You don't need this to earn, but understanding the path explains a lot of operator FAQ: why uptime matters, why one node doesn't get hammered, and why "my IP changed" is a feature.
The 30-second version
client → gateway (:9999) → picks an online node → frps tunnel → your device → internet
Your node maintains an outbound tunnel to the network (frpc → frps), so no port-forwarding, no inbound connections, no router config. The gateway sees every live tunnel and rotates client connections across them.
Why the gateway rotates
Clients buy rotating access: every connection gets a different exit IP. The gateway spreads load across the whole online pool, so:
- No single node gets saturated (per-node caps protect you).
- Every node sees traffic roughly proportional to its reliability.
- Offline nodes simply leave the rotation — nothing breaks.
Sticky sessions (the opposite of rotation)
Sometimes a client needs the same exit IP for a while — a login flow, a multi-step form. Sticky sessions pin their traffic to one node for up to 10 minutes. From the pool's side it's invisible: one node's tunnel just carries a longer session.
Why your uptime is your ranking
The gateway's node table is built from frps's live tunnel state — the source of truth is "is the tunnel actually up right now," not a stale heartbeat. Every reconnect cost you a few seconds out of rotation; chronic flapping marks the node unreliable and traffic thins out. That, in one line, is why the earnings playbook keeps saying stable > fast.
What the gateway watches
- Per-node concurrent connection caps (protects your line from overload).
- Error rates per node (flaky tunnels get rested).
- Pool health overall, with dedicated capacity for sticky/dedicated nodes.
What you control
- Your caps in SnowGain (bandwidth, battery, WiFi-only).
- Your hardware and line (the biggest lever).
- Your node count and types.
Everything in the middle — rotation, metering, settlement — is the network's job. Operators supply trustworthy pipes; the gateway does the traffic engineering.
Curious where you fit? See the device types and the earnings-maximizing playbook.