Beacon Node

Guide to help you run an Erebrus Beacon Node that connects you to the open internet

Setting up and operating an Erebus Beacon node is vital for maintaining the security and decentralization of the Erebus network. By joining as a node operator, you'll not only support the network but also earn rewards for your efforts. Here’s an all-encompassing guide to help you get started.

Beacon Node Overview

The Beacon Node acts as a decentralized VPN gateway, providing censorship-resistant and secure internet access. It allows users to route their traffic privately through the Erebrus network while helping strengthen the network’s resilience. Operators with a static IP can host a Beacon Node either in a home lab or on a cloud server. Cloud deployment is advisable for easier setup and enhanced uptime, allowing you to earn rewards while contributing to a global privacy infrastructure.

By operating a Beacon Node, you help expand decentralized connectivity while preventing surveillance, censorship, and cyber threats. The setup is lightweight and runs in a Docker container, requiring minimal system resources.

Prerequisites:

• Operating System Supported: Linux

• Minimum hardware requirement : 2GB RAM, 1vCPU

• Incoming traffic on port 51820, 9080 & 9002 is allowed

• A computer with a reliable internet connection (preferably wired)

• Basic understanding of command line interface (CLI) tools i.e. terminal

• Node Wallet (i.e. valid mnemonic on the supported chain) for on-chain registration and checkpoint

Estimated Cloud Deployment Costs (Per Month)

Deploying Beacon Nodes on a cloud server ensures higher uptime and stability. Here’s an estimate of the monthly costs from different cloud providers:

Projected Monthly Costs (Including Bandwidth Usage)

Traffic Level	Hetzner	AWS	DigitalOcean	Vultr
Low (100GB)	$5	$10	$12	$8
Moderate (500GB)	$5	$50	$17	$8
High (2TB)	$5	$180	$22	$8

For home lab setups, ensure you have a static IP from your ISP to maintain connectivity. Also, ensure you have an unlimited or high-bandwidth ISP plan to avoid additional costs. For better performance, using a dedicated VPS or bare-metal server with a static IP is recommended.

License & Staking Requirements

• License Fee: No license required to run the node — open for community participation.

• Staking Requirement: 100 USD (Currently $0 USD). This is changed based on demand & supply. This ensures great user experience while improving stability, prevents spam deployments.

• Revenue Model: Node operators earn rewards based on their bandwidth contribution, uptime, and reliability.

Installation

1. Install the Node Software

Open bash terminal and run below command in bash terminal

sudo bash <(curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NetSepio/erebrus/node_installer/install-node.sh)

Erebrus dVPN - Node Installation

• Confirm to continue with the installation and installer will start installing the dependencies.

Erebrus dVPN - Dependencies Installation

1. Configure the Node

• Follow on-screen instructions and guided setup process and configure all parameters as prompted.

Erebrus dVPN - Configure Parameters

• Following are the configuration parameters for the beacon node

Parameter	Description	Required ?
Installation Directory	Absolute path name, where erebrus node will be installed. (Default: Current working directory)	Yes
Public IP	Public IP for dVPN node to listen on. This must be publicly routable IP address. (Default: Automatically detected)	Yes
Chain	Preferred chain to run the Erebrus dVPN node on. See list of supported chains (Default: None)	Yes
Mnemonic	Valid mnemonic on selected chain	Yes

1. Verify Configuration

• Verify configured parameters on screen and approve it for node installation to proceed. If any parameter is not correct, select "n/N" at the prompt and installer will exit.

Erebrus dVPN - Configuraiton Parameter Verification

• Once configuration parameters are confirmed at the prompt, installer will initiate the public IP reachability test to verify if provided public IP is routable and reachable from internet on port 9080, 51820 and 9001.

• Once IP reachability test is completed successfully, installer will start node installation.

Erebrus dVPN - Node Startup

• After successful installation, node will attempt to start the dVPN services as part of final stage. dVPN node will be functional as the end of this stage and the installer will finish. successfully.

Erebrus dVPN - Successful Installation

Maintenance & Monitoring

• Regularly update the node software to benefit from security patches and performance improvements. Instructions on how to update will be provided later.

• Monitor your node's health and resource usage. Recommendations on monitoring tools (coming soon)

• Ensure your internet connection remains stable for optimal node performance.

Troubleshooting

1. Dependency Installation Failed

Symptom: The installation process fails during dependency installation.

Solution:

• Check the Log File: Review the error.log file in the current directory for detailed error messages.

• Docker Installation Failed: If the failure is related to Docker installation, it might be due to privilege issues.

  • Ensure you have the necessary permissions to install and run Docker.

  • On Linux, you might need to add your user to the Docker group:

    bashCopy codesudo usermod -aG docker $(whoami)

  • After adding the user to the Docker group, log out and log back in to apply the changes.

2. IP Traceability Failed

Symptom: The node installation fails with errors related to IP traceability.

Solution:

• Check Public IP Reachability: Ensure your public IP address is reachable from the internet.

• Open Required Ports: Verify that the following ports are open and accessible from the internet:

  • 51820

  • 9002

  • 9080

• Check the Log File: See the error.log file for more details on the issue.

3. Invalid Mnemonic

Symptom: The provided mnemonic is reported as invalid during the installation process.

Solution:

• Verify Mnemonic: Ensure the mnemonic you provided is valid and consists of exactly 12 words.

• Correct Format: The mnemonic should be a series of words separated by spaces. Verify there are no extra spaces or missing characters.

4. Node Already Running

Symptom: The installation process fails because an Erebrus dVPN node is already running.

Solution:

• Check Running Containers: Verify if the Erebrus dVPN node is already running.

  • List all running Docker containers:

    docker ps -a

  • Look for any containers related to Erebrus.

• Stop and Remove Containers: If the Erebrus containers are running, stop and remove them before proceeding with the installation:

  docker stop <container_id>
  docker rm <container_id>

  Replace <container_id> with the actual container ID of the Erebrus node.

Additional Resources

For further assistance, please consult the Erebrus documentation or reach out to the support team on Discord. The error.log file in the current directory is an invaluable resource for diagnosing specific issues encountered during installation.

Security Considerations:

• Protect your Erebus Node Operator account mnemonic - Keep its backup on a hardware wallet or paper wallet. Do not share the SSH access to anyone else for security concerns.

• Recommend keeping the node software and operating system updated with the latest security patches.

• Consider best practices for securing your server environment for countering DDOS attacks.