Databay field notes
Proxy guides, experiments & operator notes
Engineering guides and first-party measurements for people operating proxy-backed data systems.
- 01Guides20
- 02Tutorials13
- 03Comparisons5
- 04Research5
Newest update Aug 09, 2026 · methodology-open research

Shared vs Dedicated Proxies: Allocation, Control, and Cost
Compare shared and dedicated proxies by allocation, persistence, network origin, measured performance, and normalized workload cost.
13 min readRead articleComparisons
05 entries
Proxy Anonymity Levels: Elite vs Anonymous vs Transparent
What common proxy anonymity labels measure, how header-based tests work, and why no label proves privacy, safety, authorization, or...
4 min readRead

HTTP vs SOCKS5 Proxies: DNS, TLS, UDP & Client Tests
Choose HTTP or SOCKS5 from the client behavior you need, not an OSI-layer slogan. Compare handshakes, DNS location, TLS, authentication...
15 min readRead

Proxy vs VPN: A Practical Routing, Encryption & Trust Test
Choose between a proxy and VPN by tracing which apps, DNS requests, and IP routes each one changes. Includes a route map and a...
10 min readRead

Residential vs Datacenter Proxies: Evidence-Based Comparison
Compare ISP-origin and hosting-network proxy routes by measurable origin, location controls, session behavior, latency, sourcing, and cost.
4 min readRead
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