Your Proxy Node, Up and Running in Minutes

Setting up a residential proxy node used to require technical know-how, server configurations, and networking expertise. That is no longer the case. With modern desktop applications, anyone can set up a proxy node and start earning USDC in under 10 minutes.

This step-by-step tutorial walks you through the entire process using RentaTube’s desktop app — from download to your first earnings.

What You Will Need

Before you start, make sure you have:

A computer running macOS (Windows and Linux support is coming soon)
A residential internet connection (standard home broadband works perfectly)
A crypto wallet address for receiving USDC on Base L2 (MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, or any EVM-compatible wallet)

That is the complete list. No special hardware, no static IP, no port forwarding.

Step 1: Download and Install the Desktop App

Head to the RentaTube website and download the desktop app for macOS. The installer is a standard .dmg file — open it, drag the app to your Applications folder, and launch it.

When you first open the app, you will see a clean onboarding screen with a welcome message and a “Get Started” button. The app weighs under 100 MB and installs in seconds.

Alternative: CLI Installation

If you prefer the command line, you can install the CLI tool globally via npm:

npm install -g @rentatube/cli

The CLI provides the same functionality and is a great option for headless setups or if you want to run a node on a machine without a display.

Step 2: Create Your Account

After launching the app, you will be prompted to create an account. This involves:

Entering your email address — used for account recovery and earnings notifications
Setting a password — standard security, nothing unusual
Connecting your wallet — paste your EVM wallet address where you want to receive USDC on Base L2

The wallet connection screen displays your wallet address with a verification checksum. Double-check it carefully — this is where your earnings will be sent.

If you do not have a wallet yet, the app provides links to set up MetaMask or Coinbase Wallet. Both are free and take about two minutes to configure.

Step 3: Configure Your Node Settings

Once your account is created, you land on the Node Configuration dashboard. This is where you set the rules for how your node operates. The interface presents three key settings in a clean, card-based layout:

Price Per Request

A slider lets you set your price anywhere from $0.0005 to $0.01 per request. The dashboard shows a recommended price range based on your geographic location and current market conditions.

Tip: Start with a price slightly below the suggested range. This helps you attract traffic early, build your reputation score, and climb the node rankings. You can always increase your price later once your reputation is established.

Bandwidth Limit

Set the maximum bandwidth your node can use. The slider shows values in Mbps, and a helpful indicator shows what percentage of your total connection speed you are allocating.

Tip: Start with 20-30% of your total bandwidth. This ensures your regular internet usage is never impacted. You can adjust this up or down at any time from the system tray controls.

Max Concurrent Connections

This controls how many simultaneous requests your node can handle. The default is usually fine for most users, but if you have a fast connection, you can increase this to serve more traffic.

Tip: The default setting works well for connections up to 100 Mbps. If you have gigabit internet, consider bumping this up to handle more concurrent traffic.

Step 4: Activate Your Node

With your settings configured, you will see a large “Activate Node” button at the bottom of the dashboard. Click it.

The app displays a brief status check:

Connection test — verifies your internet connection is suitable
IP verification — confirms you are on a residential IP
Node registration — registers your node on the network

All three checks usually complete in under 10 seconds. Once they pass, your node status changes to Active with a green indicator.

The app then minimizes to your system tray (the menu bar on macOS). From the system tray icon, you can:

See your current status (active/paused)
View real-time request count
Check today’s earnings
Pause or resume your node
Open the full dashboard

Step 5: Monitor Your First Earnings

With your node active, requests will start flowing through as AI agents and other clients discover your node on the network. Here is what to expect:

The First Hour

Traffic starts slowly as the network routes initial requests to your new node. You might see anywhere from a handful to a few dozen requests in the first hour. Do not worry if it seems quiet — this is normal.

The First Day

As the network learns about your node’s reliability, traffic increases. Most hosts see a noticeable uptick in requests within the first 24 hours. The dashboard shows a real-time graph of requests served and USDC earned.

The First Week

By the end of your first week, your traffic pattern stabilizes. Your reputation score begins building, and the network directs more consistent traffic to your node. This is when you get a realistic picture of your earning potential.

Understanding the Dashboard

The main dashboard, accessible from the system tray icon, shows:

Total Earnings — your cumulative USDC earned
Today’s Earnings — what you have earned in the current 24-hour period
Requests Served — total request count with a breakdown by hour
Reputation Score — your current reliability rating (affects traffic allocation)
Uptime Percentage — how consistently your node has been available
Settlement History — a log of daily USDC settlements to your wallet

How Settlements Work

RentaTube settles earnings daily on Base L2. Here is the flow:

Throughout the day, your node serves requests and accumulates earnings
At the end of each settlement period (daily), your total is calculated
The platform takes a 10% fee, and the remaining 90% is sent to your wallet as USDC on Base L2
The transaction appears in your settlement history with a link to the Base block explorer

Base L2 gas fees are typically fractions of a cent, so virtually all of your earnings reach your wallet intact.

Using the CLI Instead

If you chose the CLI route, the setup flow is similar:

# Install globally
npm install -g @rentatube/cli

# Initialize your node
rentatube init

# Configure your settings
rentatube config --price 0.002 --bandwidth 50 --max-connections 20

# Start your node
rentatube start

The CLI outputs real-time logs showing incoming requests and earnings. You can run it in the background with rentatube start --daemon and check status anytime with rentatube status.

Tips for a Smooth Start

Keep your node running consistently. The reputation system favors uptime. Even if you shut down at night, aim for 12+ hours a day.
Start with competitive pricing. You can always increase prices once you have built up a strong reputation score.
Do not over-allocate bandwidth. It is better to share less bandwidth reliably than to allocate too much and create a laggy experience for yourself.
Check your dashboard weekly. Look at traffic patterns and adjust your pricing or bandwidth limits based on what you see.
Keep the app updated. Updates often include performance improvements and new features that help you earn more.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Node shows “Inactive” after activation: Check your internet connection and try restarting the app. If the issue persists, your ISP might be blocking the required ports — the app will show a specific error message if this is the case.

Very low traffic after several days: Review your pricing. If you set your price at the higher end of the range, try lowering it to attract more traffic. Also ensure your node is running during peak hours (generally weekday business hours in major markets).

Settlement not appearing in wallet: Settlements process daily. Check the settlement history in your dashboard for the transaction hash, and verify it on the Base block explorer. If a settlement is missing, contact support through the app.

Ready to Start Earning?

The entire process — from download to your first request — takes less than 10 minutes. Once your node is active, there is nothing else you need to do. The desktop app handles everything in the background while you use your computer normally.

Your idle bandwidth is sitting there unused. Setting up a proxy node is one of the simplest ways to turn it into a steady USDC income stream.