# Shardeum: Testnet Validator Setup Guide **Published by:** [Frog](https://paragraph.com/@frog/) **Published on:** 2023-04-07 **URL:** https://paragraph.com/@frog/shardeum-testnet-validator-setup-guide ## Content Before we get started:Connect to the Sphinx 1.X RPCFollow me on twitter <3Join LilyPad for discussion on this and other airdropsSay GMGet testnet SHM tokensBefore purchasing your server and setting everything up, I recommend trying to acquire some SHM from the faucets first. You will need Sphinx 1.X SHM tokens. Here is the guide from Shardeum on how to get them: https://docs.shardeum.org/Faucet/Claim You can also ask around the discord for tokens from admins or other community members.Purchase a VPSIf you can find your own VPS that is cheaper that is fine but here are the minimum requirements:250 GB SSD storageQuad core CPU less than 10 years old if self hostingDual core CPU works if hosted with newer Xeons / EPYC16 GB of ram, 4+ GB of virtual memory recommendedHosting: 8 GB RAM + 8 GB Virtual MemoryOr you can just head to Contabo below with a preconfigured setup for this guide (NOT a referral link) It will cost you about 70 bucks for 3 months. https://contabo.com/en/vps/vps-m-ssd/?addons=1433&image=ubuntu.267&qty=1&contract=3&storage-type=nvme-storage-extension-vps-m Just make sure you select a region close to you!Select a region close to you.Type in a password for your server. Remember this.Select a password for YOUR SERVER.Everything else is good to go! Press Next and type in all the information needed to create a new account and pay for the server.Once you complete your order, you will receive a total of 2 emails. The first being an order confirmation email, and should come within the first 5 minutes (usually instantly). The 2nd email is the information you need to login, this may take up to 30 minutes - an hour. Be patient it will come.Connecting to the VPSHead over to the control panel: https://my.contabo.com/ Login with the credentials received in the 2nd email from Contabo. Under Control Panel click into Your Services on the sidebar. All you will need from this page is the IP address.Copy the IP address to your ClipboardThese next steps vary depending on which operating system you are using:If you are using mac:Open up terminaltype ssh root@ (Replace with the IP you have in your clipboard from the Contabo Control Panel)It will prompt you for your password type in the password you made at setup.If you are using Windows:Download and update WSLDownload Putty (Follow this guide if you need assistance) Open up PuttyPaste your address under Host Name and leave the port as 22.Paste your IP address under Host Name and press Open. (Leave the port as 22)Type root as your username (then press enter) and type in the password you made at setup.Now we are synced up on both ends.From here follow the official guide to setup your Shardeum Node:https://docs.shardeum.org/node/run/validator#install-package-managers Just follow the command prompts and you are good to go! When it comes to connecting to the validator dashboard:Replace with the IP address used as the Host NameTell me if I missed something by joining my Telegram Chat :DSubscribeTo update the Validator:Remove Stake from DashboardAt this point my dashboard crashed so what i did was: (You can skip these steps if yours doesn’t crash)Connect thru ssh to the server againcd: make sure you are in root foldercd .shardeum: go to shardeum folder./shell.shoperator-cli gui startNow use the front end to STOP the node.operator-cli updateoperator-cli gui startStake your shardeum again thru the front end and start the node :)lilyPadBotCommand: ShardeumValidator lilyPadBotDescription: Setting up a testnet validator for Shardeum ## Publication Information - [Frog](https://paragraph.com/@frog/): Publication homepage - [All Posts](https://paragraph.com/@frog/): More posts from this publication - [RSS Feed](https://api.paragraph.com/blogs/rss/@frog): Subscribe to updates