# How to tell node types apart

> Compare residential, ISP, datacenter, and cloud IPs, and learn what to check when choosing a lasting proxy address for your Merca store.

Source: https://merca.getchrovia.com/en/docs/node-types

Providers name IPs differently. Check the type before you buy. To add one in Merca, see [Add a node](https://merca.getchrovia.com/en/docs/import-node). For which country, see [Which country should I buy a node in](https://merca.getchrovia.com/en/docs/node-country).

## Four common types

### Residential IP

An address from home broadband. It looks most like a real person online, so bot checks are usually rarest. It also costs more, and a long-lived IP you can keep on one store is harder to buy.

### ISP IP

A static address issued by an internet provider and registered under that provider. Easier and cheaper to buy than true residential, and closer to ordinary broadband than a datacenter. You can keep it on one store. Choose this for daily store work.

### Datacenter IP

An address from a hosting facility. Cheap and fast, but sites can tell it is a datacenter. Bot checks show up more often, and ads on the Amazon storefront look less like they do on a normal connection.

### Cloud IP

An address from a cloud provider such as Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud. With the provider's technical support, this type of IP is more stable. For daily store work, still choose ISP.

## Why ISP IPs

- Easier to buy than true residential, and cheaper
- Bot checks show up less often
- Ads on the Amazon storefront look more normal
- You can keep one lasting IP per store

Providers sometimes label ISP as **static residential** or **ISP residential**. Check the type before you pay. If you want ISP, it should be a static provider address.

For a closer look at what these labels mean and what they don't guarantee, read [What Is a Dedicated Static Native IP? And What Is an ISP IP?](https://merca.getchrovia.com/en/blog/dedicated-static-native-and-isp-ips).