Rotating vs Static Proxies: Making the Right Decision

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Each time you surf the internet or perform different business transactions through a browser, the host website, or your internet service provider (ISP) can track your website activity and pinpoint your precise location.

This information is gathered from your internet protocol (IP) address. An IP address is a unique set of numbers associated with your online history and location. It is a tool valuable to marketers in providing you with ads tailored to your recent website activity. Products or events may also be shown to you based on your current location.

Although this may be beneficial in distinguishing multiple devices on the internet, your IP address makes your business susceptible to a privacy breach. Your business network becomes vulnerable to attacks by cybercriminals.

Fortunately, proxies exist to enhance your internet privacy and security by masking your IP address and location while you surf the web.

General Definition of Proxies

A proxy has its own IP address and location which masks your device’s details. Aside from anonymous surfing, a proxy can also provide other functions for your business such as enhanced email security and seamless web scraping.

There are two main types of proxies: datacenter and residential proxies.

Datacenter proxies are provided by cloud service providers that are independent of internet service. Although artificial, they are known to be fast and available in large numbers.

Meanwhile, residential proxies are issued by internet service providers to private users. They are tied with an IP address and a physical location. These proxies are impeccably reliable in performing tasks such as web scraping due to their low detection rate.

You can choose between rotating or static proxies for either of the two main types. A static proxy is faster, and you can avail of one for an unlimited period.

Rotating proxies change their IP address depending on the web request or each time your device is rebooted. When one user ends a session, the ISP provides the IP to the next user who initiates a new web request.

Rotating Proxies Pros

Here are certain pros in using rotating proxies based on the following factors:

  1. Security

Since rotating proxies change IP addresses with each session, hackers will have difficulty hacking your business network.

  • Anonymity

The limited period of a rotating proxy makes you untraceable online. Snoopers will find it troublesome to chase your virtual footprints.

  • Price

Rotating proxies require less maintenance than static proxies and are not as complex to set up. They do not need as many resources to keep them functioning for a longer period, thus costing less than static proxies.

Static Proxies Pros

There are also pros in using static proxies based on the following aspects:

  1. Stability

Static proxies usually deliver 99.99% uptime and are best suited for geolocation services. Since static proxies are non-dynamic, you can use them to your advantage for as long as you need.

  • Speed

Static proxies are commonly fast. They maintain the speed of data center proxies, making your business transactions smooth.

  • DNS support

Static proxies are much easier to set up and manage with DNS hosting. This is especially true when you plan to host your website or email server.

If you’re interested in starting using static or rotating proxies, we suggest you read Oxylabs article for more information.

Common Uses of Each Type of Proxy

Rotating proxies are widely used for web scraping simply because HTTP request limits can be bypassed with each new IP address.

Static proxies can be used when managing business social media accounts. It provides seamless handling of your accounts by assigning an IP to each account.

Why Rotating Proxies are More Suitable for Web Scraping

As it has already been established, static proxies provide a single IP address or a sticky IP address. Should you make multiple requests to a website, as is the common case with web scraping, servers will be able to pick up your sticky IP address and possibly block it.

In this case, it is most suitable to use a rotating proxy. This will ensure that your device uses a different IP address with each session and avoid being blocked from the website. Rotating proxies also change the scraping pattern, making your device untraceable.

Conclusion

Taking privacy measures should be one of your priorities when running a business. One way of doing this is by hiding your IP address using a proxy server. In the case of web scraping, you can opt for either a static proxy or a rotating proxy.

Static proxies provide you with a single IP address for as long as you need while rotating proxies frequently change your IP address with each web request. A static proxy works faster while a rotating proxy has a lower detection rate.

Ultimately, the kind of proxy server you choose depends on your business goals and needs. Just make sure that the proxy server provider you’re going for is reliable to avoid encountering any issues.