WORKING Lightning Node Network (LNN) on TESTNET, feel free to join

[Yogafan00000]

I've created a live TESTNET installation of the eclair lightning node alpha release.  The install is working and will open payment channels, send & receive funds, close channels.

This is working on TestNet.

The purpose of this endeavour is to explore the capabilities of this software and begin to answer some questions about it's use in practical situations.

For example:
How much can I send at once?
Is it really instant?
How does it perform?
What are the caveats to using this network?
Will it really scale in order for millions to be able to pay for coffee?
Will it be possible to run seamlessly for an end user with zero technical knowedge?
Is it possible for the LNN to stay decentralized among node operators?


Feel free to connect to my lightning node at URI: 026e6a7caf73e61a3c43afed0f48a40ad4c200a0f15280e1774619fffe4553b350@pa.xro.ca:9735

Post your node URI in this thread, and a test payment request and let's see if we can get this TEST LNN implementation growing.

If you connect, post a payment request of 5-10 TESTNET milliBTC and I'll send them to you.

Let me know if you need help setting up a node, and I'll try to assist.

Installed with:
Stock Ubuntu 16.04
Oracle Java 8 (IMPORTANT, must be Oracle Java)
bitcoin-qt, set to testnet
eclair alpha   (https://github.com/ACINQ/eclair)
ports 18333 and 9735 open and NAT'd to node.

Awesome demo of eclair node in regtest mode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v68npliVCWw&t=454s

Currently Active Public TESTNET Lightning Nodes
026e6a7caf73e61a3c43afed0f48a40ad4c200a0f15280e1774619fffe4553b350@pa.xro.ca:9735


Sample Payment Requests for public nodes
02478ff2fcd5135a43e76180602d9953f34686b3f7968ae0c0674a12376ddb7ee9:100000000:b2afc4278bac978886066aa2f71d098c1f12903d977b068837fb4240ffea8ba9
02478ff2fcd5135a43e76180602d9953f34686b3f7968ae0c0674a12376ddb7ee9:200000000:839bcf3e34ffa8aac80474a6b4babb3f5f5127d64d88a8ef7991164ba96f2a43
02478ff2fcd5135a43e76180602d9953f34686b3f7968ae0c0674a12376ddb7ee9:300000000:7da377bb665ec147c416db5ad07a94952154c8e1f4afac1266a589275f049e14
02478ff2fcd5135a43e76180602d9953f34686b3f7968ae0c0674a12376ddb7ee9:400000000:51f9353a5857a13ff26255f7d7ce88670f327592b5e2df65e38e30bf91d8b292
02478ff2fcd5135a43e76180602d9953f34686b3f7968ae0c0674a12376ddb7ee9:500000000:cec99ad09ffa4a7b0d609576fbd52c2ca785550d2fe1041dada67d648046096a


026e6a7caf73e61a3c43afed0f48a40ad4c200a0f15280e1774619fffe4553b350:600000000:05531bf99b20ff00cf7654c201092a32a95bdcebb761ae06b9c8534d239f8ebf
026e6a7caf73e61a3c43afed0f48a40ad4c200a0f15280e1774619fffe4553b350:700000000:eb7aaedc016ad607e6cf195d9defe736adf10481bd626e7f7993d35ef2825799
026e6a7caf73e61a3c43afed0f48a40ad4c200a0f15280e1774619fffe4553b350:800000000:049307d3bf99df1587ea7ec14a72ba12c6c09e91c927d7add3bc00921efa812f
026e6a7caf73e61a3c43afed0f48a40ad4c200a0f15280e1774619fffe4553b350:900000000:bcf3f7faa56885f35a73e18cf20805766b1bad619363c89372e7676b86c63b51
026e6a7caf73e61a3c43afed0f48a40ad4c200a0f15280e1774619fffe4553b350:1000000000:665fbff328012bbf0f9a22956cdd610fda0e8b04c0bb4d4b8726d09424b165d9


***UPDATE***
After trying this software for a few days, it's clear that if you want to receive funds, you have to have open ports to be able to let others connect to your node and start a payment channel.  If you set up a semi-permanent node with open ports, I'll post your EXTERNAL public address here so others can connect.  If this is not possible for you, use one of the payment requests posted here to at least try to send a payment after you have connected to a node.

I don't know yet if payment requests can be re-used by different nodes.  I do know that payment requests cannot be repaid from the same node.

[JackH]

I have tested this extensively, but only alone and not with other people.

I will post you my node and we can do this. Are you on IRC and we can coordinate things better then. Maybe get some more people going, and at least test Eclair better, until the Lightning Go implementation is fully BOLT compatible, and then we can really test it big time.

[Yogafan00000]

Sweet!

No, I haven't been on IRC for at least 20 years,    I'll look into get on again, if we really need to.

Post your node URI and a payment request, and I'll try setting up a payment channel and pay it via a payment channel I have set up already on another network address.

I'm looking forward to seeing this in action!

I have tested this extensively, but only alone and not with other people.

I will post you my node and we can do this. Are you on IRC and we can coordinate things better then. Maybe get some more people going, and at least test Eclair better, until the Lightning Go implementation is fully BOLT compatible, and then we can really test it big time.

[JackH]

There are about 50 people in the #lnd channel on freenode. Join up here if you need quick link: https://webchat.freenode.net/

This is primarily for the Go implementation of Lightning, but once they are compatible with the spec set out between them, we can all test between 4-5 implementations.

URI is: 02eff3b9ec986e8691b5b41e944acd9d20b9c36c8c50c2674239242eee9bfacc4a@127.0.0.1:9735

Here is my payment request: 02eff3b9ec986e8691b5b41e944acd9d20b9c36c8c50c2674239242eee9bfacc4a:1000000000:dabe2b56d45fd64df25364a5e2706834aad8510c9bf2be7b023ed70dcd55f7e5

This is for 10 milliBTC.

But I am currently not connected to any channels, so you wont be able to route that payment to me, we need to connect to each other first.

[Yogafan00000]

There are about 50 people in the #lnd channel on freenode. Join up here if you need quick link: https://webchat.freenode.net/

This is primarilly for the Go implementation of Lightning, but once they are compatible with the spec set out between them, we can all test between 4-5 implementations.

URI is: 02eff3b9ec986e8691b5b41e944acd9d20b9c36c8c50c2674239242eee9bfacc4a@127.0.0.1:9735

Here is my payment request: 02eff3b9ec986e8691b5b41e944acd9d20b9c36c8c50c2674239242eee9bfacc4a:1000000000:dabe2b56d45fd64df25364a5e2706834aad8510c9bf2be7b023ed70dcd55f7e5

This is for 10 milliBTC.

But I am currently not connected to any channels, so you wont be able to route that payment to me, we need to connect to each other first.

I'm thinking I'll need your external ip address to open the channel...

[JackH]

I connected to you, and got 2 connections back at the same time?

What did you do?

[animalroam]

I'm not exactly technical in terms of the LN network, but I'm looking into this. How is a payment channel created - are you creating channels by connecting to other nodes?

[JackH]

I'm not exactly technical in terms of the LN network, but I'm looking into this. How is a payment channel created - are you creating channels by connecting to other nodes?

You need to run Bitcoin Core in testnet mode.

You then start up the Eclair node, which is a lightning network node.

Then you connect to a channel, and wait 6 confirmations on testnet.

This is very early days, and we have no block discovery tool. The best we can do right now is to connect manually to each other and send each other some testnet coin.

[Yogafan00000]

I connected to you, and got 2 connections back at the same time?

What did you do?

Weird!  I  was AFK when you connected.  I see your payment channel that you created, but its marked offline now.  I don't know anything about the 2 connections you got back.

Try bringing your node online and leave it on if you can.  I'll monitor it today and reconnect and send payment when I see your node online.

Screenshot of what I saw this morning.  Your payment channel is at the bottom.

[Yogafan00000]

I'm not exactly technical in terms of the LN network, but I'm looking into this. How is a payment channel created - are you creating channels by connecting to other nodes?

We are just trying this out.  I'd like to get as large of a Lightning Node network going as we possibly can to test the capabilities.

Get an eclair node up and running as per the OP, open your ports and post the public URI, if you can, and hopefully someone will connect and open a payment channel.

[JackH]

Will get this up and running in a few hours again.

Will need to open the Eclair port too it seems.

It is also interesting if this works as we have both been online. If it does, it means our channel is forever established, unless we actively close it, and can keep on going off and on until we are both on to make transactions!

[Yogafan00000]

Will get this up and running in a few hours again.

Will need to open the Eclair port too it seems.

It is also interesting if this works as we have both been online. If it does, it means our channel is forever established, unless we actively close it, and can keep on going off and on until we are both on to make transactions!

It's very cool!  As I understand it, the funds used to open the channel stay locked in the 2 of 2 transaction (is that the right word?) until the channel is closed or forced closed.

I'm curious to know how the software behaves when trying to send amounts larger than the funding channel.

[JackH]

Will get this up and running in a few hours again.

Will need to open the Eclair port too it seems.

It is also interesting if this works as we have both been online. If it does, it means our channel is forever established, unless we actively close it, and can keep on going off and on until we are both on to make transactions!

It's very cool!  As I understand it, the funds used to open the channel stay locked in the 2 of 2 transaction (is that the right word?) until the channel is closed or forced closed.

I'm curious to know how the software behaves when trying to send amounts larger than the funding channel.

I tried to send larger than balance on regtest. It fails to send and does not allow it. I think it will behave the same way here as its hardcoded into the client we use.

I think funds will stay on the channel between us indefinitely or until we close it. Its pretty cool!

[JackH]

Looks like channel auto closed when we disconnected

I made a new connection to you. Waiting for the 6 confs to go through and will then send you some coins.

[Yogafan00000]

Looks like channel auto closed when we disconnected

I made a new connection to you. Waiting for the 6 confs to go through and will then send you some coins.

The nodes seem to get stuck on WAITING_FOR_FUNDING_CONFIRMED sometimes.  Then I have to restart the node and reconnect the "funding" node for it to switch to NORMAL.

I'm sending through your payment request even though your are OFFLINE.  Maybe it will go through we you re-connect?

Looks like we have another node connecting...

[JackH]

We are connected! 

Give me a payment request and I will send funds

[Yogafan00000]

We are connected! 

Give me a payment request and I will send funds

payment request:

02eff3b9ec986e8691b5b41e944acd9d20b9c36c8c50c2674239242eee9bfacc4a:1000000000:dabe2b56d45fd64df25364a5e2706834aad8510c9bf2be7b023ed70dcd55f7e5

[Yogafan00000]

We are connected! 

Give me a payment request and I will send funds

payment request:

02eff3b9ec986e8691b5b41e944acd9d20b9c36c8c50c2674239242eee9bfacc4a:1000000000:dabe2b56d45fd64df25364a5e2706834aad8510c9bf2be7b023ed70dcd55f7e5

I'm a dummy.  I cut and pasted the wrong one, lol.  This is the one you sent me. Here's the correct payment request.

026e6a7caf73e61a3c43afed0f48a40ad4c200a0f15280e1774619fffe4553b350:900000000:d9c383139aeb88ab1a296065cae77e72a376c98bbdd90621c30ce64b5d27e261

[JackH]

We need to coordinate this better, it seems testnet is buggy as hell and it kicks us off all the time and ruins our channel setup.

How about you drop by #lnd on freenode and we do it?

[JackH]

We are connected! 

Give me a payment request and I will send funds

payment request:

02eff3b9ec986e8691b5b41e944acd9d20b9c36c8c50c2674239242eee9bfacc4a:1000000000:dabe2b56d45fd64df25364a5e2706834aad8510c9bf2be7b023ed70dcd55f7e5

I'm a dummy.  I cut and pasted the wrong one, lol.  This is the one you sent me. Here's the correct payment request.

026e6a7caf73e61a3c43afed0f48a40ad4c200a0f15280e1774619fffe4553b350:900000000:d9c383139aeb88ab1a296065cae77e72a376c98bbdd90621c30ce64b5d27e261

I think it worked. I send you some funds via another channel connected to you that routed the payment. Check if you can see it.