Jumping in late here... but I gotta ask, has anyone else had bad luck with certain residential providers and their speed? I've been running tests on a few providers, and some just refuse to deliver decent latency or throughput. I thought I was doing it right with standard ping tests, but turns out they're hiding behind some fake low latency numbers. Anyone got a solid methodology for really testing proxy speed beyond the basic ping or curl checks? Seems like some providers just cheat or oversell, and I need a way to catch that before wasting more budget. I swear I've gone from trusting a provider to instantly dumping them once I see the actual speeds in real scraping tasks. And yes, I've tried to verify on multiple networks and times of day, but it's still a mess. Would love some fresh ideas or a proven test setup that actually matters. My goal is to weed out the slow or fake proxies before I start any major campaigns, but honestly I feel like I'm chasing shadows. Would appreciate any insights or a simple way to keep the bad actors at bay.
Frustrated with Slow Proxies, Need Speed Test Tips
- Thread starter Quanta
- Start date
Frustrated with Slow Proxies, Need Speed Test Tips
smh, yeah i've seen the same game where proxies pretend to be faster than they really are, especially with residentials. ping tests are basically just a first date, they don't tell the whole story. imo, gotta test with actual scraping or simulating your real workload, then compare those results across providers. also, always verify on different networks and times, like you said. email list still rules for long term, but rn i'd say you need a real test rig that mimics your actual use case to catch the fake speeds.
lol, people really think ping tests mean anything serious when it comes to proxies. like, a 20ms ping on a residential proxy means nothing if it cant handle real scraping loads. i've tested plenty of proxies that looked fine on ping but crash under actual traffic. best way? run real scrape scenarios, measure speed in mbps during actual tasks and check failure rates over multiple runs. anything that oversells on specs or hides behind fake numbers is just cope. automation tools that promise to find fast proxies for you? snake oil.
Jumping into the middle of testing with just a few providers is a waste of time honestly. you gotta have a proper testing setup and not just rely on quick checks. Ping tests, curl, and even speed tests on some sites don't mean anything if the proxy cant handle actual scraping loads. gotta test with real-world tasks, simulating ur campaign environment, and look at error rates, throughput, and stability over time. if ur only doing quick tests, ur just chasing shadows and wasting ur budget. proper testing is about real load, real usage, and consistent results. proxies that pass a quick test but crash when u scale are the ones u wanna avoid. so don't get lazy just because u think u checked some providers, keep digging, keep testing, or ur just gonna keep spinning ur wheels
Palate
New member
Bro you're not seeing the vision. Testing proxies is like trying to judge a book by its cover. Ping tests are cap, they don't tell you if the proxy can handle real scraping. I always tell folks to run actual test scrapes on their target sites, see how they hold up under load. Even then, sometimes it's sus, some proxies just crash when you push 'em. Best move is to get a few and run them in a real-world scenario, not just quick checks. Otherwise you just chasing shadows, fam.
Swell
New member
you're confusing activity with progress. Speed tests, ping checks, curl, they're all smoke and mirrors. You need a real test environment, run actual scraping scripts on your target sites, measure how they handle the load over time. Don't chase shadows with fake speed numbers, chase LTV and reliability in real conditions. Proxy overselling is the industry standard now, so your best bet is building a test farm that mimics your actual workflow and analyzing the results like a hawk.
Monolith
New member
You're not wrong about the need for real-world testing, but calling speed tests useless is a stretch. The thing is, proxies are like creak boats if you only look at the surface, you'll miss the leaks. Running actual scraping tests on your target sites with various loads and measuring response times over hours, not seconds, gives you the real picture.
Liquid
New member
Ping tests are basically just a first glance, not the full story. Anyone telling you they got real proxy speed from just pinging is lying or just lazy. If you really wanna know, run some actual load tests, see how they perform under real scraping conditions. Fake low latency numbers are just the tip of the iceberg. Show me the data from real traffic tests and I'll believe it. Otherwise, you're just guessing.
Yeah, no shit. But here's the thing, how many actually do that properly? Running actual scraping on legit targets over a sustained period, with enough volume to matter, that's a pain to set up and monitor. Most just slap some code on a timer and call it a day, then wonder why the proxies suck when they hit real workload. Show me the real numbers from those tests and not just "oh it worked for 10 minutes." That's the only way to spot the fakes and slowpokes.
Whet
New member
counterpoint: so you're saying ping and curl tests are worthless? lol, show me data proving that real scraping speeds dont matter, cause i've seen cases where a proxy's latency is low but it chokes under actual load. surface tests are just that, surface. but ignoring them completely can make you blind to the bigger issues. smh
Nexus
New member
Yeah proxies can be a pain sometimes especially when they slow down your CR and CTR, I get it been there done that back in the day we used to hunt for those speedier proxies like bloodhounds but honestly most of the time it's about how you test them fast and dirty to find the good ones without wasting time on the slowpokes try running some quick s2s speed tests with lightweight landing pages or even just ping your proxies from different locations see which ones respond faster and don't forget to keep your DNS and ISP in check sometimes it's all about the local network connection and not the proxy itself track it or lack it my friend
Rhythm
New member
Honestly I think most people spend too much time chasing speed proxies. If you wanna see what actually works, test on a real device with decent internet and keep your tests short. Also, never forget a good pre-lander before wasting time on proxies, direct linking is just asking for trouble.
Latency
New member
honestly, the proxy speed thing is a distraction most of the time. I used to chase after faster proxies too but found that it's more about how you test them and what your setup is. Test on a real device with a decent internet connection, keep your tests short, and focus on the actual conversion data. If the proxy is slow but the traffic converts well, that proxy might still be worth it. Just test it and see what the data says instead of obsessing over it
Proxies are just a small part of the equation. Correlation isn't causation. If your CTR or CR is tanking, it's more likely your offer or landing page is bricked, not the proxy speed. Test with real traffic, keep it simple, and watch your numbers. Speed is overhyped if your core metrics are dead on arrival.
Honestly I gotta disagree with some of this. Yeah, testing on real devices and decent net is key but chasing speed proxies all day lowkey feels like chasing your own tail. I've seen some janky proxies that are slow as hell but still convert like crazy. My two cents: sometimes a slower proxy with a better IP reputation or less spammy setup actually performs better long term. And don't forget, if your offer or landing page is trash, nothing will save you, no matter how fast your proxies are. Speed is just one part of a bigger puzzle, don't let it distract you from fixing the core stuff.
Meet me in the middle on this. Yes, proxies matter but not as much as everyone makes it out to be. I've seen slow proxies crush it sometimes, and fast proxies flop. It's all about the context, how you test, and your audience. If your CR and CTR are tanking, your proxy might be the scapegoat but usually it's the offer, landing page, or even the targeting.
Girder
New member
speed is king but not the end all. simple math says a quick proxy can boost your initial tests but if your offer or cr is junk, no proxy speed gonna save you. i had a slow proxy that crushed for months, just make sure you keep the testing legit with real traffic and good targeting. chase what converts, not just the fastest.
Crust
New member
Nah, I gotta push back on that a little. Sure, a fast proxy can give a slight edge in initial testing, but I've seen plenty of slow proxies outperform the fast ones over time. If your offer or CR are trash, no proxy speed will turn that around. It's all about the quality of the traffic, not just how quickly they load. TL;DR: don't sleep on slow proxies just yet, they can surprise you if everything else is right.
But what if the proxy speed is just masking a bigger problem? like, maybe a slow proxy makes you ignore real issues with your offer or CR. if you're not testing with legit proxies, how do you really know if your offer or CR sucks or if it's just the proxy?
Interesting point Latency but I think speed does matter at some point especially for high LTV GEOs where user patience is thin. Testing on real devices helps but if the proxy is slow, the whole journey suffers. It's a balance, not just about speed but how it plays with your LP and creatives too
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