Node Requirements
You just need a laptop to run Checker.
If you head to Running A Checker, you can download the Checker Desktop app and start contributing to the Web3 economy immediately. No technical expertise is required!
It is also possible to run Checker on a server, without the desktop app UI. Checker has been architected such that it can run in both environments.
In each case, the system requirements are currently the same.
Very roughly, Checker requires 1 GB of RAM and 2 GB of free disk space, and the bandwidth of any normal home internet connection.
You do not need to keep Checker running continually, as people often move around with their laptop devices. The team building Checker sees this as a feature as it is how devices actually move around the internet and this is valuable.
Usage
Usage depends on what each subnet of the Checker Network requires.
For example, Filecoin Spark, the first module on Checker, test retrievals from Filecoin Storage Providers. It uses the disk space to store the retrieved file. It uses your bandwidth to retrieve the file. It uses each Checker Operator’s position in the Network to create a diverse range of requests to the Filecoin Storage Providers.
If you are in any doubt about how your resources are used, then remember that everything is open source! The Checker desktop app, the Filecoin Spark protocol & the reward smart contract are all open source. Any misuse of resources would be visible to see in the codebase.
Beyond Filecoin Spark
As more Checker subnets are built, some will be better suited for laptops, desktop, and even phones. Others will be better suited to run on servers in data centres. Wherever subnets run, the top priority for the Checker team is the security of your device and ensuring that your resources are looked after.
In the next few pages, we will go into a bit more depth about the current two options for running Checker nodes.
Checker Desktop
Checker Desktop is the easiest way to get started. Desktops primarily run behind firewalls on local networks. You can run Checker Desktop on Windows, Mac and most Linux distributions. For many home and office networks, the download speed is faster than the upload speed (asymmetric bandwidth). These factors are taken into account when Checker subnet builders decide what subnets work well on Desktop and what works well on a server.
Simulating or replicating real user behaviour is what works best from Checker Desktop. Subents running on Checker Desktop are well suited for acting as the client, making requests to networks and websites and gathering statistics.
Filecoin Spark is an example of such a module, where the subnets client on Checker Desktop makes requests to Filecoin Storage Providers and measure the responses.
To get yourself started, head to Running A Checker.
Checker Server
Checker Server allows you to set up a Checker node without the Checker desktop GUI, and with more configurability.
This allows you to run Checker on a server instead of on your laptop or desktop, since you may switch your laptop on and off or move it between locations, thus reducing its connectivity to Checker networks.
To run Checker on a server, you will need some technical experience. For non-technical readers, Checker Desktop is the best place to start your journey into the Checker Network.
To set yourself up on Checker Server, head here.
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