How Does Someone Become a Node?

[galtbit]

I'm not sure how it works.  If you download a wallet and mine solo for any coin, are you a node?  I read that you have to open your port or forward it.  Is this true?  Sorry, just trying to understand how becoming a node works. 

[bee7]

Yes, you are. You not necessarily need to open a port. If you don't open the port for incoming connections then your node is limited to some fixed maximum number of outbound connections. Usually it is 8. See net.cpp for 'static const int MAX_OUTBOUND_CONNECTIONS' string.