FAQ

Running a Provider

Does running a Provider violate my ISP's terms of service?

The Provider sends and receives the same kind of TLS traffic any web app produces — it doesn't run a public-facing service that resells your connection. That said, ISP terms vary by region and plan. If your ISP explicitly forbids server-style traffic on residential plans, check before opting in. SpaceRouter is not liable for ISP disputes.

Do I need a static IP?

No. UPnP and tunnel mode both work with dynamic IPs. The Coordination API tracks your address and updates whenever it changes.

How much bandwidth will it use?

Variable. Reward and traffic depend on demand for your region and IP type. There's no hard floor or ceiling — your node serves what the gateway routes to it.

Can I run multiple Providers on one machine?

Not recommended. Each Provider needs its own port and identity key. The network treats them as separate nodes; running them on one IP doesn't give you any advantage and complicates support.

Can I run a Provider on a server / VPS?

Technically yes, but the Provider's value comes from residential IP addresses. A datacenter IP from a VPS will be classified as hosting and earn far less, since most consumer demand is for residential and mobile IPs.

Wallets & tokens

Why does my Identity wallet need CTC if my earnings are in SPACE?

SPACE is your reward token; CTC is the gas token of Creditcoin (the chain that hosts the SPACE token contract). Every on-chain transaction — including the claim that pays you — burns a tiny amount of CTC. So the Identity wallet, which broadcasts your claims, needs CTC for gas. Think of it as postage on the envelope that carries your check.

Can I use the same wallet for staking, identity, and collection?

The Identity wallet is always auto-generated by the app on first launch — you don't pick it. The Staking and Collection addresses are the ones you can configure: leave both blank and they default to the Identity address; set only the Staking address and Collection defaults to it. Most providers stake from a single external wallet and let Collection default to the same address, while the Identity wallet stays separate (since it lives on the node and just signs claims). Use a fully separate Collection only if you have a specific custody reason.

Can I change my collection address later?

Yes — open Settings, change the Collection address, and save. Future claims will route to the new address. Already-claimed earnings stay where they were sent.

What happens if I unstake?

You enter a 14-day unbonding period (defined by the staking contract). During unbonding, your status is inactive and you stop earning. After unbonding, your stake returns to your wallet.

Earnings & claims

How often should I claim?

There's no required cadence. Each claim costs gas, so:

• If you have only a few small receipts, wait until they accumulate — gas would dwarf the payout.

• If you have many receipts or large totals, claim more often so SPACE moves into a wallet you control.

Many providers turn on auto-claim with a threshold (e.g., 10 SPACE) and let it run.

What if a claim transaction is dropped or stuck?

The reaper checks on-chain state and reconciles automatically. If you're impatient, run --receipts --reap from the CLI.

Are claims taxable events?

This is jurisdiction-dependent. Most tax frameworks treat claimed proxy rewards similarly to mining or staking rewards (income at receipt, capital gains at sale). Talk to a tax professional. The Earnings History tab is your audit trail.

Privacy & security

Can a Consumer see my IP?

Yes — the consumer's request exits to the internet from your IP. That's the whole point of a residential proxy. Your IP is not exposed to the consumer in any other way (no headers, no leak channels). The consumer pays for the right to use your egress.

Can I see what websites a Consumer is visiting?

The Provider relays traffic but doesn't decrypt it (HTTPS goes through end-to-end). You'll see only what hostnames are connected to (via the SNI header on TLS), and you can refuse to relay traffic by simply not running the Provider.

Is my identity key encrypted at rest?

Only if you set a passphrase during setup. Without one, the key is stored as plain JSON. If you're on a shared machine, set a passphrase or run the Provider on a dedicated user account.

Updates & releases

Will the app update itself?

Not currently. We publish releases on GitHub; you upgrade by downloading the new build. The data directory at ~/.spacerouter/ is preserved.

Where do I see what changed in a release?

Each GitHub release page has a changelog. Subscribe to GitHub release notifications on space-labs/space-router-node to be notified.