Proxy types
Start here if you are deciding what to buy. Residential proxies use home connections, datacenter proxies use hosting facilities, and ISP proxies sit between the two. The comparison guides go deeper.
Definitions A to Z of the proxy terms we use
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| ASN | The number that identifies an ISP's network, such as 7922 for Comcast. You can target an ASN in the username, for example -asn-7922. |
| Authentication | How a proxy verifies you may use it. Nefo credentials use a username and password, or an IP allowlist. |
| Bandwidth | The volume of data that passes through your proxies, measured in gigabytes. On Nefo you buy prepaid bandwidth and consume it as traffic flows. |
| Datacenter proxy | A proxy hosted in a data center. Fast and inexpensive, but its IP ranges are often recognizable as non-residential. |
| Exit IP | The final IP address a destination website sees for your request — the residential IP your proxy uses to reach the site. |
| Gateway | The entry point your client connects to, such as gw.nefo.net:9000. It is independent of the exit country, which you set with the country token. |
| Geo-targeting | Selecting the geographic location of your proxy IP. Nefo residential proxies can be targeted by country, and in many countries by state, city or ISP. |
| HTTP(S) proxy | A proxy that understands web requests. Convenient for browsers and HTTP clients, with HTTPS providing an encrypted connection to the destination. |
| IP address | A numerical label identifying a device on a network. Websites use it to infer approximate location and to distinguish visitors. |
| ISP proxy | An IP address issued by an internet service provider but hosted in a data center, combining ISP ownership with server-grade stability. |
| Non-expiring bandwidth | Prepaid bandwidth that remains in your account until you use it, rather than resetting on a monthly cycle. |
| Proxy credential | The host, port, username, and password you configure in a tool to send traffic through a proxy. |
| Residential proxy | A proxy that routes traffic through an IP address assigned by an internet service provider to a real household device, so requests appear to come from a consumer connection. |
| Rotating session | A configuration that assigns a new IP address on each request, useful for high-volume, independent lookups. |
| SOCKS5 | A proxy protocol that relays traffic at the connection level and supports both TCP and UDP, independent of the application protocol. |
| Sticky session | A configuration that keeps the same IP address for a fixed duration, useful for multi-step tasks that should appear to come from one visitor. |
| UDP | A connection type used by some apps and games. UDP works over SOCKS5 on Nefo's Pool 1. |
Frequently asked questions
Residential proxies use IPs assigned to real households by ISPs, while datacenter proxies come from hosting facilities. Residential IPs blend in with normal consumer traffic for location-sensitive tasks. See the comparison.
It means the bandwidth you buy stays in your account until you consume it, instead of resetting each month.
HTTP, HTTPS and SOCKS5. UDP over SOCKS5 is available on Pool 1. See SOCKS5 proxies.
A session that keeps the same IP address for a set time, from 1 minute up to 24 hours on rotating residential proxies. It suits multi-step tasks that should look like one visitor.