The 911 Proxy Shutdown: What Happened and What to Use Instead in 2026

If you've been searching for 911 Proxy recently, you've probably noticed something's off—the service is gone. For years, 911 S5 Proxy was one of the most talked-about names in the residential proxy world, offering millions of IP addresses from real devices across the globe. People used it for everything from web scraping and sneaker copping to managing multiple social media accounts and bypassing geo-restrictions.

But in July 2022, 911 Proxy pulled the plug permanently. The shutdown left thousands of users scrambling for alternatives, and nearly three years later, many are still wondering: what exactly happened, and more importantly, what should you use now?

The Rise and Fall of 911 S5 Proxy

911 S5 Proxy built its reputation on three key strengths: a massive pool of residential IPs, Socks5 protocol support, and pricing that made large-scale operations actually affordable. Unlike datacenter proxies that get flagged easily, 911's residential IPs came from real devices—phones, home routers, and computers—making them nearly impossible to detect as proxies.

The service was especially popular among e-commerce sellers, marketing agencies, and anyone running automated tasks that needed to look like regular human traffic. With coverage spanning nearly every country, you could rotate through IPs from specific cities or regions, which was perfect for location-specific testing and data collection.

But behind the scenes, trouble was brewing. In early 2022, security researcher Brian Krebs reported that 911 Proxy had suffered a major data breach. Hackers exploited an API vulnerability in the payment top-up system, manipulating account balances and accessing customer information. The breach exposed how the service handled user data and raised serious questions about its security infrastructure.

Why 911 Proxy Had to Shut Down

The hack wasn't just embarrassing—it was devastating. According to the official statement released on July 28, 2022, 911 Proxy announced it would "permanently shut down all its services." The wording was vague, but the message was clear: they weren't coming back.

Some industry insiders speculated that law enforcement pressure played a role. Residential proxy networks operate in a gray area legally, especially when IP addresses come from devices whose owners may not fully understand how their bandwidth is being used. The breach likely attracted unwanted attention from authorities in multiple jurisdictions.

Others pointed to internal conflicts within the organization. When a service handles millions of dollars in transactions and suddenly faces a security crisis, tensions run high. Whatever the exact reasons, the end result was the same: one of the largest residential proxy providers vanished overnight, leaving users without access to their paid accounts or any real explanation.

What Made 911 Proxy So Popular

Before we talk about alternatives, it's worth understanding why people loved 911 Proxy in the first place. The service offered several features that were hard to find elsewhere at similar price points:

Real residential IPs at scale. With over 70 million residential proxies in their pool, you could find IPs from almost any location. This wasn't just quantity for quantity's sake—having diverse options meant you could target specific markets without burning through your IP pool too quickly.

City-level targeting. Many proxy services only offer country-level selection, but 911 allowed you to choose IPs from specific cities. This was crucial for tasks like ad verification, where you need to see exactly what users in a particular metro area are seeing.

Socks5 protocol support. Unlike HTTP proxies that only work for web traffic, Socks5 proxies can handle any type of internet traffic—gaming, P2P applications, or specialized software. This flexibility made 911 a one-stop solution for diverse use cases.

Pay-as-you-go pricing. Rather than forcing you into monthly subscriptions with bandwidth you might not use, 911 let you buy traffic packages that didn't expire. You paid for what you needed, when you needed it.

For businesses running multiple accounts or conducting market research across different regions, 👉 finding reliable residential proxies with global coverage became essential to maintaining operations after 911's disappearance.

Why You Need a Solid Alternative

The proxy landscape has changed since 2022. More platforms have gotten better at detecting automated traffic, CAPTCHA systems have become more sophisticated, and websites increasingly check not just your IP address but your entire digital fingerprint. Using low-quality proxies or datacenter IPs that get flagged constantly isn't just inefficient—it can get your accounts banned or your data collection efforts completely blocked.

If you were relying on 911 Proxy for business operations, you need an alternative that offers:

• Large IP pools with regular rotation to avoid detection

• High anonymity with real residential devices, not recycled datacenter IPs

• Geographic diversity to match your target markets

• Stable connections that won't drop mid-session during critical tasks

• Reasonable pricing that scales with your usage

The good news is that the proxy market has matured significantly since 911's shutdown. Several providers have stepped up to fill the gap, improving their infrastructure and expanding their networks to meet the demand from displaced 911 users.

Real-World Use Cases That Require Quality Proxies

Understanding why proxies matter helps explain why choosing the right alternative is crucial. Here are some common scenarios where residential proxies are non-negotiable:

E-commerce and price monitoring. If you're tracking competitor prices across different regions or monitoring your own product listings, websites will block you fast if they detect scraping. Residential proxies let you gather data without triggering anti-bot systems.

Social media management. Managing multiple accounts from the same IP address is a quick way to get flagged. Each account needs its own residential IP from the appropriate geographic region to appear legitimate.

Sneaker copping and limited releases. Bot detection on retail sites has become incredibly sophisticated. Success often comes down to having access to clean residential IPs that haven't been burned by other users.

Market research and ad verification. Seeing what content, ads, or search results appear in different locations requires authentic residential IPs from those areas. Datacenter proxies simply won't cut it for accurate data.

When you're performing high-stakes tasks like these, 👉 working with proxy providers that maintain clean IP pools and offer genuine residential connections becomes the difference between success and getting blocked.

What to Look for in a 911 Proxy Alternative

Not all proxy services are created equal, and some providers that claim to offer residential proxies are actually just reselling datacenter IPs or running networks of questionable quality. Here's what actually matters when evaluating alternatives:

IP pool size and freshness. Bigger isn't always better, but you need enough diversity to avoid reusing IPs too frequently. More importantly, the provider should actively cycle out burned IPs and add fresh ones regularly. A stale pool of 100 million IPs is worse than a fresh pool of 10 million.

Real residential sources. Some providers build their networks through legitimate partnerships and SDK integrations with app developers. Others use less transparent methods. The source matters because it affects IP quality and longevity.

Location coverage that matches your needs. If you only work with US traffic, you don't need global coverage. But if you're targeting specific countries or cities, verify the provider actually has meaningful inventory in those locations—not just a handful of IPs.

Bandwidth pricing structure. Some providers charge per GB, others per IP, and some offer unlimited bandwidth with monthly subscriptions. Calculate what makes sense for your usage patterns. Pay-as-you-go can be economical for light users but expensive at scale.

Connection stability and speed. Residential proxies are typically slower than datacenter proxies because the traffic routes through real devices. However, there's a big difference between acceptably slower and frustratingly unreliable. Test speed and stability before committing to a large purchase.

Customer support responsiveness. When something breaks during a critical operation, you need support that actually responds. Check reviews specifically mentioning support quality, not just general product features.

Moving Forward Without 911 Proxy

The shutdown of 911 Proxy was a wake-up call for many users who relied on a single provider. Building your proxy strategy around one service creates a single point of failure. Even if a provider doesn't shut down completely, they might experience downtime, raise prices dramatically, or see their IP quality deteriorate.

Smart operators now maintain relationships with multiple proxy providers, testing and rotating between them based on performance, price, and specific use case requirements. This approach provides redundancy and lets you optimize for different tasks—maybe one provider works better for social media, while another excels at e-commerce scraping.

The residential proxy market in 2025 is more competitive and mature than it was during 911's peak. Several providers now offer comparable or superior infrastructure, often with better transparency about their IP sources and more sophisticated targeting options. While 911 Proxy's disappearance was disruptive, it ultimately pushed users to discover alternatives that may serve them even better for the long term.

If you're still searching for a reliable residential proxy solution that can handle serious workloads without breaking the bank, focus on providers with proven track records, transparent operations, and IP pools large enough to support your specific needs. The 911 era is over, but your proxy requirements don't have to suffer because of it.