Proxies are great alternatives to VPNs. That is especially true if you want to use something more technical, specific, or resource-intensive on a network.
Of the many proxies currently on sale, residential proxies are one of the most popular categories. Some vendors even offer unlimited bandwidth residential proxies as an option, which can be a great deal in theory.
However, it’s vital to spell out what it means to purchase an unlimited bandwidth proxy. The idea of unlimited bandwidth sounds too good to be true.
What’s the deal?
What are the features and expectations that this proxy type delivers?
This piece highlights some of the doubts I had about unlimited bandwidth residential proxies. Hopefully, it will address any concerns you have as well.
Unlimited Bandwidth Residential Proxies
Basically, a residential proxy is a third-party IP address from another device. The user can then use the proxy to access networks and the Internet while looking like that other device.
These residential proxies cycle through pools of IP addresses to protect your identity. What makes them count as unlimited bandwidth is their pricing structure; users pay a fixed rate regardless of how much data they use within a given time span.
This will sound like a great idea to folks who need to use a lot of bandwidth at once. For instance, when you need to transfer a large amount of data or run an extensive scraping operation.
Doubts I Had About Unlimited Bandwidth Residential Proxies
The idea that one can have as much bandwidth as one liked with a proxy address is an excellent idea on paper, but it sounds a bit too good to be true when you think about it.
If vendors are selling residential proxies without bandwidth or connection restrictions, how are they making any profits from their services? They obviously aren’t charities, so this alone is enough to raise my doubts.
Below are some of the peculiarities of unlimited bandwidth residential proxies.
Bandwidth or Connection – Need to Choose
Once I heard of unlimited bandwidth residential proxies, I had my guard up. For such a great offer, something has to give, right?
While they might not be upfront about it, proxy vendors can’t offer unlimited bandwidth on their residential proxies without a connection restriction. They can’t break even that way and are better off putting limitations wherever possible.
One of those limitations is that users have to choose between having unlimited bandwidth or connections on their residential proxy.
That means you can only access a few ports if you have unlimited bandwidth, typically less than ten. Even further, you can’t maintain simultaneous connections on those ports.
Such an arrangement isn’t terrible in itself. Plenty of times, that’s all you need. Often, having too many moving parts at once can lead to issues. So you’ll only have one bot running at a time, anyway.
Impact on Connection Speed
Unfortunately, you should expect lower connection speeds with unlimited bandwidth proxies than premium metered services.
When really putting that unlimited bandwidth to use with a lot of high-data transfers, you may hit a monthly soft-cap. At this point, the provider will likely throttle your bandwidth.
On the whole, although vendors offer unlimited bandwidth residential proxies, they limit the connections or speed–but sometimes both.
Impact on Pricing
Obviously, providers won’t offer a product that has unlimited everything. If they claim they are, they’re probably lying.
But it turns out that unlimited bandwidth residential proxies can save a lot of money when you’re expecting to go through a ton of traffic.
However, if a project doesn’t need numerous GBs of data, you may end up overpaying by accident. That’s when a cost-per-GB model can save you some money. In those cases, metered plans may offer more connections or higher speeds at similar prices.
Mixed Quality
You might be content with unlimited bandwidth residential proxies even if you have to choose between high bandwidth and connections. But the quality is ultimately dependent on the vendor and their offerings.
You might have to pay more for a higher subscription if you want top-tier services. Even then, you’ll have to deal with concessions like no money-back guarantees.
Then there’s the issue of some vendors using their proxy servers for shady practices, which increases the chance that the IPs you get from them are already blacklisted. This is especially true for free proxies.
In all, unlimited bandwidth residential proxies are a mixed bag, and you’ll have to research the vendor before making the jump. Thankfully, Affiliate Engine has already done some of that work for you. We value integrity and only accept reliable, high-quality providers as our affiliates.
Who Does It Work For?
Sure, unlimited bandwidth residential proxies are perfect for use cases that need vast amounts of data.
But what about when your focus is on things like geo-targeting or managing social media accounts? Then you might not need to worry about bandwidth as much. In that case, it’s worth considering a small metered plan rather than paying for access to data you don’t need.
Wrapping Up
Hopefully, any concerns you had were answered by these doubts I had about unlimited bandwidth residential proxies. It can be easy to find information on why to embrace them. It is harder to find info on reasons to avoid them.
Residential proxies come in handy when executing network activities like web scraping, torrenting, and botting. These operations sometimes need massive amounts of data, which can get very expensive with metered plans. That’s where unlimited bandwidth residential proxies are suitable.
But, providers aren’t always upfront about the compromises you might have to make. You must research and choose a reputable vendor. That’s the only way to ensure you get the best deal for your money.
However, there are countless providers out there. If you want to cut down on your decision-making homework, consider our proxies with unlimited bandwidth guide.
