How should I configure a full node at a very low bandwidth?

[DrakonX]

I have an internet bandwidth of 6 Mbps download and 768 Kbps upload. How should I configure a full node so that I can still surf?

Does it even make sense to operate a full node with such a low bandwidth? From which internet bandwidth does it make sense to operate a full node?

[ranochigo]

The upload bandwidth is extremely low and it doesn't really make sense for you to run a full node since it doesn't necessarily help the network. Peers would have your node as a bottleneck when they download their blocks when they can connect to better peers. You would have to netlimiter to try to limit the bandwidth Bitcoin Core can use. Bitcoin Core only has the parameters to limit total network usage.

If you aren't too concerned about security and privacy, you can always use a SPV client as your wallet.

[aleksej996]

I actually disagree with our old timer ranochigo and think you should run a full node.
Bitcoin Core never slowed down my Internet when I surf and I have a similar bandwith as you.
I usually have between 20 and 80 incoming connections, so I assume peers don't find too many problems when they connect to me.

Full nodes really need to send and receive data when there are new blocks (4 MB max every 10 minutes) and the relaying of transactions is probably not as important. I don't know how a client optimizes all of this, but I can just tell you that I don't have any issues and I doubt that I would still be getting connections from many peers if the node was too slow.

[Welsh]

There's also ways to accommodate for lower bandwidth speeds or limits. You can limit the maximum upload targets which may help by doing:

Code:

 -maxuploadtarget=<value(MIB)>

This might take a little experimenting to get right, and get the most optimal configuration. Once you've downloading the blocks initially there's not too much strain on bandwidth speeds, and the amount of new data that you need to download on a daily basis. However, as a last resort you could opt for the option of renting out a VPS to run a full node.

At the end of the day any node will help the network, even if it's not as optimal as other ones which already exist on the network. Plus, it's always fun running your own nodes, and messing around with it when it runs into any problems.

[DrakonX]

Thank you for your replys. I did not understand everything you wrote. What, for example, is a VPS?

As far as I understand it, it is not useless to run a full node with such a low bandwidth and basically I do not need to make any special configurations to make it work without disturbing my surfing.

[HeRetiK]

Thank you for your replys. I did not understand everything you wrote. What, for example, is a VPS?

A VPS is a virtual private server, often used for hosting websites and other services, sometimes used for anything else that requires an always-online machine. Unless you want to explicitely support the network by running a full node (and paying a VPS provider for it) you don't really need to bother though.

(not to be confused with a SPV client, which is a sort of wallet software that doesn't require you to run a full node and instead delegates this responsibility to a central server, for example Electrum: https://electrum.org/)

[ranochigo]

Bitcoin Core never slowed down my Internet when I surf and I have a similar bandwith as you.
I usually have between 20 and 80 incoming connections, so I assume peers don't find too many problems when they connect to me.

Since your peers would only have 8 outgoing connections max, you would be hogging their connection if you have a relatively slow connection. Depending on what you do with your computer, the connection would become significantly worst. Its okay to run a full node with port 8333 but it wouldn't be all that good to have a slow bandwidth.

Full nodes really need to send and receive data when there are new blocks (4 MB max every 10 minutes) and the relaying of transactions is probably not as important. I don't know how a client optimizes all of this, but I can just tell you that I don't have any issues and I doubt that I would still be getting connections from many peers if the node was too slow.

The relaying of transaction would probably be okay for your bandwidth. Your latency would matter more in that case.

Peers would only disconnect if you're unresponsive/misbehave. I doubt they really care about your bandwidth but their download would be a lot slower if everyone who has a slow internet runs a node.

[Welsh]

Thank you for your replys. I did not understand everything you wrote. What, for example, is a VPS?

As far as I understand it, it is not useless to run a full node with such a low bandwidth and basically I do not need to make any special configurations to make it work without disturbing my surfing.

That's my fault I hate when people abbreviate things, without specifying it earlier in their replies. I guess I fell for it this time as VPS(Virtual Private Server) is quite commonly known around here. A VPS can be rented to run a full node if you wished too.

Overall though, I don't see a problem with your internet speeds per say, and the only issue would be is if it affects your daily usage of your internet. Other than that there shouldn't be any problems with running a full node with those speeds. Like I suggested you can run the full node with the command above, and that will particularly help you from running into any limits that your ISP sets.

Once the initial download of the Blockchain has happened there isn't too much data that needs to be downloaded/uploaded on the daily.

[DrakonX]

Thank you for all your replies. I'll try to run one. (And see if it works.) Unfortunatly raising the internet bandwidth isn't an option, becaus I'm living in Germany where wide areas are not very well connected.

[dairymilkbatman]

Thank you for all your replies. I'll try to run one. (And see if it works.) Unfortunatly raising the internet bandwidth isn't an option, becaus I'm living in Germany where wide areas are not very well connected.

Please excuse my resurrecting such an old thread, I did not want to start a new once I searched this one. I'd very much like to know how the author got on with running a node with such low bandwidth? hope he still attends the forum!
Again, hope I am not breaking any rules.

kind regards

[nc50lc]

Please excuse my resurrecting such an old thread, I did not want to start a new once I searched this one.

You can follow the suggestions in "Reduce Traffic" documentary in bitcoin's GitHub repository: link
IMO, the first in the list "maxuploadtarget" is good enough.

But take note that the IBD (Initial Block Download) isn't covered by any traffic-reduction settings/parameters.
You'll still have to download the whole blockchain in case you're starting from scratch.

[dairymilkbatman]

Please excuse my resurrecting such an old thread, I did not want to start a new once I searched this one.

You can follow the suggestions in "Reduce Traffic" documentary in bitcoin's GitHub repository: link
IMO, the first in the list "maxuploadtarget" is good enough.

But take note that the IBD (Initial Block Download) isn't covered by any traffic-reduction settings/parameters.
You'll still have to download the whole blockchain in case you're starting from scratch.

Thanks for the tips nc50lc

Hmmm, with 3.5 mb down and less than a 1 mb upload that would take a month. I assume I cannot pause it once it has started.
I did wonder if I could take the node to a friends house and download the blockchain on his fast internet then bring it back and execute the aforementioned restrictions. Will this cause ip issues or something like that? (noob)

[tadamichi]

Hmmm, with 3.5 mb down and less than a 1 mb upload that would take a month.

I have a little more, but it’s still low, but i made a setup that might help:

If your router supports guest access, then you can create a second network just for the node. Many routers can set how much traffic your guest network can maximally use, when your main network is active. For example: main network gets 80% of speed, guest network 20%. When ur main network isn’t in use, the guest network still gets the full 100%.

The result is, you will never notice any slowdown when you’re using the internet yourself. If you can’t sync somewhere else, this actually makes it more bearable.

I assume I cannot pause it once it has started.

It’s possible by just stopping Bitcoin core, but make sure you closed it correctly beforehand, otherwise the chain might get corrupted.

I did wonder if I could take the node to a friends house and download the blockchain on his fast internet then bring it back and execute the aforementioned restrictions.

You can, just use tor and i think no further set up is needed, except switching your wifi.

If you want a full guide on how to set up everything well, i can recommend this one:

https://raspibolt.org/

[LoyceMobile]

Hmmm, with 3.5 mb down and less than a 1 mb upload that would take a month. I assume I cannot pause it once it has started.
I did wonder if I could take the node to a friends house and download the blockchain on his fast internet then bring it back and execute the aforementioned restrictions. Will this cause ip issues or something like that? (noob)

At 3.5 Mbit, it takes about 2 weeks to sync Bitcoin Core. For another project I've downloaded over a terabyte at 100 kbyte/s. Just let it run in the background until it's done. As long as you don't have a bandwidth limit, you're good to go.
Using a friend's internet works too. The download isn't restricted to a certain IP.

You can close Bitcoin Core to pause downloading.

[dairymilkbatman]

Thanks for the help guys, I had heard the bitcoin community were cool!

I just started my btc journey few days ago and I'm already ordering a raspberry pi 

[NotATether]

It's an old reply but I have something I'd like to add to it.

Full nodes really need to send and receive data when there are new blocks (4 MB max every 10 minutes) and the relaying of transactions is probably not as important. I don't know how a client optimizes all of this, but I can just tell you that I don't have any issues and I doubt that I would still be getting connections from many peers if the node was too slow.

Since 768Kbps is realy just 96 kilobytes per second, that is what OP has to work with. Fortunately, Bitcoin Core only sends traffic in bursts, not continuous streams of bytes like a torrent client.

I would give Bitcoin core an upload limit of 32 kilobytes per second (256kbps) and a modest download limit of e.g. 1mbps so that you can still surf the internet normally.

[ABCbits]

I did wonder if I could take the node to a friends house and download the blockchain on his fast internet then bring it back and execute the aforementioned restrictions.

You can, just use tor and i think no further set up is needed, except switching your wifi.

Take note using Tor would slow down the sync

You can close Bitcoin Core to pause downloading.

You also can click connection icon to enable/disable networking.



The icon should look like this when you disable networking.