In today’s internet, you’re constantly reminded of the need to improve your online anonymity. With every click you make, websites track your activities with cookies, pixel trackers and other mechanisms. They then sell or use the information they obtain to bomb you with unwanted ads. Those are the ones that allow you to visit their pages, though. Some simply restrict you from accessing their content because of your IP address and location. In any of the above scenarios, having a residential proxy as a backup is not a bad idea.  

Like other proxies, a residential proxy acts as an intermediary between your device and the internet. They route your web traffic on behalf of your device as you send requests and receive responses online. The main purpose is to hide your real IP address (device location) while you surf the net. 

One shouldn’t confuse a residential proxy with another proxy. Residential proxies make use of the IP addresses of real people. So, read on to learn how residential proxies are different, how they benefit their users, and what they are used for. 

 

What are residential proxies? 

Residential proxy, in its basic form, blocks all websites from seeing your real IP address. It replaces your real IP address with an IP address obtained from residential areas and assigned to them by an ISP (Internet service provider). So, for the time you are connected to the internet, a different IP address will appear on whatever website you are visiting instead of yours.  

This means more freedom to roam the internet. You have access to content and services you might not otherwise have while limiting the possibility of websites creating accurate profiles of you. The content you wish to access could be a YouTube video you want to watch or a banking service you need to use. Whatever the case may be, a residential proxy routes your traffic through the IP addresses of devices located in places where such content or service is available.  

Residential proxies are ‘residential’ in the sense of the location from which they source the IPs that their users employ. So, your online activity appears to originate from that residential area, the same as any other device there. In terms of effectiveness, this residential nature makes them best for boosting anonymity online. After all, it mimics real devices owned by real people in a chosen location. The result of this is that websites and anti-bot tools would have a much harder time detecting residential proxy use. Since, these websites see your connection as a real one and not a proxy, your chances of also being blocked are largely reduced. 

How do residential proxies work? 

A residential proxy works as an intermediary between your device and any online website or application you connect to. Instead of revealing your IP address, you hide behind a different IP address attached to a real device. 

When you install and use a residential proxy server, all internet traffic you send passes through this server. First, it intercepts your web requests. It then routes them through the proxy server on your behalf. By the time the request reaches the destination server, the origin IP address (from the perspective of the destination website) has changed to that of the proxy server. 

So, the destination website receives your request from the changed IP address, processes this request, and sends a response back to the proxy server. The proxy server completes the transmission cycle by forwarding the response to your device. 

In a nutshell, a user sends requests and receives responses through the proxy server. As such, the proxy server communicates with the destination server of the website or application on behalf of the user. Consequently, the user of the proxy is essentially hidden. When the proxy used is a residential proxy, the presence of its activity is much less detectable. 

Note that certain residential proxies may work slightly differently from other residential proxies. Static residential proxies for example maintain the same IP address while you surf online. As opposed to static, you have Rotating residential proxies that automatically change their user’s IP address after each connection request or after a set time limit. 

Features and benefits of a residential proxy 

Residential proxies have certain features and benefits that help them stand out from other proxy types. Some of these features and benefits include: 

Authenticity

Residential proxy brings a high level of authenticity to your online activities. Each IP address assigned to you works to simulate an organic online connection. So, even when you are employing a bot for an online activity, your actions seem to originate from a human. The website will then have a hard time distinguishing your activity. In this particular regard, rotating proxies that can change IPs automatically distribute requests are perfect for hiding bot activity. 

Alternatively, users looking to conduct sensitive business remotely can purchase dedicated residential proxies for exclusive use. This will assign them a unique IP address shared with no other user and available for the duration of their purchase. is assigned for your exclusive use. 

Online invisibility 

Using a residential proxy reinforces your online anonymity. Your assigned IP address acts like a virtual cloak that shields your real IP address from the internet. In all performance, you do not share your real IP address with the websites and services you interact with.

Access to content from anywhere in the world

Residential proxy enables geo-spoofing which allows users to mimic connections from any geographical location on the internet. Using the proxy, you can appear to connect from any location in the world. This can widen access to content, broaden streaming catalogues, and facilitate access to TV shows, articles, music, games and other services that may only be available outside your original location.  

In the same vein, you can also bypass regional censorship if you live in places where there are tight crackdowns on information and freedom of speech. Note that all proxy servers can offer such a bypass. What makes residential proxies different is how secure and efficient it does because of their residential nature. With a residential proxy from Proxy Cheap, you can even narrow down your choice of IP address and connection location to a country, state, city, town or even a particular ISP ( internet service provider). 

Enhanced speed and efficiency

Residential proxies are popularly panned for their inconsistent performance and potential reliability issues. This is so because the quality of the proxies is dependent on the quality of the ISP and possible congestion in the area. That said, a quality residential proxy from the right location can deliver an increased level of speed and efficiency to your activity.

An example of this is a gamer who selects a proxy server that is close to the destination server, from a good ISP, and suitably located to their region as well. Such a proxy can improve the efficiency of their connection, limit ping times, cut down latency issues, etc. 

Increased security and protection

Residential proxies can offer superior security and protection by attaching your activity to IP addresses that don’t call the attention of websites and anti-bot mechanisms. The fewer history and current users the proxy has, the more secure it is. Moreso, these proxies can help minimize your online footprint, by distributing your activity among other IP addresses. This makes it more difficult for trackers to do what they do, or for websites to develop accurate profiles for their targeted ads. 

Flexible and customization 

With a residential proxy, you have several options to choose from depending on your needs. If you need a proxy for web scraping, rotating residential proxies will be perfect because of their capacity to distribute load but maintain the legitimate anonymity required to access some of the websites.  

On the flip side, if you’re looking to connect securely for communication and business purposes, a dedicated static residential proxy will be perfect. Such a proxy is perfect for long-term exclusive use.

In summary, there are more residential proxies in circulation than most other proxy types. As such, users who want access to many IP addresses are covered. So are those that want exclusive IPs, IP rotation, safe browsing, etc. 

What are residential proxies used for? 

Residential proxies can be used in so many ways. Some of these use cases include:

Social media management

It is no news that social media is a powerful tool for business. Many successful businesses leverage exposure on social media to boost their brand image, market their products, and connect with customers.  

Residential proxies offer social media managers the avenue to create and manage several accounts from the same device. It uses different IP addresses in order to stay below the radars of autodetect tools notorious for flagging and suspending accounts. 

SEO Monitoring

SEO monitoring is the process where websites and businesses gather resources from Search Engine Results pages (SERPs) for analysis. A residential proxy is efficient in conducting large-scale keyword research, competitor analysis and rank tracking. This would help you better audit and tweak your website for improved performance. A good residential proxy does all this while maintaining anonymity and preventing any form of anti-bot interruption or detection along the way.

E-commerce 

Residential proxies give users access to different e-commerce sites around the world. In return, users have a more enjoyable shopping experience by taking advantage of discounts specific to regions or countries. Users can also utilize residential proxies to develop shopping bots equipped to pick up products efficiently, such as the famed sneaker bots. 

On the other hand, business owners can use proxies to anonymously collect data on competitor sites and products. Popular uses of residential proxies in this regard include price comparison and implementation of pricing strategies, competitor research, keyword research, etc.  

Market research

Market research involves the gathering and analysing of information and data relating to a particular market. With a residential proxy, researchers can easily gather secondary data that pertains to their target market remotely. This data can supplement the primary data obtained from surveys and interviews. Thus, it helps businesses gain better insight into the customers and competitors which is then analysed to produce an effective business strategy.

AD verification 

Residential proxies cater perfectly to advertisers. These advertisers can use the proxies to verify the content, placement, and engagement of their ads. As such, they can gauge the performance of their Ad campaigns, and whether an ad is working as it should. 

More importantly, they can monitor the ads to confirm that they contain the right content, are placed correctly, and are actually performing as the ad platform claims. It is an effective way of curtailing ad fraud and ensuring that you get value for money spent.

Price comparison 

Competitive pricing is a valuable asset for any company. If prices are too high, you risk scaring away customers, and, if they are too low, the quality of the product in question may be doubted by many. to combat this issue, retail businesses of all sizes use residential proxies to scrape data from competitors. This helps such businesses craft a good pricing strategy that keeps them up-to-date with prices. Individuals also make use of residential proxies in this way to track and compare prices of products and properties to ensure they get the best deals possible.

Personal entertainment 

Residential proxies grant freedom to online content consumers. Using this proxy, users can access their favorite TV shows, and local content normally restricted to specific locations. For example, a residential proxy user can stream videos on YouTube, and watch movies on Netflix that are not available in their region. Thus, it expands the content catalogue available to them.

Anonymous Browsing

Residential proxies protect users’ actual IP addresses from being seen by browsers. In areas where there are strict restrictions on internet usage, residential proxies allow users to access websites and consume web content without revealing their information. 

Sneaker and Ticketing 

Sneakers and event tickets are usually limited in supply, which makes them frustrating to purchase during peak periods. However, with a residential proxy, prospective sneaker/ticket lovers and resellers can access sneakers as soon as they become available. Furthermore, users can combine residential proxies with shopping bots to automate purchases and get unrestricted access. 

Frequently asked questions 

What is the difference between a residential proxy and a VPN? 

Residential proxies and VPNs share certain differences while masking your online identity. For a residential proxy, it focuses solely on hiding your IP address. A VPN, on the other hand, completely encrypts your online traffic and any data being transferred or received. In this respect, VPNS can be more secure against web hackers and other malicious exploit. In choosing whether to use a VPN or a residential proxy, the use case must be considered. VPNs are good for personal use, and very small-scale projects. In this case, they offer cheaper and faster options than a residential proxy. However, if you’re looking to conduct large-scale projects like web scraping or data manipulation, then a residential proxy would be the better choice.  

Who uses residential proxies?

Anyone can use residential proxies. Individuals can use residential proxies to access content, effect online anonymity, and facilitate bot activity. Also, businesses can use residential proxies to carry out market research, account management, product testing and so on. 

How long can I use residential proxies?

You can use residential proxies for as long as you want. When you use a residential proxy, you are assigned an IP address that acts differently depending on the type of residential proxy. A dedicated residential proxy is yours until you choose to purchase another. A static residential proxy is yours until you manually change it or the session ends. Rotating residential proxies, however, are set to change IP addresses according to preset criteria of time, request, session, etc.   

Are residential proxies legal?

Residential proxies are generally legal. You are free to use them as long as this usage complies with laws and regulations in your country. For the most part, it is legal to use residential proxies to scrape publicly available websites, but It is illegal to scrape private websites because these sites can contain private and confidential information. Aside from web scraping and other legal uses, residential proxies shouldn’t be used to carry out cybercrimes. Fraud, hacking, and spamming are all illegal acts, with severe legal consequences attached to them.