Bringing you New Helium Network Hotspots
A frequently asked questions
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- 3-5 Witnesses >250HNT per month
- 5-15 Witnesses >650HNT per month
- 15< Witnesses >1100HNT per month
To get better scale please be aware thet this depends directlly to Hotspot position. You can check Helium.place to calculate better spot hor your new hotspot.
The People’s Network utilizes two new currency objects, Helium Tokens and Helium Network Data Credits.
Helium Tokens
Hotspots earn Helium Tokens (Helium) for providing and validating wireless coverage and for transferring device data. A fixed amount of Helium is mined each month.
Data Credits
Helium Tokens can be converted into Data Credits. Data Credits can only be used to pay for wireless bandwidth, are non-exchangable and tied to a single-user.
https:// intercom.help/heliumnetwork/en/articles/3085289-helium-token-economics
Data Credits are required to send data over the Helium Network. One Data Credit equals 24 bytes of payload. Any number that exceeds 24 bytes is rounded up, so a packet with a 25-byte payload would cost the same as one with 47 bytes, i.e., two Data Credits.
The price of Data Credits is fixed in USD. Data Credits are non-transferrable, and can only be used by their original owner. Data Credits cannot be re-sold or traded. Data Credits are similar to pre-paid cellphone minutes or airline miles.
Users can directly acquire Data Credits using Console either using a credit card or converting HNT.
To be clear the only way Data Credits are created is by converting HNT, however, Helium Inc. is making it easy for customers to purchase Data Credits with a credit card.
During the credit card purchase process Helium Inc converts the required number of HNT into Data Credits for the customer and deposits them into their Console account.
https:// intercom.help/heliumnetwork/en/articles/3085280-what-are-data-credits
Hotspots’ miners earn HNT when LoRa-enabled IoT devices connect and for validating wireless coverage delivered by peers’ LoRaWAN gateways. Using the system called ‘proof-of-coverage’, Helium Compatible LoRaWAN gateways mine more HNT when they are in the range of other Helium compatible LoRa gateways, but need to be at least 300 meters apart.
Helium Network Token (HNT) is the cryptocurrency that is mined by the Hostpots during its wireless IoT network operations. When connected to a nearby Hotspot, a ‘proof of coverage’ is delivered that validates LoRa gateway real availability, as well as its related coverage. This confirmation simultaneously triggers the generation of Helium’s native cryptocurrency, Helium Network Token (HNT), using the gateway-embedded miner, thus rewarding Helium Network participants and granting coverage for hundreds of square miles throughout the community. Helium proposes a wireless economy with two units of exchange: HNT (Helium Network Token) & Data Credits (to connect to and use the community open wireless IoT network).
The power requirement is 5 watts (roughly equivalent to an LED light bulb).
To participate in earning rewards by providing coverage a hotspot needs to prove its location to its peers. If the hotspot is mobile it cannot prove its location, there’s a very low probability it can earn rewards.
Yes, you can in the sense that area means in the same neighborhood. Several hotspots stacked in a closet will not help build the network. The thinking is higher density areas will see more usage traffic and participants who have helped build the network will benefit from an increased number of companies using an affordable wireless network for machine connectivity.
Hotspots have to be connected to the internet at all times. You can use Ethernet or Wi-Fi to connect to the internet.
No. We’ve built this network to encourage participation from as large of a community as possible. The amount of data sent by a device is very small typically within 5 kbps.
All compatible devices communicate via hotspots. There is no direct communication or meshing in our network.
The applications we’re targeting for traffic typically within 5 kbps.
Nope, The Helium Hotspot uses Long-Fi and uses your existing internet connection broadcast a radio signal, connecting low-power devices in your area….devices such as dog-collars, environmental sensors etc. that only need to transmit and share small bits of information (like a location or temperature). It does not replace internet or cellular service for regular devices like computers and smartphones.
A Challenge requires a small group of hotspots to prove that they are in the location that they say they are. If they truly are there and online, and within radio distance of each other, then they can hear the “call” and respond, validating their position. For a deeper breakdown click here.
It’s best to have at least 2 other hotspots within radio range of you, so that you can participate in PoC Challenges to earn rewards. If you are the only hotspot in your area, you can still earn tokens if a device uses your signal and by initiating the Challenges, though.
If hotspots are too close (within 300-350 meters or so) they will end up not being able to witness each other and may compete with each other for Challenges. Their overall participation in Proof-of-Coverage would be impacted. It’s better to have them spaced out, at least a few houses or blocks away, to broaden network coverage.
Once set up and connected to the internet, there are 5 ways your hotspot earns (with no additional work from you!):
• When a device sends information over the network using your hotspot
• By initiating PoC Challenges over the internet
• By participating in a PoC Challenge
• By acting as a Witness to a PoC Challenge between nearby hotspots.
• Being a part of a Consensus Group
A Beacon is effectively a one-hop PoC Challenge. The Hotspot accepts the Challenge and sends an acknowledgment or receipt back to the Challenger over the internet. It then broadcasts a Beacon over the network using radio frequency, establishing its location. It sends an acknowledgement of receipt back to the challenger over internet.
Any nearby hotspots can act as a Witness and hear the Beacon over the radio. That means its radio signal is available, and it’s in range, proving its location. When an active challenge packet arrives, they record the SHA256 of the packet they saw, along with the time of arrival and signal strength, and report this back to the Challenger. The Challenger then includes this receipt, if valid, in the completed challenge proof.
As it’s a one-hope PoC, rather than challenging additional hotspots in the area, this concludes the Challenge.
If there are known Hotspots in the neighborhood, they just may not be able to hear you because of interference or its position is poor.
Note: Newer high-rise buildings often have a UV protective layer on the outside of the building glass that is known to block and interfere with radio signals. Move the Hotspot outside or purchase an outdoor antenna so it can bypass the glass.
There are a few ways to fix this.
Moving the Hotspot to a different window
Placing the Hotspot outdoors. Look for IP-66 Waterproof cases. You can purchase these from mouser.com, amazon.com, or most hardware stores.
No it won’t. This network is built for a new class of devices that only require transferring small amounts of data over long ranges, for example, location data, environmental data (air quality, humidity, noise, temperature etc).
No you can’t. The network is meant for transferring small amounts of data at this time.
No you can’t. The network is meant for transferring small amounts of data at this time.
If you’re wondering how much your hotspot can earn, the answer is… It depends. The best way to gauge this is to head on over to the Helium Coverage Map and look at hotspots near where you plan to install the hotspots. In addition another great tool is helium.place,
helium.place lets you visualize hotspot placement and coverage overlaps.
Different frequency by region
I’m looking to purchase an outdoor and indoor hotspot. Which are the recommended antennas for both (Indoor/outdoor) for better coverage.
The answer is: “It depends”
First you need to know what the difference in Antenna’s are. You can think of it as a speaker phone putting out noise. The speaker with the longer narrower cone projects further but much narrower, so you can’t hear as well above and blow that cone, but directly further out you can hear much further away.
The hotspot and whichever antenna you pick will output the same amount of RF power. The difference in the antenna gain (3dBi/5.8dBi/8dBi) will give you narrower more focused signals.
This article by Nik is a really well written in depth post on configuring your hotspot for the best coverage possible: http://kyk13.com/life/a-rough-guide-to-helium-hotspot-placement/
