What are managed services? Read this post to find out.
Having a digital presence has become necessary for every business’s success. Making sure that your technology is up to the task of running your business IT is essential.
Technology, however, is constantly growing and shifting, and managing it all internally, or even with a small team of IT professionals, can be prohibitively costly. This is where Managed IT Services come into play
Table of Contents
What Are Managed Services?
When we say Managed IT Services, we’re talking about a third-party vendor staffed with a multi-skilled team of IT experts that serves as your company’s IT team. When you partner with a Managed Services Provider (MSP), your outsourced IT team can manage your entire networ,k including:
Monitoring your business’s infrastructure and proactively fixing any issues as they arise
Patching software and making sure you have access to the tools you need to run your business
Data backup systems and risk management
IT Support staff that can help your employees through any technology-related breakdowns.
So what does this mean for you? It means your staff can focus on their daily tasks with minimal IT-related issues, and you can focus on what really matters, growing your business!
Which Services Are Included In Managed IT Services?
IT is a field that encompasses numerous subfields under its umbrella. An MSP focuses specifically on the maintenance and management of your business’s infrastructure. Although most MSPs offer similar services, it is essential to recognize that no two MSPs are identical.
To make sure you’re getting the support you need, research your potential MSP partners to make sure their service fits your needs, from your network’s actual requirements to run to your budgeted IT allowance.
Although there are many services that fall under the MSP umbrella, some of the main ones are as follows.
IT help desk and emergency support
Warranty Management
Software licensing
Network and process documentation
Software patch monitoring and management
Antivirus and malware protection
System maintenance
Vendor management
Why Is It Important To Use Managed Services?
When you have a moderately sized network run from your office, the most obvious choice for keeping it running smoothly is to hire an in-house IT team.
Though one person can manage the hardware in your office and assist with day-to-day troubles, when any specialty projects or expertise is called for, hiring specialists will quickly surpass your budget.
Partnering with an MSP means you have access to an entire team of IT experts for a fraction of the cost of even one IT employee
All The Amazing Benefits Of Using Managed Services
Here are all the amazing benefits of using the managed services for the IT field of your business.
Managed IT services for small businesses is cost-effective
Managing an in-house IT team means paying each individual. In addition to wages, you must also consider the cost of their equipment and benefits.
With an MSP, however, you pay one monthly fee, no benefits or salaries from your pockets at all!
Managed IT services mean better security
Managed IT includes proactive 24x7x365 monitoring. If there’s an issue anywhere in your network, they know about it and fix it before you even notice it!
Better IT expertise with managed IT services for small businesses
No one person can know everything there is to know about the technology we encounter on a daily basis. With an MSP on your side, you have a wide range of differently skilled experts available to work on any technology issue you face, included in your monthly fee.
Fewer risks and better reliability
Your in-house IT department may be physically present every day, but they don’t work in a streamlined way. On the other hand, managed services provide features such as reports and analytics, and they also maintain regular checks and balances on your system. In this way, the likelihood of an issue occurring decreases, and the reliability of your system increases.
Support you won’t get anywhere else
Suppose your IT help desk team fails to solve an issue, and you have to get services from external experts. With managed services, there is a whole team of experts always working on your system.
No sketchy basement operations are needed. Even if you need assistance above and beyond the base services covered in your agreement, they have the experience and knowledge to execute anything your company needs efficiently and securely.
Managed IT services maintain higher standards for their work
One major thing that sets a difference in the services between managed services or the in-house IT team is that there is a professional standard of work. With regular updates on progress and clear communication with your staff, they can provide thorough analytics and accurate reports about your system’s performance.
Not only does this help you understand your business better, but it also allows you to address any shortcomings in your network, taking into account your specific needs and budgets.
What Are Managed Services: Frequently Asked Questions
What are managed services?
Managed services involve a service provider assuming responsibility for specific IT functions, such as network management, cybersecurity, data backup, software updates, and helpdesk support. They essentially “manage” these areas for you, freeing up your internal IT team or eliminating the need for one altogether.
What types of managed services are available?
The range of managed services is extensive, encompassing a variety of IT needs. Some common offerings include:
Managed IT infrastructure: Managing servers, networks, storage, and other hardware.
Managed cybersecurity: Implementing and maintaining security solutions to protect against cyber threats.
Managed cloud services: Managing cloud-based infrastructure and applications.
Managed helpdesk: Providing technical support to your users.
Managed backup and disaster recovery: Ensuring data protection and quick recovery in case of disruptions.
Who benefits from managed services?
Managed services can be beneficial for businesses of all sizes. Here are some specific scenarios:
Small businesses: Lacking dedicated IT staff or expertise.
Businesses experiencing rapid growth: Needing scalable IT solutions.
Businesses focused on core competencies: Wanting to outsource non-core functions.
Businesses needing cost-efficiency: Seeking predictable IT expenses.
What are the main advantages of using managed services?
Reduced costs: Eliminate the need for hiring and managing internal IT staff.
Increased efficiency: Benefit from the service provider’s expertise and specialized tools.
Improved security: Gain access to advanced security solutions and threat monitoring.
Enhanced uptime and performance: Enjoy proactive maintenance and issue resolution.
Scalability: Easily adjust services to meet changing needs.
Final Remarks: Managed Services
Managed services are becoming more common as businesses recognize the importance of their technology’s ability to work effectively.
Their growing reliance on technology and inability to hire a dedicated in-house IT team have made managed IT services for small businesses more important than ever.
SecureTech has been operating in the San Antonio area since 2002. With our experience, we can build a solution that fits your needs and helps you grow. To learn how partnering with an MSP can benefit your business, contact us today.
Scraping data from Amazon can open doors to game-changing insights — whether you’re tracking competitors, analyzing product prices, monitoring reviews, or powering eCommerce analytics.
However, Amazon is one of the most secure and anti-bot-protected websites on the planet. Attempt to scrape it with a normal IP and you’ll face instant blocks, CAPTCHAs, and throttling. That’s where proxies come in — your secret weapon for anonymity and scale.
In this 2025 guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about proxies for scraping Amazon — the best types, setup tips, legal considerations, and service comparisons (featuring Decodo, Oxylabs, Webshare, IPRoyal, Mars Proxies, and others).
Table of Contents
🧩 What Is Amazon Scraping?
Amazon scraping means collecting structured data from Amazon pages automatically — products, sellers, prices, ratings, ASINs, stock status, and more.
Businesses use this data for:
📊 Price comparison tools
🔎 Product research and demand analysis
💼 Market intelligence
💬 Review sentiment analysis
🧠 AI-driven recommendation systems
But because Amazon aggressively guards its data, scraping it reliably requires a combination of proxies + scraper tools + automation logic.
🚫 Why Amazon Blocks Scrapers
Amazon uses multiple layers of defense against bots:
IP Blacklisting: Too many requests from one IP = instant block.
CAPTCHAs: Automatic challenges when suspicious traffic is detected.
User-Agent tracking: Detects identical browser headers from bots.
Geo-location filters: Blocks access to regional product listings.
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
🏠 Residential vs 🏢 Datacenter vs 🔄 Rotating Proxies for Amazon
Let’s break down the major proxy types for Amazon scraping:
Proxy Type
Source
Strength
Weakness
Residential
Real user devices (ISP-assigned IPs)
Highly trusted, bypass detection easily
Expensive
Datacenter
Cloud servers (data centers)
Fast, cheap
Easier to detect
Rotating
Mix of multiple IP pools changing automatically
Best for scaling Amazon scrapers
Can be costly depending on provider
🏠 Residential Proxies for Amazon
Residential proxies use IPs from real household devices — making them appear 100% human.
✅ Best for: Product data, reviews, prices, or location-specific listings ⚠️ Downside: Higher cost per GB
Top Residential Providers:
Decodo: Premium residential IPs optimized for eCommerce and AI scraping.
Oxylabs: Huge IP pool (175M+), advanced rotation logic.
IPRoyal: Affordable static and rotating residential proxies.
Mars Proxies: Specialized for sneaker, eCommerce, and retail scraping.
💡 If your target is continuous large-scale Amazon scraping, Decodo’s residential proxies with session persistence are ideal. They maintain longer, stable sessions without triggering Amazon’s anti-bot alarms.
🏢 Datacenter Proxies for Amazon
Datacenter proxies are cheaper and faster but easier to detect since they come from cloud data centers, not real ISPs.
✅ Best for: Testing, scraping non-sensitive categories, or high-speed operations. ⚠️ Downside: High block rate unless rotated frequently.
Best Datacenter Proxy Providers:
Webshare: Low-cost, high-speed IPs. Great for developers.
Decodo Datacenter Pool: Combines affordability with enterprise-grade reliability.
Mars Proxies: Offers mixed pools for hybrid performance.
⚙️ Combine datacenter proxies with aggressive rotation and randomized headers to reduce bans.
🔄 Rotating Proxies for Amazon
Rotating proxies automatically switch IPs every few requests (or per connection), simulating thousands of different users.
✅ Best for: Large-scale scraping operations ⚠️ Downside: Slower response time if rotation isn’t optimized
Best Rotating Proxy Providers:
Decodo Rotating Network: Intelligent IP rotation per request with global endpoint balancing.
Oxylabs Rotating Residential: Excellent for high-accuracy scraping.
IPRoyal: Affordable per-GB plans with flexible rotation intervals.
Webshare Rotating Pool: Useful for light scrapers and API testing.
🧠 Pro tip: Always balance rotation speed and data quality — rotating too fast can reduce product consistency in scraped datasets.
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
⚙️ Step-by-Step: How to Set Up Amazon Scraping with Proxies
Let’s go practical.
Here’s a step-by-step process for safely scraping Amazon without getting banned.
🪜 Step 1: Choose the Right Proxy Provider
Pick a trusted service — ideally one that offers rotating residential proxies. Recommended for Amazon in 2025:
🟢 Decodo — perfect balance of pricing, global coverage, and proxy uptime.
🔵 Oxylabs — enterprise-grade scaling for agencies.
🟣 Webshare — beginner-friendly and affordable.
🔴 IPRoyal — great for flexible budget options.
🟠 Mars Proxies — sneaker + eCommerce hybrid scraping pools.
🧠 Step 2: Configure Your Scraper
If using Python + Requests + BeautifulSoup:
import requests
from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
proxy = {
"http": "http://user:pass@proxy.decodo.com:8080",
"https": "http://user:pass@proxy.decodo.com:8080"
}
url = "https://www.amazon.com/s?k=wireless+earbuds"
headers = {"User-Agent": "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64)"}
response = requests.get(url, headers=headers, proxies=proxy)
soup = BeautifulSoup(response.text, "html.parser")
for product in soup.select("div[data-component-type='s-search-result']"):
title = product.h2.text.strip()
print(title)
💡 Rotate proxies every 5–10 requests using a pool list or API rotation system.
🧱 Step 3: Add IP Rotation Logic
Use Decodo’s rotating endpoint or Oxylabs’ rotating gateway to change IPs automatically:
🧁 Use headless browsers like Puppeteer or Playwright for dynamic pages.
🧰 Manage cookies per session.
🧱 Integrate CAPTCHA solvers like 2Captcha if scraping deep data.
🧮 Step 5: Handle Blocks Gracefully
If you get blocked or receive HTML with “Robot Check,” don’t panic.
Retry with a new IP from your proxy pool.
Use residential IPs instead of datacenter.
Wait 10–30 seconds before retrying.
Log and analyze failure patterns.
🧩 Decodo’s intelligent retry system can automatically handle these events by rotating IPs and replaying requests safely.
🌍 Regional Scraping: US, UK, EU, India & Japan
Amazon operates multiple localized versions — each with unique product listings and restrictions.
Region
Domain
Recommended Proxy Type
🇺🇸 USA
amazon.com
Residential or rotating
🇬🇧 UK
amazon.co.uk
Residential
🇩🇪 Germany
amazon.de
Rotating proxies (Decodo or Oxylabs)
🇮🇳 India
amazon.in
Datacenter or residential
🇯🇵 Japan
amazon.co.jp
Rotating or residential
Using geo-targeted residential proxies, you can scrape region-specific Amazon data (like best-sellers or prices) directly from within those countries — ensuring accuracy for global analytics.
Decodo
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
⚖️ Is Scraping Amazon Legal?
Scraping Amazon data publicly available on product listings (non-personal info) is generally legal for research, analytics, or pricing. However, avoid:
Logging into private accounts
Collecting user-specific info
Violating Amazon’s ToS
Always scrape responsibly using proxy rotation and data caching to minimize load on Amazon servers.
💡 Pro Tips for Successful Amazon Scraping in 2025
Start slow: Begin with 1 request/sec, then scale.
Mix proxy pools: Combine residential + rotating for stability.
Use AI-based parsing: Models like GPT-4o can clean messy HTML output.
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
Among all the tested providers, Decodo, Oxylabs and Webshare stands out in 2025 for offering secure, fast, and AI-optimized proxies that help developers and data teams scrape Amazon at scale — while maintaining compliance and uptime.
So, whether you’re a data scientist, eCommerce researcher, or price intelligence agency — equip your tools with proxies and experience the difference in speed, stealth, and scale 🚀
As the tension between the United States and Iran continues to rise, it seems that the battle is gradually moving into the cyber arena.
The digital landscape has become a new battleground, and the ongoing cyber conflict between the United States and Iran presents a complex chapter in its own right.
While not a declared war, the history of cyberattacks and counter-attacks paints a picture of escalating tensions and evolving strategies.
Table of Contents
US-Iran Cyber Warfare: Key Events and Implications
Year
Event
US Action
Iranian Action
Implications
2009
Alleged cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and data theft
Infiltration of Iranian nuclear facilities
Targeting American financial institutions
Early signs of cyber conflict, potential state-sponsored operations
Major setback for Iranian nuclear program, demonstration of sophisticated cyber weapons
2012
Flame cyberweapon targets Iranian oil and gas facilities
None publicly acknowledged
None publicly acknowledged
Escalation of cyber capabilities, complex malware deployed by both sides
2013
US accuses Iran of DDoS attacks against American banks
Public attribution of cyberattacks, sanctions imposed
Denial of involvement
Shift towards public cyber conflict, potential economic pressure tactics
2014-2016
Nuclear deal temporarily reduces tensions, but cyber activities continue
Focus on espionage and information gathering
Focus on espionage and information gathering
Lower-key cyber conflict, potential intelligence gathering for future actions
2016
US accuses Iran of targeting US presidential campaigns, sanctions Iranian cyber actors
Increased cyber activities around political events
Denial of involvement
Cyber operations linked to political agendas, potential use for disinformation
2019
US launches cyberattacks against Iranian military infrastructure after drone incident
Retaliatory action for downed drone
Escalation of tensions, potential for wider cyber conflict
Demonstration of offensive cyber capabilities, concerns about military escalation through cyber means
2020-present
Ongoing cyberattacks and counter-attacks, focus on ransomware and counterintelligence
Varied targets, including critical infrastructure and government systems
Varied targets, including US private sector and government entities
Persistent cyber conflict, evolving tactics with potential economic and political impacts
A Tangled Web: Unraveling the History of US-Iran Cyber Warfare
Early Skirmishes (2009-2010):
2009: Allegedly, both sides engaged in online operations targeting critical infrastructure and stealing data. The US reportedly infiltrated Iranian nuclear facilities, while Iran targeted American financial institutions.
2010: Stuxnet, a sophisticated worm believed to be a joint US-Israeli creation, wreaked havoc on Iranian uranium enrichment centrifuges, setting back their nuclear program significantly.
Escalating Tensions (2011-2013):
2012: “Flame,” another complex cyberweapon, targeted Iranian oil and gas facilities, showcasing sophisticated capabilities on both sides.
2013: The US officially accused Iran of launching a series of DDoS attacks against American banks, marking a shift towards public attribution of cyberattacks.
Shifting Tactics (2014-present):
2014: The nuclear deal temporarily eased tensions, but cyberattacks continued, focusing on espionage and information gathering.
2016: Both sides ramped up online activities, with Iran accused of targeting US presidential campaigns and the US responding with sanctions targeting Iranian cyber actors.
2019: Following escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf, the US launched cyberattacks against Iranian military infrastructure in retaliation for a downed drone.
2020-present: Cyberattacks and counter-attacks continue, often in response to political events or escalations in tensions. Ongoing concerns over Iranian-linked ransomware attacks and US counterintelligence operations highlight the persistent nature of this cyber conflict.
Blurring Lines: The distinction between traditional and cyber warfare becomes increasingly blurred, raising concerns about attribution, international norms, and potential escalation.
Strategic Targeting: Attacks focus on disrupting critical infrastructure, stealing data, and influencing public opinion, highlighting the strategic significance of the cyber domain.
Evolving Tactics: Both sides constantly adapt their tactics, adopting new technologies and exploiting vulnerabilities, necessitating continuous vigilance and defensive measures.
Looking Ahead For The United States and Iran…
Predicting the future of the US-Iran cyber conflict is a challenging task. However, several factors will likely shape its trajectory:
Nuclear Deal Uncertainties: The fate of the nuclear deal and broader geopolitical tensions will have a significant impact on the cyber landscape.
Evolving Technologies: Developments in artificial intelligence, offensive cyber capabilities, and defensive measures will reshape the battlefield.
International Norms and Cooperation: Establishing international norms and fostering cooperation in cyberspace could mitigate risks and promote stability.
The US-Iran cyber conflict serves as a stark reminder of the evolving nature of warfare and the challenges it poses to international security.
Understanding its history, recognizing its implications, and anticipating future developments are crucial for navigating this complex and increasingly critical aspect of global relations.
Note: this news was originally written in 2020 but has been updated.
Learn what rotating proxies are, how they work, their types, benefits, and top use cases. Compare Decodo, Oxylabs, Webshare, Mars Proxies, and IPRoyal for 2025.
In 2025, data is gold — but the web isn’t always friendly to data collectors. Whether you’re scraping sites, automating accounts, or gathering market intelligence, one problem keeps surfacing:
IP bans.
That’s where rotating proxies come in — your invisible army of constantly changing IPs that keep you anonymous, unblock access, and make your operations look completely human.
This comprehensive guide breaks down:
What rotating proxies are
How they work
The different types available
Best use cases
And the top providers for 2025 include Decodo, Oxylabs, Webshare, Mars Proxies, and IPRoyal.
Decodo
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
Table of Contents
🧭 What Are Rotating Proxies?
Rotating proxies are proxy servers that automatically change your IP address after each request or at a set time interval.
Instead of using one static IP, they switch between millions of IPs, giving you:
Unlimited anonymity
Zero bans
Continuous, stealthy access
🧩 Example:
You’re scraping 10,000 product pages on Amazon. A normal proxy gets you blocked after a few hundred requests. But a rotating proxy network switches IPs every few seconds — so to Amazon, every request looks like it’s coming from a new user.
💡 In short: Rotating proxies = your identity shapeshifter on the internet.
Decodo
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
⚙️ How Rotating Proxies Work
Rotating proxies rely on proxy pools — massive networks of IPs that automatically rotate via algorithms or user-defined rules.
🔄 Two Main Rotation Methods:
Time-Based Rotation
IP changes every few minutes or seconds.
Example: 1 IP every 60 seconds.
Request-Based Rotation
IP changes per request made.
Example: Each API call uses a new IP.
These rotations are handled by the provider’s gateway, so users just connect once — the provider does all the switching in the background.
🧠 Why IP Rotation Matters
Modern websites use anti-bot technologies (like Cloudflare, Akamai, and PerimeterX). These detect abnormal request patterns from a single IP.
Rotating proxies prevent detection by:
Disguising your identity
Randomizing your footprint
Mimicking human browsing patterns
This is crucial for:
Web scraping
Market monitoring
Ad verification
Automation
Without rotation, even the best proxies eventually get flagged or banned.
🧩 Types of Rotating Proxies
Let’s break down the five main categories of rotating proxies you’ll encounter in 2025.
1. 🏠 Rotating Residential Proxies
These use IPs from real household devices (assigned by ISPs).
Pros:
High trust level
Undetectable by anti-bot systems
Access to geo-blocked content
Cons:
More expensive
Slower than datacenter proxies
Best Providers:
Decodo – offers dynamic residential rotation across 100+ countries
Oxylabs – top-tier residential pools with 100M+ IPs
Mars Proxies – budget-friendly plans with flexible rotations
Decodo
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
2. 🏢 Rotating Datacenter Proxies
IPs generated from cloud servers or virtual machines.
Pros:
Extremely fast
Scalable and affordable
Ideal for non-sensitive scraping
Cons:
Easier to detect by strict websites
Best Providers:
Decodo Datacenter Suite – advanced rotation control + API support
Webshare – low-cost, high-speed proxy pools
IPRoyal – stable and easy for developers
3. 📱 Rotating Mobile Proxies
IPs assigned from 3G/4G/5G mobile carriers.
Pros:
Nearly undetectable
Perfect for social media and ad testing
Cons:
High cost per GB
Limited availability
Best Providers:
Oxylabs Mobile Network – powerful carrier-grade IPs
Decodo Mobile Proxies – auto-rotating mobile gateways for social automation
4. 🌐 Backconnect (Gateway) Proxies
Instead of managing IPs manually, you connect to one gateway endpoint that rotates IPs internally.
Pros:
Simplifies management
Best for high-volume scraping
Cons:
Limited manual control
Best Providers:
Webshare Backconnect System
5. ⚡ Custom or Rotating Hybrid Proxies
Combine residential + datacenter + mobile IPs dynamically. Perfect for enterprise-grade stealth.
Pros:
Adaptive IP switching
Maximum uptime
One API for all types
Best Providers:
Oxylabs Residential Proxies
🧮 Technical Overview: How Rotation Logic Works
A rotating proxy system is powered by:
Load balancers – distribute requests
IP pools – millions of live IPs
Rotation algorithms – manage IP lifespan
Example Process:
You send a request to Decodo’s gateway.
The gateway assigns a random residential IP.
Once the request completes, the IP is rotated.
A new IP is assigned for the next request.
This makes detection nearly impossible — you appear as 10,000 unique users from around the world.
🌐 Key Benefits of Rotating Proxies
Let’s unpack the major advantages in 2025:
🧱 1. Enhanced Anonymity
Each request comes from a new IP → tracking becomes impossible.
⚡ 2. Unlimited Scalability
You can send thousands of simultaneous requests without throttling.
🧠 3. Higher Success Rates
Automatic IP rotation prevents bans on sensitive targets like Amazon, Google, or LinkedIn.
💸 4. Cost Efficiency
Instead of buying thousands of static IPs, one rotating plan gives you millions.
🕵️ 5. Geo-Targeting Freedom
Change location automatically between countries or cities for localized data.
💻 6. Plug-and-Play Integration
Providers like Decodo, Oxylabs, and Webshare offer single-endpoint systems compatible with tools like:
Scrapy
Puppeteer
Selenium
BeautifulSoup
Apify
Decodo
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
🧰 Common Use Cases for Rotating Proxies
🛒 1. E-Commerce Price Monitoring
Track prices across Amazon, Walmart, or AliExpress without bans.
Best: Decodo Residential or Oxylabs Proxies
📈 2. SEO & SERP Tracking
Collect global search results for hundreds of keywords safely.
Best: Webshare or IPRoyal Datacenter Rotators
🧠 3. Data Mining & Market Research
Gather market intelligence from public websites.
Best: Decodo or Mars Proxies for affordability
📲 4. Social Media Automation
Run multiple accounts safely across Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter).
Best: Decodo Mobile or IPRoyal Rotating Residential
🔍 5. Ad Verification
Verify global ad placements in different regions.
Best: Oxylabs or Decodo Residential Rotation
🎮 6. Gaming and Ticket Bots
Avoid IP bans on limited-release websites.
Best: Mars Proxies for sneaker bots and event monitoring
⚙️ Setup Example: Using Rotating Proxies in Python
Here’s a quick code snippet using Decodo’s rotating gateway:
import requests
proxies = {
"http": "http://username:password@gw.decodo.net:8000",
"https": "http://username:password@gw.decodo.net:8000"
}
for i in range(5):
response = requests.get("https://httpbin.org/ip", proxies=proxies)
print(response.json())
Each loop prints a new IP address, showing live rotation in action.
🧩 Combining Rotating and Static Proxies
Many professionals use hybrid proxy workflows:
Static IPs for login sessions
Rotating IPs for data extraction
Example Setup:
Login to Instagram → static residential proxy
Scrape user data → rotating residential proxy
Platforms like Decodo, Oxylabs, and IPRoyal allow you to mix these seamlessly.
⚖️ Legal & Ethical Use of Rotating Proxies
Remember:
Only scrape publicly available data
Respect robots.txt policies
Never use proxies for illegal or malicious activities
Keep rotation within reasonable intervals
Providers like Oxylabs and Decodo comply with GDPR, CCPA, and international data privacy standards.
📚 Case Study: How a Marketing Agency Scaled Data Collection with Decodo
A marketing analytics firm needed to collect ad data from 500 websites daily. Their static proxies kept getting blocked.
Solution:
They switched to Decodo Rotating Residential Proxies with AI-based rotation.
Result:
✅ 99.8% uptime ✅ 3× faster scraping speed ✅ 0 bans after 60 days
💎 Lesson: Smart rotation and hybrid routing are the future of sustainable data operations.
🧭 Best Practices When Using Rotating Proxies
Use realistic request intervals – don’t overload targets.
Switch user agents frequently.
Combine proxies with CAPTCHA solvers for smoother runs.
Rotate headers and cookies to mimic human patterns.
Monitor proxy health using dashboards from Decodo or Webshare.
Decodo
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
🏁 Conclusion: Rotating Proxies = Your Key to a Boundless Web
In 2025, rotating proxies are not optional — they’re essential for scaling data operations, marketing research, and web automation without interruptions.
Summary:
Residential rotating = stealth
Datacenter rotating = speed
Hybrid rotating (Decodo / Oxylabs) = best of both worlds
Decodo
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
When choosing a provider:
Pick Decodo for hybrid, smart automation
Choose Oxylabs for enterprise-scale reliability
Try Webshare or Mars Proxies for budget projects
Use IPRoyal for developer-friendly APIs
Together, these platforms form the new ecosystem of dynamic, AI-driven web access.
In this post, I will discuss why scaffolders cannot pass over insurance.
On any work site, among the most dangerous work is the scaffolders work. It includes working at heights, employing heavy tools, and operating in common areas, and also depends on whether it is related to building, deconstruction, or alteration.
An incorrect move might damage property, harm others, or both. Public liability insurance is, therefore, absolutely vital and wise.
Even if you have never made a claim, that does not mean it will not happen. Due to the nature of scaffolding, events can quickly go wrong; should they, the financial impact could be catastrophic unless you are insured.
At Quote Radar, you can compare policies from various providers and get the right one for your needs. The main reasons scaffolders must have public liability insurance are discussed here.
Table of Contents
Even If You Are Cautious, Accidents Can Happen
Scaffolders treat safety very seriously. Most are instructed, experienced, and adhere to the best standards. However, you cannot control everything.
One gust of wind might free a plank. You can lose a tool from your hand. One member of the public may get too close to the site. Little, surprise occurrences can have severe repercussions as well.
The injured party could sue for damages, for instance, if a loose scaffold board damages a parked vehicle or, even more seriously, injures a pedestrian.
Public liability insurance protects against claims for third-party damage or injury. Without it, you could be financially accountable—not just for medical bills or repairs but also for legal fees. Such a financial burden might cause a small scaffolding company to close immediately.
You Always Have Property And People Under Work
Scaffolders rarely work in isolated areas and frequently work on structures in crowded urban environments, such as schools, stores, workplaces, or residential streets. You may put scaffolding next to windows, garden walls, vehicles, or public pathways.
One incorrect judgment, unstable pole, or fallen segment can significantly disrupt activities. Public liability insurance shields you if someone accuses your scaffolding labor of damage to their property or injury.
You will still have to fight your case even if the claim is shown to be untrue, and legal counsel expenses could be high. This insurance helps you professionally and legally handle such claims rather than alone and economically exposed. Visit https://www.quoteradar.co.uk/to compare, get the right policy, and adequately protect your business.
Public Liability Insurance Enables You To Stay Employable
Having valid insurance is expected and is not only a wise practice in today’s UK construction scene. Before permitting you to do on-site work, most contractors, councils, and commercial customers will demand evidence of public liability insurance.
Usually, no cover means no job. As the scaffolder’s work poses a greater risk to nearby structures and people, it is especially hazardous.
When you have the right insurance, it protects you and demonstrates to clients that you take your responsibilities seriously. It fosters trust, which helps you secure more work and larger contracts.
Claims Can Financially Ruin Without Suitable Cover
Some scaffolders believe they will take on the risk and handle any difficulties that arise. That is, however, a bet with very high stakes.
Depending on severity, personal injury claims might range from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands of pounds. For a member of the public, a serious injury like a fractured skull or long-term disability can easily result in a claim that would ruin most small businesses or sole traders.
Public liability insurance typically covers legal expenses, compensation payments, and occasionally other costs, such as court fees or property damage repairs. If you lack it, you could go into personal debt, lose your company, or have to sell assets. Simply put, the risk is not worthwhile.
Contracts And Rules Sometimes Call For It
Even if you work alone, your scaffolding work could be required to satisfy specific industry rules or requirements, particularly when contracted by local authorities or major developers.
The standard in these contracts is public liability insurance coverage meeting minimum levels (usually £1 million to £5 million).
There are specific locations that may require you to have insurance before permitting you to start the work. Insurance helps you stay compliant with laws, prevent expensive delays or legal notices, and protect your business finances.
Understand the key differences between residential and datacenter proxies. Learn how each works, their pros, cons, use cases, and which proxies to use in 2025.
In today’s data-driven digital economy, proxy servers have become indispensable for privacy, automation, web scraping, and market intelligence. Whether you’re monitoring competitors, verifying ads, or running bots safely, the right proxy type determines your efficiency and anonymity.
Two giants dominate the proxy ecosystem — Residential Proxies and Datacenter Proxies.
They sound similar, but their performance, anonymity level, and use cases differ sharply.
This comprehensive guide breaks down the differences, benefits, and drawbacks of both — and helps you decide which one fits your workflow in 2025.
Table of Contents
🧭 What Are Proxies — The Foundation
A proxy server acts as a middleman between your device and the internet. Instead of connecting to a website directly, you connect through a proxy that hides your real IP address.
When configured correctly, it:
Masks your identity
Circumvents geo-restrictions
Distributes traffic for large-scale operations
Prevents IP bans
Think of proxies as digital disguises — and the disguise you choose determines how authentic or fast your browsing appears.
🏠 What Are Residential Proxies?
Residential proxies are IP addresses assigned by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to real homeowners.
That means every residential proxy corresponds to a real physical device connected to the internet through a legitimate home network.
🔍 Key Features:
IPs are verified by ISPs (e.g., AT&T, Comcast, MTN, etc.)
High anonymity — looks exactly like a human user
Slower but more reliable for bypassing detection
Ideal for large-scale, long-term operations
Decodo
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
⚙️ How They Work:
When you connect via a residential proxy:
Your request routes through a real residential device.
Websites see a normal “home user” IP.
You get zero suspicion or blocks — even on strict platforms like Amazon or Nike.
💡 Example Use:
A sneaker bot connects through hundreds of residential IPs to appear as different home users, avoiding bans from shoe retailers.
🏢 What Are Datacenter Proxies?
Datacenter proxies, on the other hand, are created by data centers or cloud hosting companies — not ISPs.
They offer high-speed, mass-scale proxy networks, ideal for fast scraping or automation tasks.
🔍 Key Features:
IPs belong to servers, not homes
Extremely fast connection speeds
Cheaper and easy to scale
Easier to detect by advanced websites
⚙️ How They Work:
When using datacenter proxies:
Your traffic passes through a virtual server (like AWS, Google Cloud, or Hostinger’s data farms).
The target website receives a server IP — not a home IP.
It’s faster but more detectable for sensitive sites.
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
💡 Example Use:
A data analyst scrapes millions of product prices from open e-commerce APIs — speed matters more than disguise.
⚔️ Residential vs Datacenter: Detailed Comparison
Feature
Residential Proxy
Datacenter Proxy
Source
ISP-assigned IPs
Data center servers
Speed
Moderate
Lightning-fast
Anonymity
Extremely high
Moderate
Detection Risk
Very low
Higher on sensitive sites
Price
More expensive
More affordable
Scalability
Medium
Very high
Best For
Scraping protected sites, social media, e-commerce
SEO, research, automation
Example Providers
Decodo Residential Cloud
Decodo Datacenter Network
🚀 Use Case Scenarios — Which Should You Choose?
Let’s explore real-world use cases where each proxy type excels.
🛍️ 1. E-Commerce Scraping
Residential Proxies: Ideal. They mimic genuine shoppers, perfect for Amazon, Walmart, and AliExpress.
Datacenter Proxies: Risk of bans if scraping high-volume product pages too fast.
✅ Winner:Residential Proxies
💎 Tip: Rotating residential proxies auto-shift IPs between regions, keeping your scraping safe and untraceable.
💬 2. Social Media Management
Residential: Best for managing multiple Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook accounts.
Datacenter: May trigger bans due to repeated IP patterns.
✅ Winner:Residential
💡 Tip: Use city-level targeting to post content regionally and track engagement by geography.
📊 3. SEO Monitoring and Rank Tracking
Residential: Overkill for SEO — not cost-efficient.
Datacenter: Ideal for keyword ranking, backlink tracking, and Google SERP scraping.
✅ Winner:Datacenter
💎 Suggestion: Combine Datacenter Proxies with scraping tools like Scrapy or Apify for high-volume keyword audits.
🎮 4. Gaming or Ticket Bots
Residential: Safer for login and signup automation.
Datacenter: Perfect for volume-heavy gaming analytics or event data scraping.
✅ Hybrid Winner:Use both. Residential for logins, Datacenter for high-volume tasks.
🕵️ 5. Ad Verification & Anti-Fraud
Residential: Detect real-world ad placements from user viewpoints.
Datacenter: Fast but flagged easily for fraud verification.
✅ Winner:Residential
💎 Integration: Ad agencies use Residential Pools to verify ads across 100+ countries in real-time.
Decodo
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
🧰 Performance Comparison — Speed, Stability, and Reliability
Metric
Residential
Datacenter
Latency
200–400 ms
30–80 ms
Uptime
95%–99%
99.9%
Rotation Options
Automatic or sticky
Instant rotation
Bandwidth
Metered (per GB)
Unlimited or high caps
IP Pool Size
10M–50M+
100K–1M+
Takeaway: If speed is everything → Datacenter wins. If stealth and trustworthiness matter → Residential wins.
💎 Pro Tip: Most professionals combine both proxy types via hybrid systems like Unified Proxy Dashboard, allowing them to switch dynamically based on the target website’s sensitivity.
🌍 Pricing Breakdown: Residential vs Datacenter
Plan Type
Avg. Monthly Cost
Ideal Users
Residential Proxy
$50–$300/month (per GB or pool)
Researchers, marketers, brand protectors
Datacenter Proxy
$10–$100/month (per IP)
Developers, SEO experts, data miners
💡 Note: Using Decodo’s unified plan gives dual-access (residential + datacenter) under one affordable subscription — saving up to 40% monthly compared to standalone plans.
🔄 Rotating Proxies: The Hybrid Power Move
What if you could combine the anonymity of residential with the speed of datacenter? That’s where rotating proxies come in.
Rotating proxies automatically change IPs at intervals or per request — giving you:
Untraceable identity
Non-stop data collection
Global IP coverage
Decodo’s Smart Rotation Engine detects website sensitivity and adjusts your proxy type on-the-fly — ideal for hybrid operations.
Choosing the right proxy provider can make or break your entire operation. Here’s a curated list of the top 7 proxy services trusted by professionals — ranked by performance, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.
Overview: Decodo leads 2025’s proxy ecosystem with a unified platform combining residential, datacenter, and rotating proxies under one smart control dashboard.
Key Highlights:
115M+ Residential IPs across 190+ countries
500K+ Datacenter IPs (ultra-low latency)
Smart rotation engine with AI detection
Custom API access and integration for developers
Affordable pricing for all proxy types
Ideal For: Scraping, social media management, e-commerce monitoring, and enterprise-scale automation.
Decodo
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
🥈 2. Oxylabs — Premium Data Intelligence Proxy Network
Overview: Oxylabs remains a powerhouse for large corporations needing big data access and advanced API control.
Features:
175M+ residential IPs
2M+ datacenter IPs
Excellent API documentation and support
Ethical proxy sourcing
Best For: Enterprise-level users who prioritize compliance and scale over cost.
Oxylabs Proxies
Oxylabs Proxies offer enterprise-grade, AI-powered proxy solutions with a massive 175M+ IP pool, ensuring unmatched...Show More
Oxylabs Proxies offer enterprise-grade, AI-powered proxy solutions with a massive 175M+ IP pool, ensuring unmatched reliability, speed, and anonymity for large-scale web scraping and data collection. Show Less
🥉 3. Webshare — Affordable Proxies for Everyday Users
Overview: Webshare offers budget-friendly plans ideal for startups, small developers, and SEO professionals.
Features:
500K+ datacenter IPs
80M+ global IPs from 195 countries
Rotating and dedicated IP options
Free plan with limited bandwidth
API integrations for fast setup
Best For: Freelancers, SEO teams, and light scrapers.
Webshare Proxies
Webshare Proxies offers high-speed, customizable, and budget-friendly proxy solutions with flexible pricing, ensuring...Show More
Webshare Proxies offers high-speed, customizable, and budget-friendly proxy solutions with flexible pricing, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and online anonymity for businesses and individuals. Show Less
🌕 4. Mars Proxies — Sneaker & Ticketing Specialist
Overview: Mars Proxies dominates the sneaker and ticketing market with low-latency residential and ISP proxies.
Highlights:
Sneaker-optimized IP pools
Dedicated proxy dashboard
99.9% uptime for real-time drops
Best For: Sneaker resellers, sports ticketing, and NFT minting.
Mars Proxies
Mars Proxies is the go-to provider for sneaker coppers, offering unbanned IPs, blazing-fast speeds, and a massive pool...Show More
Mars Proxies is the go-to provider for sneaker coppers, offering unbanned IPs, blazing-fast speeds, and a massive pool of residential proxies. Show Less
🌍 5. IPRoyal — Reliable Proxies for SMEs
Overview: IPRoyal offers affordable residential and mobile proxies with great customer support and flexible billing.
Features:
32M+ IP addresses in 195 countries
Pay-as-you-go model
Static or rotating IPs
Supports SOCKS5 & HTTPS
Best For: Small to mid-size businesses needing flexible plans.
IPRoyal
IPRoyal is a leading proxy provider offering reliable, high-speed proxies for various needs, including data scraping...Show More
IPRoyal is a leading proxy provider offering reliable, high-speed proxies for various needs, including data scraping, social media automation, and sneaker botting. Show Less
⚙️ 6. Bright Data (formerly Luminati)
Overview: One of the oldest and most comprehensive proxy networks on the planet. However, its pricing is premium-tier.
Features:
72M+ residential IPs
Enterprise-level monitoring tools
Excellent for academic or commercial data research
Best For: Large enterprises with generous budgets.
📚 Best Practices for Using Proxies (Safely & Legally)
Avoid scraping personal data without consent.
Respect robots.txt and website TOS.
Rotate IPs responsibly to avoid blacklisting.
Monitor proxy health regularly using Decodo’s real-time analytics dashboard.
Secure your credentials with strong authentication and HTTPS connections.
Ethical and sustainable proxy use ensures your tools never get banned — and your data remains safe.
🧠 Case Study: Scaling a Market Intelligence Bot with Decodo
A digital agency in Europe needed to track over 5 million product listings across e-commerce websites weekly.
Problem:
Datacenter proxies got them banned within days.
Solution:
They switched to Decodo
Result:
99.7% success rate
2.5× faster scraping speed
0 bans across 50+ e-commerce platforms
💎 Lesson: A balanced proxy approach ensures resilience and long-term scalability.
Decodo
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
🏁 Conclusion
Choosing between Residential and Datacenter proxies depends on your mission:
Need authentic user-level access → Go Residential
Need blazing speed for automation → Go Datacenter
In 2025, the proxy landscape is about intelligence and flexibility. Platforms like Decodo, Oxylabs, and Webshare lead this evolution by offering seamless, affordable, and dynamic switching between proxy types.
💬 FAQs About Residential and Datacenter Proxies
❓1. Are residential proxies better than datacenter proxies?
Not always — it depends on your use case.
Residential proxies offer superior anonymity and are best for protected sites or platforms with strict anti-bot systems (like Amazon, Instagram, and Google).
Datacenter proxies are faster and cheaper, making them ideal for SEO, automation, and general data scraping.
💡 Pro Tip: Many professionals use a hybrid mix, which intelligently switches between residential and datacenter pools depending on the target site.
Decodo
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
❓2. Why are residential proxies more expensive?
Residential proxies originate from real, ISP-assigned IPs, which are limited and require permission from the network owners. Their scarcity, reliability, and human-like traffic make them more costly — but also far harder to detect or ban.
❓3. Can I use datacenter proxies for social media?
You can, but it’s a risky move. Social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok can easily flag data center IPs as automated attempts. For managing multiple social accounts, stick to residential proxies that mimic human behavior.
❓4. Which proxies are best for sneaker bots and ticketing?
Residential proxies perform best here since sites like Nike, Adidas, and Ticketmaster deploy aggressive anti-bot measures. If you want faster checkout speeds without bans, Mars Proxies are top-tier options in 2025.
❓5. What’s the difference between static and rotating proxies?
Static proxies keep the same IP for the entire session.
Rotating proxies change IPs automatically after each request or at fixed intervals. Most modern providers (including Decodo, Oxylabs, and Webshare) offer both, depending on your project needs.
Decodo
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
❓6. Are proxies legal to use?
Yes — proxies are legal for ethical and compliant activities, such as data analytics, ad verification, and research. However, using proxies to scrape personal data or commit fraud is illegal. Always follow ethical usage guidelines and site terms of service.
❓7. How many proxies do I need for web scraping?
It depends on scale and site sensitivity:
Small projects: 5–10 proxies
Medium scraping: 50–100 proxies
Enterprise-scale scraping: 1,000+ rotating IPs
If you use proxy services, you can obtain dynamic IP allocation without manually purchasing additional blocks.
❓8. Which proxy type is best for beginners?
Start with datacenter proxies — they’re cheaper and faster to configure. As you scale into advanced scraping, consider upgrading to residential or rotating proxies for enhanced safety and stability.
Decodo
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
How to Train a GPT Model (Step-by-Step): Methods, Tools & Real-World Guide
Artificial Intelligence has changed how humans interact with technology. From chatbots and AI writing assistants to recommendation engines, GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) models power much of today’s AI revolution.
But behind every smart AI that writes, codes, or talks naturally lies a process — training.
If you’ve ever wondered how GPT models learn to generate human-like text, this guide walks you through every stage of the journey — from preparing datasets to deploying your fine-tuned model live.
Table of Contents
⚙️ What Does “Training a GPT Model” Mean?
Training a GPT model means teaching an algorithm to understand and predict human language.
At the core, a Transformer architecture processes text sequences and learns relationships between words and concepts.
When training:
You feed the model massive amounts of text data.
It learns context, semantics, and patterns.
The output becomes a model that can generate or complete text just like a human.
There are two main ways to train a GPT model:
Pre-training – Building a model from scratch.
Fine-tuning – Adapting an existing model for a specific task or domain.
🧩 Step 1: Choose Your Training Objective
Before jumping into code or GPUs, clarify why you’re training the model. Common goals include:
🗣️ Conversational AI – Chatbots, assistants, or customer support.
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
💎 Tip: GPU clusters allow on-demand scaling and prebuilt GPT fine-tuning templates — perfect for researchers and small teams.
🛡️ Why Proxies Matter in GPT Training — and Why Decodo Is the Best Choice
Training or fine-tuning a GPT model doesn’t happen in isolation — you rely on multiple data sources, APIs, documentation endpoints, model checkpoints, and package registries. All of these external connections make your training pipeline vulnerable to rate limits, IP bans, throttling, and DNS-level restrictions.
This is exactly why proxies matter when building or training GPT models, especially at scale.
Why Do You Need Proxies for GPT Training & Dataset Collection?
1. Web Scraping for Training Data Requires Stability
Many AI teams scrape websites for high-quality domain-specific text. Without proxies:
Your IP gets blocked after several requests
Data collection halts midway
Inconsistent datasets break your training batches
Using rotating residential proxies ensures uninterrupted scraping sessions.
2. API Endpoints Often Enforce Region Locks
Some model hubs, dataset repositories, and code sources throttle or region-limit access.
Proxies solve this by giving you:
Access to global endpoints
Stable regional routing
Zero downtime during long-running training jobs
3. Distributed GPU Clusters Need Secure External Connections
When training models across:
AWS
Google Cloud
Paperspace
Lambda Labs
…different nodes often hit rate limits when downloading model weights or connecting to services simultaneously. A proxy layer evens out the traffic flow and reduces interruptions.
Why Decodo Proxies Are Ideal for GPT Model Training Workflows
If your AI pipeline touches the internet — which it always does — Decodo is one of the most reliable choices.
Here’s why:
✔ High-Quality Residential IPs
Perfect for scraping datasets, documentation sites, tutorial pages, and public knowledge sources without getting flagged.
✔ Rotating and Static Options
You choose whether your training node needs a stable IP or an automatic rotation every request.
✔ Fast and Stable — Critical for Downloading Large Model Files
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
🔬 Step 7: Fine-Tuning the Model
Here’s a simplified Hugging Face-based fine-tuning flow:
from transformers import GPT2Tokenizer, GPT2LMHeadModel, Trainer, TrainingArguments
tokenizer = GPT2Tokenizer.from_pretrained(“gpt2”) model = GPT2LMHeadModel.from_pretrained(“gpt2”)
# Load your dataset train_dataset = tokenizer([“Your custom text data”], truncation=True, padding=True)
✅ Use Hostinger Cloud’s pre-optimized GPT runtime for faster convergence (up to 3x faster on A100s).
📊 Step 8: Evaluate and Optimize
Evaluate using metrics like:
Perplexity – how well the model predicts the next word
BLEU/ROUGE – text similarity scores
Human Evaluation – check fluency and coherence
If accuracy lags, adjust:
Learning rate
Batch size
Dataset quality
Epoch count
💡 Pro Tip: Fine-tuning small batches over multiple epochs often beats one long run.
☁️ Step 9: Deployment and API Integration
After training, deploy your model for real-world use.
Options:
Deploy via Hugging Face Hub
Use Flask/FastAPI for REST endpoints
Integrate with the API hosting layer
Example with FastAPI:
from fastapi import FastAPI from transformers import pipelineapp = FastAPI() generator = pipeline(“text-generation”, model=“./my_gpt_model”)@app.get(“/generate/”) defgenerate(prompt: str): return generator(prompt, max_length=100)
💎 Integration:
If you deploy via DigitalOcean, you can attach proxy layers, load balancers, and analytics dashboards for model performance tracking — all under one unified platform.
Decodo
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
🔐 Step 10: Ethics, Compliance & Scaling
AI power demands responsibility. Always ensure:
No hate speech or bias in dataset
Transparency about AI usage
Compliance with data privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA)
Scaling comes after ethical foundation. Use Model Monitor to automatically flag unethical or biased outputs in real time.
Decodo
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
🧭 The Future of GPT Training
GPT-5, GPT-Next, and beyond will likely:
Integrate multi-modal data (images + audio + text)
Use reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF)
Run on distributed GPU swarms for democratized AI training
The future of AI isn’t locked in labs — it’s open, decentralized, and guided by creators like you.
🎯 Conclusion
Training a GPT model is no longer the exclusive domain of billion-dollar labs. With the right tools, mindset, and cloud infrastructure, you can build a model tailored to your mission.
Whether you’re building a writing assistant, teaching a chatbot empathy, or exploring AI research — the steps you’ve learned here will serve as your foundation.
And when you’re ready to scale, use GPU Hosting providers as your AI ally — powering everything from model training to cloud deployment with simplicity and speed.
Training GPT models requires:
Clean, high-quality data
Stable internet access
Unrestricted API endpoints
Fast downloads of large model files
Protected network identity
Without proxies, you invite rate limits, IP bans, and broken pipelines.
Decodosolves all of that — giving you a seamless, scalable foundation for any GPT training workflow, from small projects to enterprise-level AI research.
As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, one of the most significant developments in 2025 is the rise of MCP (Model Context Protocol) Servers — an architecture that enables seamless communication between various AI models, plugins, and APIs.
Think of an MCP Server as the “bridge” that connects models like GPT, Claude, or open-source LLMs to your local tools, datasets, and workflows. Whether you’re building a chatbot, automating analysis, or integrating AI across platforms, understanding how to set up an MCP Server is a must.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down everything from installation to deployment — and even show you how Decodo can supercharge your setup with smarter proxies and network optimization.
Decodo Mobile Proxies
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) Mobile Proxies offer fast, secure, and rotating 4G & 5G connections across 130+...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) Mobile Proxies offer fast, secure, and rotating 4G & 5G connections across 130+ locations, ensuring undetectable browsing, seamless data collection, and unrestricted access to geo-restricted content. Show Less
Table of Contents
🔍 What Is an MCP Server?
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a standardized system that allows AI models to share context efficiently. Instead of treating every model or plugin as an isolated component, MCP connects them under one communication umbrella.
An MCP Server acts as a middle layer that allows applications or AI models to communicate using structured protocols. It ensures secure data exchange, session management, and optimized communication between modular components—like clients, APIs, and AI models.
In short, the MCP Server:
Manages authentication & permissions
Routes requests efficiently
Controls latency and resource allocation
Integrates proxies or middleware to optimize communication
Why It Matters
Unified AI Communication: MCP servers prevent redundancy by centralizing model context.
Scalability: Perfect for enterprises or developers running multiple LLMs.
Security: Centralized control of permissions, data exchange, and monitoring.
Speed: Reduces repetitive queries and API calls by caching shared context.
⚙️ Prerequisites for Setting Up an MCP Server
🧩 System Requirements
Component
Minimum Requirement
OS
Windows 10 / macOS / Linux
CPU
4-core processor or higher
RAM
8GB minimum (16GB recommended)
Disk Space
10GB free
Network
Stable internet (Decodo proxies can enhance latency & uptime)
🧰 Software Requirements
Python 3.9+ or Node.js 18+
Docker (optional for containerized setup)
Git for cloning repositories
API credentials for your preferred models (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.)
Connect GPT and local tools into one chat interface
Enterprise AI
Centralize multiple AI models across departments
Data Processing
Use MCP to unify data pipelines
Plugin Management
Route dozens of model plugins through one server
For heavy workloads, Decodo’s proxy infrastructure provides low-latency data routing, minimizing request bottlenecks.
🧩 Step 7: Troubleshooting Common Errors
Error
Cause
Fix
Connection refused
Port conflict
Change port or proxy route
API Key Invalid
Wrong config
Check .env or config.json
Timeout errors
Network delay
Use Decodo proxies
SSL error
Missing cert
Reinstall and enable HTTPS
💡 Pro Tips for Optimization
Enable caching.
Keep your MCP updated.
Split tasks into micro-services.
Use Decodo rotating proxies for global API access.
💰 Monetization Tip
You can monetize your MCP tutorials using affiliate links. For example:
👉 Ready to build a faster, more secure MCP network? Try Decodo Proxies — designed for developers, scrapers, and AI infrastructure.
🏆 Best Proxy Services for MCP Server Setup in 2025
When configuring your MCP server, the choice of proxy provider directly impacts speed, uptime, and anonymity. Below are the top-rated proxy services to pair with your MCP configuration:
Best For: Developers, scraping experts, and automation professionals.
Why It’s #1:
Decodo combines residential, datacenter, and rotating proxies with seamless MCP integration. Their dashboards support advanced rotation rules, AI-optimized traffic routing, and flexible bandwidth control.
Key Features:
Global IP coverage (190+ countries)
High-speed, unlimited concurrent sessions
Free API access and automation toolkit
Reliable 99.9% uptime
Built-in MCP setup wizard
Tip: Sign up via your Decodo dashboard and integrate your MCP server in under 5 minutes using their step-by-step guide.
Decodo
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
2. 🥈 Oxylabs – Premium Data Intelligence Proxies
Best For: Enterprise-grade web scraping and large datasets.
Highlights:
Over 100M residential IPs
Excellent scraping performance
Real-time data APIs and proxy rotators
Dedicated account managers for business users
Drawback: Slightly expensive for beginners, but unmatched reliability for corporate use.
Oxylabs Proxies
Oxylabs Proxies offer enterprise-grade, AI-powered proxy solutions with a massive 175M+ IP pool, ensuring unmatched...Show More
Oxylabs Proxies offer enterprise-grade, AI-powered proxy solutions with a massive 175M+ IP pool, ensuring unmatched reliability, speed, and anonymity for large-scale web scraping and data collection. Show Less
3. 🥉 Webshare – Affordable & Developer-Friendly
Best For: Individual developers and small teams.
Highlights:
Free plan with limited bandwidth
Great API documentation
Clean, fast residential and datacenter proxies
Easy integration with MCP servers
Webshare Proxies
Webshare Proxies offers high-speed, customizable, and budget-friendly proxy solutions with flexible pricing, ensuring...Show More
Webshare Proxies offers high-speed, customizable, and budget-friendly proxy solutions with flexible pricing, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and online anonymity for businesses and individuals. Show Less
4. 🚀 Mars Proxies – Best for Sneaker & E-commerce Bots
Best For: Sneaker resellers, Shopify users, and bot operators.
Highlights:
Low latency residential IPs
Custom rotation intervals
Flexible plans and dashboard control
Mars Proxies
Mars Proxies is the go-to provider for sneaker coppers, offering unbanned IPs, blazing-fast speeds, and a massive pool...Show More
Mars Proxies is the go-to provider for sneaker coppers, offering unbanned IPs, blazing-fast speeds, and a massive pool of residential proxies. Show Less
5. 🌍 IPRoyal – Reliable and Transparent Proxy Network
Best For: SEO professionals, researchers, and privacy-conscious users.
Highlights:
Transparent pricing
Royal Residential and Mobile proxies
Pay-as-you-go model
Good balance between speed and anonymity
IPRoyal
IPRoyal is a leading proxy provider offering reliable, high-speed proxies for various needs, including data scraping...Show More
IPRoyal is a leading proxy provider offering reliable, high-speed proxies for various needs, including data scraping, social media automation, and sneaker botting. Show Less
⚙️ Quick Comparison Table
Proxy Provider
Type
Uptime
Ideal For
Special Feature
Decodo
Residential, Datacenter, Rotating
99.9%
All-purpose + MCP setup
AI Load Balancing
Oxylabs
Residential, Datacenter
99.8%
Enterprise scraping
Real-time data APIs
Webshare
Residential, Datacenter
99.5%
Developers
Free Tier
Mars Proxies
Residential
99.4%
Botting, Retail
Sneaker Optimization
IPRoyal
Residential, Mobile
99.3%
SEO & Privacy
Pay-as-you-go
🧠 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is an MCP Server used for?
An MCP (Multi-Channel Proxy) Server manages multiple proxy channels simultaneously, allowing businesses and developers to route web traffic through various IPs for data collection, analytics, or privacy. It’s especially useful for web scraping, SEO monitoring, and accessing geo-restricted content securely.
2. Do I need coding skills to set up an MCP server?
Not necessarily. Many modern proxy management tools, such as Decodo’s built-in MCP integrations, offer no-code or low-code setup options. However, if you’re deploying custom configurations or managing large-scale networks, basic server and networking knowledge helps.
Decodo
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
3. Can I run an MCP Server on a VPS or cloud platform?
Yes. MCP servers can run on VPS or cloud hosts (AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean). The main factors are bandwidth, latency, and security. For optimal performance, always select data centers located near your target audience or data source.
4. How many proxies can I run under one MCP server?
That depends on your hardware and the proxy provider’s limits. A standard mid-tier cloud server can handle between 100–1,000 concurrent proxy sessions efficiently, especially when using optimized proxy providers like Decodo or Oxylabs.
5. Are free proxies safe for MCP use?
No. Free proxies often expose users to malware, unreliable uptime, and data leaks. Always use reputable paid proxy services that offer dedicated IP addresses and HTTPS encryption.
6. Does an MCP server help bypass IP bans?
Yes. With proper rotation and load balancing, MCP servers can distribute traffic across multiple IP addresses to prevent blocks and ensure steady scraping or automation performance.
🧭 Conclusion
Setting up an MCP Server is one of the smartest ways to unify your AI workflows, reduce redundancy, and scale your infrastructure.
Decodo
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network...Show More
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-use proxies with a vast global network, ensuring seamless web scraping, automation, and data collection without IP bans or restrictions. Show Less
When paired with Decodo’s optimized proxy services, your setup gains additional speed, privacy, and reliability — allowing your models to communicate globally without disruption.
Follow this guide and start your MCP journey today 🚀
In this post, you will learn how to position yourself for an entry-level cybersecurity job.
Cybersecurity is a primary concern on everyone’s agenda nowadays, even if they are not business owners or large-scale investors. As the use of the internet is widespread globally and necessary for daily life tasks, data protection has taken on a whole other meaning for both private individuals and full-fledged companies.
Therefore, the cybersecurity industry is fast growing and ever in need of talented hackers to dismantle malware attacks, data analysis experts, and those who specialize in data protection and online security.
Table of Contents
The Basics Of Entry-Level Cybersecurity Jobs
Cybersecurity is a booming business, and therefore, securing an entry-level job is not as challenging as other professions. You can get hired at a commercial, governmental, or even non-governmental organization, and you could also start with a paid or unpaid internship and work your way up to a junior-level position.
It is worthwhile to note that many cybersecurity positions actually do not require formal expertise or qualification, and many entry-level jobs will provide valuable on-the-job training that can kick-start your career.
If you have completed your undergraduate, you are already on a solid footing to seek out a job in cybersecurity at the junior level. Use services like Higher Hire to look for relevant jobs in your area or in the city you’re moving to if you are planning to make a change from your hometown.
Types Of Cybersecurity Jobs To Look Out For
Cybersecurity has a number of specializations that fall under it, and even if you are seeking to be trained, you are likely to have to choose an area of expertise at some point.
Here are the types of skills and subsequent jobs you can expect at the entry-level:
Security Intelligence – this is a job involving a lot of data processing and analysis at every turn. Security intelligent experts or information security officers are constantly analyzing mountains of data and its portals for loopholes that a potential enemy hacker could utilize to gain access. Penetration testing may also be part of their job if they have the necessary knowledge. Most of the data processing is done in real-time so gaps can be identified and optimal security can be maintained at all times.
Systems Engineering – this type of job involves anticipating malware and hacker attacks and attempts. Systems engineers review an organization’s system and try to prevent malware or firewall destruction from happening, and they help ensure the smooth running of daily business operations. They may also be keepers of essential codes and data but at a more senior level.
Risk Analysis of Cybersecurity- as the name suggests, risk analysts make forecasts of reigning viruses and malware that could potentially threaten a company, and they are also instrumental in protecting information assets such as intellectual property, accounts, files, and even hardware like computers and drives that store these. The PCI DSS compliance checklist, which is required from all card companies and online payment portals as a safety measure, is also managed by this personnel.
How To Position Yourself For An Entry-Level Cybersecurity Job: Frequently Asked Questions
Breaking into the exciting world of cybersecurity can be challenging, but with the proper preparation and knowledge, you can stand out from the crowd and land your dream entry-level job.
Here are answers to frequently asked questions to help you on your journey:
What skills and qualifications do I need for an entry-level cybersecurity job?
While specific requirements vary depending on the company and role, some core skills and qualifications are generally sought after:
Technical skills:
Basic understanding of networking concepts (TCP/IP, OSI model)
Familiarity with operating systems (Windows, Linux)
Knowledge of security fundamentals (encryption, authentication, authorization)
I don’t have a cybersecurity degree. Is it possible to get an entry-level job?
Absolutely! While a degree can be beneficial, it’s not always a requirement, especially for entry-level positions. Demonstrating your genuine interest and initiative through other means can be equally valuable:
Certifications: Earning industry-recognized certifications like CompTIA Security+ or Security Fundamentals validates your knowledge and commitment.
Online courses and boot camps: Numerous online resources and boot camps offer intensive training in cybersecurity concepts and practical skills.
Personal projects: Showcase your skills and passion by building personal projects like security tools or participating in ethical hacking challenges.
Internships and volunteer work: Gain valuable experience and network with professionals by volunteering at IT security organizations or securing internships.
What resources can help me prepare for job interviews?
Several resources can equip you for success in your job interview:
Mock interviews: Practice with friends, family, or career counsellors to hone your communication and answer common interview questions.
Online resources: Websites like Glassdoor and Indeed offer company-specific interview questions and insights.
Cybersecurity communities: Online forums and communities like Reddit’s r/cybersecurity can provide valuable advice and support.
Professional organizations: Engage with organizations like (ISC)² or National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) for career guidance and resources.
What are some common mistakes to avoid during my job search?
Here are some pitfalls to keep in mind:
Applying for jobs you’re not qualified for: Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight relevant skills and experience for each specific position.
Having a weak online presence: Ensure your social media profiles and online presence reflect your professionalism and commitment to cybersecurity.
Lacking enthusiasm and passion: Be prepared to articulate your genuine interest in cybersecurity and your reasons for pursuing this career path.
Giving up quickly: The job search can be competitive, so stay persistent, network actively, and learn from each experience.
Remember, landing your first cybersecurity job may require dedication and effort, but with the right skills, preparation, and a proactive approach, you can unlock a rewarding career in this dynamic field. Good luck!
A Final Word
Although there are many entry-level cybersecurity jobs, getting into the field can be daunting. The best way to get started is by doing a simple Google search for “cybersecurity job openings”, and local listings will be shown. From there, you can narrow down your search by level, skillset, and geographical location.
Once you have a few options in front of you, you can start applying for jobs, including internships and paid positions. If you’re having trouble finding a job you want, you can always make a lateral move or build a freelance business that offers similar services.
The road to an entry-level cybersecurity job will be long and hard to navigate, especially if you don’t have any relevant experience or qualifications.
You will need to prove yourself many times over along the way and it is also essential that you have a supportive network of friends, family members, and colleagues to bounce ideas off of as you go. However, if you persevere, you will find success and work towards a cybersecurity career you love.
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