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Private Proxies vs Shared Proxies

With the constant development of internet technologies, online security became the main topic for everyone living off the internet. As we spend so much time working and having fun on the internet, proxies provide us with much-needed online safety and security.

Without proxies, we could only talk about our privacy and safety as a thing of the past we could only dream of achieving once again. Thankfully, proxy servers are great for avoiding any mishaps on the internet and keeping us safe from many tracking tools looking to capture our data.

Regardless if you own an internet-based business or you’re simply using it for entertainment, your online presence leaves tracks that many tools can track and use to target you for marketing purposes or, in some cases, to launch cyber-attacks.

Here’s how you can prevent that from happening by choosing to invest in a proxy server and the differences between private proxies and shared ones.

Proxies explained

A proxy server is an intermediary between a user and the end-source they are browsing that channels all traffic and protocols, concealing the user’s true identity and making them safe from tracking.

Let’s put it in simple words. A proxy will act as a private server with a different IP address than yours, making you safe from everyone trying to get your location or data. Some versions of proxy servers change your IP address every time you log in instead of using a static IP address, making your identity untraceable even further.

Different types of proxies offer various services depending on how you will use them while on the internet. If you’re going to web scrape websites or just trying to enjoy your gaming experience with less lag, proxy servers could make your life easier if you choose to invest in such services.

Private proxies

Maybe you already guessed by reading the name, but let’s mention it anyway. Private proxies are those servers dedicated only to you, and no one could log in to share the same connection. 

As you would be the only one using the server, your connection times and lag would perform at their best when browsing the internet or playing games competitively. Besides having all the bandwidth for yourself, you’re also in total control of the server, and you can decide how you will use all of its features.

Use cases of private proxies

As mentioned above, gaming and browsing are common reasons to use dedicated proxy servers as they’re one of the fastest solutions and will reduce lag significantly. However, that’s not the only reason why people invest their money in such servers.

Those more interested in making money on the internet use proxy servers to keep themselves untraceable while collecting data on others or about the market. The best examples of this are web scraping and web crawling.

Using a combination of a proxy server and bot programs, you can gather a significant amount of data without being noticed.

Shared proxies

On the opposite side of private proxies, a shared proxy server has multiple users using its services. Proxy services offer these servers to those not willing to invest a substantial amount of cash for a dedicated one.

However, if you plan to use the proxy server to get the best performance, you should avoid getting a shared one as you’ll get disappointed in the end. Because you would use the same server with others, you would share the same bandwidth, slowing down the internet speed as soon as someone new logs in using the server.

Use cases of shared proxies

Use cases of shared proxies can relate to those done with a private proxy but done cheaply with less speed available.

You can forget about playing online games with a shared proxy. However, you can still use it for date mining, hiding your identity, and accessing forbidden domains in your area. Depending on your budget and your intentions, dedicated proxies will do the job right, and you can consider investing in one over a dedicated one.

Differences between private and shared proxies To sum up, here are the differences between private and shared proxies.

Private proxies:

  • The private server is only for you
  • Faster internet connection
  • Less lag
  • Higher prices compared to shared proxies
  • Full control of the usage of the server
  • Perfect for gaming

Shared proxies:

  • Sharing the server with multiple users
  • Slower speed caused by shared bandwidth
  • Lower prices compared to dedicated proxies
  • Risk of getting banned on sites because of other users
  • It will still perform well depending on how you use it

Conclusion

Learning about the differences between dedicated and shared proxies will help you decide which one to choose when investing in your internet safety.

Although our recommendation will always be to invest a bit more and get a private one for maximum performance, a shared proxy will still do the job right if you don’t ask for too much.

About the author

Torrance Mueller

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