Proxy glossary
Every proxy term,
defined in one line.
20terms you'll meet while buying proxies, what each one means, why it matters, and what it costs you to get it wrong.
B
Backconnect proxy
A backconnect proxy gives you one fixed hostname and port to connect to, and behind that single entry point the provider forwards your traffic through a changing set of IP addresses.
Bandwidth throttling
Bandwidth throttling is a deliberate reduction of connection speed by the network or the provider, usually applied once you pass a data allowance.
D
Datacenter proxy
A datacenter proxy routes your traffic through a server in a hosting facility, so the IP address you present belongs to a cloud or hosting company rather than to a consumer connection.
Dedicated IP
A dedicated IP is an address assigned to one customer at a time, so nobody else's traffic leaves through it while it's yours.
Device fingerprint
A device fingerprint is an identifier built from the characteristics a browser or app exposes, screen size, fonts, time zone, language, graphics hardware and more, which together are distinctive enough to recognize the same device again.
I
IMEI
An IMEI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity, is the unique 15-digit serial number built into a phone or cellular modem that identifies the hardware itself to the mobile network.
IP reputation
IP reputation is a score that anti-fraud and anti-bot services attach to an IP address, based on who operates the address and what behavior they've previously seen from it.
IPv4 vs IPv6
IPv4 and IPv6 are the two addressing systems in use on the internet: IPv4 addresses are 32 bits long and written like 203.0.113.5, while IPv6 addresses are 128 bits long and written like 2001:db8::1.
P
Proxy authentication
Proxy authentication is how a proxy server verifies that you're allowed to use it, normally either with a username and password or by checking your own IP against a whitelist.
Proxy port
A proxy port is the number you connect to alongside the proxy's host address, the 8080 in 1.2.3.4:8080, and it tells the proxy server which of its services should handle your connection.
R
Residential proxy
A residential proxy routes your traffic through a device on a home internet connection, so the site you reach sees an IP address that belongs to a consumer internet provider.
Rotating proxy
A rotating proxy changes the IP address you present, on a schedule, on demand, or on every new connection, so a run of requests doesn't all come from a single address.
S
SOCKS5
SOCKS5 is a proxy protocol that forwards raw network traffic between you and a destination without interpreting it, which lets it carry any kind of connection rather than just web requests.
Sticky session
A sticky session is a proxy connection that deliberately keeps the same IP address for a set period, so every request in that window comes from one address.
Subnet ban
A subnet ban is a block applied to an entire range of IP addresses at once, so every address in the range is refused, not only the address that triggered it.
Want the longer version?
The glossary defines terms. The blog explains how they fit together, start with what a 5G mobile proxy is or mobile proxies vs residential proxies.
See pricing