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Migrate from Shifter

Upgrade from Shifter to Hex Proxies for owned ISP infrastructure, faster speeds, modern dashboard analytics, and transparent pay-as-you-go pricing.

Start Migration

Migration Steps

1

Document Shifter Configuration

Record your Shifter proxy type (basic backconnect, special backconnect, or dedicated), port assignments, and authentication credentials. Note your current plan limits and any IP refresh schedules.

2

Register for Hex Proxies

Sign up at hexproxies.com. Instant dashboard access with no restrictions on which proxy types or features you can explore.

3

Map Shifter Products

Shifter backconnect residential maps to Hex Proxies residential. Shifter dedicated proxies map to Hex Proxies ISP or datacenter depending on the IP classification you need. Evaluate based on your target sites.

4

Replace Proxy Endpoints

Swap Shifter gateway endpoints (xyz.shifter.io or similar) with gate.hexproxies.com. Update ports to match your Hex Proxies configuration from the dashboard.

5

Update Credentials

Replace Shifter authentication credentials with your Hex Proxies user:pass. Shifter uses a simple user:pass format, so this is a direct credential swap.

6

Verify Performance

Run test workloads through Hex Proxies. Compare response times, success rates, and IP diversity against your Shifter baseline. Focus on any sites where Shifter performance was inconsistent.

7

Complete the Switch

Move all production traffic to Hex Proxies, cancel your Shifter plan, and remove Shifter configuration from your codebase.

Code Changes

Before (javascript)
const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');

const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
  args: [
    '--proxy-server=xyz.shifter.io:31112'
  ]
});
After (javascript)
const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');

const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
  args: [
    '--proxy-server=gate.hexproxies.com:7000'
  ]
});

Benefits of Switching

  • Owned infrastructure replacing variable residential nodes
  • Consistent speeds without residential bottlenecks
  • No port-based concurrency limits
  • Modern dashboard with real-time analytics
  • Pay-as-you-go replacing fixed port plans
  • Configurable rotation instead of fixed 5-minute intervals
  • Lower timeout rates with managed infrastructure
  • Instant activation without plan upgrade negotiations

Why Switch from Shifter to Hex Proxies?

Shifter, formerly known as Microleaves, is a backconnect proxy provider that has been operating since the early days of the commercial proxy market. While they offer functional rotating residential proxies, their platform shows its age in terms of features, performance, and user experience. The dashboard is basic, reporting is limited, and the proxy infrastructure has not kept pace with providers that own their infrastructure.

Hex Proxies offers a meaningful upgrade across every dimension. Owned ISP infrastructure delivers faster, more reliable connections. A modern dashboard provides real-time visibility into your proxy usage. And pay-as-you-go pricing eliminates the fixed monthly plans that Shifter requires.

Performance Gap

Shifter's backconnect proxies route through a residential network with variable quality. Connection speeds fluctuate based on the residential node handling your request, and the overall throughput is limited by the weakest links in the chain. Timeout rates on Shifter tend to be higher than industry average because residential nodes go offline unpredictably.

Hex Proxies ISP infrastructure operates on dedicated servers with guaranteed bandwidth. Connection speeds are consistent because every node is professionally managed. Timeout rates are minimal because the infrastructure includes redundancy and failover. The performance difference is immediately noticeable when running automated workflows that depend on consistent timing.

Technical Migration

Backconnect to Gateway Migration

Shifter uses a backconnect model where you connect to a gateway that routes to residential nodes. Hex Proxies uses a similar gateway architecture, so the migration pattern is familiar. You are replacing one gateway URL with another. The connection model, protocol, and authentication pattern remain the same.

Puppeteer and Playwright Integration

Many Shifter users integrate proxies with Puppeteer or Playwright for browser automation. The migration for these setups is a single line change: update the --proxy-server argument from the Shifter endpoint to gate.hexproxies.com. Authentication is handled through the page.authenticate() method with your Hex Proxies credentials.

Rotation Behavior

Shifter rotates IPs on a timed interval (typically every 5 minutes for basic plans). Hex Proxies supports per-request rotation or sticky sessions with configurable duration. If you need timed rotation, configure the session duration in the Hex Proxies dashboard to match your current interval.

Plan Structure Comparison

Shifter sells plans based on the number of proxy ports, which effectively limits your concurrent connections. A 10-port plan means 10 concurrent connections maximum. Scaling requires upgrading to a higher port count plan. Hex Proxies does not limit concurrent connections through port-based plans. You get gateway access with the concurrency your use case requires.

This difference matters significantly for workloads with variable concurrency. With Shifter, you must pay for peak concurrency even if you only hit that peak briefly. With Hex Proxies, your costs scale with actual usage, not theoretical peak capacity.

Dashboard and Reporting

Shifter provides minimal usage reporting. You see your plan details and basic connection status, but detailed analytics on bandwidth consumption, success rates, and geographic distribution of requests are either unavailable or require manual tracking.

Hex Proxies dashboard shows real-time bandwidth usage, connection analytics, and usage history. This visibility helps you optimize your proxy usage, identify underperforming target sites, and make informed decisions about your proxy strategy without building custom monitoring.

Risk-Free Migration

The technical risk of migrating from Shifter to Hex Proxies is very low. The proxy protocols are standard, authentication is simple user:pass, and the gateway architecture is conceptually identical. Start by routing a subset of non-critical traffic through Hex Proxies to validate performance, then migrate production traffic once you confirm the improvement.

Ready to Migrate?

Switch from Shifter to Hex Proxies in minutes.

Create AccountView Pricing

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