A datacenter proxy is an intermediary that, domiciled in a data center, routes web requests and HTML responses through powerful data center servers. In the process, this proxy assigns datacenter IP addresses that are affiliated with the data center. This is a sharp contrast from residential proxies, which assign residential proxies that are affiliated with home internet service providers (ISPs).
Types of Datacenter Proxies
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There are two types of datacenter proxies: dedicated (private) datacenter proxies and shared datacenter proxies.
1. Shared Datacenter Proxies
A shared datacenter proxy assigns a specific datacenter IP address to multiple users, meaning they all share the same bandwidth and computing infrastructure. As a result, this type of datacenter proxy can sometimes pose cybersecurity and privacy risks. This is because the shared infrastructure can provide a perfect environment for eavesdropping attacks, especially when the security measures are lackluster.
Additionally, shared datacenter proxies are sometimes slow. This happens mostly when many users are concurrently connected to the web via the proxy. The speeds dramatically reduce, increasing the response time. However, shared datacenter proxies can be flagged and blacklisted easily, a drawback that makes them unsuitable for web scraping.
2. Dedicated Datacenter Proxies
A private or dedicated datacenter proxy assigns a specific datacenter IP address to only one user. Under this arrangement, the user gains complete control and exclusive access to the data center server that has been configured as a proxy server. They also have 100% control of the bandwidth and do not have to worry about throttling, as is the case with shared proxies. Additionally, this also boosts security as the user does not have to worry about a potential eavesdropping attack or attempt.
Dedicated datacenter proxies are also less prone to IP bans because the user can control the number of requests routed via the server. Moreover, this datacenter proxy type often boasts a large IP network pool – it is, in fact, larger than the shared proxy’s IP pool. Even more remarkably, the service providers usually source these proxies and IPs from different countries, meaning that with dedicated datacenter proxies, you can access otherwise geo-blocked content from tens of countries. Put together, these factors make private datacenter proxies ideal for web scraping.
Advantages of Datacenter Proxies
Datacenter proxies are advantageous in the following ways:
1. Cost-effectiveness
Datacenter proxies are cheaper compared to residential proxies. This is because datacenter IP addresses are more abundant than residential IP addresses.
2. Speed and performance
As stated earlier, datacenter proxies route internet traffic through powerful data center servers. These servers have high processing capabilities and are connected to the internet via high-speed connections. As such, datacenter proxies boast extremely fast response times.
3. Multiple locations
Usually, reputable providers offer datacenter proxies from multiple countries worldwide. In fact, some have arrangements with data centers in more than 180 countries. This is advantageous because it allows users to access geo-restricted content from such countries or even undertake geo-targeting. To find more about reliable datacenter proxies, check this out.
4. Broad IP network pool
Proxy providers also source thousands of IP addresses from each of the locations. This creates a wide IP network pool that facilitates IP rotation should the user need it.
5. Security
Dedicated datacenter proxies offer security by preventing eavesdropping attacks. Overall, datacenter proxies can be used to prevent phishing attacks.
6. Reliability
Dedicated datacenter proxies are not easily flagged or blacklisted. Therefore, they boast reliability, making them ideal for web scraping ventures.
7. Online anonymity
A datacenter proxy anonymizes the browsing by hiding the user’s real IP address and assigning a different data center-affiliated IP address. Thus, should the IP address get flagged or banned, the user can still use their real IP address to access the website.
Datacenter Proxies in Web Scraping
Dedicated datacenter proxies are most suited for web scraping and data mining. This is because they are not easily flagged, as they give the user complete control over the number of routed requests. Furthermore, they are available in multiple locations. Hence they can be deployed to collect data from websites that geo-fence their ads or geo-block their content. Dedicated datacenter proxies also boast a wider IP network pool than shared proxies. For this reason, they can be used in tandem with proxy rotators to further boost reliability.
However, datacenter proxies are no match for residential proxies. The latter type is preferred when undertaking large-scale web scraping. But using private datacenter proxies alongside tools such as proxy rotators increases the chances of successfully scraping vast amounts of data in large-scale operations.
Conclusion
Datacenter proxies have advantages that, when leveraged, can translate to success when extracting data from websites at a lower cost. These advantages are primarily seen when using dedicated datacenter proxies. They include a wide IP network pool and the fact that private datacenter proxies are secure, fast, and available in multiple locations.