Basic knowledge about how to connect two nodes is recommended for the initial setup.
As per the original blockchain designs of Satoshi Nakamoto, a Hush Smart Chain does not exist on a single node. Rather, it exists via a connection between two or more nodes. This is the nature of decentralization: it is on the network we rely, rather than a single authority. Therefore, the design of the technology encourages the developer to have two separate nodes which are able to connect over a network.
In the most ideal circumstance, the new Hush developer will already have two virtual private servers (VPS's) available for testing. VPS's can be cheap and easy to manage. A typical VPS will either have a static external IP or can be assigned one.
If the new developer does not have two VPS's available, setting up a test Hush Smart Chain on two local machines in a home or office-type setting is still achievable, but it may require more troubleshooting.
When using a home or office-type setup, the challenge lies in the way the network is created, and there are myriad network setups.
For example, if the developers are operating on a local router, where the two machines are connected via wifi, the local ip addresses of the machines are harder to find. This is because the router assigns new local ip addresses to the machines each time they re-connect to the router. It is not possible to see the ip addresses from the Internet. In this situation, the developer must log into the router's software interface and search for the currently assigned local ip addresses.
