PKT is an open-source project. All of the PKT blockchain code and the various projects being developed in the ecosystem are managed by contributing community members.
Caleb James DeLisle, PKT’s lead dev offered special thanks to community member Rob D for reporting issues with the PacketCrypt implementation in pktd. The concern was a way for a lot of data to fill up the hard drive of node operators. Caleb and some pool owners are already testing the fix. To anyone running a pktd full node, it is recommended to update to version 1.6.1 or newer.
If you are running a pool, you should have one pktd instance on a public server for the peer-to-peer network. You should also have the real one for which you use –connect, to connect only to your boundary node and a couple of other well-known nodes. This allows you to serve wallets while keeping you safe from potential exploits.
One year ago, PKT Pal launched its first product, the PKT Cube. To date, the PKT Cube has been shipped into over 20 different countries as a solution for people to mine PKT with a plug & play PKT mining device without needing technical know-how.
The PKT Cube also introduced the PkteerOS, a proprietary operating system with features such as checking mining yields, sending and receiving PKT and bandwidth scheduling. Although the PKT Cube is serving its purpose focused on PacketCrypt mining, mining is only part of the mission as outlined in the PKT whitepaper.
PKT Pal is now launching two new devices that further support the PKT roadmap. First is the PKT Mini, which is a new edge device about the size of an Apple TV or a Roku. Second, PKT Pal is also updating the PKT Cube to the PKT Cube 1E. The PKT Cube 1E stands for “Edge” which means it is wifi sharing enabled. Both of these devices are designed to support the real-world utility for the PKT ecosystem through wifi sharing. Wifi sharing is a new technology being developed by PKT Pal so people can build mesh networks that extend beyond the inside of their homes.
Wifi sharing makes it possible to access the internet via the PKT Network without requiring an internet subscription from a traditional ISP. People sharing their internet are people who have high quality internet and are economically rewarded to share their connection. It is recommended that wifi sharing providers have fiber internet connections to maximize the quality and speed of the PKT Network.
When a user connects via wifi sharing, this connectivity occurs via a captive portal, similar to how you connect to the wifi at an airport or at a hotel. When available, people will select PKT Free Wifi as the wifi choice, which links to a login page to access the internet. Basic wifi sharing access is free. This is enough to check email or browse the internet. When users require streaming-fast internet, they will be able to pay a low, weekly subscription cost. When accessing the internet via wifi sharing, both the user’s access and the provider’s internet IP address are kept private and secure thanks to the built-in VPN.
Since wifi sharing technology is new, it is first being released for PkteerOS. PKT Pal is looking into the possibility of wifi sharing working on non-PKT Pal devices in the future.
The PKT Mini presale will be announced soon with a price of $699 that will include exclusive presale benefits.
Q: For those of us that have a PKT Pal already, will there be an antenna add-on to make them wifi capable?
A: I’m really glad you brought that up. So the short answer is yes. There is an antenna that PKT Pal has developed called the PKT Nano that will plug in via USB. We’re going to provide those free of charge to all the pre-existing PKT Pal customers so that they can enable their pre-existing PKT Cube to participate in the wifi sharing technology. Just pay for shipping and we’ll cover the cost of the product.
Q: When wifi sharing is rolled out, to what extent will the community be able to have access to this technology, and how’s the rollout looking?
A: Wifi sharing requires a configuration of wifi chips and software integration and there are some other components with regard to how wifi sharing interfaces with the VPN and the payment systems.
This is happening through what is called “bandwidth leases,” and in order for somebody to share their wifi, they need to have a high-quality connection. PKT Pal is developing a technology called VLS (Verified Link Speed) which can assess the quality of your internet connection. VLS will essentially create a “credit score” for your internet quality before you become an edge point (i.e. a device providing access to the PKT Network). PKT Pal will act as the mediator between edge points and their lessors by regulating the lease quantities and prices based on VLS.
The PKT Mini is primarily a wifi sharing device. More details about the wifi sharing payment structure will be coming soon. The PKT Mini is also a PKT miner. Whenever the PKT Mini is not generating income by sharing wifi with others, it will still generate income via PKT mining.
You can get the latest in-depth updates about the PKT Mini by subscribing to the PKT Pal YouTube channel and making sure the notification bell is turned on!
Q: Do you have an idea of how far the wifi sharing will expand from the PKT Mini?
A: We are in the process of testing that, so we don’t have an exact distance of how far it will extend. We will be creating a video about measuring that specifically along with displaying it working.
Since the focus of the PKT project is to empower individuals around the world to expand internet infrastructure, it is important that people have the hardware and economic incentives to make that possible.
Along with the launch of the PKT Mini and PKT Cube 1E, PKT Pal is also developing the PKT Edge Extender, which is a very low-cost device that connects to a PKT Mini, or PKT Cube, to extend wifi beyond the walls of a house or business. These devices are meant to be daisy-chained to one another and placed around a person’s property. The PKT Edge Extender is similar to the PKT Nano, since it provides an antenna for a PKT Cube or PKT Mini. However, the PKT Edge Extender is designed to be placed as far away from the PKT Cube or PKT Mini as needed.
When setting up a traditional wifi mesh system inside a home, there is usually one device plugged directly into the internet router and then other base stations are placed around the home. PKT Pal’s mesh wifi system is designed to create a mesh network both inside the house or business, as well as around the perimeter of the property. When expanding the range of connectivity, this is where deploying the PKT Edge Extenders makes sense. These devices extend the edge of the network beyond the central location where a PKT Mini or PKT Cube is plugged into the router. Now people can get creative and motivated for how far they want to extend the PKT Network and their income earning potential.
With wifi sharing, there’s a point where the signal must travel wirelessly from a PKT Edge Extender antenna to the user who is wirelessly connecting through that signal. Since the person connecting may be farther away than with traditional mesh wifi inside the home or business, PKT Edge Extenders need to be wired to one another to maximize internet speed and quality for the user. This does require some basic configuration and planning. However, both the provider and user will benefit maximizing the connection quality of each PKT Edge Extender.
The PKT Edge Extenders will have a sub $100 cost, but the exact price is not decided yet. Edge Extenders will enable people to massively expand connectivity for the PKT Network. PKT Pal is continuing to evolve both the PKT Cube and PKT Mini product lines to make participating in building the PKT Network as simple as plug-and-play.
Anode has engaged a new team that is skilled at coding in React Native, which is the programming language for the Anode App. The new team recently fixed a bug that has been plaguing the Anode App since the beginning of the app development. Now the team is working on a few usability issues such as the USD converter and the QR code scanner. Minor tweaks are still necessary to make sure users have the most reliable experience possible with the app. In-house deployments of test flights are happening every week. Once the team is confident in the app’s reliability, they’ll be reaching out to the community to start testing all the features and providing feedback.
There is a new user interface that is being developed and integrated into the Anode VPN app for Android. Nearly all of the screens are fully developed. The current focus is to get all the screens integrated into the app before QA testing begins. The team is looking at a beta version dropping in Q1 2023. If there’s positive feedback and the team is comfortable with the app in beta, there will then be a full release.
Thank you for taking the time to stay updated with the PKT ecosystem! Make sure to join the community on Discord, Twitter, Telegram and check out the new content being loaded onto the PKT Cash YouTube channel every week so you never miss an update! Cheers, Pkteers!
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