I recently had an opportunity to try Algorand’s BetaNet. Similar to the TestNet, the BetaNet is a place for developers to experiment. Unlike the TestNet where nodes run stable code, the BetaNet runs with features not yet on the live network. For good instructions from the The Algorand team see official BetaNet docs and get help when needed at the BetaNet forum. My notes (this post) may help, if you’re setting up a short-lived node for local development or testing.