While writing about the recent Linux 7.1 release, I came across the “OneThing Edge Cube” (OEC) based on the Rockchip RK3566 SoC. I assume it may have been some type of NAS, but instead it’s a box for the OpenThingCloud decentralized bandwidth sharing solution.
People purchase the OEC or OEC-Turbo device and install it at home to be part of a distributed P2P CDN (Content Delivery Network), caching data for other nodes operating nearby. As I understand it, there’s no user-facing functionality, and people install this type of hardware at home to get passive income.
OneThing Edge Cube (OEC) / Cube Pro (OEC-Pro) specifications:
- SoC – Rockchip RK3566
- System Memory – 2GB (OEC) or 4GB (OEC-turbo) LPDDR4X
- Storage
- 8GB eMMC flash
- SATA 3.0 connector
- Networking
- Gigabit Ethernet port
- 100+ Mbps upload bandwidth recommended
- USB – USB 3.0 port, USB 2.0 Type-C 2.0 port
- Power Supply – 12V DC Power supply
The DTS file implies it’s running Android since the model name is “Onething RK3566 BOX WXY4 V10 ANDROID Board”. If you’re interested in mainline Linux support, the submitter (Jun Yan) has successfully tested Ethernet, USB 3.0, and SATA 3.0 ports. Besides the OEC models, the company also offers EOA (quad-core, 1GB DDR, 128GB eMMC, 50+ Mbps upload bandwidth recommended) and EOS (hexa-core, 4GB DDR, 8GB eMMC, 100-300Mbps upload bandwidth recommended) and variants. The XIYING OS NAS is another platform making use of the company’s P2P technology, but for storage. They also have a mobile app, PC software, and a program for other NAS systems.
You’ll find all that on the smart devices and cloud pages, except nothing can be purchased or downloaded until you switch to the Chinese version of the website, since the company currently operates in mainland China with 20+ million registered users and 1 to 2 million active nodes.
Earnings depend on the bandwidth a user shares, so users will earn more in a city with a high population density than in a rural area. It will also depend on upload bandwidth and storage capacity, and it’s not a get-rich-quick scheme, as 3 to 8 CNY per day is typical in cities, or about 44 cents to $1.2 a day.
A similar solution to OneThingCloud that operates outside of China is HoneyGain. It doesn’t require a specific box, and you can just install an app. Earnings appear to be even lower than OneThingCloud, with $2 to $20 reported per month. Some ISPs may also not appreciate it when their retail users are selling their upload bandwidth, so you may want to check your contract first, and it may not be worth the hassle considering the low earnings.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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