Understanding datacenter proxy benefits your business management. Not only does the insight gained evolve your in-house management, but it also enhances strategy formulation and implementation.
Indeed the pool of information on datacenter proxies is bewildering in its depth and vastness. Knowing that a proxy hides your IP address and opens doors of databases for your business is not enough. You should know the kind of resources and skills you need to exploit the benefits of this digital business option.
The need for proxies
Nowadays, companies seek to gather as much data as possible to promote their causes. In the process, your company will discover that it can be frustrating to look for crucial information, especially if you need it fast.
Some websites restrict scraping because your real IP address is from a banned geographical zone.
Another reason why your company’s server can’t scrap some sites could either be that you are using a prohibited device, or you are trying to scrap restricted data.
It becomes obvious that you need a way of concealing your IP address to scrap any website of your choice for your business intentions. That’s where a proxy comes in. A proxy is a third-party server that connects your computer to the internet and other websites while using a pseudo IP address.
You will find two types of proxies on the market: residential and data center. What are they?
- Residential proxies – these are IP addresses assigned by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to a device in a specific physical location. They reveal the real location of the device used by a user to log into a website.
- Data center proxies – these are an assortment of IP addresses sold by a secondary company that acts as a host. They do not originate from any ISP. You acquire them from a cloud service provider.
Data center proxy: What you need to know
1. Are data center proxies relevant in 2020?
Your company needs a data center proxy now more than ever. Statistics from the Federal Trade Commission indicate losses of over $1.4 billion arising from the fraud cases they processed. Research findings also revealed identity theft or phishing as the third most prevalent cybercrime with credit card fraud featuring prominently.
The 2017 report of the Identity Theft Resource Center further indicates over 158 million cases of data breaches concerning social security numbers. In light of such, note that cybercriminals continue to scale their nefarious operations exponentially with sophisticated resources.
Although going online on a proxy offers some degree of protection, beware that data center proxies are not equal in performance and nature.
Related: Learn about the best VPN's
2. Types of data center proxies
To get the most out of your data center proxy package, you can choose a dedicated proxy or a semi-dedicated proxy. Dedicated data proxies retain exclusivity since only one user can use them at a time. That will cost you more than the semi-dedicated data center proxy.
Semi-dedicated data center proxies, on the other hand, are available to several users who share them. The users access the proxy simultaneously, and they cost less than dedicated proxies. However, it is in the data center proxies that your business could experience the drawbacks of using proxies.
3. The headache of data center proxies
Despite the numerous benefits and solutions data center proxies afford your company, they could turn into your Achilles’ heel. Many websites have advanced software that identifies users accessing their servers using such proxies. If they have an anti-scraping policy, they block your server and deny you access to information that’s critical to your business.
If you opt for a shared data center proxy, any misuse of the server by any other user attracts penalties or liability to all the users on that server. That means your business could be blocked or sued for association with users who misbehave or engage in illegalities on the shared proxy.
You can imagine how much it would mess up your business if you’re sued for something that was done by someone outside your entity.
4. Paying for data center proxies
If your company handles sensitive data in its operations, you should consider avoiding free data center proxies. These are a murky world to be avoided except if you are engaging in regular browsing.
When subscribing for the proxy, opt for the exclusive or dedicated one that will protect your scraping and enhance the daily management of your operations. Consider the number of IP addresses available in the paid package to get value for money.
5. Providers of datacenter proxies
Ensure you buy your proxy from a reputable company that allows you a trial period and post-sale maintenance services. That will protect you from settling for a proxy that does not meet your needs. Look for reviews and testimonials from past users. You can also look at ratings of providers on authoritative online forums and tech websites.
Carefully use this information to help you make an informed decision when looking for data center proxies. Over to you.
