Exit Node

An exit node is the final proxy device or server that connects to a destination and supplies the source IP the destination sees. Traffic may pass through other gateways first, but the exit makes the last network connection to the requested host.

The exit’s network affects how the traffic appears. A datacenter exit uses an address from hosting infrastructure. A residential exit uses an address associated with a household internet connection, and a mobile exit uses a carrier-network address. Destinations can examine the exit IP’s geolocation, autonomous system, reputation, and recent activity, along with request-level signals that have nothing to do with the IP.

An exit node is not necessarily a permanent server. In a peer-to-peer residential proxy network, a participant’s connected device and internet link can provide the exit. Availability changes as participants come online or disconnect. A proxy pool tracks available exits and selects among them according to rotation, location, and session rules.

PacketStream uses a peer-to-peer network of real residential Packeters. Packeters supply residential connections as exits and receive $0.10 per GB of bandwidth used. How residential proxies work follows the request path in more detail.

Related terms: proxy pool and sticky session.