Data security has become a serious issue in the area of networking. Whether we like it or not, we’re constantly exposing sensitive information to third parties when we surf the internet or open our accounts over a dedicated network. Hence, the need for systems that can help to curb these issues. One of the ways we do this is by proxy servers. By using proxy servers, a level of immunity is conferred on a user or the server that the user connects to. In this article, we will discuss what a proxy is, the types of proxies, and their uses.
What Is a Proxy?
In everyday conversations, Proxy refers to someone who substitutes for a task, e.g., a substitute teacher. It’s also similar to the networking registry. Proxy in networking refers to a server that acts as an intermediary between two communicating servers. The server that connects users to various web pages is the proxy server.
How Does It Work?
A proxy server usually has a personal IP address assigned to it. What happens when a client-server (say the mobile phone) tries to access a receiving server (i.e., trying to connect to a webpage) is that the request is sent to the proxy server (i.e., the mobile proxy), which processes and completes the traffic. In this way, proxies can process complex requests and protect the user server’s identity from the dedicated server. There are hardware proxies that one can employ to be between the network and the internet. Software proxies are usually provided by a network provider or placed in the cloud. It can also be installed in some cases.
Types of Proxies
There are several proxies set up for various functions. Here are a few of the commonly used proxies we have;
1. Residential Proxy
This type of proxy routes your internet traffic to an IP address allocated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to a particular residential area. This gives the impression of surfing the internet from a location. This helps for tasks that require a genuine residential location. It is used for web scraping, ad verification, bypassing geo-restrictions, and accessing websites that may block data center IP addresses.
2. Data Center Proxy
Unlike residential proxies, data center proxies are created by data centers for high-speed connections. It is usually for large-scale web scraping, automated account creation, and server load balancing.
3. Mobile Proxy
Mobile proxies connect devices to IP addresses assigned to mobile devices. Mobile proxies mimic mobile devices and are helpful for tasks that require mobile devices. Mobile proxies are very difficult to detect in comparison to data center proxies. They can be used for testing apps, mobile ad verification, social media automation, and bypassing mobile-specific restrictions.
4. Forward Proxy
Also known as an outgoing proxy, it is used by client devices to access resources on the internet. They are commonly used in corporate institutions to control and monitor internet access, implement content filtering, and many others.
5. Reverse Proxy
It is also called inbound proxy and routes traffic from a server to a backend server. It is usually a buffer between a user and a dedicated server. This helps it to distribute the load coming from multiple servers.
6. Transparent Proxy
Transparent Proxy carries the client’s request and caches the target server’s response. The cached response reduces the load and response time on the server when similar requests come from multiple clients.
Other Proxies that exist are;
● Public Proxy
● Anonymous Proxy
● High anonymity Proxy
● CGI Proxy
● Tor Onion Proxy
● Suffix Proxy
● Distorting Proxy
Here is a tabular summary of the differences between some of the popular proxies;
| Residential Proxy | Data Center Proxy | Mobile Proxy | |
| IP Source | They are obtained from Internet Service Providers |
They are created in data centers |
They are assigned to mobile devices |
| Anonymity | High anonymity | Low anonymity | Mobile proxies have a similar level of anonymity to a residential proxy |
| Performance and Speed |
Low-speed performance |
Very high-speed performance |
Good speed performance |
| Detection and Blocking |
Uses genuine IP addresses, making it difficult to be detected and blocked |
Easily blocked by websites and services |
Mimics mobile devices, making it hard to be detected and blocked |
| Use cases | Commonly used for web scraping, ad verification, bypassing geo- restrictions, and accessing websites that block data center IPs. |
Used for Web scraping, automated account creation, server load balancing, and tasks that don’t require a specific residential IP. |
Used for mobile app testing, mobile ad verification, social media automation, bypassing mobile- specific restrictions, and tasks that require a mobile IP address. |
Conclusion
Proxy servers play a crucial role in enhancing data security and privacy in networking. Various types of proxies are used for different purposes. Residential proxies offer genuine residential IPs, data center proxies provide high-speed connections, and mobile proxies mimic mobile devices. Choosing the right proxy type depends on specific needs and requirements related to IP source, anonymity, performance, detection, and blocking.