How long does the Bitcoin-QT cleint take to sync for newbies?

[uMMcQxCWELNzkt]

I was wondering how long the standard Bitcoin-QT client takes to sync roughly? Lets say on a 3mb connection which is about average in global terms, if running 24/7 how long do you think it would take the user to fully sync? I am curious as I have not fired up the client in a few days and the syncing is taking ages. I wonder how long the Bitcoin-QT client must take for newbies, back when I first downloaded the client it take a few days and this was a while back. Considering most people now days don't like waiting am I right to assume that online wallets are more popular for Bitcoin users just starting out too?

[1715604704]

1715604704

[gmaxwell]

Depends on a lot of things— the software is fairly sensitive to slow or unreliable behavior from its peers. With super fast peers on a fast connection and a fast host you can sync in a couple hours.   With lossy peers, a slow host, a slow connection and some bad luck it can take several days.  There should be some major improvements in the next major release which make the worst case much more like the best case— basically from fetching blocks in parallel and not letting slow peers wedge the process.

Online wallets are very popular, a fact which concerns me greatly as they present a huge systemic risk— but the usability is hard to argue with.  There are also thin client like electrum which have a stronger security model than online wallets and are basically as easy to use.

[marcovaldo]

I downloaded it and waited a couple of weeks before I gave up.
The last blocks were much longer that the old ones, I don't know why.


But if you have a good connexion, it should take 1 or 2 days.

[uMMcQxCWELNzkt]

Depends on a lot of things— the software is fairly sensitive to slow or unreliable behavior from its peers. With super fast peers on a fast connection and a fast host you can sync in a couple hours.   With lossy peers, a slow host, a slow connection and some bad luck it can take several days.  There should be some major improvements in the next major release which make the worst case much more like the best case— basically from fetching blocks in parallel and not letting slow peers wedge the process.

Online wallets are very popular, a fact which concerns me greatly as they present a huge systemic risk— but the usability is hard to argue with.  There are also thin client like electrum which have a stronger security model than online wallets and are basically as easy to use.

That was the thought I had in mind, the idea of new users just going for the convenient (less secure) option is probably not the best idea. It is good to hear that the client can be optimized further, at the moment I would have trouble convincing a non-Bitcoin user to bother downloading the QT Client, perhaps Electrum then would be a good recommendation, until QT and Armory is setup.

[Come-from-Beyond]

<semi-joke>
Blockchain downloading rate is lowered artificially to force newcomers to use centralized online services controlled by Illuminati Bitcoin Foundation someone. When most of bitcoiners start using such services, their owners will switch to FRB.
</semi-joke>

[pedrog]

With this: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=145386.0 it took a little over 24 hours to sync.

[Come-from-Beyond]

With this: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=145386.0 it took a little over 24 hours to sync.

A crutch for Bitcoin? OMG!

[pedrog]

With this: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=145386.0 it took a little over 24 hours to sync.

A crutch for Bitcoin? OMG!

What are you talking about?

It's a blockchain torrent...

[DaFool]

It also depends on your internet connections download speed and on if you use your computer for other downloads in the meantime. My windows computer becomes virtually useless for other tasks while synchronizing...

[Puppet]

An SSD makes all the difference in the world.

[Come-from-Beyond]

With this: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=145386.0 it took a little over 24 hours to sync.

A crutch for Bitcoin? OMG!

What are you talking about?

It's a blockchain torrent...

Blockchain downloading should be embedded into the client. Oh, wait, it already is! But we still have to use 3rd party programs...

[Gabi]

The last blocks were much longer that the old ones, I don't know why.

Because they contain tons of transactions. Blocks from 2009/2010 have 1 transactions or so, today blocks have hundreds of them if not more

[gmaxwell]

It also depends on your internet connections download speed and on if you use your computer for other downloads in the meantime. My windows computer becomes virtually useless for other tasks while synchronizing...

If its synchronizing slowly because of your internet it shouldn't be adversely impacting your computer.

[pedrog]

With this: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=145386.0 it took a little over 24 hours to sync.

A crutch for Bitcoin? OMG!

What are you talking about?

It's a blockchain torrent...

Blockchain downloading should be embedded into the client. Oh, wait, it already is! But we still have to use 3rd party programs...

No one has to use it, it's just faster this way...

[dserrano5]

The last blocks were much longer that the old ones, I don't know why.

Besides the higher number of transactions in them, they are processed slower because they are more thoroughly checked.

[romerun]

well, you'll need to download like 19G. Better start with the torrent snapshot.

[T-Bone]

I downloaded it in ~23 hours two days ago.  Not too bad, but I have a fast internet connection.

Don't have an SSD, and the machine I downloaded it on is an older machine.

[icey]

My old processor used to overheat when its gets to the last few weeks of syncing!

Takes around 12 hours now on my new processor which is just a bog standard Athlon X2

[pening]

far too long.  on a 6mb connection it was taking days, and i gave up, that was in June?  if it wasn't for Multibit i'd have abandoned Bitcoin before i'd started.

its a problem for widespread acceptance, until either the blockchain isn't required for "reference" use (ie make Multibit the reference), or safe online wallets are the norm.  the prominence of Multibit on the Bitcoin "choose wallet" page is a move in the right direction.  the blockchain is simply too big to expect ordinary people to download, taking too long and in many cases use up their entire monthly allowance. 

[icey]

Forgot to say I've got a 100MB connection, which obviously helps

[gmaxwell]

its a problem for widespread acceptance, until either the blockchain isn't required for "reference" use (ie make Multibit the reference)

You do realize that multibit cannot run at all without thousands of people running full nodes, right? And that if the network consisted entirely of multibit like clients it would have no security at all...

It's fine that users with limited resources use thin clients, but— they're just thin clients— someone has to run the servers for those thin clients, and if its only a few people then they can tell you whatever they want and the house of cards comes tumbling down.

[pening]

its a problem for widespread acceptance, until either the blockchain isn't required for "reference" use (ie make Multibit the reference)

You do realize that multibit cannot run at all without thousands of people running full nodes, right? And that if the network consisted entirely of multibit like clients it would have no security at all...

It's fine that users with limited resources use thin clients, but— they're just thin clients— someone has to run the servers for those thin clients, and if its only a few people then they can tell you whatever they want and the house of cards comes tumbling down.

so, like the network of miners underpinning the whole system.  they can become the trusted full nodes (in their interests to protect the integrity of the network).  if Multibit (or similar) is not a solution, then what is?  over months i see this issue of blockchain size raised and kicked down the road by people saying its not a problem: hard disk space increases, bandwidths increase, someone will do a pruned client.  too many techies not understanding ordinary users restrictions and limitation.  this could be the largest obstacle to adoption, expecting people to take multi-day, multi-GB downloads is not going to work.

[pedrog]

its a problem for widespread acceptance, until either the blockchain isn't required for "reference" use (ie make Multibit the reference)

You do realize that multibit cannot run at all without thousands of people running full nodes, right? And that if the network consisted entirely of multibit like clients it would have no security at all...

It's fine that users with limited resources use thin clients, but— they're just thin clients— someone has to run the servers for those thin clients, and if its only a few people then they can tell you whatever they want and the house of cards comes tumbling down.

so, like the network of miners underpinning the whole system.  they can become the trusted full nodes (in their interests to protect the integrity of the network).  if Multibit (or similar) is not a solution, then what is?  over months i see this issue of blockchain size raised and kicked down the road by people saying its not a problem: hard disk space increases, bandwidths increase, someone will do a pruned client.  too many techies not understanding ordinary users restrictions and limitation.  this could be the largest obstacle to adoption, expecting people to take multi-day, multi-GB downloads is not going to work.

Yes, your point is valid, but the strength of a decentralized peer-to-peer network relies on its peers, I have no problem running a full node 24/7, many people may not be able to do this for various reasons, using bitcoin on a smartphone would be one.

A user choosing not to run a full node is trusting the security of the network to the users who do run it, it is not the miners who control the network, all the people who run the full node control the network, every node is a vote.

Eventually there might be a way to shorten the blockchain, but as it is today it is not a problem, many people have more than 10GB of porn on their smartphones, on computers hundreds of GBs in porn, I think we can afford a few dozen GB to the blockchain.

[niko]

How long does it take to set up a new PayPal account, and have your address and linked bank account confirmed?

How long does it take to apply for and receive a new credit card?

Bitcoin fares quite well in comparison - and that's on top of many other advantages and potential advantages.

[pedrog]

How long does it take to set up a new PayPal account, and have your address and linked bank account confirmed?

How long does it take to apply for and receive a new credit card?

Bitcoin fares quite well in comparison - and that's on top of many other advantages and potential advantages.

Ask that to someone in Iran...