Transactions without comission sit without confirmation far too long

[Stn]

Since today I see something unusual. Transactions without commission are left behind and not confirmed at all. Free transactions are always used to be confirmed couple blocks later than those with commission. But this time there are already 20 blocks.

Strangely that those transaction are not broadcasted. They are missing in blockchain. I can't blame my client because from say 20 latest transaction half of those with commission are fine and confirmed and free ones are in Limbo (standard client automatically assigned commission).

What's going on? Are there so many transactions that miners just drop free ones?

[1714024113]

1714024113

[prezbo]

Since today I see something unusual. Transactions without commission are left behind and not confirmed at all. Free transactions are always used to be confirmed couple blocks later than those with commission. But this time there are already 20 blocks.

Strangely that those transaction are not broadcasted. They are missing in blockchain. I can't blame my client because from say 20 latest transaction half of those with commission are fine and confirmed and free ones are in Limbo (standard client automatically assigned commission).

What's going on? Are there so many transactions that miners just drop free ones?

Are you sure all outputs are greater than 0.01 btc? That's the only reason a transaction without a fee wouldn't relay.

[Stn]

All small transactions were commissioned and confirmed. But say two over 9 BTC are hanging for 3 hours already.

[prezbo]

All small transactions were commissioned and confirmed. But say two over 9 BTC are hanging for 3 hours already.

Can you give us the transaction id(s)?

[Stn]

I see transactions and their hash codes in my client but they are not in the blockchain.info neither in blockexplorer.com

[prezbo]

I see transactions and their hash codes in my client but they are not in the blockchain.info neither in blockexplorer.com

Then check individual outputs, I almost guarantee you one of them is less than 0.01 btc in each such transaction. If that is the case you will have to somehow convince your client to delete those transactions, and resend them with a fee (or add additional funds to it so every output is greater than 0.01 btc).

[Stn]

What means "delete those transactions"?

FYI here last transactions since strange things start:

Time_______________	Amount	Fee	Confirmations
2013-04-03 09:52:41	-0.007	-0.0005	1
2013-04-03 09:50:17	-28.15	0	0
2013-04-03 09:24:01	-2.53	0	0
2013-04-03 08:34:27	-2.81	0	0
2013-04-03 08:30:11	-0.007	-0.0005	13
2013-04-03 08:22:38	-0.28	-0.0005	15
2013-04-03 07:47:05	-5.23	0	0
2013-04-03 07:39:00	-1.47	-0.0005	18
2013-04-03 07:31:23	-7	0	0
2013-04-03 07:12:06	-9.22	0	0
2013-04-03 07:11:27	-9.22	0	0
2013-04-03 07:06:07	-0.15	-0.0005	22
2013-04-03 06:59:48	-18	0	0
2013-04-03 06:58:55	-18.04	0	6
2013-04-03 06:48:22	-10	0	20
2013-04-03 06:47:02	-29.49	0	24
2013-04-03 06:42:31	-7.7	-0.0005	25

[prezbo]

Since they obviously haven't been broadcasted there is nothing wrong with "deleting" them from your wallet, this in turn will make the inputs to those transactions available again, so you can re-spend them. You haven't told us which client you're using, so I can't help you any further without this knowledge.

[Stn]

It is official client 0.8.0 for Windows. What could be the reason that today out of the blue it stopped broadcasting free transactions?

[Stn]

Just upgraded to 0.8.1. No changes so far. Free transactions are not broadcasting.

[Stn]

The oldest of unconfirmed transactions for 18 BTC has been just picked. Can somebody explain is it the client or traffic jam in the network?

[prezbo]

This is really weird. The official client won't let it send you a transaction without a fee, if it is required for it to be broadcasted, so that's not a problem. I assume you have several connections to the network? Other than that I'm out of ideas, sorry.

edit: Did you by any chance make those transactions while not connected to the network (yet)? In that case there is some time before they are re-broadcasted, and that might be the reason...

[Stn]

I runs on server with permanent Internter connection. And you may see in chronology those in between were broadcasting fine. Around 20 connections to the network.

Official client applies fee automatically only when absolutely necessary. It was working like that for years.

[Stn]

Yes, roughly it is true (you may see my transaction log above). But it started to work like this only today (several hours ago).

And not me but client software itself decides when to add fee.

[Stn]

Next oldest unconfirmed transaction has been picked right now. Totally with 5 hours lag.

I understand that transactions in question are not broadcasted. It seems nothing prevents client do so. May I presume that network does not accept the data?

[prezbo]

That's strange, I would consider using a new software where you can pick.


However I have heard some people have waited around 3 days for 1 confirmation, I have never dealt with this personally so I can't go into detail. But maybe there isn't a solution and it's just taking it's time?

I'll do some searching up because I have never experinced this and have been using bitcoin nearly a year now.

It is normal for low priority transactions to take time to confirm. This issue is on a whole different level, those transactions don't even seem to be broadcasted.

[Stn]

I enforced fee in the client and it looks better now. Here is the latest log:

2013-04-03 12:37:36   -1.69   -0.0005   6   
2013-04-03 12:28:23   -0.007   -0.0005   8
2013-04-03 11:53:15   -0.007   -0.0005   14
2013-04-03 11:23:10   -1.41   -0.0005   16   
2013-04-03 11:20:59   -21.67   -0.0005   0
2013-04-03 09:52:41   -0.007   -0.0005   26   

But notice 21.67 transaction. It neither has been broadcasted even with fee.

[Stn]

I tried another wallet of mine (Electrum). It works more interactively, you may see while it is broadcasting transaction. And it visually lags (took almost half minute contrary to usual few moments).

I guess that "official" client times out while broadcasting and then delays before another attempt. May be times out again and again. That why those unlucky transactions sit there for hours.

[jgarzik]

Last night, it took seven blocks and 90 minutes before my ~6 BTC transaction was confirmed.  Zero fees attached to the transaction.

There is definitely a wait, if the transaction does not include fees.

[Stn]

- Yesterday it was abnormal activity in the network and each broadcasting took much longer then usually. Some transactions even were rejected (had to be re-submitted).

- Free transaction has more chances to fail, but those with fee may fail too.

- "Official" wallet broadcasts asynchronously (i.e. accepts your transaction any way and then handles it quietly). If from the first attempt it didn't broadcast then transaction will sit there for hell long before re-attempt. God sake why so?

- There is no straight ahead option to remove or push failed transactions. Though seems "pywallet" allows to pull out those transaction out of the wallet and therefore submit again.

- "-rescan" argument helped to push all those transactions.

- Synchronous wallet (Electrum in my case) is better in this way. It broadcasts right in front of your eyes, reports failure and does not put transaction into the queue. You can just re-submit.