What is a Shared Proxy?

A shared proxy is an IP address used simultaneously by multiple customers of the proxy provider. The cost is split among users, making shared proxies the most economical option, though they carry higher risk of contamination from other users' activities.

How Shared IP Assignment Works

In a shared proxy setup, the provider assigns the same IP address to multiple customers. All users' traffic exits through the same IP, and the target website cannot distinguish between requests from different users sharing the IP. The proxy server handles concurrent connections from all assigned users, with bandwidth and connection limits divided among them. If one user triggers a block or CAPTCHA on a target site, all users sharing that IP are affected.

When using shared proxies through gate.hexproxies.com:8080, you might share your exit IP with several other customers. If another customer aggressively scrapes the same target you are accessing, the resulting IP ban affects your operations too, even if your own request volume was conservative.

Shared Proxies in the Right Context

Shared proxies offer the lowest cost entry point for proxy usage, making them suitable for non-critical tasks, testing, and low-volume operations where occasional blocks are acceptable. However, for production-critical workloads, Hex Proxies recommends dedicated or residential proxies that eliminate the risk of cross-contamination from other users' activities.