Spark Node

Overview

Spark nodes are free and lightweight to run - they act as the network’s gateway to the internet. Node operators (i.e. app users) are rewarded for the traffic relayed through their node and are awarded network traffic based on their reputation score and geographical demand.

Spark nodes serve two main purposes:

1. Relay traffic (i.e. web requests) as initiated by the client and instructed by the validator.

2. Return the encrypted web server responses to the designated router.

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Running a Node

Running a Node is free and easy.

The process is simple:

1. Create an account

2. Download the Spark desktop application

3. Connect to the network

See the How-to Guide for more information.

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Supported Systems

System	Availability
Android	Saga Phone
iOS	Download the Desktop app for boosted points
Mac	Download the Desktop app for boosted points
Windows	Download the Desktop app for boosted points
Linux	Download the Desktop app for boosted points

Node Operation

Upon connecting, nodes are automatically registered on the network. Operators are responsible for maintaining network uptime so the nodes can relay web requests to public web servers.

Each request sent to a Spark Node is an encrypted data packet. The data packet only provides direction to the node on the destination of each packet. The web requests are authenticated via digital signatures from all involved parties. These signatures verify the legitimacy of requests, determining whether they should be forwarded to the target web servers (i.e. public websites). This complete circuit encryption prevents data tampering and ensures validators can provide accurate measurements of each node’s reputation.

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Node Reputation Scoring

Nodes are assigned a reputation score based on the following characteristics:

1. Completeness: This aspect evaluates whether the data is whole or if there are missing elements. It assesses if the data set includes all the necessary data points for the intended use case.

2. Consistency: This dimension checks for uniformity in the data across different data sets or within the same data set over time.

3. Timeliness: This measures whether the data is up-to-date when needed.

4. Availability: This assesses the degree to which the data from each node can be made available.

For more information see Node Reputation Scoring.

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Privacy and Security

The Spark network is not using your node (i.e. computer) or viewing anything that you’re doing on it. All it's doing is routing internet traffic through your IP address, which is completely separate from your activity. That means zero access to your personal data. The data being scraped is 100% public web data.

For more information see Spark' Privacy Policy.