Key Points
References
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Key Concepts
TCP/IP
HTTPS
FTP
SSH
DNS
DHCP
LDAP
Proxy Servers - HTTPS vs SOCKS
http://www.jguru.com/faq/view.jsp?EID=227532
A SOCKS server is a general purpose proxy server that establishes a TCP connection to another server on behalf of a client, then routes all the traffic back and forth between the client and the server. It works for any kind of network protocol on any port. SOCKS Version 5 adds additional support for security and UDP. The SOCKS server does not interpret the network traffic between client and server in any way, and is often used because clients are behind a firewall and are not permitted to establish TCP connections to servers outside the firewall unless they do it through the SOCKS server. Most web browsers for example can be configured to talk to a web server via a SOCKS server. Because the client must first make a connection to the SOCKS server and tell it the host it wants to connect to, the client must be "SOCKS enabled." On Windows, it is possible to "shim" the TCP stack so that all client software is SOCKS enabled. A free SOCKS shim is available from Hummingbird at http://www.hummingbird.com/products/nc/socks/index.html.
An HTTP proxy is similar, and may be used for the same purpose when clients are behind a firewall and are prevented from making outgoing TCP connections to servers outside the firewall. However, unlike the SOCKS server, an HTTP proxy does understand and interpret the network traffic that passes between the client and downstream server, namely the HTTP protocol. Because of this the HTTP proxy can ONLY be used to handle HTTP traffic, but it can be very smart about how it does it. In particular, it can recognize often repeated requests and cache the replies to improve performance. Many ISPs use HTTP proxies regardless of how the browser is configured because they simply route all traffic on port 80 through the proxy server.
Other Protocols
LoRaWan
https://lora-alliance.org/resource-hub/what-lorawanr
Helium
https://www.techradar.com/news/building-the-worlds-first-peer-to-peer-wireless-network
a blockchain protocol for p2p data sharing over LoRaWan
As the number of IoT devices continues to grow, keeping them all connected to the internet in an affordable way has proven difficult which is why Napster’s Co-creator Shawn Fanning, Sproutling founder Chris Bruce and Amir Haleem set out to build the word’s first peer-to-peer wireless network. Their company, Helium has created its own hotspot that is used to power the People’s Network. In addition to providing IoT devices with connectivity, the Helium hotspot also rewards its users with a new cryptocurrency that can be used to offset the initial cost of the device.
To learn more about the Helium hotspot and the peer-to-peer wireless network it powers, TechRadar Pro spoke with Helium’s CEO Amir Haleem.
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What inspired you and Helium’s other co-founders to create the world’s first peer-to-peer wireless network?
We had a few friends that were building hardware businesses. Everything from counting foot traffic in retail buildings, to connected baby monitors.
They all had the same problem when it came to getting data back to the internet - either you needed a phone nearby, or the sensor itself needed a cellular plan. It was pretty impossible to scale any kind of sensor-based business when the cellular connectivity alone was going to cost $30/mo or more per sensor. What was needed was a low-cost and energy efficient network that was designed specifically for these sub-voice devices, like sensors.
Shawn and I decided to find a way to remove these barriers and this ultimately led us to start building The People’s Network - a low-cost network for IoT that works everywhere, even outdoors.
Who is your target market? What kind of customers will be able to benefit from these products?
Helium is very much like Airbnb or Lyft. We have created a two-sided market. On the supply side, Helium Hotspot owners could be anyone with Internet access at home. We call them Hotspot Hosts or members of The People’s Network. They own and operate the Helium Hotspots themselves, which means they provide wireless coverage for IoT devices surrounding them using LongFi technology.
LongFi combines the popular LoRaWAN open wireless standard with the Helium blockchain. The Helium Hotspot also serves as a full node of the blockchain, and mines the Helium cryptocurrency (HNT) for proving its location and coverage to the network. The Helium blockchain is the engine that drives both the health of the network and the economic system that makes both sides of the marketplace work.
The demand side of our business are users who benefit from the network. This ranges from IoT hobbyists to large corporations with the need to connect small sensors to the internet. Some examples of companies who are already enjoying the benefits of our network include beverage delivery service company Nestle’s ReadyRefresh, agricultural tech company Agulus, and Conserv, a collections-focused environmental monitoring platform that provides widespread coverage to art and cultural collections to its clients.
Potential Value Opportunities
Potential Challenges
Candidate Solutions
Step-by-step guide for Example
sample code block