Why is my worker Blocked?

A worker may be blocked for several reasons related to system rules, security policies, or violations of acceptable use. Here’s a breakdown of why a worker might have been blocked:

1️⃣ If a worker has more than 8 GPUs:
IO network limits on the number of GPUs that can be registered to a single worker to prevent overloading or unfair resource usage. Exceeding this limit could result in the worker being blocked or flagged.

2️⃣ If the number of GPUs in a worker is changed or if the model of the GPU in the worker is changed: 
A worker may be blocked if the number of GPUs is altered or if the GPU model is changed. This could indicate potential tampering or an attempt to modify the worker’s configuration in ways that the system does not allow. To ensure consistency and fairness in the network, such changes are monitored, and any modification in hardware setup may lead to a block.

3️⃣ If device utilization reaches the threshold set by the team:
IO monitors GPU utilization to ensure that participants are not overloading the system or exploiting it for rewards. If the GPU usage consistently hits or exceeds a set threshold, it may be considered abuse, causing the worker to be blocked to maintain fairness and stability. Device utilization threshold can be found here.

4️⃣ If the worker's location is in a prohibited region and the user tries to connect the worker using VPN: 
 IO network have geographical restrictions for security, regulatory, or policy reasons. If the worker is located in a region that is restricted, and the user tries to bypass this using a VPN, it could trigger the system to block the worker to prevent violations of these regional rules.

5️⃣ GPU Spoofing
GPU spoofing refers to the act of pretending to use different hardware or modifying the hardware’s identity to trick the system into awarding rewards unfairly. This is a serious violation and often leads to an immediate block to preserve network integrity.

6️⃣ If 2 workers are using a shared MAC address:
A MAC address is a unique identifier for network devices. If two workers are using the same MAC address (which is unusual unless the hardware is spoofed or improperly configured), the system might block both workers as it could indicate fraud, impersonation, or an attempt to exploit the network.