From 1bc51c2bb96260075ced8891c1c4fa9c381bf283 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Ulzii Otgonbaatar Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:21:57 -0600 Subject: [PATCH 1/3] docs: document residential proxy IP rotation behavior Customers are confused when they see different IPs across browser tabs with residential proxies. Add a warning callout, an "IP Rotation Behavior" section explaining per-connection rotation, and a comparison table (residential vs ISP) so users can pick the right proxy type. Also add an Info callout to the proxies overview page. Made-with: Cursor --- proxies/overview.mdx | 4 ++++ proxies/residential.mdx | 21 +++++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 25 insertions(+) diff --git a/proxies/overview.mdx b/proxies/overview.mdx index 0f9e1f5..5299d5f 100644 --- a/proxies/overview.mdx +++ b/proxies/overview.mdx @@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ Kernel supports four types of proxies: Datacenter has the fastest speed, while residential is least detectable. ISP is a balance between the two options, with less-flexible geotargeting. Kernel recommends to use the first option in the list that works for your use case. + +Datacenter and ISP proxies provide a **stable exit IP** that stays consistent across all connections. Residential proxies use **rotating exit IPs** that may change per connection — see [Residential Proxies](/proxies/residential#ip-rotation-behavior) for details. + + ## Create a proxy Create a proxy configuration from the types above that can be reused across browser sessions: diff --git a/proxies/residential.mdx b/proxies/residential.mdx index d8c1520..5e4e77d 100644 --- a/proxies/residential.mdx +++ b/proxies/residential.mdx @@ -4,6 +4,27 @@ title: "Residential Proxies" Residential proxies route traffic through real residential IP addresses. They support advanced targeting options including city, state, and operating system. + +Residential proxies use **rotating exit IPs** — each new connection may route through a different residential IP address within your targeted region. This means different browser tabs or requests to different websites within the same session can show different public IPs. If you need a consistent IP address across all connections, use an [ISP proxy](/proxies/isp) instead. + + +## IP Rotation Behavior + +Residential proxies assign a new exit IP for each new TCP connection. In practice: + +- **Same website across tabs**: Tabs connecting to the same domain typically share a TCP connection (via HTTP connection pooling), so they usually see the same IP. +- **Different websites across tabs**: Tabs connecting to different domains open separate connections, so they will likely exit through different residential IPs. +- **Reconnections**: If a connection is closed and re-established (e.g., after a timeout or page idle), the new connection may get a different exit IP. + +This behavior is inherent to residential proxy networks, where traffic is routed through real consumer devices that come online and offline dynamically. + +| Feature | Residential | ISP | +| --- | --- | --- | +| IP stability | Rotating — changes per connection | Static — consistent across all connections | +| IP authenticity | Real consumer devices | ISP-assigned IPs hosted in data centers | +| Best for | Web scraping, data collection, avoiding rate limits | Session-based workflows, account management, login flows | +| Geo-targeting | Country, state, city, ZIP, ASN | Country | + ## Configuration Create a residential proxy with a target country: From 222e89600d0768ab8e8aae166f2388c4b991e9f2 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Ulzii Otgonbaatar Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:28:01 -0600 Subject: [PATCH 2/3] Remove residential vs ISP comparison table Made-with: Cursor --- proxies/residential.mdx | 7 ------- 1 file changed, 7 deletions(-) diff --git a/proxies/residential.mdx b/proxies/residential.mdx index 5e4e77d..3be580f 100644 --- a/proxies/residential.mdx +++ b/proxies/residential.mdx @@ -18,13 +18,6 @@ Residential proxies assign a new exit IP for each new TCP connection. In practic This behavior is inherent to residential proxy networks, where traffic is routed through real consumer devices that come online and offline dynamically. -| Feature | Residential | ISP | -| --- | --- | --- | -| IP stability | Rotating — changes per connection | Static — consistent across all connections | -| IP authenticity | Real consumer devices | ISP-assigned IPs hosted in data centers | -| Best for | Web scraping, data collection, avoiding rate limits | Session-based workflows, account management, login flows | -| Geo-targeting | Country, state, city, ZIP, ASN | Country | - ## Configuration Create a residential proxy with a target country: From 37108ff238c6ab76d01b181c6689553ea161e4d6 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Ulzii Otgonbaatar Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:31:27 -0600 Subject: [PATCH 3/3] Downgrade to Info callout, explain why IPs rotate Made-with: Cursor --- proxies/residential.mdx | 6 +++--- 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/proxies/residential.mdx b/proxies/residential.mdx index 3be580f..dfde748 100644 --- a/proxies/residential.mdx +++ b/proxies/residential.mdx @@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ title: "Residential Proxies" Residential proxies route traffic through real residential IP addresses. They support advanced targeting options including city, state, and operating system. - -Residential proxies use **rotating exit IPs** — each new connection may route through a different residential IP address within your targeted region. This means different browser tabs or requests to different websites within the same session can show different public IPs. If you need a consistent IP address across all connections, use an [ISP proxy](/proxies/isp) instead. - + +Residential proxies use **rotating exit IPs** — each new connection may route through a different residential IP address within your targeted region. This is because residential traffic is routed through real consumer devices that may go offline at any time, so the network assigns a new available exit node per connection. This means different browser tabs or requests to different websites within the same session can show different public IPs. If you need a consistent IP address across all connections, use an [ISP proxy](/proxies/isp) instead. + ## IP Rotation Behavior