Structural Differences Between Dedicated and Shared Solana RPC Nodes, and Why Dedicated Nodes Are Essential When Pursuing Maximum Performance

When aiming for maximum performance on Solana, there are limits that cannot be overcome through application code or algorithmic optimization alone. What determines communication speed lies not in clever client-side logic, but in deeper layers such as distance, routing paths, how server resources are allocated, and whether TLS is involved. Without correctly understanding these lower-level mechanics, no amount of optimization will allow a shared node to reach the performance range only dedicated nodes can access.

This article outlines the structural differences between shared and dedicated nodes and explains why dedicated nodes become indispensable when “true maximum speed” is required.

Communication over the Internet is fundamentally determined by physical distance and routing paths. Each router or switch the packet passes through adds small but real delays, and any detour in the routing path increases round-trip time. The propagation speed of signals over fiber has an upper bound, meaning no application-level optimization can bypass these constraints.

In other words, communication speed is first determined by “how close you are” and “which path your packets travel.” Only after distance and routing are fixed does the structure of the node itself begin to matter.

A shared node is a strong server used simultaneously by multiple users. Even if the hardware is powerful, there is an upper limit to the amount of work that can be processed at the same time. If 100 users share a 32-core server, only 32 operations can be performed simultaneously; the remaining tasks inevitably wait in line.

Although the OS rapidly switches tasks, making delays less noticeable under normal loads, waiting times always exist internally. This appears as jitter in the timing of Shreds reception or transaction submission. While this jitter is inconsequential for typical dApps or wallet usage, it becomes critical in high-frequency trading (HFT) and other latency-sensitive use cases where a few milliseconds can directly influence outcomes.

The issue is not that shared nodes are slow. The essential point is that “sharing” inherently introduces waiting and jitter that cannot be eliminated.

A dedicated node is used by only one user. CPU, memory, I/O, and network capacity are all devoted to a single workload, meaning other users’ tasks never cause queuing.

In Solana, where the timing of Shreds reception and transaction submission can determine the outcome, the important metric is not only average latency but “how little jitter” exists. Dedicated nodes structurally suppress jitter, allowing the same hardware to operate in an entirely different performance range from shared nodes.

Shared nodes must use TLS/SSL. Since multiple users share the same endpoint, removing encryption would immediately expose them to eavesdropping, tampering, or replay attacks. For this reason, allowing plain http on shared endpoints is impossible by design.

With a dedicated node—a single-tenant environment—TLS can be disabled and replaced with http. TLS always incurs encryption/decryption and handshake processing, adding roughly 20 ms of latency in real-world measurements. This overhead cannot be removed on shared nodes.

Dedicated nodes not only reduce jitter but also eliminate this ~20 ms entirely, pushing them into a speed range unattainable for even the best-optimized shared nodes.

Shared nodes are not designed for chasing maximum speed. Their purpose is to provide broad regional coverage and sufficiently fast performance at a lower cost. For many applications, shared nodes are the most reasonable and practical option.

A common and rational setup is to run a dedicated node only in major locations such as Frankfurt and rely on shared nodes in Tokyo or Singapore. Not every region requires absolute peak performance; separating “areas where speed must never drop” from “areas where fast enough is acceptable” leads to sensible architecture.

A defining characteristic of Solana is that leader validators rotate globally. Depending on where the leader is at a given moment, the “zero-distance” datacenter changes in real time.

When Tokyo leaders produce blocks, Tokyo-adjacent nodes have the advantage. When Frankfurt leads, Frankfurt becomes the zero-distance region. This means Solana adds an extra dynamic layer—leader location changes—on top of Internet-wide distance and routing.

Because of this, trying to chase all leaders from a distant continent will inevitably lead to slots that cannot be reached in time due to physical distance. To truly aim for maximum speed on Solana, one must consider both “which distance to prioritize” and “where dedicated nodes should be placed.”

ERPC selects datacenters and designs network layouts specifically for Solana. In combination with Jito Block Engine, Shredstream, bandwidth allocation, NIC configuration, and OS tuning, this results in highly optimized performance.

Even when running the same software stack, ERPC’s closer routing paths and tuning often provide measurable improvements. Shared nodes minimize jitter as much as possible, while dedicated nodes gain additional benefits from http-based communication.

Dedicated nodes become essential in high-frequency trading, arbitrage, MEV, 0-slot targeting, and other strategies where milliseconds directly impact PnL. After optimizing distance, routing, and application logic, any remaining latency ceiling comes from the shared-node structure itself. At that point, only a dedicated node can eliminate these structural limits.

For general dApps, wallets, NFT services, or applications where real-time performance is not critical, shared nodes are entirely sufficient. Many teams sensibly begin with shared nodes and add dedicated ones only when performance demands increase.

Shared nodes are not compromises—they simply serve different purposes. However, once the requirement shifts to “get the absolute maximum speed,” dedicated nodes become a structural necessity.

Communication speed is determined first by distance and routing. On top of that, node structure—shared or dedicated, with or without TLS—drives further differences. Shared nodes are designed for cost performance and wide coverage. Dedicated nodes eliminate jitter and remove TLS overhead, enabling “true maximum speed.”

In Solana, the zero-distance region changes as leader validators rotate across the world. Understanding this dynamic, along with distance, routing, and node structure, is essential to choosing the right setup for your strategy.

For consultation on network distance optimization or node configuration, contact us through the Validators DAO official Discord.