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Account Policies

Nekotopia provides free VPN access to the Basic account type for the retro computing community. To keep the service sustainable and fair for everyone, we have a few simple policies.

Free Account Access

The Basic account tier is available to all. This means you can register for an account and get immediate access to the system(s) hosted by enthusiasts like you. Managing, maintaining, and supporting the platform is, in large part, a passion project.

Some users may feel they need more access to services on the platform. Features that require a subscription may include additional bandwidth beyond your tier limit, public Internet access, or an address for hosting services at home (nSolo and nColo).

Sometimes the admin(s) may upgrade accounts for community users providing services on the platform or for the wider public Internet. Those account types are functionally equivalent to paid-for accounts and are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Complimentary accounts will always require admin approval because we have limited capacity for higher bandwidth tiers.

Keeping Your Account Active

Your account remains valid as long as you:

  • Stay active — Log in to your VPN account to keep it active.
  • Play fair — There is an expectation that free-tier users on the platform will not abuse their bandwidth allocation.
  • Follow the rules — Comply with our Terms of Service

How Seat Allocation Works

We have a limited number of community tier “seats” available. This is mostly due to funding. We want to be fair and provide free-to-use accounts where possible or where practical. However, more feature-rich accounts do offer improved services for all of us.

Here’s how Plus and Pro account allocation works:

  1. First-come, first-served — If you have a great idea or a lot of hosted kit in your home/retro lab, then reach out to the admin(s) and apply early for the best chance of approval. IRIXNet patrons will receive preference due to our close relationship with the SGI community.
  2. Active users have priority — Inactive accounts may be downgraded if a user comes along with a solid community project and needs seats in the complimentary tier.
  3. Supporters get preference — Ko-Fi supporters will always receive priority over free seats when resources are constrained. This should be common sense.  

What Happens If You Lose Your Seat

If you’re moved from a higher tier due to inactivity, supercedance or capacity limitation:

Current Tier You’ll Move To
Pro Plus
Plus Basic

You’ll always have at least Basic access to the Torus network — you won’t lose connectivity entirely.

Questions? Reach out via the Contact page or the Forum if you have any concerns about your account status.

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