pull down to refresh
I used to run raspiblitz and I ran into so many issues. My node always crashed the uptime was horrible.
This is why I switched to node in box. I had ambitions of becoming a routing node. Not to earn passive income but to support the network and sell liquidity.
I am starting to get that passion back but I don’t want to be held back.
Do you have a guide for those who want to be a good reliable routing node?
Were you running raspiblitz on a raspberry pi?
I am finding out that that hardware may no longer be sufficient for a node: #1262279
I am also having lots of problems with my raspberry pi based node.
Do you have a recommended node-in-a-box product?
the weak link for RPi boxes is the fact that it uses an external drive and weak memories.
If you get a decent box with fast and reliable memories and a good internal drive, you never have any problems with the node. CPU is not so important but that doesn't mean it could be a slow one.
Eh, it's probably time to upgrade my hardware either way.
I would recommend just a good NUC or PC running a simple node with:
https://minibolt.minibolt.info
or
https://sovransystems.com
But again, ask yourself: what type of a LN node you want to run - private or public. Running a public LN node on a RPi machine is the dumbest thing ever.
This sovran node looks powerful enough to be a public routing node
I agree and I learned the hard way with my node crashing all the time
In the past has been always been private. Node is many years old, I think it worked well before the ordinals junk. Now is very slow.
I think it worked well before the ordinals junk. Now is very slow.
It was always slow but you didn't know it how slow...
The thing is that all these bundle nodes sellers do not explain very well to noob users what implications are when you run a LN node. They just want to sell boxes and push the dumb idea of "run your own node" without explaining in detail why and how to run it properly.
People are total illiterates in computers, don't have any idea what is going on inside the box and what are the real requirements to run a proper node in terms of hardware.
I didn't buy it as a bundle. I built it myself.
It doesn't matter if you build it or not. You run a bundle node, full of crap stuff on a shity hardware.
Do you know that a proper LN node need ECC memories?
So many force closed channels happen just because people are using shity memories that cannot update the channels state in the right time.
I didn't deploy it off raspiblitz either. Installed everything from scratch.
I've wrote some:
- https://darth-coin.github.io/nodes/recommendations-ln-node-operators-en.html
- https://darth-coin.github.io/nodes/lightning-node-maintenance-en.html
- https://darth-coin.github.io/nodes/managing-lightning-node-liquidity-en.html
- https://darth-coin.github.io/merchants/private-banks-over-ln-en.html
Please pay attention to what I've said in there. Running a public node is not a joke, is a very serious business, not just for yourself, but for the entire network. All nodes depend on how reliable service you can offer. And there's a lot of challenge between players. You do not open channels with friends like friends on Facebook. You are literally trying to "steal customers" from another router, by offering better services. And you need to have the best peers not shity "pleb nodes". You also have to look and know where and from where the sats flow is coming so you could be in the middle.
And how you are going to compete against the best routers when your node is running on fucking slow network like Tor and also limit your "customers" on Tor only ?
Just think about that. LN is a capital allocation game and only the best wins.
I don't want to scare you to not run a public node. Do it if you have balls, but run it properly if you really want it and know what are you doing. I am just warning you as many others that is a lot of involvement if you start it.
No such thing as a passive public routing node it seems
I've explained in this guide main differences between public and private nodes.
https://darth-coin.github.io/nodes/private-ln-nodes-en.html
"passive public" cannot exist. If you do not want to route others payments, why are you staying IN THE PUBLIC anyways? Just open private channels and everything is just fine.
Every node runner has a dream of routing millions of BTC and earning fees and being part of something that bigger than themselves.
I think this could have been a possibility if the early pleb nodes were forced to be Tor nodes.
Now it seems you need to dedicate a lot of time to be competitive in the landscape of public routing
And here is where dreams die hard
In 2019-2020 it was a massive desire to run a LN node from many people. But they had no idea what that imply.
IMHO was a mistake to push many people into this.
That's why I jump into the support groups and start helping them.
For about 2 years I was like 24/7 support for Umbrel users. But I got tired explaining to pkebs that they are doing it wrong. No matter jow many guides I wrote and instructions given the bottleneck was always the tor nodes poorly managed.
That's why nowaday LN is not seen as being reliable. People got a wrong idea about what is LN and mostly because of their own mistakes.
And this is how this meme was born
I didn't write a dedicated guide for this, but I used this very good one to setup a home LN node with a VPS as a private VPN tunnel, used to hide your home IP.
https://github.com/TrezorHannes/Dual-LND-Wireguard-VPS
This way you can run easily and safely on clearnet any LN node, as a proper node.
Startt9 I think is also preparing a way to let users run their nodes on clearnet, using a wireguard tunnel. Same as the guide mentioned said.
So you could easily start in any PC a LND node, you can even run it in neutrino mode and connect it through a wireguard tunnel. Done. No need for any mumbo jumbo boxes.
If you prefer something like CLN you could also run it as a standalone node.
Seriously now, if you are not into running a professional public routing node, you really don't need a Tor only node in a box like Start9. A simple private LN node with AlbyHub, Lightning Pub, or just a simple LND node in neutrino mode is more than enough and no need for any Tor bullshit. Even Zeus with embedded node is more than enough to do your LN payments.