There are numerous proxy providers, so choosing which to go for can be overwhelming. It’s important to understand that you can’t just pick any proxy off the shelf because of the said advantages of the vendor or manufacturer. It would be best if the proxies you buy meet your specific needs.
Knowing your needs, however, requires you to answer several questions like ‘Do I need a public IP?’, ‘Which country’s IP do I need?’ etc. All the factors to consider can be tricky, especially if this is your first time buying an IPv4 Proxy. Hence, this article needs to explore everything to look out for when purchasing your proxy.
What are IPv4 Proxies?
Proxies are gateways between a specific user and the internet. Hence, IPv4 proxies are gateways that help users access the internet anonymously by shrouding the original IP address in a newly supplied IP address.
Owing to this, if a server’s administrator is trying to figure out where the traffic from your device (as the user) is coming from, it becomes more challenging. This is because the proxy provider’s IP address will be registered on the server.
The IPv4 protocol is the first and most popular internet protocol used on the internet. As the name implies, IPv4 proxies work with the IPv4 standard. Even though there’s been the launch of IPv6 in 2012, IPv4 has been able to keep a larger market share and is widely used across devices and servers.
Being widely used, IPv4 proxies enjoy great support from providers. In addition, numerous resources and utilities are also designed to ensure better performance, security, and anonymity on the IPv4 proxies than you’d get on the IPv6 proxies.
Furthermore, because most websites and online applications still use IPv4 addresses, it’s better to use IPv4 proxies. If you use an IPv6 proxy, accessing internet infrastructures that still need to upgrade to IPv6 becomes difficult. So, if you’re getting a proxy to access content on geo-restricted sites or you need to bypass online locks, go for the IPv4 proxies.
The IPv4 proxies are arguably the best ones to get as an individual, ahead of the IPv6, despite the latter being upgraded. This same claim goes for businesses, thanks to the use cases of IPv4.
Business Use Cases for IPv4
IPv4 may seem old, but for businesses that have detailed internet infrastructural strategies, it’s an asset. Here are some of the ways IPv4 proves to be highly invaluable for businesses.
Data Collection
Data is the gold of the 21st century, and IPv4 has lots of it for businesses. Companies can collect data manually or use web scraping technologies to do it automatically. Because the internet still mainly uses IPv4, businesses should optimize their web scraping for IPv4. It’s also a no-brainer that web scraping should be built with IPv4 proxies, which makes it hard for the destination server to flag the scraping traffic (view this site for an example of IPv4 proxies compatible with web scraping activities).
Targeted Advertising
Targeted advertising also becomes possible for businesses because most of the internet still uses IPv4. As a result, businesses can geo-target advertisements to pinpoint users’ relevance, increasing sales potential.
Geographic risk management
With IPv4 carrying essential data, it’s easy for businesses to geo-target content. In addition, geo-target in distribution helps adherence to restrictions, licensing, and copyright issues.
How to choose a good IPv4 Proxy Provider?
When it’s time to choose the best proxy for your personal or business use, consider these factors:
Your proxy needs
Your needs are the first factor to consider when choosing an IPv4 proxies provider. If you’re using the proxy personally, the needs will differ slightly from when you need it for a business. Hence, it would be best if you found the IPv4 proxy provider that’s best for each use case.
IPv4 proxy providers offer different types: data center proxies, residential IPs, ISP proxies, and Mobile proxies. When considering a particular provider, find out what type they are best known for.
You should also know the features you need. These can be IP rotation settings, authentication methods, or location filtering options. Know the features you need, and find a provider that offers them.
The IP pool size
The IP pool size is the number of IP addresses controlled by a provider. Considering this is important because the larger the IP pool, the better. Subscribing to an IPv4 provider with a small pool gives you fewer options. If you access highly secure websites with only a handful of proxies, it’s only a matter of time before all the IPs are flagged. Hence, the trick is to look at larger IP pools that fit your budget. You should also be careful of providers that exaggerate their pool size.
Performance
You should test how well a proxy provider performs. If the proxy infrastructure is great, performance will follow. Use the free trial option, and test all the features and functions. You can also check reviews from previous customers of the provider.
Customer service
IPv4 is still somewhat complex compared to IPv6. Hence, you’ll need all the support you can get. Even though IP proxy providers have improved at making the experience seamless for users, some mishaps can still happen.
Proxy Management tools
The management tools include; API, browser extensions, and the dashboard. During the free trial, check out how easy these tools are to use. The dashboard needs to be intuitive. The API needs to have comprehensive documentation. Finally, the extensions shouldn’t give you so many problems that you constantly contact support.
Conclusion
There are lots of shady IPv4 proxy providers out there. When searching, beyond your budget, carefully considering the factors above helps you weed out inadequate services. Also, avoid free services as much as possible; they’ll likely cause more harm than good.