General Questions
What is the purpose of Dappnode?
The main purpose or mission of Dappnode is to make it as easy as possible for everyone, even those with limited technical skills, to participate in decentralized networks and the burgeoning Web3 ecosystem. Furthermore, Dappnode aims to increase the decentralization of blockchains and other Web3 infrastructure by lowering the technical barriers of entry to this growing and exciting ecosystem.
What can I do with Dappnode?
The Dappnode platform lets you run nodes and applications interfacing with all different kinds of Web3 projects including blockchains like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Gnosis Chain and many more in an easy and user-friendly way.
Furthermore, you can earn passive income by running validators securing a blockchain or staking nodes in networks like Ethereum, Gnosis Chain, Avalanche and more to come. Other Web3 projects you can currently participate in to generate passive income with your Dappnode is to share disk space on the StorJ network, or to share some of your bandwidth for the decentralized VPN provider Mysterium. Our core developers and community of builders are constantly adding integrations for other Web3 projects, many with economic incentives.
Furthermore, you can earn passive income by running validators securing a blockchain or staking nodes in networks like Ethereum, Gnosis Chain, Avalanche and more to come. Other Web3 projects you can currently participate in to generate passive income with your Dappnode is to share disk space on the StorJ network, or to share some of your bandwidth for the decentralized VPN provider Mysterium. Our core developers and community of builders are constantly adding integrations for other Web3 projects, many with economic incentives.
What hardware do I need to run a Dappnode?
You can run the Dappnode platform on various machines ranging from mid-range hardware (such as older desktops) to high-end hardware (such as high performance servers).
You can run Dappnode on Single-Board Computers, like the Raspberry Pi 4 8GB RAM. Keep in mind that not every package will be available and some packages might never sync entirely and that the minimum requirements below do not reflect such hardware.
The resources you need will depend on how many and what kind packages you are going to run.
The most basic hardware requirements you should meet are:
You can run Dappnode on Single-Board Computers, like the Raspberry Pi 4 8GB RAM. Keep in mind that not every package will be available and some packages might never sync entirely and that the minimum requirements below do not reflect such hardware.
The resources you need will depend on how many and what kind packages you are going to run.
The most basic hardware requirements you should meet are:
- A Wired Ethernet Connection
- An NVMe drive (Size depends on amount of chains and packages - a good target is at least 1 TB)
- 8GB of RAM (this will quickly become a limiting factor, it is recommended to go higher if possible)
If you intend to run a Ethereum validator, we recommend the following hardware specs:
- A Wired Ethernet Connection
- An NVMe drive (we recommend at least 2TB but more storage space will not hurt either)
- 16GB of RAM (32 GB recommended for some future proofing, and ability to maintain backup clients)
What are the advantages of running a Dappnode?
The main advantages of hosting your own nodes with Dappnode are privacy, independence and the ease of setup.
Once you're hosting your own nodes, you are not affected by outages at big providers like Infura (the default gateway in Metamask for many networks) anymore. This allows you to submit transactions without having to worry about a third-party.
Once you're hosting your own nodes, you are not affected by outages at big providers like Infura (the default gateway in Metamask for many networks) anymore. This allows you to submit transactions without having to worry about a third-party.
It is also beneficial to your own transactional privacy as major providers have been caught censoring transactions coming from specific countries (Link, Link).
Furthermore, running blockchain nodes has never been easy as with the Dappnode platform. You install a package from our DAppStore and you're good to go. Automatic updates included.
What is the difference between buying a Dappnode or installing a Dappnode by yourself?
The underlying system is the same.
The prebuilt Dappnode machine is built for people who do not want to worry about buying hardware themselves, looking up hardware requirements or installing the Dappnode software on compatible machines. The Dappnode software was meant to be used on those prebuilt machines but you can run it on any hardware regardless.
If you want to install the Dappnode platform on an old computer or on custom hardware please check out the Guides here.
The prebuilt Dappnode machine is built for people who do not want to worry about buying hardware themselves, looking up hardware requirements or installing the Dappnode software on compatible machines. The Dappnode software was meant to be used on those prebuilt machines but you can run it on any hardware regardless.
If you want to install the Dappnode platform on an old computer or on custom hardware please check out the Guides here.
Is my Internet Connection fast enough?
This depends on the amount of chains and applications you want to run on top of your Dappnode.
For a singular chain (for example Ethereum EL + CL) you'll need around 10 to 20 Megabits (up and down). Running more chains will increase the amount of bandwidth you need.
If you have any questions regarding your internet speed, you can hop into our Discord and ask a question in the #support channel.
For a singular chain (for example Ethereum EL + CL) you'll need around 10 to 20 Megabits (up and down). Running more chains will increase the amount of bandwidth you need.
If you have any questions regarding your internet speed, you can hop into our Discord and ask a question in the #support channel.
Do I need terminal or command line experience to use Dappnode?
You generally won't need to use a terminal with your Dappnode unless instructed to by staff troubleshooting certain support cases. One of the key objectives of the Dappnode platform is to avoid needing to use a terminal or command line at every level.
What are the first steps logging in for the first time?
We have created a 'First steps with Dappnode' guide here.
Which packages should I install first?
We recommend that you install a Ethereum client (as written in the 'First steps' guide), the 'DMS' and 'Dappnode Exporter' packages.
You'll need an ethereum node to search for all available Dappnode packages and the 'DMS' and 'Dappnode Exporter' gather system information and metrics and visualize them in easy to read dashboards. This way, you'll always know how your Dappnode is performing.
You'll need an ethereum node to search for all available Dappnode packages and the 'DMS' and 'Dappnode Exporter' gather system information and metrics and visualize them in easy to read dashboards. This way, you'll always know how your Dappnode is performing.
How do I install a fallback?
Content needed.
What can I do if my hard-drive runs out of space?
You can find a detailed guide how to expand the storage space of your Dappnode system here.
You can add a NVMe hard disk (if there is a free slot in the Dappnode machine) and set it up using the expansion feature which can be found under System > Hardware. This feature only works with a NVMe hard disk.
You can add a NVMe hard disk (if there is a free slot in the Dappnode machine) and set it up using the expansion feature which can be found under System > Hardware. This feature only works with a NVMe hard disk.
Who can help me if I run into a problem?
If you have an issue with your Dappnode, we recommend using the Dappnode Discord Server or the Dappnode forum. The community will always try to help.
If it's something a bit more technical, you can also go to Dappnode Github repository and open an issue there.
If it's something a bit more technical, you can also go to Dappnode Github repository and open an issue there.
How can I secure my Dappnode?
Change all the default passwords, including the Wi-Fi and admin password. You'll be prompted to change the admin password when you access the UI for the first time.
Furthermore, it is a good security practice to disable SSH access if you don't intend on using it.
Furthermore, it is a good security practice to disable SSH access if you don't intend on using it.
What is port-forwarding and why do I need it?
Port-forwarding lets the router know where to send a specific data package or data stream. This usually occurs when something from outside of the network (Internet) communicates with a device inside of the network (LAN).
Some routers use a feature called 'UPnP' to automatically open the requested ports but sometimes this protocol does not work well on specific routers or is straight up not available.
In this case, you'll have to manually forward the required ports. Please search your ISPs or router manufacturers knowledge base on how to do that.
Some routers use a feature called 'UPnP' to automatically open the requested ports but sometimes this protocol does not work well on specific routers or is straight up not available.
In this case, you'll have to manually forward the required ports. Please search your ISPs or router manufacturers knowledge base on how to do that.
How to find out which Ports I need to forward?
You can check the Port support page of your Dappnode here.