Semi-Dedicated Proxies: What Are They?

Flipnode on Apr 24 2023

A semi-dedicated proxy is a proxy type that is not as well-known as others but offers certain advantages of private proxies while avoiding some of the drawbacks of shared proxies. With numerous proxy types having their unique configurations, it can be challenging to navigate through them all to select the appropriate one for specific requirements. To simplify this process, we have previously discussed private and shared proxies. In this article, we will elaborate on the concept of semi-dedicated proxies, the benefits they offer, and the challenges that come with using them.

What are semi-dedicated proxies?

Semi-dedicated proxies are a type of proxy that is typically shared among a small group of users, usually no more than three. As a result, these proxies serve as a compromise between private and shared proxies.

Unlike private proxies, semi-dedicated proxies are not exclusive and are shared among multiple users, which can result in decreased speed and other issues. However, they are a more affordable option than private proxies and offer significantly better performance than shared proxies.

Semi-dedicated proxies for business use

If you're in search of proxies for your business, semi-dedicated proxies can offer a happy medium for smaller projects. They provide more capabilities than shared proxies while being more affordable than private ones. This option enables you to experiment with more features at an accessible price point.

However, if you're handling heavy-duty data extraction processes, you need top-notch resources to guarantee optimal performance and speed. Semi-dedicated proxies may not be able to provide such capabilities and are more suitable for less complex use cases.

Benefits of semi-dedicated proxies

We have previously discussed the advantages of semi-dedicated proxies as a middle ground between shared and private proxies. Let's take a closer look at the main benefits of using these proxies:

Affordable cost. Semi-dedicated proxies are a cost-effective option compared to private proxies, as they are sold to only a few users. This allows proxy providers to offer lower prices for their services. It's like sharing the cost of a premium product with a few friends, making it a win-win situation.
Support for HTTP and SOCKS protocols. While this feature depends on the type of proxy and not on its shared or dedicated nature, semi-dedicated proxies can support both HTTP and SOCKS protocols. This means that even if a private proxy becomes shared among a few users, it will still maintain the same capabilities.
Increased stability. Unlike shared proxies, semi-dedicated proxies are shared among a small group of users, which makes them more stable. The IP address is used less frequently, resulting in higher business performance.
Bypass geographic restrictions. This benefit applies to all types of proxies, including semi-dedicated proxies. Like private proxies, they allow users to access the web from a specific location, bypassing geographic restrictions. For example, SEO specialists can scrape localized SERP data by choosing a proxy for the country they want to access. These types of proxies are commonly referred to as SEO proxies.

While semi-dedicated proxies offer many advantages, their effectiveness largely depends on the user's needs and the service provider's reliability.

Challenges of using semi-dedicated proxies

Although semi-dedicated proxies have their benefits, there are reasons why other proxy types may be more suitable for certain use cases:

The risk of the "bad neighbor effect." This occurs when sharing the same IP address with even a few other users can lead to reliability issues. For example, if one user is flagged, it can also impact the other users, resulting in being blocked or slowed down.
Potentially lower performance. Sharing bandwidth may affect performance metrics compared to private proxies that provide dedicated access to the IP. While this may not be an issue for some users, it's something to consider when choosing a proxy type.
Not ideal for large-scale projects. Heavy-duty data collection requires top-notch resources and performance capabilities, making private proxies the recommended option for large web scraping operations.

Professionals choose private proxies

Semi-dedicated proxies, though a good option for many use cases, may not be ideal for business use due to their shared nature. Thus, opting for private proxies over shared or semi-dedicated ones is the best way to capture publicly available information from the most difficult targets on the internet.

Here are the main benefits of using private proxies:

High proxy speeds. Since private proxies are exclusively assigned to a single user, there are no traffic limits or risks of exceeding them. For example, our Datacenter Proxies offer high uptime and speed since each proxy is allocated to one user at a time.
Stability and security. One of the primary benefits of private proxies is that they are dedicated to a single user, ensuring that no one else shares them simultaneously. The complete ownership of a proxy ensures greater stability.
Ideal for large-scale web scraping projects. The term "large-scale" indicates the need for substantial bandwidth and traffic requirements. Therefore, it is preferable to use private proxies for heavy-duty data acquisition tasks that require a fast and dependable scraping process. While private proxies may be more expensive than shared or semi-dedicated proxies, the benefits they offer are well worth the cost.
Unlimited targets. Private proxies are ideal for specific business needs and enable the collection of publicly available data from even the most difficult targets.

Wrapping up

While semi-dedicated proxies can be a cost-effective solution that provides better performance than shared proxies, businesses with large-scale data-gathering operations may find private proxies a more suitable option.