Internet may seem like a great place to find and browse content, but there is no guarantee that while you are doing it, nobody is watching you. Hackers can place malware anywhere on the internet and what’s worse is that they can even disguise them to look friendly. They can also steal your private information, geographical location, and sensitive credit card data.
That’s where proxy servers come in. Using which you can not only save your data from leaking, but also add an extra layer of protection and privacy to all the activities you do on the web. In this article, we will discuss the best UK proxy servers that can be used by other countries’ residents to explore the web safely and anonymously.
What is a Proxy Server?
For starters, every computer has a unique IP address. If this IP address is continuously used, websites remember it and that data can be used to monitor your activities on the web. Also, since this IP address is unique to every computer, hackers can use it to trace your location and extract sensitive information that you enter online.
Proxy servers simply mask your real IP address, keeping your identity anonymous and preventing websites and hackers from knowing your geographical location. You can think of a proxy server as a gateway between your IP address and the internet.
Every web request that you make passes through the proxy server, and then the proxy server fetches the data from that website and redirects it to your computer. During this data transit, the proxy server can encrypt your data, thus, preventing it from leaking. It can keep your identity anonymous and prevent hackers and websites from knowing your real location.
Types of Proxy Servers
Proxies can be categorized into two, residential proxy and datacentre proxy. Both types of proxy servers protect your real identity and avoid detection of your geographical location. However, there is a fundamental difference between them that separates one from the other, which is the ISP.
- Residential Proxy
Residential proxies are basically associated with a particular ISP and issue your network with a legitimate home IP address, typically by a cable or DSL. They keep your identity anonymous but still reveal the name of the ISP provider you are using.
These are considered much safer since websites can recognize a specific residential IP address provided by the ISP. Most of the dedicated proxy users prefer using residential proxy servers as it keeps your identity anonymous, are not flagged usually, and allows you to access various geo-restricted websites.
- Datacentre Proxy
Datacentre proxies are issued to your network by a third party organization and are nowhere associated with an ISP. These proxy servers simply modify or hide your current IP address, thus preventing the websites and hackers from knowing your original IP address and geographical location.
The websites more often flag this type of proxy servers since they cannot be trusted as much as residential ones. However, if the company providing the datacentre proxy is trustworthy, then they may have various methods that avoid detection, such as having a diverse range of c-class IPs.
Datacentre proxies usually offer two types of proxy servers, i.e. semi-dedicated proxy and dedicated proxy. Semi-dedicated proxy servers are shared between a given number of users, leading to the risk of data leakage and causing speed issues. However, dedicated proxy servers are entirely private, and only one user has access to the proxy service.
How to Choose a Good Proxy Server
If you wish to use a proxy server too, then you should know how to choose a good one. There are plenty of options available, but not all of them are great. A good proxy server usually has access to many locations all over the world; having a diverse location choice is one of the top determining factors of a proxy server.
Apart from this, a good proxy server should be able to offer a large number of proxy addresses and should be able to rotate the IP address with each request. Many proxy servers are available for free or at a very affordable price. However, they either show lots of ads or monitor your web activities and record your private data.
Therefore, it is recommended that you choose your proxy server based on the proxy locations choices, the size of the IP pool, and other services offered such as dedicated proxy, security, customer support, discounts, browsing speed, etc. Make sure to go through all the features provided by the proxy server before finally deciding on which one to use.
Good proxy service providers come with a price but offer a wide range of features and services. They usually have a fast connection speed, a prominent IP pool, dedicated proxy servers, a large number of location access, dedicated server managers, and even 24/7 customer support.
Best Proxy Servers for the United Kingdom
If you are looking for the best proxy servers in the UK, it is highly recommended to choose the one which is compatible with your location and allows you to browse the internet safely, securely and anonymously. Your chosen service must provide an excellent proxy connection to the United Kingdom and have a large number of city choices to access. To check how good quality UK proxy provider might look like, check out oxylabs.io page. Apart from all mentioned above, your chosen provider should also have a dedicated customer support service for anytime support.
