At Wired Proxy, we ran IP inventory, server data, and subnet records on a legacy Google Sheets workflow. It worked at small scale, but it didn't scale. We built a spreadsheet-like stock management GUI from scratch, migrated everything into a unified MySQL database, and added real-time sync across provisioning and billing. Here's what we shipped.
Why Replace Google Sheets?
Sheets was flexible but brittle. No validation, no real-time sync with provisioning or billing systems, and no way to enforce business rules like double-sale prevention or stock availability. As the business grew, manual errors and lag became costly. We needed a single source of truth with constraints baked in.
The Spreadsheet-Like GUI
We built a custom data table that felt familiar to spreadsheet users but ran on real data. Key features:
- Multi-column filtering – Narrow down IPs, servers, or subnets by multiple criteria at once
- Wildcard search – Quick lookup across fields
- Numeric comparison filters – Range checks, greater-than, less-than
- Column grouping – Group by region, type, or status
- Sortable headers – Click to sort; state persists
- Session-based column reordering – Drag columns into the order you want; it remembers per session
The goal was to make large-scale IP inventory management faster for internal teams. No more scrolling through endless rows in Sheets. Filter, search, sort, done.
Migration: IP Inventories, Servers, Subnets
We migrated IP inventories, server data, and subnet records into a unified MySQL database. Real-time synchronization kept provisioning and billing systems in sync. One change in the GUI propagated everywhere. That eliminated the drift that used to happen when someone updated a Sheet and forgot to tell billing.
Subnet Lifecycle and CIDR Validation
We engineered subnet lifecycle workflows with CIDR validation rules to prevent:
- Duplicate blocks – No allocating the same block twice
- Overlaps – No overlapping subnets
- Retirement of allocated IPs – Block deallocation only when safe
We added tag-based allocation logic enforcing business constraints like double-sale prevention and stock availability checks. The system refused invalid allocations instead of letting them slip through.
Admin Panel: Coupons, Partners, Notifications
Alongside stock management, we shipped marketing and monetization features: a coupon system aligned with pricing strategy, a partner management module with live ClickUp integration for real-time status tracking, and cron-based email and Discord notifications to boost engagement. All of it fed into the same admin surface.
Wrap-up
Replacing Sheets with a purpose-built GUI and MySQL backend gave us validation, real-time sync, and control over subnet lifecycles. The spreadsheet-like UX kept the learning curve low; the backend made it reliable. Sometimes the right move is to stop fighting a generalist tool and build what the business actually needs.