Node roles

• Bumblebee = gateway node (the bigger routers). Provides the internet exit through a VPN, serves the free network, fully managed from /iot.
• Bee = relay (small ones: AR300M16, CPE710). Extends coverage, borrows internet from a bumblebee over the mesh — no cables, just power.
• Zero-touch: plug in power → the node configures itself, meshes with any Parahub node in radio range and goes online within 5 min. Free WiFi works ~5 min later.
• Make it yours: parahub.io/iot → "Claim a router" → type the MAC from the sticker. You're the owner; share access via the device card → Sharing.

Ports — where the internet goes

Device	Internet in	Wired clients
AXT1800 / AX53UBUMBLEBEEindoor all-rounder — at your internet source	port labeled WAN	LAN ports
MT3000 / MT6000BUMBLEBEEstrongest gateways — busy venues, many clients	2.5G port (WAN)	LAN port
AR300M16BEEpalm-size relay — fills an indoor dead spot	port labeled WAN	port labeled LAN
AP3000 OutdoorBUMBLEBEEweatherproof omni — streets, squares, terraces	single PoE port	— WiFi only
CPE710BEElong-range dish — beams the mesh to a far building	none — mesh-fed	single PoE port

An empty WAN is fine: the node pulls internet across the mesh from another node. Nothing to configure.

WiFi networks

Name	What it is
Parahubfactory default — rename it to anything	Private. Fresh node = own random password (in /iot); one name + password across your nodes; seamless roaming.
parahub.io/free	Public, open, for everyone. Sandboxed away from the private network.
parahub.io/mesh	Node-to-node backhaul. Joins automatically — not for people.

Change the password in /iot → device card → WiFi (rename the network there too). Applies to all your nodes at once.

Recognize the address

Looks like	It is
10.P1.P2.x	Private LAN of one node (unique per node, derived from its MAC; router itself = .1).
10.G1.G2.x	Guest network of one node — separate world; .1 = the node's live status page.
10.250.250.1	"Nearest internet gateway" — answered by the closest VPN-healthy bumblebee.
10.99.0.x	VPN tunnel between a node and the exit server.
172.30.x.y	Node-to-node transit — cable-less nodes' uplink rides here.
200:…	Yggdrasil address of the node itself — management plane, stable across updates.
300:…	Private client's Yggdrasil IPv6 — inbound only if whitelisted in /iot.
fd00:bee5:…	Guest IPv6 — outbound-only, reaches Parahub services at full speed.

Speed — who gets what

Who	Speed
Free guest	512 kbps each (default). The Parahub portal itself is never throttled.
Mesh Pass	Full speed. Up to 5 devices per account; follows the device across every island.
Private WiFi	Full speed on a bumblebee; on a bee capped at 10 Mbps total (default).

Both defaults are the gateway owner's, tunable in /iot — their uplink carries this traffic. A cable-less node's private traffic exits via the donor's VPN, never their public IP.

Kill switch: no working VPN on the island ⇒ free guests get no internet at all — never a raw line. The network stays up in local mode: Parahub services only.

Free vs private — trust model

• Free = anonymous & sandboxed: no access to anyone's LAN, and it exits always through the VPN chain — a guest's visible IP is the Mullvad Portugal exit, never the host's; DNS resolves inside the tunnel.
• Private = trusted: one LAN across all your nodes (linked by an encrypted tunnel), exits through the node's own internet connection.
• Paying for Mesh Pass changes speed only — a guest stays sandboxed and VPN-routed.

Where traffic goes

FREEany node → island's gateway node → VPN → Mullvad PT → Internet

PRIVATEthe node's own internet; if it dies → automatic detour via another bumblebee's VPN

MGMTnodes phone home every 5 min; auto-update nightly at 03:00

An island = nodes currently meshed together; a separate group forms its own. One gateway per island, auto-elected among VPN-healthy bumblebees; failover ~5 min. Every VPN down ⇒ a local-only gateway (free up, internet off).

Mesh Pass — full speed in 4 steps

1. Join the parahub.io/free WiFi and open it in your browser.
2. Log in or create an account.
3. Pay with Lightning — or earn the pass.
4. Tap "Enable full speed on this device" — active instantly, on every island.

If something's wrong

• Power-cycle first — always safe. The node rebuilds its config and re-registers by itself; fixes most unreachable-node cases.
• node.parahub.net on the free or private WiFi — live status from the router itself: exit state, neighbor signal, your speed tier. Works with the internet down.
• Check /iot: online badge (heartbeat every 5 min), firmware version, uplink & client charts per node.
• Whole island offline ⇒ the gateway lost uplink/VPN — check that node's cable. Parahub-only internet ⇒ every VPN down (local mode).
• A just-rebooted node without its own uplink can look dead ~20 min — give it time.
• Unexpected reboot ≠ fault — self-healing a dead management link.
• Settings changed outside /iot revert on the nightly update — persistent changes go through /iot.
• Anything deeper — hand it to the AI operator.