Residential vs ISP vs datacenter proxies
What separates rotating residential, static ISP and datacenter proxies — who owns the IP, whether it changes, how you pay — and which one Proxy302's own presets pick for each job.
What Is a Proxy Server? How It Works and Which Proxy to Buy
A proxy server is a middleman: your request goes to it first, and the website sees the proxy's address instead of yours.
A proxy in plain words
Without a proxy, your computer talks to a website directly and the site sees the IP address your internet provider gave you. With a proxy, the request first goes to the proxy server, which sends it on in its own name and passes the answer back. To the website, the visitor is the proxy: its IP, its country, its network.
MDN describes a proxy server as an intermediate program or computer that intercepts requests and serves back responses. A forward proxy is the kind you choose to reach the internet; a reverse proxy sits in front of a website and receives requests for it. Proxy302 sells forward proxies.
What happens to one request
Your app connects to the proxy
The browser, tool or script has the proxy's host, port, username and password, and opens its connection to the proxy instead of the website.
The proxy checks your login
A paid proxy first asks for the username and password. Without them an HTTP proxy answers 407 Proxy Authentication Required and a SOCKS5 proxy rejects the login — exactly what our gateway did in our test.
The proxy connects to the website
An HTTP proxy reads the address from the request; for HTTPS it opens a CONNECT tunnel and then only forwards the encrypted data. A SOCKS5 proxy relays any TCP connection after a short handshake.
The answer comes back
The website answers the proxy and the proxy answers you. The connection the website sees comes from the proxy's IP.
See it yourself: your IP with and without a proxy
curl -q --proxy "" https://ipinfo.io/json
curl -q --noproxy "" --config proxy302.conf https://ipinfo.io/jsonThe first command shows your own IP and country, the second the proxy's. proxy302.conf holds the proxy address and login; the setup guide shows its two lines. On Windows run the commands in Command Prompt (cmd.exe).
Kinds of proxies you will meet
| Item | What it is | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| HTTP proxy | Understands web requests; for HTTPS it opens a CONNECT tunnel | Browsers, extensions and most tools |
| SOCKS5 proxy | Relays any TCP connection after a handshake; login per RFC 1929 | Scripts, antidetect browsers, apps that support SOCKS5 |
| Rotating residential | Home-broadband IPs that change per request or hold a sticky session | Collecting public data, checking prices and search results |
| Static ISP | A fixed IP registered to an internet provider, unchanged for the lease | Accounts, shops and antidetect browser profiles |
| Datacenter | A fixed server IP in a data centre | APIs, testing and bulk jobs without logins |
| Forward or reverse | A forward proxy is chosen by you; a reverse proxy stands in front of a website | Proxy providers sell forward proxies |
The full comparison of residential, ISP and datacenter proxies — who owns the IP, whether it changes and how it is priced — is in its own guide.
What people use a proxy for
| Item | Proxy that fits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Several accounts, each from its own IP | One static ISP IP per account or browser profile | Accounts that share one IP show the platform the same address |
| Seeing ads, prices or search results from another country | Rotating residential with country and city targeting | You see what a local visitor sees |
| Collecting public data at scale | Rotating residential, or datacenter for API-style jobs | Requests spread over many IPs instead of one |
| Testing a site or API from other regions | Datacenter or rotating residential | You reach the service from where your users are |
Office networks also use proxies for filtering and caching; those are set up by the network administrator and are not what Proxy302 sells.
Is using a proxy safe?
A proxy sees which sites you connect to, and it could read anything sent without encryption. So two things matter: use HTTPS — then the proxy only forwards an encrypted tunnel it cannot read — and use a provider you can identify. A free open proxy without a login can be used by anyone, and you do not know who runs it.
Proxy302 proxies require a login: in our test the HTTP port answered 407 without credentials and the SOCKS5 port rejected wrong ones. A proxy changes your IP but not your cookies, logged-in accounts or browser settings, so for several accounts use a separate browser profile and IP for each.
Which Proxy302 proxy to buy
| Item | Rotating residential | Static ISP | Datacenter |
|---|---|---|---|
| The IP | Home IPs, new per request or sticky for a session | Fixed for the lease | Fixed server IP |
| Billing | Per GB: from US$1.50/GB, minimum 1 GB | Per IP and lease term; up to 100 IPs per order, each charged separately | Per IP and lease term; up to 100 IPs per order, each charged separately |
| Protocols | HTTP and SOCKS5 | HTTP or SOCKS5, chosen when you buy | HTTP or SOCKS5, chosen when you buy |
| Good for | Data collection, price and search checks | Accounts and shops | APIs and testing |
Prices are from the price list on 18 October 2026, in US dollars; per-IP prices are on the pricing page. There is no free trial: the smallest orders are 1 GB of traffic or one IP for one day.
Where to go next
Ready to connect? The setup guide shows the system proxy, curl and code options with the same credentials, and the proxy check guide shows how to confirm the exit IP, country and network.
Proxy server FAQ
What does a proxy server do?
It receives your app's requests, sends them on to websites from its own IP and returns the answers. Sites see the proxy's address and location instead of yours.
Is a proxy the same as a VPN?
No. A proxy is set in an app or in the system's proxy settings and handles the connections that use it; each app or profile can get its own IP. A VPN is a tunnelled, usually encrypted network link that carries traffic as a separate network would.
What is the difference between an HTTP and a SOCKS5 proxy?
An HTTP proxy understands web requests and tunnels HTTPS with CONNECT; SOCKS5 relays any TCP connection after a handshake. On Proxy302, HTTP uses port 2222 and SOCKS5 port 3333.
Is a proxy server free?
Some public proxies are, but anyone can use them and you usually cannot tell who runs them. Proxy302 has no free trial; the smallest orders are 1 GB of residential traffic or one IP for one day.
How much does a proxy cost?
Rotating residential from US$1.50/GB on the Budget line, minimum 1 GB. Static ISP and datacenter IPs are priced per IP and lease term on the pricing page.
Does a proxy hide who I am?
It changes the IP a site sees. Cookies, logged-in accounts and browser settings still identify you, so keep each account in its own browser profile.
Read next
SOCKS5 proxies
SOCKS5 on all three lines: rotating residential from US$1.50/GB, static ISP and datacenter IPs per IP and term. Port 3333 with username and password, and the errors you see when a setting is wrong.
Check a proxy's IP, country and ISP
Check the exit IP, country and ISP your proxy really gives you in 30 seconds — and why IP databases disagree on the city. With our own test of three lookup services.
Buy proxies
Rotating residential proxies in 195+ countries from US$1.50/GB. Fixed static ISP and fast datacenter IPs per IP and term. HTTP and SOCKS5, pay as you go, no subscription.
Pricing
Residential proxies from US$1.50/GB, static ISP IPs US$7.99 and datacenter IPs US$3.99 per month. Pay as you go, no subscription.
Reference links
9
- MDN Web Docs glossary: Proxy server
Official documentation · Confirmed on:
- RFC 9110: HTTP Semantics — intermediaries, CONNECT and 407 (2022)
Official documentation · Confirmed on:
- RFC 1928: SOCKS Protocol Version 5 (1996)
Official documentation · Confirmed on:
- RFC 1929: Username/Password Authentication for SOCKS V5 (1996)
Official documentation · Confirmed on:
- NIST glossary: virtual private network (VPN)
Official documentation · Confirmed on:
- Our test of the Proxy302 gateway without a login
Local example · Confirmed on:
18 October 2026, 04:31 UTC, from a network in Singapore: the HTTP port 2222 of proxy.proxy302.com answered "407 Proxy Authorization Required" to a request without credentials, and the SOCKS5 port 3333 asked for a username and password and rejected wrong ones.
- Proxy302 product facts and price list
Product observation · Confirmed on:
Product facts file of the site, checked on 18 October 2026: three product lines, protocols, no free trial, residential prices per GB; the smallest orders are 1 GB or one IP for one day. Console source re-read on 22 October 2026: a per-IP order takes a Quantity of 1 to 100, and each IP is bought and charged separately.
- Proxy302 pricing
Product observation · Confirmed on:
- Proxy302 console and setup guide
Product observation · Confirmed on:
Read on 18 October 2026: the setup guide teaches proxy302.conf (proxy and proxy-user lines) with the two comparison commands; the console onboarding tells users in mainland China to start the helper tool first.
Ready to try it?
Create an account, top up once, then pick rotating residential, static ISP or datacenter IPs and have one running in your browser within minutes.