Massive's residential proxy network includes more than 1,000,000 residential computers and devices in more than 195 countries around the world. Partners use these residential IPs to monitor internet performance, gather business intelligence, and detect fraud and malware.

This guide contains all the necessary information you need to help you get started smoothly with Massive Residential Proxies.

Setting Up Residential Proxies

Create a proxy user account

Select a plan that best suits your needs and create an account. Massive also offers a free trial plan for you to test the Massive Network. Contact our support team to learn more.

You will be given login credentials once you've created your proxy user account.

Getting started with residential proxies

The next step to using Massive Network is making sure your credentials work with a simple curl request.

Test with a basic request

After creating your proxy user account, you will receive a cURL example that you can execute on your terminal or any other environment you prefer.

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Here's the code-formatted version of the same query for your convenience:

curl --proxy https://network.joinmassive.com:65535 --proxy-user 'PROXY_USERNAME:API_KEY' https://cloudflare.com/cdn-cgi/trace

Copy, paste, and run the provided cURL command in your terminal or preferred environment. Replace PROXY_USERNAME:API_KEY with your own credentials, press Enter, and you will receive your Residential IP address.

Advanced Usage of Residential Proxies

Massive's robust proxy services allow for geotargeting, sticky sessions, device type targeting, and advanced accounting and reporting.

Geotargeting

The Massive proxy server allows you to route your requests through specific locations by appending geotargeting parameters to your login email address. This is useful for gathering localized data or simulating traffic from different regions.

Example:

curl -x https://network.joinmassive.com:65535 \ -U 'PROXY_USERNAME?country=US&zipcode=10001' \ https://cloudflare.com/cdn-cgi/trace

Proxy configuration: Geotargeting

Session Persistence (AKA sticky sessions)

For tasks that require multiple requests from the same IP address, you can maintain session persistence by specifying a unique session identifier. This ensures your requests are routed through the same egress node, ideal for tasks that need consistent IP addresses.

Example:

curl -x https://network.joinmassive.com:65535 \ -U 'PROXY_USERNAME?session=session42' \ https://cloudflare.com/cdn-cgi/trace

The default session time (TTL) is 15 minutes. Every request with a session key prolongs the session and refreshes its TTL. Check out our documentation for a comprehensive list of supported parameters and instructions on using sticky sessions.

It's important to note that each new request will give you a new IP address. This is also true when you reach a max number of errors of 15.

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Device Type Targeting

Targeting different device types can be helpful for testing and data collection. Massive Network allows you to specify whether your requests should be routed through mobile or common (non-mobile) devices.

Example:

curl -x https://network.joinmassive.com:65535 \ -U 'PROXY_USERNAME?type=mobile&country=US' \ https://cloudflare.com/cdn-cgi/trace

Proxy configuration: Device-type targeting

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Check out Massive Residential Proxies documentation for examples in other programming languages.

Error Types/Status Codes

Massive may respond with one of several common or custom error messages:

<table class="GeneratedTable">
 <thead>
   <tr>
     <th>Status code</th>
     <th>Reason phrase</th>
     <th>Additional comments</th>
   </tr>
 </thead>
 <tbody>
   <tr>
     <td><code>400</code></td>
     <td>Bad Request</td>
     <td>Your request was malformed, most likely because of invalid routing parameters; see the response body for human-readable details</td>
   </tr>
   <tr>
     <td><code>407</code></td>
     <td>Proxy Authentication Required</td>
     <td>Your login email address, Massive API token, or both were incorrect</td>
   </tr>
   <tr>
     <td><code>452</code></td>
     <td>Disallowed Content</td>
     <td>The protocol, port, or content that you requested conflicts with Massive's content policy; see the Link header for the entire policy</td>
   </tr>
   <tr>
     <td><code>500</code></td>
     <td>Internal server error</td>
     <td>Something went wrong on the serverside</td>
   </tr>
   <tr>
     <td><code>502</code></td>
     <td>Bad gateway</td>
     <td>Massive was unable to find an appropriate node</td>
   </tr>
   <tr>
     <td><code>503</code></td>
     <td>Service Unavailable</td>
     <td>Massive was unable to satisfy the geotargeting specifications or other elements of your request; or Massive network experiences high demand; see the response body for human-readable details</td>
   </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

If you encounter response codes other than the above error types, email support@joinmassive.com.

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Usage Restrictions

While Massive Residential Proxies offer robust capabilities, it’s important to be aware of certain usage restrictions to ensure compliance and optimal performance.

General Restrictions

The Massive Network has specific limitations, including blocking UDP communication and restricting non-standard ports like 8080. The network is designed to deliver content that is considered “family-friendly” globally, so any requests deemed dangerous or offensive will be blocked with a 452 Disallowed Content error.

Restricted Domains and Ports

Massive restricts access to content often used to evade laws or site policies. If you need access to such content for legitimate purposes, you must contact support to complete a Know Your Customer (KYC) process. Additionally, Port 25 is blocked on the residential proxy network. However, you can request access to Ports 587 or 465 for email testing.

Requesting Access

If you have questions about these policies or need to complete KYC to access restricted content, you can reach out to support@joinmassive.com.

Common Issues Associated with Setting up Residential Proxies

Authentication Errors: These occur when your login credentials or API token are incorrect, resulting in failed connections. Double-check your credentials and ensure they are correctly entered.

Slow Connection Speeds: Using residential proxies may lead to slower speeds due to the nature of routing through residential IPs. Optimize by choosing proxies closer to your target location.

Geotargeting Failures: Incorrect or overly restrictive geotargeting parameters can lead to unsuccessful requests. Ensure your parameters are valid and within the network's capabilities.

Blocked Ports or Content: Certain ports and content types may be blocked by the network, leading to failed requests. Check your request details and the network’s content policy.

Session Persistence Issues: If sessions are not correctly managed, requests may not originate from the same IP. Ensure session identifiers are used consistently.

Final Thoughts

Getting started with residential proxies through Massive’s network is a straightforward process that can significantly help your projects or business operations. Whether you need to monitor internet performance, gather market insights, or protect your brand, Massive's robust proxy features—including geotargeting, session persistence, and device type targeting—provide the flexibility and security you need. Watch out for the common setup issues and usage restrictions so you can operate smoothly. With these tools and tips you’re ready to go with residential proxies!

Massive Frequently Asked Questions

Why use a residential proxy?

Using a residential proxy offers businesses a wide range of benefits, such as enhancing security testing, training large language models (LLMs), verifying ads, protecting brands, conducting market research, and gathering insights. Additionally, residential proxies support predictive analytics, price comparison, SEO, and review monitoring, making them essential tools for businesses looking to optimize and secure their online operations.

Do you have a free trial for Residential Proxies?

Yes! You can test Massive's residential proxy network for free. Email us at support@joinmassive.com and get your free trial offer once per user.

We also offer a 3-day money-back guarantee for new clients to experience our world-class residential proxy servers risk-free.

How do I choose the right residential proxy provider?

When choosing from residential proxy providers, you should consider factors such as reliability, security, and customer support. You should also consider the provider’s pricing plans and the number of IP addresses they offer. Look for a proxy service that offers a free trial or a money-back guarantee.

What do I need to start using Residential Proxies?

Here are the minimum technical requirements you need before using residential proxies:

• Servers to Make Requests From: Access to servers where you can execute proxy requests.
• Programming Skills: Proficiency in a supported programming language to integrate proxies.
• Web Scraper: A tool or script to scrape target URLs.
• Target URLs: The specific URLs you intend to scrape or access.
• Parser: A system to extract and process the data retrieved.
• Storage Solution: A database or file system to store the extracted data.

How do I set up proxies on different devices?

Setting up residential proxies on different devices involves configuring your settings on each device. This includes setting up your proxy server software, configuring your proxy settings, and implementing authentication and access controls.You can set up residential proxies on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices.

Windows:

To set up residential proxies on Windows, you’ll need to configure your proxy settings in the GoWindows settings. to the Control Panel, click Internet Options, and select the Connections tab. From there, you can configure your proxy settings, including the proxy server’s IP address and port number.

Mac

Click on the Apple icon, selecting System Preferences, and clicking on Network. From there, you can configure your proxy settings, including the proxy server’s IP address and port number.

Android

Go to the Settings app, click on Wi-Fi, and select the Advanced options. Configure your settings, including the proxy IP address and port number.

iOS

Go to Settings, click Wi-Fi, and select the Configure Proxy option. Configure your settings with the proxy IP address and port number.

Advanced Setup on Linux

To set up residential proxies on Linux, you’ll need to configure your proxy settings using the command line. You can do this by using the export command to set your proxy environment variables. You’ll need to configure your proxy settings, including the IP address and port number