Using a proxy server to change your IP address and increase privacy can get costly. That’s why it’s not a good idea to purchase proxies for one or two use cases. You want a proxy server that will be versatile in as many scenarios as possible.

Your best bet is residential proxies. With their highly legitimate IP addresses, these proxies are sure to handle almost any task, but they aren’t without drawbacks. Let’s explore the best setup of residential proxies for versatile online usage.

Residential internet connection

As opposed to a commercial one, a residential internet connection is assigned to a specific household. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are responsible for verifying each residential IP address, which means that every such IP is unique and has a physical device using it.

When you set up a home router with such a connection, each website you visit will be able to see the name of your ISP and your approximate location. The commercial connection will not show this information, so every website will see that it’s not a residential connection. 

Most internet users are surfing the web with a residential or mobile connection. It’s the larger part of paying customers on e-commerce websites, social media, and everywhere else. Showing your geolocation and the name of your ISP while surfing is necessary for the connection, but it’s also a privacy hazard.

The best way to protect your home connection is to conceal your IP address by routing the connection through a third-party server in a different location. Proxies achieve this purpose well, but if you choose a commercial connection (a Datacenter proxy, to be exact), websites will notice that you are not their ordinary visitor.

You want to avoid this to get a versatile proxy connection useful for most online tasks. Residential proxies achieve this by using IP addresses from other residential areas. Providers run physical household devices, such as PCs, with IPs verified by ISPs.

So, if you use a residential connection proxy from Spain, the websites you visit will view you as another ordinary customer from Spain. This is less likely if you choose a commercial server to route your traffic.

Types of residential proxies

The source of the IP address does not entirely determine the proxy server type. As with all other proxies, residential ones highly depend on how the provider sets them up. You can make most of these decisions yourself while purchasing a proxy. One of the most important ones is the location.

Residential proxy location

Residential proxies are known for their ability to target specific locations accurately. In densely populated areas with lots of IP addresses, residential ISPs verify connections on a neighborhood basis. So, you can get a residential proxy connecting from a specific part of New York, for example.

Location is important not just for raising legitimacy but also for ensuring good performance. Even a faster proxy running on a server and a high-speed connection can be surpassed by a residential proxy running a few miles away. 

Keep the location choice in mind when comparing other proxy types to residential. Sometimes, a residential proxy might be the best option for performance just because of its nearby location.

Private or shared residential proxies?

Residential proxies also differ by how many users can access them simultaneously. If one user has exclusive access to the IP address at all times, the proxy is private. If there are multiple users who share the bandwidth, such proxy is shared.

I recommend choosing private residential proxies. Shared ones have a few major disadvantages that make them unsuitable for residential proxies. Firstly, it’s performance. Shared proxies will be slower as there are more people using the same device. Household equipment and internet aren’t ready to deal with big loads, so residential proxies suffer from sharing considerably.

There’s also the issue of legitimacy and IP blocks or other restrictions. Some proxy users are careless and ban IPs on certain websites by breaking their terms and conditions. Residential IPs are unlikely to be banned without misuse, so sharing them defeats the purpose in many cases.

Static residential proxies

Whether shared or not, proxies can also be adjusted to change their IP addresses. It’s common to use datacenter proxies, for example, by purchasing a large pool of IPs and rotating them after a short period. Residential proxies can also be set up in such a way, but it’s rarely recommended.

Rotating different residential IPs, even if you have private access to them, will be inefficient performance-wise. Starting a new connection every 30 minutes will just slow you down, whereas using one residential proxy for 24 hours will lower possible downtimes.

Additionally, most websites will trust you more if the same account will perform actions from one residential IP address for a longer time. After all, this is what an ordinary visitor is more likely to do.

Some providers can also ensure that a static residential proxy will remain in your control for even longer. Weeks, months, or even half a year is among the possible choices with static residential proxies.

Should you try free residential proxies?

Lastly, there is the question of price. Residential proxies are among the most expensive online privacy measures. They can cost double what a datacenter proxy or a VPN costs. Still, in some cases, they are the best choice, as they have the best legitimacy and can be integrated into various software, such as anti-detect browsers.

But there is little use for expensive residential proxies if you don’t know whether they will work for your use case. That’s why it’s a good idea to try free residential proxies from a reputable provider before spending any money.

Wrapping up

A residential proxy connection is better than a commercial one because it will not arouse so much suspicion. But choosing a residential proxy doesn’t end here – there are also other subtypes to explore. A private static residential proxy is the best choice in most cases.