I can’t upload to China or Australia, so I’m wondering if I can host a node.
Why you can’t?
What country do you live in?
Satellites aren’t hosted in China nor Australia, so you probably can. Why not just try and see what happens?
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It’s on Google Cloud (not for data).
I need to know can I or can’t I. As I will get charged if I can’t and then try.
Stop right there. It will never be profitable, unless I’m looking at the wrong product.
Google Cloud Storage cost $99.90 for 5TB storage without any traffic.
In my last reply
It’s on Google Cloud (not for data)
I said it’s not for data.
And on the forum I asked where do they egress. So, if you can, answer my question.
So where is the data stored?
You might win more races to customers nearby, but basically the egress will be to customers all over the world.
Your question sound like a typical XY problem. Do you have a link to the product you wanna use?
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I can upload everywhere except China and Australia. @JWvdV said that satellites aren’t hosted in China nor Australia (meaning I can run a node). @donald.m.motsinger said that egress will be to customers all over the world. So, what is the answer?
And also, @donald.m.motsinger , I didn’t want your XY problem explanation. I asked here for a kinda simple question.
I think we’re talking along each other.
You don’t.
Your asking a strange question, we apparently all don’t understand.
Especially the background is lacking.
The essential answer is that you probably can host a node, whether it is wise to do so, is another question.
Are you using Google cloud as a VPN of some sort?
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The satellite location matters little. See documentation about how upload/download works: Introduction to Storj - Storj Docs
The Uplink Client then contacts the satellite to get a list of Storage Nodes on which to store the pieces. The satellite returns more than 80 Storage Node addresses. The Uplink Client uploads pieces peer-to-peer, in parallel, directly to the Storage Nodes. […] When the Uplink Client downloads a file, it’s essentially the same process as an upload but in reverse.
So connections between nodes and clients (from all over the world) are direct for both upload and download. Maybe setting up manual firewall rules on your end to block regions is possible, but I’m not aware of built-in configuration for that, so outside scope I think.
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If you are trying to use compute engine to forward traffic, don’t bother, you only get 1GB free egress from there.
Either way aside from blocking every IP/subnet for those regions not much you can to do control what region upload to your node. Your success rate will also go down because you have blocked those customers, so the chances that your node will be selected to communicate with clients will also go down.
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Do you mean you technically can’t upload (like you’re blocked at the network level)… or do you mean you’d really prefer not to upload to China or Australia (perhaps because that traffic has a cost)?
Yes you can run a node. If you don’t have network connectivity to China or Australia that just means you won’t get data to store (and be paid for) from those regions. If you receive data from elsewhere… and a customer tries to download it from China or Australia then you’ll just lose those race (and won’t get paid for potential egress) but the customer will still get their files from other nodes instead.
If you’d just really prefer not to upload to those locations: you can run your own IP-geo-restricted firewall rules.
But you asked the question in a strange way, so maybe I don’t understand what you mean?
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Both is correct. The traffic is not going through the satellites. They are acting as a kind of “telephone book” to connect the nodes with the customer.
I’m not the only one who is confused by your question.
Edit: And still no link to the product you want to use.
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Here’s my understanding of OP’s post.
OP already runs 4 nodes. OP wants to use Google cloud to host/run a node but the plan shows it can’t upload to China and Australia. Considering these blocks, OP wants to know if it will adversely affect hosting a node. Adversely in terms of getting banned/DQed/payment withheld. The intent of making this post was to get an idea if this endeavor works before spending actual money on Google Cloud.
OP, consider your node getting a request from blocked regions. Your plan will block those requests and the piece will not be delivered. As long as this piece passes audit your node will survive. The only drawback is that you will be losing money on egress to these banned regions.
Please let me know if I am on the right track.
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Woot yeah, You’re obviously on the right track.
Imagine that bill at >$235 per TB egress! Even your ack would cost about $5… lol
Awesome!
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If you decide to block traffic from some regions, you will be breaking node operator terms and conditions:
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, you will not: […] Refuse or intentionally fail to deliver any Storage Materials in response to a valid request
As such, even if your node may survive audit requests being sent from other regions, Storj can decide to disqualify your node at any time.
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In fairness, it’s one thing for you to willingly block traffic to certain regions.
I’d say it’s something else if traffic to some regions is blocked due to circumstances that you cannot control (like restrictions imposed by your ISP).
Bit of a grey area, that one…
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