You might have heard that many companies utilise proxies to up business operations. They help to prevent data breaches, facilitate remote work and are arguably more vital now than ever. However, on a personal level, proxies might benefit you in various ways. They assist in breaking down several obstacles and provide numerous advantages to elevate your online experience to the next level.

What your ISP knows about you

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can monitor anything you do on the internet. They can monitor the websites you visit, how long you stay on them, the content you watch, the device you use, and your geographic location. This information is used for a variety of objectives depending on where you are in the world, including building consumer profiles for sale to third-party advertisers or imposing online censorship on behalf of governments. Of course, your ISP also knows your IP address. This is the unique address that identities your device and where you are connecting to the internet from. Thankfully, masking your IP address with residential proxies is a way to protect your online activity from prying eyes.

This may sound like an invasion of privacy, but this is normal practice as all your network traffic goes through your ISP which can see all unencrypted traffic. Collecting your browsing history is a revenue stream and this wealth of information could include private financial or medical information.

It’s not just your ISP either

Apps such as TikTok have been under fire for collecting users’ personal data for advertising purposes. Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger collect personal data such as contact information, browsing history, financial information and location. These platforms are all owned by Meta, who are facing record fines over privacy violations in South Korea.

What is a proxy server?

A proxy server functions as an online mediator. In a word, a proxy server acts as your Internet bridge when you don’t want (or are unable to) connect directly to websites. Such proxies have the ability to improve your security and privacy while also allowing you to evade content filters and geo-blocks. In certain conditions, they can also cache website material and make it load faster.

You may have heard of two proxy types – datacenter and residential. Datacenter proxies are

not affiliated with an ISP, meaning they belong to a specific device or address. However, this is very obvious to most companies, who then block connections from these artificial addresses.

On the other hand, residential proxies are more reliable as they are tied to real residential IP addresses. Residential proxy networks are even more difficult to identify since they might employ hundreds, if not thousands, of different IP addresses. As a result, any connection request you make to your target site will originate from a new computer in a different location.

Why use a residential proxy?

There are many reasons to use residential proxies to improve your experience online:

• Better security and data protection – Proxies are an excellent way to ensure that your information isn’t vulnerable to a hacker if you’re using your device on any type of public Wi-Fi. Hackers will find it much more difficult to compromise your connection if a proxy server effectively throws them off by sending them to an IP address in a different region. Websites will also use tools such as cookies and web sessions to store your data, but a proxy server can block this.
• Faster connections – Because using proxies allows you to connect from servers all over the world, the speed with which you may access specific websites can dramatically improve. This is particularly true when playing video games such as Fortnite. If you wish to play a game hosted on a server in, say, Spain, connecting through a proxy server in Spain will provide a clearer, faster connection. As well as safeguarding your online gaming session from ​​cyberattacks, you’ll have fewer interruptions in gameplay and a more enjoyable experience overall.
• Change your location – One of the most common reasons for using proxies is to change the location from which you connect via a proxy server. Users frequently use proxies to access information or entertainment that is only available in certain regions or to combat internet shutdowns. If you are travelling to a nation where social networks or other websites that you need to access for work are blocked, you can use a proxy to stay connected and complete important tasks. Or you would like to see what Netflix offers in another country, you can change your location and browse an entirely new library.
• Online shopping – Whether it’s helping you stay ahead of the latest releases or making it easier to find the best products on sites like Amazon, proxies can improve your experience when shopping online with faster loading speeds.

The bottom line

Residential proxies are a legitimate way to improve your online experience. From protecting your online activity to providing access to restricted sites, you should consider using a proxy when connecting to the internet.

Rupali Gupta

Rupali Gupta is a blogger and professional writer who loves to write about technology and entertainment. Techzimo is one of her successful websites filled with great tech news, Know more about her on Youtube Facebook Twitter Linkedin Instagram