Different types of proxies work for different tasks. Some offer high connection stability and maximum speeds, which can also be a drawback in specific narrow-use cases. Others may have lower connection stability and weaker speeds, which can actually be advantageous depending on the situation. In this article, we will discuss everything about server proxies and compare them with other proxy types: mobile and residential.
What Are Datacenter (Server) Proxies?
As the name suggests (along with mobile and residential proxies mentioned above), server proxies are tied to certain types of devices.
Datacenter proxies, also known as DC or server proxies, are proxies that operate on IP addresses owned by hosting companies (hosts) and companies that own their own data processing centers.
Server proxies should not be confused with ISP proxies. The latter operate on addresses of local internet service providers and addresses belonging to companies and legal entities. The main difference is the volume and bandwidth discussed.
Most data centers are clusters of powerful and productive servers. Therefore, almost all data centers have a wide access channel, access to main channels and/or traffic distribution points (these are nodes where several main channels accumulate). A single data center (data processing center) may frequently have several parallel channels with speeds ranging from 1 to 100 gigabits. Impressive, right?
Data centers manage a small pool of IP addresses, which are issued to hosting clients or used for their own needs. Websites, online services, network games and other web applications operate based on these addresses.
Due to their wide access channels and reliable infrastructure, datacenter proxies operate for as long as possible. Disruptions are virtually unthinkable. Traffic limiting or address rotation are rarely used here.
How Datacenter (Server) Proxies Work
Server proxies work just like any other type of proxy - using specialized software (the server component of the proxy server). However, they have their own unique characteristics.
Main Features of Datacenter Proxies
- The proxy server is launched on either a physical or a virtual server. To do this, you need to pay for hosting services and get an IP address to use;
- This server acts as a pivotal node for constructing more complex network configurations (meaning it can be part of networks of interconnected proxies). It can also operate independently;
- Since the addresses are used for operating websites and web applications, they do not interfere with connections to private users, that is, with owners of desktop PCs or mobile devices with internet access;
- For example, when parsing a site like Instagram or eBay, it's feasible that the target site could block all datacenter IPs with no impact on its work with its own clients (since no one connects to the site through a datacenter; everyone connects directly through their own communication provider);
- Private Proxy Setup: Any user can rent a server and set up their own personal proxy on it. It will be extremely fast (due to the bandwidth) and stable (without disconnections and reconnections). However, such a proxy will only work for specific tasks because IP addresses from hosting providers are easily distinguished from general traffic and are always under suspicion by anti-fraud systems.
Pros and Cons of Server Proxies
Let's summarize the main advantages and disadvantages of data center proxies.
Pros include:
- Wide bandwidth and high connection speeds;
- Often unlimited traffic or minimal costs (compared to mobile or residential proxies);
- Excellent stability - no interruptions or reconnections;
- The IP address is fixed to a specific hosting client and can be renewed for several years, resulting in static addresses.
- Along with the IP address, clients also receive computational resources (if they are hosting clients themselves), letting them set up any required proxy configuration on a dedicated or virtual server - for traffic compression, ad removal or load balancing for their websites;
- If you manage to collect a large pool of server proxies, you can use them similarly to other rotating proxy types.
- There are no technical limitations for using a datacenter proxy for business tasks.
When using server proxies, you also have to consider their cons namely:
- IP addresses of hosting companies are easily detected in the general traffic;
- Such IPs are easily blocked by anti-fraud systems because they do not carry any useful load;
- IPs from data centers are often already blacklisted by large websites and online services. As a result, the risk of being blocked while web scraping or completing other business operations significantly increases;
- The connection quality to target sites can be poorer, requiring a substantially larger pool of server IPs to compensate for unsuccessful connection attempts.
Use Cases of Datacenter Proxies
Given the characteristics of server proxies, they work best for personal tasks like circumventing blocks, balancing, cleansing and compressing traffic. Let’s explore these applications in more detail.
Web Scraping and Data Extraction
Server proxies have always been used for scraping target websites. However, due to the high risk of being blocked, server proxies need to be frequently rotated and continuously checked for existing blocks (screening them against blacklists and spam databases).
To mitigate the risk of a rented server proxy not working with a specific site, it's essential to deploy a large pool of IP addresses immediately. This approach diversifies the risks associated with potential proxy blocks.
For the preliminary checking of a large pool of server IPs, special software—proxy managers—are used. These are generally available on a paid basis. Each program may have its own unique features and functionalities. Many free solutions are significantly outdated and no longer supported by developers.
Despite these challenges, working with server proxies can be feasible with sufficient expertise and skills. Webmasters and businesses continue to endure these inconveniences due to the cost-effective nature of server proxy traffic, which is either unlimited or very cheap. However, this economical advantage comes with the downsides like the need of constant manual rotation and high risks of blockages.
Content Delivery and Caching
In reality, data transmitted through server proxies can be of any type. Large websites and web services, however, also make use of proxy. For instance, not all traffic might pass through a proxy, but only a part of it. Static content and media files may be stored in a CDN or on dedicated caching servers. Thus, part of the data is transmitted to the client from one server, while the heavier content (like large media files) is served from a closer proxy server. This is convenient, when it comes to avoiding the need to send large data volumes back and forth across main channels (which is always a costly endeavor). Additionally, caching allows reducing the load on computational resources of the main server.
Caching proxies can also take on other useful roles. For example, they can conserve not only the bandwidth of the provider but also that of the client by compressing data at the server. This is similar to how the Opera browser used to work on mobile devices and PCs. It either fetched data from the browser's cache or downloaded it in a compressed format from its servers, saving up to 30-50% of data usage.
Bypassing Geo-Restrictions
Since proxies can operate anywhere in the world (data centers and hosting services are globally available), they can be used to bypass geographical restrictions. The key requirement is the ability to connect to the proxy itself.
The only nuance is that server proxies are best used on an individual basis. If a proxy becomes publicly accessible (with many people knowing the access details), it can quickly become overloaded or blocked due to excessive usage.
Testing Applications and Web Services
These can be load testing and bug detection tasks that aim to identify issues in design, layout, algorithmic functions etc.
Плюс, можно обкатать работу своих систем безопасности и логику срабатывания антифрод-систем, интегрированных со своим сайтом.
Additionally, proxies can facilitate the testing of security systems and the functionality of anti-fraud mechanisms integrated with a site.
Personal Tasks
Finding a clean, white-listed IP address from a data center that hasn’t been blocked by target sites makes it possible to accomplish several tasks:
- Monitoring the positions of your websites or those of competitors in search engine results;
- Seeking better deals on branded goods and services (for example, sneaker bots);
- Accessing local streaming libraries (YouTube, Netflix, HBO, etc.);
- Logging into network games or managing multiple gaming accounts at a time;
- Listening to music or using AI chatbots that are unavailable in specific countries;
- Bypassing local (ISP) restrictions on torrent traffic (via specialized shadowsocks or socks5 proxies).
All these tasks can be realized in small volumes only. Target sites can quickly detect suspicious activity and block server IPs.
Alternatives to Server (Datacenter) Proxies
The best alternatives to server proxies include:
- Mobile proxies;
- Residential proxies (based on user IPs - those who work in ISP’s networks);
- Corporate proxies (IP-addresses belong to legal entities and registered businesses that do not refer to hosting companies and internet providers.
Mind, however, that we talk about business tasks that imply a large number of inquiries and the use of automation systems.
Advantages of Mobile Proxies
- These are proxies highly trusted by anti-fraud and security systems. Since hundreds of different clients can share a single mobile IP at a time, these IPs are rarely blocked. Even if they are blocked, it's typically for a very short period.
- In case of blockages, mobile proxies allow for quick and operational IP rotation. Trusted providers usually offer a large pool of addresses, ranging from thousands to millions of IPs, facilitating easy switching.
- Precise targeting that allows for further reduction of the risk of sanctions from target sites.
Differences Between Server and Mobile Proxies:
- Server proxies are much more stable compared to mobile proxies. The IP address of a server is always online, boasting an uptime of 99.99%+;
- Server proxies typically offer higher speeds due to the data center infrastructure, which often includes multiple parallel and backup access channels;
- Traffic on server proxies is almost never metered or is significantly cheaper compared to mobile proxies, often by orders of magnitude;
- Server proxies can be rented individually and for extended periods, which is beneficial for long-term, consistent use;
- IP addresses of data centers are easily detected and blocked. They are viewed more as technical resources by target sites and do not carry "human" traffic, which makes them more susceptible to blocks.
Advantages and disadvantages of mobile proxies
Advantages of Residential Proxies
- Residential proxies maintain a high degree of trust (they use real user IP addresses, which are the primary audience for most websites);
- Quality proxy services provide a large selection of home IP addresses (up to several million). They can be rotated as frequently as needed with each new request;
- Residential proxies allow for precise targeting up to specific city or internet service provider.
Differences Between Server and Residential Proxies:
Server proxies are the most stable. They rarely go offline.
- Server proxies are always faster than residential proxies. The latter, however, also perform well (up to several tens or even hundreds of Mbps per second);
- Traffic for residential proxies is almost always metered by volume, whereas server proxies almost always offer unlimited traffic;
- Residential proxies cannot usually be rented for a long time with a static IP, whereas server proxies can;
- Home user IPs are blocked less frequently and for shorter durations, whereas data center IPs can be blacklisted for years.
Advantages and disadvantages of residential proxies
Considerations for Using Datacenter Proxies
We recommend using dc proxies for personal tasks only when the focus isn't on automation but rather on handling large volumes of content. Examples include searching for better prices on goods and services in other countries, managing multi-accounts in games or streaming video content.
Even in these cases, it's crucial to carefully monitor the quality of traffic and any automated requests (if any). Delays between requests should be substantial to avoid detection, and the requests themselves should not place undue load on the server.
If a target site detects parasitic traffic from a server IP, it may block it for an extended period, and it will be impossible to solve the problem in any other way but to find a new IP.
For large business tasks, server proxies are generally less suitable as data center IPs are easily blocked. Even with access to a large pool of server proxies and the ability to rotate them, there could be many errors and complications.
It makes sense to use mobile, residential or corporate proxies instead of them. Froxy offers access to a large volume (over 10 million IPs) of such alternative proxies with precise targeting and quick rotation capabilities.
