What is a Rotating IP Address and How to Rotate it?

What is IP address rotation?

First, let’s visit the basics: What is an IP address?
An IP address identifies a device connected to the internet, and there are two types: IPv4 and IPv6.

A rotating IP is a proxy type that regularly alters the IP address it employs to establish a connection with the data source. This adjustment can be scheduled to happen after a specific duration or after a specific count of requests has been executed.

For example, when connecting via an Internet Service Provider (ISP), an IP address is automatically assigned from a pool of IPs. The ISP then distributes the IP address as soon as disconnection or reconnection occur.

ISPs rotate dynamic (static don’t rotate) IP addresses because they usually have more users than IP addresses at their disposal. Hence, when a particular user disconnects, the ISP will return the user’s IP address to their pool of IP addresses.

In addition, a type of proxies exists – called IPv6 or IPv4 proxies – that are designed to work with each protocol to enhance security and performance (here is ipv4 proxy for more information).

What is proxy rotation?

ISPs rotate IP addresses, and this process is transparent to their users. Although in the online world, there are plenty of cases when internet users intentionally rotate their IP addresses.

With rotating proxies, you can manage numerous connections from a single device, and carrying out web crawling and data scraping operations becomes a much easier task.

There are different methods used for IP rotation. In some cases, it has to be done manually, as with Chrome proxies (learn how to use proxy in Chrome). But here at Oxylabs, we offer a Proxy Rotator that does all the work for you. How does it work? A client gets one entry node which is used as a static address to get a proxy from the list. The rotator works by random IPs, meaning it rotates an IP address on each request.

Why rotate proxies?

When it comes to web scraping operations, the common challenge is to avoid getting blocked by websites while gathering data. Utilizing an IP rotation service in combination with a proxy server is one of the most effective ways to address this issue.

Proxy rotation helps web scrapers bypass anti-scraping measures by simulating multiple users, making it harder for websites to detect and block these requests. In tandem with an IP rotation service, scrapers can remain undetected, thus enhancing the reliability of large-scale data collection.

Many proxy server providers offer this type of IP rotation software – you can read more about the best rotating proxies in our blog.  

There are countless cases where a proxy server for IP rotation can be used effectively in web scraping:

SEO monitoring

SEO firms use proxies that automatically rotate to check keyword rankings from various locations I.e., with Brazil proxy or German proxy, you can check keyword rankings in that country.

Analytics and performance measuring

Data intelligence companies rotate proxies automatically to scrape websites for analytic and performance purposes.

Geo restrictions and price gouging

Corporate firms can utilize IP rotation to eliminate regional presentation and price gouging. Additionally, by rotating IPs, you can exceed request limits and eliminate geo-restrictions.

Data validation

Data triangulation companies validate data through IP rotation. With rotating IPs, it’s possible to gather and cross-verify data from multiple sources, minimizing the risk of blocks and ensuring accurate, comprehensive datasets. 

Network load maintenance

To maintain network loads, IT companies rotate the IP addresses for their outgoing bots.

IP bans

When conducting large-scale web scraping or data validation, IP rotation helps prevent IP bans by distributing requests across multiple addresses, ensuring uninterrupted access to data. 

Bypassing CAPTCHAs

Many sites use CAPTCHAs to limit automated access. Rotating IPs reduces the likelihood of triggering CAPTCHAs by appearing as multiple unique users, streamlining data collection. 

Privacy 

For activities like competitive research, IP rotation helps anonymize user activity, making it harder to track or link individual requests back to a single source.

Methods used to rotate IP addresses

Internet Service Providers rotate IP addresses using a number of different methods:

• Pre-configured IP rotation. This refers to a technique where the rotation is pre-configured to occur at specified intervals. Once the time specified elapses, the user is assigned a new IP address.

• Specific IP rotation. The user can choose which IP address to use for an outgoing connection.

• Random IP rotation. This method assigns a randomly selected address to each new outgoing connection. The user has no control over which address gets assigned.

• Burst IP rotation. The ISP assigns new IP addresses after a specified number of connections. For example, if the specified number is 10, a new IP address will be given to the eleventh connection after every ten connections are initiated.

How to rotate an IP address?

Proxy Rotator

An internet user can use an automated proxy rotating tool such as our Proxy Rotator. This tool will automatically rotate the proxy IP address using the random IP rotation method. Here’s how it works:

1. Add the proxy rotator to your proxy plan by logging in to your account or contacting us.

2. Get a single endpoint to your assigned proxy list.

3. With every request, the endpoint will fetch a different IP address.

Once you purchase Datacenter Proxies, you’ll receive detailed documentation that helps you get started. There you will find answers to frequently asked questions and more details on how to set up the proxy rotator. 

A dedicated proxy rotating service makes it easy to get past blocks when web scraping. It also reduces the risk of incorrectly configuring the IP rotation process, which could result in the overuse of some proxies and lead to bans. 

Note, our Residential Proxies do not need a proxy rotator and are self-rotating. However, for Datacenter Proxies, we do highly recommend using rotation as that reduces the chances of being blocked even more.

Manually

On an individual person level, proxy rotation can be carried out manually. For instance, a user can manually configure the proxy settings in Chrome. Proxy managers such as FoxyProxy can significantly help set up and easily change proxies.

Programmatically

You can also execute proxy rotation programmatically using tools such as the Python Requests library. See this detailed guide for more information on rotating proxies in Python.

VPN Rotation 

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) can be used for IP rotation by connecting to different servers located in various countries or cities. Some VPN server providers offer dedicated IP rotation features, allowing users to switch IPs automatically without manual reconnections and keeping their actual IP private.

Automatic IP Refresh from ISPs 

Some internet service providers (ISPs) assign a dynamic IP address that changes periodically or upon request. Users can reset their IP by restarting their router or enabling IP refresh features if available from their ISP, which can be a simple way to obtain a new IP without any additional IP rotation software.

IP rotation methods with proxy servers compared

Conclusion

Now you know what benefits a combination of proxies and IP rotation provide and the purpose it serves. Suppose you are indeed carrying out data scraping and web crawling tasks. In that case, we highly recommend implementing a high-quality proxy rotation solution or using reliable proxies, such as Residential Proxies, to increase your success rates.

If you liked this blog post, we also recommend reading about static vs. rotating proxies, IPV4 vs. IPV6, or using a static proxy for brand protection. Additionally, feel free to contact us if you have any queries.