# Proxy glossary: plain-English definitions

> Short, plain definitions of the proxy terms people meet when buying or using proxies: residential, datacenter, ISP and mobile proxies, rotating and sticky sessions, geo-targeting, per-GB billing, HTTP and SOCKS5, and more.

Source: https://quantumines.com/proxy-glossary
Published: 2026-11-06 · Last updated: 2026-11-06
Publisher: Quantumines (https://quantumines.com/), founded by Muhammad Ali Raza (Ali Arbi)

Proxy pricing pages are full of jargon. This glossary explains each common term in a sentence or two, so you can compare providers and pick the right product. It is written by Quantumines, which also runs the proxy service ProxyFall; the definitions apply to any provider.

## Types of proxy

Proxy
A server that forwards your internet requests, so the website sees the proxy's IP address instead of yours.
Residential proxy
A proxy whose IP address belongs to a home internet connection from an ordinary internet provider. Sites treat it like a normal household visitor. Usually billed per GB.
Datacenter proxy
A proxy whose IP address belongs to a server in a data centre. Fast and cheaper per GB, but some sites recognise and limit server IPs.
Static ISP proxy
An IP registered to an internet provider but hosted on a server, so it looks residential and stays the same for as long as you rent it.
Mobile proxy
A proxy that uses IP addresses from mobile carriers (4G/5G). Many phone users share each carrier IP, so sites are cautious about blocking them.

## Sessions and targeting

Rotating proxy
You get a new IP address on each request or connection. Good for many independent page loads.
Sticky session
You keep the same IP for a set time, such as 10 minutes or 24 hours. Needed for logins, checkouts and multi-step tasks.
Geo-targeting
Choosing where your IP appears to be: a country, a state or region, a city, or a specific internet provider (ISP or ASN targeting).
IP pool
The set of IP addresses a provider can give you. A bigger pool in your target location means fewer repeats.
Gateway (endpoint)
The single host and port you connect to. The provider picks an IP behind it based on the options in your username.

## Billing

Per-GB billing
You pay for the data that passes through the proxy, both what you send and what you download. Heavy pages cost more than light ones.
Expiring vs non-expiring traffic
Subscriptions often reset unused GB each month; some prepaid packs never expire. See does proxy bandwidth expire? (https://quantumines.com/answers/does-proxy-bandwidth-expire)
Volume tiers
A lower price per GB when you buy a bigger pack. Compare the price at the size you will really use.

## Protocols and connections

HTTP(S) proxy
The proxy type browsers and most scraping tools use. It opens HTTPS websites too, with the connection still encrypted end to end.
SOCKS5 proxy
A lower-level proxy type that works for apps other than browsers. Speed is about the same as HTTP.
Proxy line
The connection details in one string, often host:port:user:pass, pasted into a browser profile, script or tool.
WebRTC leak
When a browser reveals your real IP through WebRTC despite the proxy. Fixed in the browser's WebRTC settings.

## Uses

Price monitoring
Checking public prices and stock as shoppers in each market see them. See how proxies are used for price monitoring and SEO rank tracking (https://quantumines.com/blog/proxies-price-monitoring-seo-rank-tracking).
SERP tracking
Recording search engine results pages for chosen keywords and locations.
Acceptable use policy
A provider's published list of what its proxies may not be used for, such as fraud, spam or getting past logins. Read it before you buy.

## About ProxyFall

ProxyFall (https://proxyfall.com) is built and run by Quantumines: residential and datacenter proxies with country, city, state and ISP targeting, traffic that never expires, paid by card or in USDT, USDC or BTC. More on the studio at About Quantumines (https://quantumines.com/about).