Can I run a full Bitcoin node with only a 5mb/s connection? \ stacker news ~bitcoin

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Can I run a full Bitcoin node with only a 5mb/s connection?

2271 sats \ 27 comments \ @DesertDave 22 Oct bitcoin

I am attempting to set up my umbrel Bitcoin node on a raspberry pi 4 with 8 gb ram. I am concerned that my internet connection may be an issue. I am running all this through a hotspot. While my monthly download is unlimited, the bandwidth is limited to about 500kB/s.

Is this enough to keep a Bitcoin node? Will it eat up all the bandwidth. Once it is synced initially, does the bandwidth requirements go down? This is the only connection I use for my wifi and devices at my home. I have tried looking it up online and I see a wide variety of answers. Any guidance is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

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200 sats \ 1 reply \ @aljaz 22 Oct

if you have inbound open then it can use a decent amount of bandwidth

example from one of my nodes - you can clearly see at what point i opened inbound connections to it: Since then it transfered 2.3TB (23days).

If you will be just syncing from others you should be fine after ibd, but it might make sense to do the ibd somewhere else (ibd - initial block download).

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DesertDave OP 22 Oct

Yeah. I would like to. I just haven't come with a good option. Where I live I don't know anyone near by with a solid home internet connection. Thanks for the input.

53 sats \ 1 reply \ @ek 22 Oct

I used to run a bitcoin node and noticed that a lot of bandwidth was consumed in a month (1TB iirc). I then realised you can configure bandwidth usage with -maxuploadtarget, see https://bitcoin.org/en/full-node#reduce-traffichow

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DesertDave OP 22 Oct

Thanks for the resource.

21 sats \ 5 replies \ @random_ 23 Oct

Your hotspot may be throttled. Do you use a vpn on the hotspot? They can prevent throttling.

You should switch to a openwrt cellular router, if possible. Spitz AX is a good model.

0 sats \ 4 replies \ @DesertDave OP 23 Oct

Good to know. I had something like that in the past and it gave me problems for some reason. I am running through a phone to a wifi extender, to a router. My phone plan is unlimited hotspot but is only supposed to serve one device at a time. I feel like I hacked the system. I use like 400gb a month and only pay $25 a month. My whole home network runs through it. Since I switched to a SSD this morning, it's going super fast. I think the spinning disk was the major issue. I didn't realize syncing the Blockchain was disk intensive.

21 sats \ 3 replies \ @random_ 24 Oct

We are on reverse paths it seems. I'm never going back to hotspot now that I have the router. I went from 3 devices for networking down to one. KISS could go either way here.

I had something like that in the past and it gave me problems for some reason.

Guessing you put a phone sim directly in the router? The ISP can tell when you are using a cell phone plan on a data-only device. You need a device you fully control (openwrt). One that doesn't ask permission

131 sats \ 2 replies \ @DesertDave OP 24 Oct

My little tower blasts internet out from the top of my little hill to like 100 acres.

I think the device I was using was just an issue. It was a Netgear part. It never would stay connected for some reason. I would prefer to have a setup that doesn't use a phone.

32 sats \ 1 reply \ @random_ 24 Oct

You either die a subscriber or live long enough to see yourself become an ISP.

Thanks for sharing your setup! Have you done a range test?

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DesertDave OP 24 Oct

Not scientifically. But I am blown away by how far it goes. There is no interference and it's wide open desert here. No buildings. So it goes super far.

21 sats \ 1 reply \ @kristapsk 22 Oct

Yes, you definitely can. If you are afraid it will eat all the bandwidth, you can rate limit your node. Also, you can play around with maxuploadtarget and maxconnections settings of bitcoin.conf.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DesertDave OP 22 Oct

Thank you.

10 sats \ 2 replies \ @DesertDave OP 23 Oct

So I started over, this time with a fast SSD instead of a spinning disk. Total game changer. I didn't realize it was the disk that was really slowing me down. Should be ready to go before the 5th. I'm excited.

11 sats \ 1 reply \ @DarthCoin 23 Oct

You see? If you were reading my guides before starting a node you would find out all these aspects: https://darthcoin.substack.com/p/lightning-node-maintenance and many more https://darth-coin.github.io/nodes/nodes.html

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DesertDave OP 23 Oct

Yep. That's what I get. I am often foolish in how I approach things. I like to learn the hard way.

22 sats \ 1 reply \ @jasko 23 Oct

Might be a fun project to connect to the blockstream satellite if you're in the desert https://blockstream.github.io/satellite/

I'm not sure exactly how straightforward it is to go the diy route vs their kit which seems a bit pricey for hobbyist stuff.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DesertDave OP 23 Oct

That would be cool. Maybe down the road. I have found a cell phone plan that uses Verizon towers and is only $25 a month with unlimited hotspot which I what I am using now. Works great in rural areas like ours. It's horrible in a city. And the top speeds are capped pretty low.

11 sats \ 0 replies \ @alphabeta 23 Oct

Truth be told you can run a Bitcoin node using your cellphone and TERMUX.

11 sats \ 1 reply \ @Butterfinger 22 Oct

I used to run a LN node on a 4G modem and limited the speed to 50kb/s because I had limited data, all over tor and used to work quite well.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DesertDave OP 22 Oct

Was it a full node with Bitcoin core?

11 sats \ 5 replies \ @DarthCoin 22 Oct

Run a neutrino node instead of a full node and you will be just fine. Here is a guide: #439263

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @DesertDave OP 22 Oct

And this can run on a pi umbrel setup? And will it work with Alby and stacker once they go non custodial?

111 sats \ 1 reply \ @DarthCoin 22 Oct

perfectly fine. A LND node in neutrino mode will not use too much resources like a full core node. And less space too. A RPi with just LND in neutrino mode and Alby Hub will take very few resources. I am strongly suggest to not go with Umbrel crap. Just use plain simple LND install + Alby Hub and you are good to go. KISS = Keep it simply stupid.

What you should be aware is the ping to your neutrino peers. In the Zeus guide I've explained why this matters and what alternatives you have for neutrino peers. You can set any of those peers to connect. https://darth-coin.github.io/wallets/getting-started-zeus-wallet-en.html Please read it.

11 sats \ 0 replies \ @4rge 22 Oct

Dankness, ty

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @DesertDave OP 22 Oct

Thank you. I'm glad to know this before I get any further in the process.

11 sats \ 0 replies \ @DarthCoin 22 Oct

I am here to help, remember? And read all my guides first. Will save you a lot of trouble.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @zyn 23 Oct freebie

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