Even in a world of advancing technologies and increasing possibilities, there is yet the fact that companies are still not protecting themselves enough.
More data breaches occurred last year compared to the previous year. These breaches result in the loss of sensitive data, cyber-attacks, and internet marketing targeting.
None of these is a win, which is why companies need to do more and use the most sophisticated tools to keep their data safe online.
Companies that prioritize data security often use tools such as proxies when dealing with the internet. Proxies are broadly separated into two groups: residential and datacenter proxies.
While residential proxies are generally used because they offer internet protocol (IP) addresses that resemble those used by regular devices, datacenter proxies are commonly used because they are faster and more affordable.
In this brief guide, we will describe why you should use datacenter proxies and how to choose the best datacenter proxy service provider for your needs.
Why Should You Use Datacenter Proxies?
Proxies are best described as middlemen that stand between you and a public server to prevent you from having direct interaction with the server.
These direct interactions often reveal your IP and other sensitive details which are the main basis for data theft.
Instead, proxies conceal your IP and other information and route your communications through its server using its IP and location, keeping you anonymous and private.
Datacenter proxies perform this task by using a cloud-generated IP that can remain static for as long as you want.
These types of proxies are built, owned and managed by third-party companies and hence independent and unlikely to be affected by your internet connection or internet service provider (ISP).
And below are some of the most common reasons why you should use quality datacenter proxies:
1. Ad Monitoring and Verification
Ad fraud has recently become a widespread thing with your ads getting hijacked once you publish them. The hacker may steal them and use them to commit further fraud or place them on the wrong platform, denying you any gains.
Companies, therefore, need to monitor and verify that their ads are running correctly throughout the length of the campaign.
Datacenter proxies can be used to easily achieve these tasks quickly and without spending too much.
2. Web Scraping
Web scraping is the general term used for the process of automatically gathering large quantities of data from various platforms simultaneously.
The main goal of this process is to provide sufficient data for a brand to monitor and protect its business and its reputation, understand market trends, monitor competition, and craft great business intelligence.
Datacenter proxies are used for web scraping because they are easy to buy for large scale operations and able to quickly get the job done.
How to Scrape Safely with Datacenter Proxies?
There are several things to consider when scraping the internet for data. These things will help you be more efficient and stay safe while gathering data.
1. Be Mindful of the Robots.txt File
Most websites have a Robots.txt file that bears and describes the rules for scraping. The file tells you whether or not the site can be scraped and what content can be extracted and how to go about it.
Paying attention to it will save you the stress of trying to scrape what cannot be extracted as well as save you from breaking any rules.
2. Scrape Moderately
While the internet is filled with so much data, there is the need to only collect what is needed.
That a website you visit has so much content doesn’t mean you should extract everything, which would put too much load on both the site and the tools you are using.
Instead, extract moderately and only focus on what you need.
3. Schedule Scraping
Regardless of how much data you may need, it is unattainable to continue to scrape at all times.
Not only will this break the site and cause them to lose customers but it can also cost you too much and hurt your proxy.
It is important to schedule hours for scraping, that way you can come when there is less traffic on the site and extract what you need without hurting the servers.
This also gives the datacenter proxies sufficient time to rest before any operation.
How to Choose a Reliable Datacenter Proxy Provider?
Datacenter proxies as tools have a booming market presently with many internet users seeking affordable yet effective ways to stay safe online and break restrictions.
Consequently, there are several vendors out there selling different types of datacenter proxies. However, you will need to be careful which provider you choose as they are not all reliable.
Below are some tips to help you select the right provider:
1. Best Price
Some datacenter proxies are more expensive than others even though datacenter proxies are generally considered the most affordable of all proper proxies.
To choose the right provider, check the prices and ensure you are not going to spend above your budget.
2. Best Features
You can also know whether or not a proxy is meant for you by checking the features. The most important features to look out for include speed, bandwidth size, performance, uptime, and availability of IPs and locations.
Matching the features most important to you to your budget is a smart way to choose a provider.
3. Best Reviews
Knowing what others have to say about a proxy is also a great way to make a better decision. The best datacenter proxies usually have countless positive reviews describing how beneficial the proxy has helped several businesses.
Similarly, proxies with zero or negative reviews are often a bad investment.
Conclusion
You will need a proxy to stay safe on the internet, gather large amounts of data quickly, and remove the several restrictions that exist on the internet.
But choosing the right provider is just as important as using the proxy. The tips above will help you choose the right provider for the best datacenter proxies.
