Proxies are central in ensuring proper protection and anonymity while online. But everyone doesn’t use the same proxy as the type of proxy you lean toward would depend largely on what kind of operations you perform online.
For instance, some people perform highly sensitive operations requiring well-guarded internet protocol (IP) addresses and locations. These people may then need to use dedicated or private proxies to ensure that the reputation of their IPs is always intact as they surf the web.
Such reputation is not necessary for other users as their operations may need to be at a much lower cost. For this group of people, a semi-dedicated proxy would suffice.
Then some are looking for free proxies that are not overly secured and do not need a reliable connection to get things done. For these people, a public proxy would serve just fine.
Today, we will be looking at dedicated IP vs. shared IP to discuss what each is and what areas you can use them in. Also, you can read the article here for a more in-depth understanding of the topic.
What Are Dedicated Proxies?
These are also known as private proxies and are defined as proxies dedicated to serving just one user. Two people do not share them, and one user uses their IPs until they decide to change to a different IP.
Then the IP they switch from can be allocated to a different user but only after the first user has switched from it.
To this end, dedicated proxies are well known for being more secured and more exclusively. They are also the most reliable class of proxies in the market, hardly dropping a connection since they have a minimal workload.
What Are The Benefits of Dedicated Proxies?
There are several benefits to using a private or dedicated proxy, and below are some of the most common benefits:
- They Are Faster
No other group of proxies is faster than those used exclusively by one user at a time. For one, the traffic is coming from one person and can be largely controlled. This gives the tools unprecedented speed.
- They Offer Absolute Control
Sharing a proxy can directly translate to sharing problems. For instance, if you use the same proxy and IPs as a cybercriminal, their actions can indirectly affect you.
Private proxies allow the user total control over what is done with the proxy, and this helps to boost online security and prevent you from suffering from any unwanted consequences.
- They Are More Stable and Reliable
Private proxies are more secure, and this makes them more reliable. You can trust your proxy to get the job done quickly and efficiently since you only use it.
Connections with dedicated proxies are also more stable and hardly lag or drop.
What Shared Proxies?
Shared proxies are also sometimes called semi-dedicated proxies and can be defined as proxies shared by 2 to 3 people at a time.
They are not as private but are not public tools either. It means that while you can enjoy all the benefits of the proxy, you won’t also be sharing it with everybody on the internet.
Therefore, this gives it some attributes of both a private and public proxy, i.e., it is more reliable and stable but affordable at the same time.
What Are The Benefits of Shared Proxies?
Shared or semi-dedicated proxies also have their benefits and reasons why people all over the world use them, and below are some of them:
- They Are Cheaper
If you are looking for stable yet affordable proxies, your best bet is a semi-dedicated proxy.
They may not be on top of the list of the most stable proxies, but anyone can afford them, and they still get the job done.
- They Are Stable
This is not in comparison with private proxies but public proxies. Shared proxies are stable and reliable and can deliver traffic back and forth without breaking, as is common with public proxies.
- They Are Secure
Again, this comparison is with public proxies and not private proxies. Shared proxies are safer to use than the public ones in the market.
Additionally, sharing a proxy with a reputable individual can score you good points on some servers and websites, giving you more reputation than you may have built.
Specific Web Scraping Areas Where You Can Use Either Proxy
To compare dedicated IP vs. shared IP, it is necessary to establish the different scenarios in web scraping when you should use a private proxy and when you should use a shared proxy.
Because dedicated proxies are faster and more stable, you can use them during large-scale web scraping requiring the extraction of an awfully large amount of data regularly.
But smaller operations of web scraping that only extract a medium amount of data from easy websites can be done with shared proxies.
Conclusion
You will need to know about a proxy before you invest in it. If you need a fast and stable proxy for larger-scale operation, then a dedicated proxy should be your first choice. But be warned that these proxies can be quite expensive.
However, if you are looking for something more affordable but with a relative measure of stability, security and reliability, you may be better off with a shared proxy.
