Due to the increasing prevalence of mobile devices, the demand for mobile proxy services is growing year after year. In this article, we explain how mobile proxy servers work and the specific advantages of mobile proxies.
How a mobile proxy service works
Mobile proxies are used exclusively from cell phones. The user is given access to an IP address, which serves as an intermediate level to which the data traffic is first routed. Unlike conventional proxies, which use broadband cable or WLAN connections for data transmission, mobile proxies use mobile data networks.
The term “mobile proxy provider” refers to two completely different business models.
1. The first model is the so-called residential proxies, which are hosted on devices of uninformed third parties. These can be mobile, but also stationary devices. Residential proxies are unstable and only work as long as the respective owner is online.
2. Another model that is currently in vogue is the purchase of cell phones or modems and SIM cards from one or more mobile operators. Such a “mobile proxy farm” offers the chance to share the costs of proxy use among many people. The usage price is usually based on the number of IP addresses included. Alternatively, a dedicated IP address with unlimited traffic and its own API management can be rented.
Use of a mobile proxy service from the customer’s point of view
The basic principle of the mobile proxy service is approximately the same as that of a conventional proxy service (residential proxy service). The customer receives the so-called gateway IP address with a non-standard port that looks something like this:
123.123.123.123:54321
This data must be entered in the browser or bot settings. The customer then receives the IP address that corresponds to the profile settings. Contrary to residential proxy services, the selection of mobile operators and available countries for mobile proxy services is much narrower.
Advantages of mobile proxy services
Mobile IP addresses are considered particularly trustworthy. The main reason for this is that the so-called GNAT technology (short for “GPRS Network Address Translation”) is used here.
Also, each proxy is a unique device that is equipped with a separate SIM. Furthermore, mobile proxies are very fast proxies, which guarantee high running stability.
Another advantage of a mobile proxy server is that the hardware used is controlled by the mobile proxy service. The software is also controlled by the used service. Any major mobile platform, be it Android or iOS, can be emulated.
Application areas of mobile proxies
In principle, mobile proxy services are accessible to everyone. A possible field of application in the private sector is price comparison. For many internet sellers, the displayed price depends on the current location of the user. However, if a mobile proxy server is used, the actual price can be determined without blocking the user.
However, the use of mobile proxies only makes economic sense in the commercial sector – for example in the context of marketing campaigns on portals such as Instagram, Tik Tok, or Facebook. Mobile proxy servers are mainly used for the verification of links and ads. Mobile proxy servers are also ideal for ad verification, SERP and market research.
