Choosing Node Provider

Compare AWS, DigitalOcean, Linode, and OnFinality for hosting a peaq validator. Covers recommended hardware, managed nodes, and provider selection criteria.

A peaq validator needs a Virtual Private Server (VPS) or a dedicated server that stays online. You can also use a managed node provider such as OnFinality and skip most of the server administration. This guide compares AWS, DigitalOcean, Linode (Akamai), and OnFinality against peaq’s recommended hardware.

Recommended hardware

• OS: Ubuntu 22.04 or newer
• CPU: 3.3 GHz AMD EPYC 7002
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Memory: 8GB RAM

These are the specifications peaq tests against. You can experiment with other configurations to trade cost against performance.

Managed node provider: OnFinality

OnFinality runs dedicated collator (validator) nodes for peaq. It handles provisioning, monitoring, and scaling, offers “Lightning Restore” for fast sync, and gives you secure HTTP and WebSocket endpoints. The trade-off is managed-service pricing and fewer low-level options.

1. Create an account and deploy a Dedicated Node for peaq (Collator node type).
2. Use the recommended image version and region, and check that the resources meet the specifications above.
3. During on-chain configuration, set --rpc-methods=unsafe and enable external RPC. Switch back to --rpc-methods=safe and disable unsafe external RPC once setup is done.
4. Generate session keys with author_rotateKeys, then set them on chain with session.setKeys.
5. Stake the minimum required amount and join the validator candidate pool.

Full walkthrough: How to Set Up a Validator for peaq on OnFinality.

Comparing VPS providers

If you manage your own infrastructure, look for a high-performance CPU (AMD EPYC 7002 or equivalent), 1TB or more of SSD storage, and 8GB or more of RAM. These providers are commonly used.

Provider	Recommended plan	Specs	Notes
AWS	c5ad.xlarge	4 vCPUs (AMD EPYC), 8GB RAM, EBS SSD storage, up to 10 Gbps network	Highest cost. Broad region coverage, documentation, and support.
DigitalOcean	CPU-Optimized 8GB (Premium AMD)	4 vCPUs, 8GB RAM, 160GB SSD, scalable with storage volumes	Moderate cost, integrated monitoring. Premium AMD droplets are limited to some regions.
Linode (Akamai)	Dedicated 8GB	4 dedicated vCPUs, 8GB RAM, 160GB SSD, scalable with storage volumes	Affordable, strong dedicated performance. Storage upgrades need extra configuration.
OnFinality	Managed Dedicated Node	Managed collator with fast sync and secure RPC	Usage-based pricing, minimal operations, fewer low-level options.

What else to check

• Network performance: the node has to keep up with block propagation, so check bandwidth and the latency of the region you deploy in.
• Support and SLAs: check whether the provider offers technical support and an uptime SLA.
• Scalability: you may need to move to a larger instance later.
• Backup and recovery: prefer providers with automated backups and a recovery path.