Considering Hosting?
Awesome!
Before we get you your sign up bonus and signed up for monthly payments, take a look at the following questions and information to help educate you before you decide to join the People’s Network.
What kind of data is sent through the Node?
Each Node casts a wide net of coverage across your community so IoT devices can stay connected to the internet without being in range of WiFi or having a cellular data plan. IoT stands for Internet of Things, a term which is commonly used to refer to a new class of connected devices that send small packets of data (hundreds of bytes) over long ranges (miles) and require extended battery lives (months/years, not hours).
IoT Devices are things like pet trackers, temperature sensors, motion detectors, people counters for bars and restaurants, ebikes, pay-to-use electric scooters, smart thermostats, humidity sensors, among many other awesome solutions. These devices all send small amounts of encrypted data every few minutes/hours over long ranges to the nearest Node so that data can be sent via the internet to their application server. This is how device data will populate in a user’s device dashboard on their smartphone app or computer.
Don’t worry about “Malicious Data”, the frequency our Nodes operate on is reserved for ISM applications which stands for Industrial, Scientific, and Medical.
How much will it cost me to Host a Node?
Since data packets are so small our devices power consumption is virtually non-existent. Our Node uses less power than a stander LED light bulb; roughly 5W at peak. In the average US State, the total power cost of running a Node is about the same as your favorite drink from Starbucks Coffee- roughly $5/year.
Will the Node affect my internet quality/bandwidth and why does it need my WiFi?
Don’t worry Our Node is invisible in terms of bandwidth consumed. The tiny packets of Data flowing over our Node are nothing compared to Netflix, YouTube, Gaming, Zoom, etc. and it will not interfere with those things either. If our Node ever affects your network quality, then it was set up incorrectly and one of our awesome network technicians can quickly help you troubleshoot the issue.
Also Nodes do not need to be connected to the Internet through WiFi, most Hosts just prefer WiFi over running an Ethernet connection. Besides forwarding packets of Data for IoT devices, Nodes also need the internet to sync with the network and receive firmware updates (similar to your home printer).
How long does it take to set up the Node?
Nodes take less than 10 minutes to set up, but our network tech can hang around if you have any questions about the network.
“Hosting a Node is great. It took less than 5 minutes to set up, and at this point I have almost forgotten that it’s in my house. It feels good knowing that I am helping build out something cool for my local community and earning money in the process. The free new tech drops is an awesome bonus as well.”
Bryan- Host in Springdale, Arkansas
Who else is operating Nodes?
Is anyone else doing this?
Absolutely. By choosing to deploy a Node, you are joining the thousands of people across the United States actively building the The People’s Network.
How do I maintain a Node after it’s deployed?
There’s nothing to do. Seriously.
Once it’s set up and added to the network, it will likely require zero maintenance.
Mycelium Networks monitors the operational status of all network nodes at the beginning of each day. If any node has been moved, unplugged, or brought offline for any reason then we will notify our Host to help us bring the Node back online. Often times this just requires the node to be unplugged and plugged in again.