There are dozens of proxy providers online. They all brag about having hundreds of locations and multiple proxy types for different uses and budgets. While the choice of provider often comes to the price, you must not overlook the type and location selection.
The dilemma of which one to prefer—type or location selection—is a difficult one to master. After using proxies for various projects, I know that that location is the first thing to consider. This article is a short guide on how to approach this issue.
Factors to consider
Proxies are devices acting as intermediaries when you connect to the internet, concealing your IP address and changing your geo-location to bypass restrictions. Any intermediary is likely to slow down your connection as your requests will have to make additional steps. So, the first thing to consider is performance.
Internet speed and bandwidth are the first things to look for when choosing a proxy. Unfortunately, providers are reluctant to show this information straightforwardly, as your location is also a major factor influencing performance.
Datacenter proxies, being created virtually and hosted in commercial data centers, are usually the best in this regard. They use business-tier internet, which is much faster than the one you get in residential areas, and datacenter proxies aren’t priced on bandwidth used but per IPs ordered.
IP legitimacy is hard to grasp before you actually start using proxies. Once you start receiving triggering CAPATCHAs or your IP address gets blocked often, the need to blend in with the crowd becomes apparent. The more legitimate your proxy IP address, the more you appear as an ordinary visitor.
There is nothing more legitimate than a common connection from a residential area. Residential proxies aim to achieve that. These proxies use physical devices from common households to shield you as legitimately as possible. The connection might be slower than with datacenter proxies, but you’ll be less disturbed.
Price is obviously an important factor. Avoid free proxies as a plague, as they are more likely to infect you with viruses and expose your data than help you stay anonymous. Datacenter proxies are usually the cheapest, but if you don’t need a lot of bandwidth, residential proxies make more sense in terms of cost-effectiveness.
Location selection is not just a number number providers like to brag about. You should test different locations, see whether all the same types are available for them, and make some connection tests to see the performance. More locations do not always equal better location selection. How proxies perform in various locations is what’s important.
Choosing a proxy by type
We touched upon two main types of proxies while discussing factors – datacenter and residential. However, the choice of types doesn’t end here, as they can be combined with various subtypes for access, rotation, and protocols. Here are some of the main proxy type combinations you’ll encounter.
- Static residential proxy: best for anonymous browsing and social media management. These proxies ensure that one residential IP remains intact.
- Shared datacenter proxies: best for web scraping websites with weak defenses and lots of data. Sharing datacenter proxies with other users reduces the cost but not the performance.
- Rotating SOCKS5 residential proxy: the most legitimate proxy IPs paired with the most versatile and fast proxy protocol ensures that most tasks are performed flawlessly.
I selected these types not by accident. They are the best-performing proxy types in their own use cases, and one might think that you’re all set if you choose one of them. Unfortunately, choosing a proxy by type, while important, must also be balanced by your location choice.
Choosing a proxy by location
Out of all the factors we considered, price is the least affected by the location selection. Running proxies involves using lots of high-tech equipment, which is expensive irregardless of where the servers are located. However, a good location is crucial for IP legitimacy and general performance.
Location restrictions might prevent even the most legitimate IP address from accessing the needed content. For example, e-commerce websites adjust product selection and prices according to the visitor’s location. So, even if you purchase a premium private static residential proxy from an unsupported location, it might not work.
Meanwhile, a cheap shared datacenter proxy from somewhere nearby might be able to access the needed website without any geo-restrictions. A similar problem applies to the performance of your proxies.
If your well-performing pool of datacenter IPs is far away from the target server, it might not be faster than a slow residential device somewhere nearby. The moral is – don’t hurry to purchase an expensive proxy without checking the location first.
Some popular proxy locations
Checking the provider’s location selection might take a lot of time, as most have hundreds of locations. I recommend focusing on the three countries below. If a provider can supply good proxies there, it’s highly likely they provide a good service.
India is the most populous country for both internet users and actual people. India proxy servers are getting better each year, but there are still not enough good proxies for everyone. If a provider can supply good-quality proxies in this vibrant and quickly growing region, it likely has a good network infrastructure too.
Germany, unlike India, is known for its high-speed internet due to its proximity to major servers in Europe. It’s usually one of those places where providers show the best they can offer in terms of legitimacy and performance.
The United States is one of the leading countries in terms of internet speed. I have yet to find a legitimate proxy provider that does not have proxies from the USA. It’s simply a must because of access to online services.
Conclusion
The location selection is the first thing you should test when using a new proxy provider, but the choice of proxy type vs location is all about balance in the end. Your needed type must work as close to the location you need as possible.
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