into 2 types: caching and non-caching . We will tell you more about each of them:

1. Non-caching data - most proxies belong to this type. Non-caching proxies access the web resource directly, always displaying the latest data.
2. Caching data - proxies of this type store all downloaded data in memory. When a second request to the web resource occurs, the appeal will not go directly to the site database, but to the information downloaded to the disk. That is, the user will see what is already stored in the cache.

At the same time, the caching period during which the proxy will not access the requested web resource can be several hours or even several days. During this time, the user will see the data stored in the cache, regardless of whether the data on the web page has changed or not.

As a rule, caching proxies are used only by providers and large firms as part of the same type of work. Conventional proxies can also cache data if you connect special software for this. In this case, however, deep knowledge and experience will already be required.

Proxy protocols

Proxies work on 3 types of protocols:

1. HTTP is an outdated type of proxy server that connects to sites through the unsecured HTTP protocol. Proxies of this type are not suitable for visiting web resources that work over a secure connection.
2. HTTPS - are more common than others. They work on a secure protocol and are suitable for most tasks on the Internet. They are used, as a rule, for web surfing.
3. SOCKS 4 / SOCKS 5 - these proxies are able to work with most programs and protocols. They do not transmit your IP address in the request header, due to which they are in great demand.

Not sure how to determine the type of proxy? After purchasing a server, information about it will be displayed in your personal account on the proxy provider website.

Learn more about the difference between HTTP (S) and SOCKS protocols.

Proxy Anonymity

According to the standards, proxies are required, within the framework of a technical language, to inform the web resource to which the request is sent that the user is using an intermediary server. This is done by specifying the “REMOTE_ADDR” and “HTTP_VIA” variables in special fields that are responsible for displaying the user's real IP address.

If proxies notify the final web resource to which the request is sent about the actual data of the computer, then they are classified as non-anonymous servers. Other proxies that do not display the real IP address and geolocation of the user are called anonymous . It’s clear that only the latter is suitable for professional tasks on the network.

Proxy geolocation

Sites on the Internet see not only the IP address of users but also their geolocation. Web resources understand from which country and even city a request is sent to them, therefore, when choosing a proxy server, the correct selection of its geolocation is also of no small importance.

Let's say you are interested in promoting a Facebook account. If you registered your profile in Russia and suddenly begin to actively work in it through the cheating service based on USA proxies, then this will cause 100% suspicion and may lead to a ban. It is necessary to select a server with the most suitable geolocation for solving a specific problem. Fortunately, a wide selection of proxies now allows you to do this.

Proxy geolocation can be practically any: the USA, Germany, India, Iran, etc. You can even choose the optimal server in the city. It is best to choose a proxy with the geolocation that would be identical to your location when registering accounts - those that you are going to spin through automated software or services.

Authentication (access restrictions)

All proxy types by this parameter are divided into 3 groups:

1. Proxy without authorization - to use it, you only need to specify proxy data (IP, server port) in the system settings or parameters of the program used.
2. Proxy authorization by IP-address - access to these servers is open only to those computers whose IPs are included in the allowed list.
3. Proxies with authorization by login and password - to gain access to this type of proxy servers in the system settings or parameters of the program used, you must specify the username and password associated with them.

From the point of view of security, the most suitable for professional work on the Internet are proxies with authorization by login and password.

Mobility

Types of proxy servers according to this parameter are divided into 2 categories:

1. Dynamically mobile - issued by mobile Internet networks. They are provided for use by their customers by large mobile operators. Mobile proxies are more valuable because they have privileges: for them, limits on social networks are increased, they are less likely to be blocked by web resources, etc.
2. Common - compared to mobile proxies, this type of server is less reliable.

Providers

In the process of choosing a proxy server, it is important to clarify which provider it belongs to. Web resources see this data when a user navigates. If your proxy server belongs to a provider that is blacklisted on the Internet site, then risk-free online promotion or automatic data collection will be in jeopardy.

It is conditionally possible to divide all proxies into 2 categories by this parameter:

1. Proxies from small providers - this group includes IP addresses from small providers, and sometimes even illegal ones. These proxies are better not to use because they are entered in the blacklists of search engines, social. networks and individual companies: bookmakers, financial organizations, etc.
2. Proxies from large providers are safe. With proper use, they will help you avoid blocking accounts on any online sites.

Sources (production method)

Another important parameter by which it is possible to divide the proxies currently existing is their origin. There are 3 common ways to get proxies:

1. Hosting providers - suitable for web surfing if they are not in the public domain for a wide number of users. They have a fairly high speed and stability.
2. Received through a virus - yes, and it happens. These proxies appear after the user's device is infected with a virus. It is interesting that often a person does not even understand that his computer suddenly became a proxy server.
3. Composite / combined - in this case, the client receives an unchanged IP address, but other IPs are used when accessing the Internet. The latter are selected automatically by your supplier. The advantage of this type of proxy is that if one IP address is banned, then the server will automatically replace itself.

If you select proxy servers for solving professional tasks on the Internet: SMM, web-scraping, automation of virtual processes, then it is better to choose a composite / combined server. This type of proxy server is more universal and does not stop work.

Sometimes a running proxy server may not work. To quickly deal with the problem in this situation, learn more about what to do if the proxy does not respond.

Conclusions

Free (public) proxy servers can be used only for one-time visits to sites blocked for you. For example, they are suitable to read foreign news or to access content that is currently inaccessible. For professional long-term work on the Internet, it is better not to use them. They are too slow, often "fall" and do not give anonymity.

Paid private proxies are much more stable. With them, you can anonymously visit websites on the Internet, get access to blocked web resources and manage multiple accounts on one online platform without the risk of a ban. The most secure option will be proxies that support authorization by login and password. They are more reliable since it is much more difficult to crack them for attackers.

The choice of proxy servers for other criteria already depends on your specific task. If you are looking for an intermediary server to promote accounts in the social. networks, it is advisable to select proxies whose geolocation would correspond to your location at the time of profile registration. You can find out the type of proxy from the proxy server provider.

Read the step-by-step instructions for setting up proxies in Google Chrome.