Residential Proxies: Types, Benefits, and Setup

Datacenter IP addresses are generally cheaper and often provide high connection speeds. However, they belong to server infrastructure and therefore differ from IP addresses assigned by regular Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

Residential Proxies use IP addresses from ISP networks and have network characteristics similar to regular home connections. This makes them suitable for managing multiple accounts, web scraping, marketing research, and checking content from different regions.

Benefits of Residential Proxies

Authenticity

Residential Proxies use IP addresses associated with regular ISP networks. To a website, such a connection appears to originate from the corresponding ISP network rather than from typical datacenter infrastructure.

IP Reputation

A residential IP may be less commonly associated with server infrastructure than a Datacenter Proxy. However, this does not mean that every residential IP automatically has a good reputation. A particular address may have been used by other users in the past and could appear in various risk databases.

Privacy

A Proxy replaces the public IP address visible to a website with the address of the Proxy server. However, a residential Proxy does not provide complete anonymity. Websites may also analyze Cookies, Browser Fingerprint, account data, and other signals.

Geolocation

Residential Proxy providers typically offer IP addresses from different countries and regions. This allows users to select the required IP Geolocation for website testing, checking regional content, and other tasks.

Different Use Cases

Residential Proxies can be used for web scraping, marketing research, accessing regional services, and other tasks where an IP address from a regular ISP network is required.

Mobile vs Residential Proxies

Mobile Proxies use IP addresses from mobile carrier networks, while residential Proxies operate through regular ISP networks.

Mobile IPs are suitable for tasks that require a connection through a mobile network, such as testing mobile services or working with the corresponding network environment.

However, Mobile Proxies can be more expensive, and the availability of specific countries and regions depends on the infrastructure of the provider.

Residential Proxies are suitable for tasks where an IP address from a regular ISP is required, including web scraping, data collection, marketing research, and checking ads or content from different regions.

Both types of Proxy can be useful depending on the task. When choosing between them, consider your budget, required geolocation, IP Reputation, connection stability, and network type.

Rotating and Static Proxy IP Addresses

Residential Proxies can generally be divided into two main types: rotating and static.

Rotating Proxies periodically change the IP address. Depending on the provider’s configuration, the IP may change after every request, at specific time intervals, or after a Sticky Session ends.

This option is convenient for web scraping, data collection, and other tasks that require working with a large number of IP addresses and regularly changing the network address.

Static Residential Proxies, on the other hand, allow you to use the same IP address for an extended period.

Many providers offer these IPs individually or in packages. A persistent IP is useful for tasks where maintaining a stable network environment is important, such as long browser sessions, account management, subscription services, and marketing tools.

The choice between rotating and static Proxies depends on the requirements of your project. If you need regular IP changes, rotation is usually more suitable. If connection stability and keeping the same network address are more important, a static Proxy may be a better fit.

UDP Support in Proxies

When choosing a Proxy, it is important to consider not only the IP type but also the supported network protocols. For regular web browsing, HTTP/HTTPS or SOCKS5 over TCP is usually sufficient. However, some applications and modern protocols use UDP.

For example, UDP is used by QUIC/HTTP/3 and may also be used by applications that rely on WebRTC and other types of real-time traffic.

SOCKS5 support alone does not necessarily mean that UDP is supported. For this, the Proxy server must support the SOCKS5 UDP Associate mechanism. If UDP is not available, the corresponding traffic may behave differently, fall back to TCP where supported, or fail to pass through the Proxy.

For regular website browsing, UDP support is not always necessary. However, if your use case depends on QUIC, HTTP/3, WebRTC, or other UDP traffic, it is worth checking this capability with the Proxy provider in advance.

Why Use a Proxy with an Antidetect Browser

Using an antidetect browser without a Proxy can be a problem when your task requires changing the public IP address.

An antidetect browser manages the Browser Fingerprint and other parameters of the browser environment, but it does not change the public IP address by itself. As a result, multiple profiles without separate Proxies may connect to the Internet through the same original IP.

For example, in WadeX, each profile represents a separate browser environment with its own local data and Browser Fingerprint parameters. Connecting a separate Proxy also helps separate the network environment between profiles. At the same time, it is important to keep IP Geolocation and related profile parameters consistent.

A Proxy does not provide complete anonymity or guarantee that anti-fraud checks will be passed. Websites may consider Browser Fingerprint, Cookies, IP Reputation, account history, behavioral signals, and other factors.

How to Set Up a Proxy in an Antidetect Browser

Choose a Reliable Proxy Provider

Start by choosing a provider that offers the required Proxy type and a sufficient selection of IP addresses. Consider the available countries and regions, connection stability, IP Reputation, support for static or rotating addresses, and user reviews.

WadeX also provides built-in residential Proxies that can be connected directly to browser profiles. This can be convenient if you do not want to search for a separate third-party provider and transfer Proxy credentials between services.

Get Your Proxy Credentials

If you are using a third-party provider, obtain the connection details. These typically include an IP address or Host, Port, Username, and Password. The exact format depends on the Proxy provider and authentication method.

Configure the Antidetect Browser

Open the required browser profile and locate the Proxy settings. Select a supported protocol, such as HTTP or SOCKS5, and enter the credentials provided by your Proxy provider.

After saving the settings, the browser profile’s traffic will be routed through the configured Proxy within the protocols it supports.

Check the Connection

After connecting, make sure to check the Proxy. In WadeX, you can use the built-in Proxy & Geo checker for a quick test. It allows you to confirm that the Proxy is available and that its geolocation is detected correctly.

After completing the built-in checks, you can also verify the IP with Whoer. The service displays your public IP, geolocation, and other network parameters, helping you confirm that the browser is using the expected Proxy and that its network details are being detected correctly.

Conclusion

Residential Proxies can be useful for web scraping, marketing research, managing multiple isolated browser profiles, and other tasks that require an IP address from a regular ISP network.

The key is to choose the right Proxy type for your specific task and consider not only geolocation, but also connection stability, IP Reputation, support for the required protocols, and consistency with the other parameters of your browser profile.