Proxies are in high demand at these times since privacy and security risks continue to increase. As per Security Magazine, more than 2,200 attacks are made every day, which breaks down to almost one cyber-attack every 39 seconds. Several types of proxy servers are used, depending on the user's requirements and budget. In this post, we'll define mobile proxies, their key features, and use cases and cover how they differ from other types, residential proxies in particular, and what are some of their limitations and their possible solutions.

Mobile Proxies and Their Key Features

A mobile proxy server is a gateway that assigns a mobile IP address to a device and appears as if the user is connected to the internet through a mobile data network while masking the original address. These proxy servers are used to protect information and online activity from hackers. Additionally, they allow for a quick cache storage system which does not support direct downloads and accelerates the internet speed.

These proxies use the IP address provided by the mobile service owner, unlike other types of proxy servers, such as residential, that depend on PCs or other servers. Also, it is faster than any other proxy type because it allows for dynamic IPs that change every couple of minutes, making identification nearly impossible. Some of the key features of mobile proxy servers are as follows:

• Greater level of trust

• Enhanced performance

• Improved privacy and security

• A head-spinning level of anonymity

• Low risk of getting IP bans

• Easy access to geo-restricted content

Use Cases for Mobile Proxies

A mobile proxy can be used for a wide range of purposes, but we have narrowed it down to the key ones:

Web Scraping

Web scraping is the process of collecting massive amounts of publicly available data from websites. Mobile proxies, which are unlikely to get blocked, work great for web scraping even more than other proxy types. A mobile proxy can be used to gather pricing information from competitors' websites. A few competitors may also show different prices depending on geographic location or device in use, but a mobile proxy enables companies to obtain the whole information regardless. 

Social Media Account Management

When people log into more than one social media account using the same IP address in a short duration of time, they may appear as bots to social media operators and get blocked eventually. A mobile proxy enables people to log into different accounts from different IP addresses without being detectable.

Ad Verification

Those who run online advertisements and want to make sure that they reach the target audience can benefit from mobile proxy servers. These proxies can be used for ad verification as they can pretend to be a customer from a different geographic location and hide the real identity of the user. This is useful in seeing how the ad appears to the company's potential customers.

Access Geo-restricted Content and Anonymity

Another great use of a mobile proxy for both businesses and individuals alike is that it can be used to access geo-restricted content. One good example is any Netflix series that is unavailable in your current location. Simply connecting to a mobile proxy in that location can help people access the content seamlessly. 

Mobile Proxies vs. Residential Proxies - What's The Difference

While both mobile and residential proxies handle their users' requests and help them mask their IP addresses and geolocations to web servers, these proxies have some marked differences between them. A residential proxy is an IP address assumed to be provided by a regular Internet Service Provider (ISP), whereas mobile proxies get the addresses from mobile operators. A mobile proxy uses a mobile service provider, like Vodafone, Sprint, AT&T, etc.

Though residential proxies were in the market before the mobile proxy surfaced, their IP reputation differs from one type to another. On the other hand, mobile proxy servers enjoy the best IP reputation. Both proxies work in a similar fashion when it comes to making requests; however, a mobile proxy is harder to be identified as a proxy. Lastly, residential proxies can request a dedicated IP if required. In contrast, mobile proxy servers can be unique or private since IP addresses are always shared with others.

Challenges and Limitations of Using Mobile Proxies

Even though mobile proxy servers are the best and most effective proxy type, there are some downsides to this proxy as well. Here are a couple of major limitations of using a mobile proxy, along with some tips on how to get around them and ensure maximum benefits.

Slow Speed

Since mobile data is used for connection, mobile proxy servers are inevitably slower than other proxies, such as residential and datacenter. High network latency also occurs when this type of proxy is used. To accelerate the speed, users should avoid connecting the proxy at specific times of the day. This is because there is a time throughout the day when network providers experience increased traffic trying to connect to their towers. Due to this overload of connections, each user gets reduced bandwidth.

Expensive Price

For offering higher quality, proxy sellers charge several times more for a mobile proxy as compared to the datacenter and residential proxies. Free mobile proxy servers are also available; however, their use is certainly not recommended. This type of proxy uses already-known IPs, which leads to bans. Furthermore, these proxies are poor in quality and not secure since HTTPS is not used. One solution is to build your own mobile proxy with a reliable provider. This enables you to cut the middleman and achieve the optimum quality at a reasonable price.

Final Thoughts

Mobile proxy servers help users mask their real IP address to protect their identity and carry out different operations like performing market research, competitor analysis, price comparison, and so much more. As the number of users grows, businesses must target to keep up with the trends by making use of a mobile proxy.