David Morey 
Rotating, static, and ISP residential proxies are commonly mixed into the same type, but there is a difference in the origin of the IP address. This distinction helps us to make an informed choice based on the pricing model, speed, and legitimacy. This article is a short guide on how to make a purchasing decision wisely.
What are residential proxies?
Residential proxies are commonly defined as IP addresses sourced from common households. Every such IP address is based in a residential home area and uses a connection (WiFi or landline) verified by an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
In this context, such verification means that every website you connect to can see you are a residential internet user. This is evident from your IP location and the name of your ISP, both of which are residential. Unlike data center proxies, residential IPs cannot be created virtually.
One device cannot create a host of multiple virtual machines and source dozens of IP addresses this way. But, for one residential IP address, an actual home device must be operating. Usually, it’s an ordinary laptop or PC. Sometimes, it’s a smartphone, but calling these mobile proxies is more frequent.
Such a setup makes residential proxies the most legitimate proxy type. Every website will view you as a residential visitor from a specific location of your choice. You’d have to try to ban such a premium residential IP address. But there are downsides.
Residential proxies are slower than those from professional data centers. They are also more expensive, as providers must go to great lengths to find people willing to share their connection. Specific software solutions must be developed, and the participants must be adequately compensated for their efforts.
Residential IP rotation
By default, most residential proxies are rotating, which means that the IP address you have access to will change after some period. What’s worse, these IP addresses are shared between different users. You get half an hour with one IP address, then it automatically changes, and you connect to another.
The IP address you previously used is now used by a different person with access to the same IP pool. In a strict sense, this isn’t a shared proxy, as only one user can access the IP address at a time. But the drawbacks can be the same.
Suppose someone bans a proxy IP address on Facebook. When it comes to using the IP, you will not be able to access this platform. You haven’t used the IP concurrently with the perpetrator but must suffer the consequences. Of course, the chances are slim, and good providers offer a few tools to solve this.
You must look for a proxy provider with literally millions of IP addresses. Then, the chances of getting blocked IPs are highly reduced. Also, you must be able to use the so-called sticky sessions, which allow you to use one IP address for up to 24 hours. However, more than this might be needed, and one must purchase a static residential proxy.
ISP and static residential proxies
In networking, the term ‘static’ is more common when referring to static IP addresses. Unlike dynamic ones, static IPs retain the same character string indefinitely once assigned. This allows users to perform many advanced online tasks with these IPs, such as host websites or create remote access points.
Dynamic IPs are not changing in the same way as rotating proxies are. The ISP changes Dynamic IPs, which also ensures that everyone on the internet knows it’s the same visitor, just that its IP address was changed. Rotating proxies changes the IPs without informing the web server.
In practice, this means that you will appear as a different visitor, which might sabotage your efforts to remain undetected. It might also log you out of your accounts or disable some time-sensitive actions. So, if you want to manage social media accounts or perform bulk purchasing, you need a static proxy.
A static proxy has an IP address that does not change as long as you are connected to it. You can purchase multiple IP addresses and assign them to different accounts. You can create your own rotating pool using special software that no one else can access.
Some providers call them ISP proxies, alluding to the fact that these proxies come from genuine internet service providers (ISPs) in residential areas. In most cases, they are static and private, making them the most premium proxy type entangled by various marketing gimmicks. That’s why it’s best to look into what exactly is included in the price.
How do you choose a residential proxy?
Even a cheap static residential proxy is better than a rotating residential proxy because you have more control over one IP address and can access it for longer. However, this depends on your use case. Consider looking into three factors to avoid getting lost in the terminology.
Pricing model
If the proxy you purchase is priced per IP address and has unlimited bandwidth, then it’s a static residential proxy. If it’s priced per gigabytes transferred, then it’s a rotating residential proxy.
Location choice
ISP proxies will usually have fewer location choices, and you must pay for each IP address from a different location.
Rotating residential proxies will have more but less stable targeting options.
Use cases
Proxies dedicated to a specific application, such as sneaker copping, web scraping, or social networking, are usually static residential proxies tested for specific websites. Preparing rotating proxies for this is not useful, as users won’t use them for long.
Conclusion
This short article aimed to untangle the terms – rotating, static, and ISP residential proxies. Understanding them and a few main criteria is enough to start using these proxies in various projects.
