Everything You Need to Know About Residential VPNs

It’s like suddenly residential VPNs have become all the rage in the personal privacy world. From more companies providing the service to experts in the tech world recommending them as a bona fide way to stay anonymous online – residential VPNs have enjoyed good publicity in recent times. And rightly so.

A residential VPN has a lot to offer to both individuals and businesses. Whether it is to bypass censorship in certain countries or unblock websites closed due to regional restrictions, a residential VPN makes it easy and cheap to surf the web the way it was meant to. An abundance of 100% true residential IPs, simple mechanisms, and modest pricing, are seen as the highlights.

But how exactly does a residential VPN work? What all should a user know about it before signing up for one? How does it compare to a traditional VPN? You’ll find out all in this detailed guide.

What is a Residential VPN?

A residential VPN uses internet protocol (IP) addresses generated by ISPs to provide anonymity to users. Compare this with server or data center IPs offered by traditional VPN providers. This helps you access even VPN blocking websites and unblock any site or app that you want.

The difference here is not just in the IPs provided but also in the way it works. For instance, a typical residential VPN uses a pool of residential IPs that is community-driven (mostly free users signing up for the service) or created proprietarily through other means such as partnerships with ISPs. The VPN client then offers one of these IPs from the pool to a user in exchange for the user’s own residential IP. This mode of give-and-take operation is what makes residential VPNs highly effective in unblocking.

Of course, you can opt for a subscription if you don’t want to share your IP address. Such systems are even more popular as you can use the VPN for a myriad of purposes. These include everything from unblocking streaming sites, tackling internet censorship, and the best of all, staying truly anonymous.

TuxlerVPN was the first provider to offer residential IPs, making us one of the safest options out there. 

Common Applications of a Residential VPN

A residential VPN is a really good website unblocker. We promote TuxlerVPN as a way to get around the web so that you never get denied access to any site, no matter what country you are from. 

That way, a residential VPN can be used for a wide variety of activities such as:

• Unblocking websites that have geo-restrictions
• Unblocking streaming apps that blacklist VPN IPs
• Bypassing internet censorship in strict countries such as China and Iraq
• Turning all your web traffic private
• Making yourself anonymous i.e., change your IP/web location virtually
• Protecting yourself and your devices from malware attacks and hacking attempts

There is a wrong notion that a residential VPN is only useful as a website unblocker. While its overall unblocking capability stands higher than that provided by traditional VPNs, a residential VPN can tackle anything that its counterparts can. This includes a personal privacy tool.

FAQs About Residential VPNs

Now that you have a good idea about residential VPNs, let’s tackle some specific questions. Here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions.

What is a residential IP VPN?

A residential VPN is sometimes called a residential IP VPN to highlight the part about residential IPs. However, there are some residential VPN providers who may provide server IPs in the name of residential IPs.

How do I know if an IP address is residential?

A quick way to know if your IP address is truly residential is to do a Whois lookup. If you can see the name of an ISP and a clear physical location, you can confirm it’s residential. Learn more about data center VPNs for a better understanding.

What is a residential proxy?

A residential proxy usually means an “acquired” residential proxy as opposed to a true, legally available one. When you sign up for TuxlerVPN and get a residential IP from the IP pool, you are getting a bona fide connection that was legally generated by a real ISP. A residential proxy, on the other hand, could mean the IP addresses were acquired second-hand from an old batch of IPs or generated through some other method. Do note that ‘proxy’ and ‘IP’ are sometimes used interchangeably.

How much does a residential VPN cost?

TuxlerVPN costs $7.99 per month and is billed monthly. We also have a free version that can be used as an app client and an extension.

Can I buy a residential IP without subscribing to a VPN?

You may contact your local ISPs and enquire but they are unlikely to give you an “extra” residential IP. Moreover, you legally cannot get an IP of another location (or another owner) as the ISP will need a registered address to do so. The best and legal way to get a residential IP is to buy a VPN.

How is a data center IP different from a residential?

Data center IPs are generated by servers that are not registered to a residence or home. Check out our take on the differences between those two types.

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