Static Proxies: Weighing the Pros and Cons of Fixed IP Address Proxy Solutions
Bruce Dias 
Home users and companies hide their online identities and streamline various tasks with the help of intermediary servers known as proxies. When your traffic is routed through a proxy, you get a new IP address to mask your real one. This mechanism allows for anonymity and security that protects your personal data from being exposed.
However, not all proxy IP addresses are the same. Proxies can be static and rotating. In this article, we will look at the difference between the two. Furthermore, by analyzing the pros and cons of a static residential proxy, we will be able to highlight the situations best suited for using this type of solution.
Choosing the Rotation Type
One of the main things to know about proxies is that they come in different rotation types. First, there are static proxies that assign one IP address for the entire session. So, when you connect to a proxy server, for as long as you sustain the connection, you will have one and the same proxy IP.
These sessions are known as sticky sessions, as the IP address “sticks” to your device without ever changing. As we shall see, this ability of proxies to provide sticky sessions can come very much in handy.
The second type of proxies in terms of rotation are just that – rotating proxies. This type of proxy server will automatically change the IP address it assigns to you. The change can come either after a pre-defined period, like 5 or 10 minutes, or with every new request made to the end server.
Both rotation types have their pros and cons. As per the title of this article, here we will concentrate on the static proxies and what makes them special.
What Are Static Residential Proxies?
Proxies can also be categorized by the way they are sourced. Residential proxies are sourced from the Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and thus, the website you visit associates it with an actual organic user. Thus, it is much harder for the end server to detect that you are using a proxy when you have a residential IP.
As opposed to residential proxies, there are also datacenter proxies. These proxy IPs are different from residential, and thus, the website can tell that it is not an organic user. In this case, the IP addresses are generated by powerful servers in data centers somewhere.
A static residential proxy is a proxy network that does not rotate its residential IPs. Thus, when using this type of proxy pool, you have a residential IP address to mask yours for the entire time that you maintain the connection to the pool.
The Pros and Cons of a Fixed IP Address
Static residential proxies, just like any other solution out there, have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. The main of both are named below to help you understand if static IP is what you need for your proxy activity.
Pros
- The connection is trustworthy and stable. This makes it perfect for use cases that require sticking to one IP address for a prolonged period of time.
- Static residential proxies are reliable. You can trust that no black-listed or corrupt IP address will be used in the session when you are sticking to one well-vetted and dedicated to you.
- You can get faster speeds with static proxies. As your connection is not making any jumps between various IP addresses, you experience less lag. Additionally, there are no hindrances that might come from failing to connect to a new IP when rotating.
- It is also easier to customize your proxy when it is static. Having a private residential proxy with a static connection allows for configuring it to meet your traffic needs, for example, or block certain countries to ensure that your proxy never routes requests to servers there.
Cons
- Stable connection might come to your disadvantage when the IP address is compromised. Having one dedicated residential IP blocked will lead to hiccups in your procedures.
- Static residential proxies tend to be more expensive. This is due to the fact that maintaining a stable connection usually requires connecting to a private proxy. Additionally, residential proxies are harder to source and thus cost more than data center proxies.
- Making many requests from a single IP address might get it blocked. Thus, static proxies are less useful for large-scale automated tasks.
- A static proxy is tied to a particular location. Thus, you will only be able to access content that is not blacked in that geographic region with a single static residential proxy.
Main Use Cases for Static Residential Proxies
As we have covered their pros and cons, it is time to look at what static residential proxies are usually used for. The following tasks are often carried out with the help of this type of proxy server.
- Gaming. A stable connection is perfect for intensive online gaming.
- Sneaker copping. Sneaker bots need a stable IP to complete purchases.
- Social media account management. A stable connection of a residential IP is perfect for ensuring that your account is not banned suspecting botlike activity.
- Ad verification. Another perk of mimicking organic users is that it is easy to verify ads as they appear to site visitors from all over the world.
- Brand protection. Ensuring that your brand is not misused and protecting copyright is best done by checking all corners of the internet with a stable proxy connection.
This and many other uses for static residential proxies seal this type of proxy server’s place among the top proxying solutions.
Summing Up
Proxies come in all shapes and sizes. Some are better in one case, while another is more suited to a different task. Sometimes, you will need a dynamic proxy to hide your tracks and make multiple requests to a website.
Static residential proxies, however, also have their fair share of use cases. With a stable connection and a residential IP, you can imitate the activities of an organic internet user better. This is the foundation of what makes static proxies so versatile and useful for both businesses and private users.
