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100 sats \ 4 replies \ @sancristrader 17 Nov \ parent \ on: Official Alby Hub guide meta
  • Can you explain why it gets expensive when I open a channel with SN directly?
  • What are the cheapest channel to open? And how do I fund this wallet, it has 0 sats and no channels open.
Also, another thing for the guide is that it is probably wise to not run the config portal on a public IP, to expose the node config to the open internet? I run Docker bound to localhost
docker run -d \
  --privileged \
  --name albyhub \
  -v /nail/alby/data:/data \
  -e WORK_DIR='/data' \
  -p 127.0.0.1:8080:8080 \
  ghcr.io/getalby/hub:latest
then ssh'd to my server with an SSH tunnel
ssh -L 8080:localhost:8080 me@myserver.com
and then accessed the portal via http://localhost:8080/ in my browser
write
preview
100 sats \ 2 replies \ @sancristrader 17 Nov
Also, I see this in the SN FAQ:
there could be an issue paying your receiving wallet if the zap is small and you don't have a direct channel to SN, the routing fee may exceed SN's 3% max fee
So there seems to be an advantage in opening a direct channel?
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50 sats \ 1 reply \ @sox OP 19 Nov
Sorry, got lost in the loop!
Can you explain why it gets expensive when I open a channel with SN directly?
You'd have to provide the outbound liquidity (sats that you can spend through the channel) yourself with an on-chain transaction. It's relatively expensive, if the channel closes you get back your bitcoins, so you're just locking them.
Then you also have to pay the channel opening fee which varies with the mempool congestion
So there seems to be an advantage in opening a direct channel?
It's always recommended to open a channel this way because
  • it has virtually non-existent routing fees
  • you wouldn't depend on the status of an LSP
  • it keeps you in control
But you still have to get inbound liquidity in some way to receive sats, e.g. by spending through your channel or receiving through your specific channel. You can also buy inbound liquidity from an LSP.
On the other hand, opening an LSP is not a bad idea to start receiving and sending sats. It's convenient, cheap and you don't have to manage anything. You can open a channel now and don't have to deal with anything else, but direct channels will affirm your funds sovereignty.
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100 sats \ 0 replies \ @sancristrader 20 Nov
Can you answer these questions about opening a direct channel to SN:
  • If I want to only receive what I earn on SN, the outbound liquidity would have to be minimal? How much would it have to be?
  • Private or public channel? (I have no other channels to me)
  • Do you have any write-up or instructions on how to open a channel to you?
  • Can you open a channel to my node instead?
The tx fees are minumal right now, so I think i'd be interested in opening a direct channel to SN.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @sox OP 19 Nov
that it is probably wise to not [...] expose the node config to the open internet?
that's correct, this guide only covers basic installation and security should be assessed personally. but I'll include some tips in the next update
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