What Are Backconnect Proxies?

Flipnode on Apr 25 2023

Web scraping enables you to gather publicly available information from websites for various purposes such as market research, price comparison, ad verification, and more. However, acquiring the necessary public data in significant quantities may present challenges when you encounter obstructions. These obstacles can take the form of IP blocking, where the request's IP address is forbidden due to its location or IP type, or rate-blocking, where the IP address is blocked because of the numerous requests made.

This article outlines how backconnect proxies offer a viable solution to address these issues.

Backconnect proxies: what are they?

A backconnect proxy is defined as a server containing a set of regular proxies that are engaged every time a request is made. Proxies are regularly and automatically shuffled so that on each request, a different IP address is sent to the website to collect the public information requested. Your masked IP address passes through a different proxy on every request. In this case, it is harder for a target website to detect your web scraping activity.

How do backconnect proxies work?

In essence, using a backconnect proxy streamlines the challenges that come with web browsing. The process is as follows:

1. You initiate a request using a masked IP address.
2. The request is routed through one of the proxies in the pool of proxies.
3. The request reaches the target website.
4. The website provides the requested public information, which is then returned to you via the same proxy.
5. You make another request, which is passed through a different proxy and reaches the target website.
6. The website once again provides the requested public information.

This process is repeated each time a request is made to the target website. By using backconnect proxies, you can make millions of successful requests per day without encountering IP blocking or rate-blocking issues.

Pros and cons of backconnect proxies

In order to gain a complete understanding of backconnect proxies, it is necessary to examine both their advantages and disadvantages.

Pros

They save time

Backconnect proxies are a popular solution for web scraping due to their many advantages. The first advantage is that they save time. This is achieved through a rotation system that assigns different requests to different proxies, allowing for multiple requests per minute without the need for manual proxy rotation.

They eliminate limits on requests

In addition, backconnect proxies eliminate rate limits, which are restrictions on the number of requests that can be made to a target website. This is accomplished by rotating the IP address to different proxies for each request made, thus avoiding being banned by the website.

They increase anonymity

Another advantage of backconnect proxies is that they increase anonymity, which is crucial for successful web scraping. Many websites ban unmasked IP addresses, so maintaining a high level of anonymity is necessary. Backconnect proxies can provide the necessary anonymity while still maintaining the power of the scraping software.

They increase the security of IP addresses

Lastly, backconnect proxies enhance the security of IP addresses by protecting against malicious content. Since the proxy stands between the user and the website server, it can filter out information containing malicious content, thus safeguarding the user's IP address and preventing malicious activities.

Cons

Backconnect proxies come with a higher cost

While backconnect proxies offer advantages such as increased security and anonymity, no limits on requests, and faster extraction time, they also come at a higher cost compared to other proxy types. However, if you're looking for a reliable and effective web scraping solution, residential backconnect proxies are a great option to consider.

They can pose speed challenges

One potential disadvantage of backconnect proxies is that they may not always deliver requests or information to your server quickly. This can impact your productivity. However, this issue usually only arises when the backconnect proxy network is located far away from your scraping server or target server. For example, if your scraping server is in Germany, the backconnect proxy server is in the USA, and your target server is in Russia, your request will go from Germany to the USA, then to Russia, then back to the USA, and finally reach your scraping server in Germany. As a result, speed issues may occur. To mitigate this, it's best to choose a backconnect proxy server that is as close as possible to your location or target server.

Conclusion

There are various reasons why web scraping is a valuable activity, and it can be a profitable venture if executed accurately. One way to enhance the web scraping process is by using a backconnect proxy, which can eliminate issues such as IP blocks and rate limits. It is crucial to select a trustworthy proxy service provider to ensure that you can fully benefit from the proxies without encountering any complications.