Are you a citizen of the UK living abroad? Do you miss your favorite TV show back home? Or you could be an American, hoping to explore shows from other countries.
No matter the case, there may have been instances where you tried to stream a TV website, for example, Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu, and you are updated with a message that says you can not view content due to some geographical restrictions. Bummer, isn’t it?
Such platforms know where you are from by looking at your IP address and determining your location. Once they know your area, they do not let you access your desired content because it is blocked in your region. But how can you solve that issue? Let’s find out.
What is Geo-Blocking, and How to Surpass It?
The practice of restricting access to internet-based content depending on your area is known as geo-blocking. These restrictions are often based on international borders. While the method may seem unusual, it is definitely legal. And bypassing geo-blocking is also legal depending on the context, the country, and the methods that are used.
Online streaming services and media companies incorporate geo-blocking to enforce licensing agreements deal according to legal systems, specific countries, media properties, or other rules, regulations, and deals. The solution to this problem is simple: Residential Proxy.
What are Residential Proxies?
A residential IP proxy helps you conceal your IP address. With an alternative IP address, you can select your desired location, city, country, or mobile carrier. Essentially, residential proxies direct your internet traffic through an intermediary server. The proxy IP channels search requests that the users make and assign you an IP address.
With a new proxy IP, you can keep your identity anonymous and your activity concealed. The new IP address you received belongs to a different but actual device. This means your search requests will be conveyed through the resource server used by your residential proxy. So with your identity concealed, your activity is perceived as a regular user.
Primarily, proxy servers filter web traffic in corporate environments and many other reasons. But a residential proxy can also help your case of not being able to stream content due to geo-restrictions.
Imagine, if you were in the UK, and connected to a residential proxy server in America, what would happen? It would appear as if you were in America
Now that you know how residential proxies are an effective way around problems, how do you find a residential proxy that is right for you?
Tips to Finding the Best Residential Proxies
The concealed IP address has its advantages, ranging from but not limited to advertising, marketing, optimization, balancing web traffic, and of course, building and bypassing geographic restrictions.
However, the residential proxy market is ever-expanding as the need for it increases. Many providers are offering aid to hide your true online identity to save you from hacking attempts and to provide you with desired content access.
But if you are on the look around for a suitable residential proxy, then you must keep the following tips in mind to make your search easier.
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Provider’s Customer Support
It would help if you knew the customer care support your residential proxy supporter provides.
A proxy may interfere with your video streaming in certain ways. For example, when you visit different websites, your residential proxy stores data of those URLs so that they load quicker the next time you visit the webpage, which could become an issue if it’s overly done. Moreover, you can face problems with your OS, or a website may block your proxy.
The issues are highly unlikely but can still occur. And if you do not have advanced technical knowledge, you would have to contact customer care service for assistance.
So, it is ideal to find a residential proxy that fully supports their customers having usage issues.
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Consider Price Point
Budget is crucial when it comes to any purchase. Even though residential proxies are slightly expensive compared to database proxies, they provide a great user experience. Although a price point is an influential decision, we recommend not opting for cheap residential proxies as they could cause harm to your data and might not work well.
A residential proxy with a decent price point will provide you with an actual IP address, and it would work well by not getting you blacklisted from streaming sites.
However, it is important to note that residential proxies with an incredibly lower price may come with a catch and high-priced proxies often come with better qualities. Find the most trustable one that fits your budget and provides the most quality service.
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Secure Residential Proxies
It would be best to ensure that your residential proxy is secure enough. While proxies are meant to provide you with a safety net against hackers and attackers, you should know not all of them are built well.
All residential proxies do not provide equal protection. So, you must invest in the one that offers maximum security to avoid the risk of vulnerabilities.
When you carry out your online activities, you must feel safe and be assured that your network will not be exploited.
One way to access that is that it should not keep a record of your credentials.
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Check Customer Reviews
Whether you are a streamer, a social media marketer, a torrent user, or an online business, your decision to pick the right residential property will make your future activities more convenient.
It’s always a good idea to check reviews by previous customers. A provider that gives access to testimonials is always a good indication. You can find customer reviews helpful and enlightening in making a decision.
Final Words
No matter why you want to hide your IP address, with our guide, you can select the perfect one.
Now you will never miss out on your favorite shows, no matter where you are. You can also seek other benefits of residential proxies, such as data scraping, running multiple social media accounts, and uploading and downloading torrents.
Find an authentic and genuine residential proxy provider, so your identity stays anonymous, your activities continue, and you are safe from attackers and hackers.