Proxy 101

Puppeteer is a Node library which controls Chrome or Chromium. It offers a high-level API for web scraping in Node.js.

This article will explain the steps needed to use a proxy in Puppeteer. But, first, let’s understand more about Puppeteer and Proxies.

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A PUPPETEER?

Here are some of the things that you can do with a Puppeteer:

• Produce screenshots and PDFs of pages
• Generate pre-rendered content by crawling a SPA (Single-Page Application)

Web scraping allows quick extraction of data from several websites.

Several businesses use it for brand monitoring, data enrichment, lead generation, and for performing marketing analysis at scale.

However, it would be best to choose a proxy for web scraping to keep your identity safe and boost your network performance.

This article will discuss what proxies are, why you should select a proxy and the different types of scraping proxies to choose for your exact web scraping needs.

IP blocking refers to preventing requests from hosts with specific IP addresses. It limits attacks, keeps your customer data safe, and reduces unnecessary loads on your server.

Blocking malicious IP addresses helps generate accurate data related to your website traffic (the number of visitors, bounce rate, average time on site, etc.).

In today’s world of government censorship and strict copyright legislation, more and more popular sites are blocking or restricting their content in different geo-locations. These geo-restrictions are making users in certain countries use a proxy service in order to guarantee free access to the content or sites they desire.

Let’s talk about some of the most popular and well-known sites you might need a proxy service to access.

First, we shall explain what an IP address is. An internet protocol (IP) address is the unique code assigned to each computer when it connects to the Internet. The IP address is used to locate the computer and enables it to communicate with other connected computers.

A static residential IP address is provided by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). This IP address is legal and legitimate and has a physical location attached to it. Residential IPs are easy to locate and usually allow ISPs or websites to collect information about your online activity.

First, we shall explain what an IP address is. An internet protocol (IP) address is the unique code assigned to each computer when it connects to the Internet. The IP address is used to locate the computer and enables it to communicate with other connected computers.

A static residential IP address is provided by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). This IP address is legal and legitimate and has a physical location attached to it. Residential IPs are easy to locate and usually allow ISPs or websites to collect information about your online activity.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) provides a secure internet connection, allowing its to access geo-restricted websites, browse securely and maintain their anonymity online.

VPN was originally created as a way to secure business networks or allow employees to access a business network from home. Nowadays, many people use a VPN connection for torrenting, streaming geo-blocked content, or guarding their data when using public coffee shop WiFi.

WHAT IS A PROXY NETWORK?

In order to explain the concept of residential proxies, we have to define what a proxy is in the first place. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a proxy server is ‘a computer system that facilitates the exchange of data between users on a network’. The main reason to use a proxy server is for greater security, for example, forwarding requests across a firewall.