ASN and subnet: why they matter when you buy proxies
Two terms decide a lot about how a site sees an address: the network that announces it, and the block it sits in.
ASN
An autonomous system number identifies a network that announces address ranges. Looking up an address gives its ASN and so the organisation behind it. A hosting company, a consumer provider and a mobile carrier each have their own, and sites use that to classify traffic.
Subnet and /24
Addresses are grouped into blocks. A /24 holds 256 consecutive IPv4 addresses and is the smallest block normally routed on the public internet. Anti-abuse systems often judge reputation per block.
What it means for a purchase
If you buy a batch of addresses, ask how spread they are. Many addresses in one /24 look related, and trouble with one can colour the rest. For work where addresses must look independent, spread across blocks.
How to check
Look an address up in a public ASN lookup tool. It shows the ASN, the organisation and the announced range. Compare it with what the target site expects.
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Put it into practice
Create an account and place a small first order.