[Tutorial] How to create Lightning Network Channel (Testnet BTC)

[RapTarX]

Russian Version- https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5216475
Portuguese Version- https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5212752.0
Indonesian Version- https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5213094.0
Filipino Version: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5218362

For learning purpose, I had created a thread on How to create Lightning Network Channel; you can learn everything from there. I have created this thread for organizing the process in a precise direction.

Table of Contents
1. Download Eclair Mobile TestNet Wallet
2. Get TestNet BTC from faucet
3. Create a channel
4. Pay for Coffee with TestNet BTC
5. Receive Payment with Lightning Network
6. Close a channel
7. Miscellaneous

1. Download Eclair Mobile TestNet Wallet
At first, you must have to download a wallet which support Lightning Network. I have used Eclair Mobile Wallet (TestNet of course). You can also try with some other wallet. Since I haven't tried with other wallet, I suggest trying with Eclair; it's very user friendly. You can check an overview of Bitcoin Android Wallet as well to get one of your choice although the list is very short yet.

a. Got to playstore & type Eclair Test Net.
b. Download the wallet & install it.
c. Create your wallet.

2. Get TestNet BTC from faucet
You need TestNet BTC to try it out.
a. Go to https://testnet-faucet.mempool.co/ (If this doesn't work, there are a plenty of TestNet BTC faucet, google "TestNet BTC Faucet")
b. Paste your address & receive the BTC.

3. Create a channel

a. Click on Channels & click on the + (green plus button), you will get the below interface.

b. Click on ACINQ NODE & put tick on the 2nd box. If your balance is lower, put tick on the first box as well. Now click on OPEN.

It will take some times to create the channel since a transaction has been executed from your wallet & some confirmation is needed.

4. Pay for Coffee with TestNet BTC

Wouldn't it be nice if you can check how fast does it work? Enjoy the magic.

a. Go to https://starblocks.acinq.co/
b. Select any item & add it to cart; make sure you have enough fund.
c. When you will add an item into cart, you will get the Checkout option in the above.
d. Click on checkout; you will have 2 option to send the amount. QR Code & payment id.
e. Go to your wallet & select the payment option; select the send icon from below of the interface.

f. If you want to paste the payment id; copy it from the checkout page- or simply you can pay with scanning QR code.

Have you released the payment?
Within less than a second you must see the payment confirmation in starblocks.

5. Receive Payment with Lightning Network

Please remember that you can only receive fund what you have spent. If you have funded your channel with 0.01 BTC & you haven't spent anything yet, you can't receive any amount. If you have spent 0.005 BTC, only then you can receive.
Maximum Receive amount = Amount you spent.

To receive with LN, click on receive & select LIGHTNING. You will be given a payment request ID & QR Code. Share any of that. If you want to test, post here with your payment request QR Code.

6. Close a channel
Click on Channel & select the channel you want to close. You will get CLOSE CHANNEL there; click on that. Don't put tick on Force Close since it may charge you higher fee. After closing the channel, you will be sent the fund to your main wallet.

7. Miscellaneous
1. Never share the balance screenshot if you are using mainnet.
2. Before using mainnet, make sure what you are very much comfortable with Lightning Network.
3. Don't abuse the testnet faucet much; if possible send back the testnet BTC to any of the test net faucet which have a receive address.
4. Testnet BTC are worthless.

I must have to thanks-
1. BitCryptex
2. LoyceV

You may read A beginner's guideline to Bitcoin Lightning Network

If you have tried, don't forget to share your experience. Feel free to ask any questions.

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[RapTarX]

BUMP; No one interested?

[50 Cent]

BUMP; No one interested?

I am people who have interested in Lightning network and I am happy when using custodial wallet not creating a channel like your tutorial although the test net. Also, I already have the thread on my local forum on "how to receipt and send the payment using Lightning network".
Bitpie
bitlum

I thing create a channel for an advance user not for a beginner like me. Always failed to connect node

[Loganota]

Wow. It was amazing to see the payment confirmed in less than 1 second.  I hope this becomes popular quickly.
 I'll leave my request here and ask permission to translate and post in the Portuguese board.

Thank you

Payment Request: lightning:lntb1p0qf34vpp5n6c9ge7tah3zn34s4kepuphvumz0kn5h47zxs8fk63p764xnkvwsdqqxqrrssrzj qwfn3p9278ttzzpe0e00uhyxhned3j5d9acqak5emwfpflp8z2cngx852uqqq3cqqqqqqqlgqqqqqeq qjq4g6w277sndccu5h85qkxg3k2n525t038sl6xyy4yaljvvxqpz9kn3tdnne86r5dxykayz5dzgk52 xsf57vv8ywmkaauqan837l7f2wspphw4hy

[RapTarX]

I'll leave my request here and ask permission to translate and post in the Portuguese board.

Of course you are allowed to transalate it into Portuguese. In fact, anyone can translate it into their local and post in bitcointalk. Make sure you have given a credential link to this article; put a link of your translated article here. I will update the OP with all the available translation link.

Payment Request

Sorry for the late. The request have been expired. When you further request for payment, make sure you have done this for maximum time; 6 hours.
Go to setting from the menu & change Payment Request Expiry into 6 hours.

I thing create a channel for an advance user not for a beginner like me. Always failed to connect node

Creating a channel is very easy; have a try it into Eclair. I guess you are talking about running a lightning node which I guess might not be easy for us.

[Loganota]

Here is the translated post:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5212752.new

Thanks for creating the tutorial and for allowing me to translate.

I created a new payment request (with 6 hours expiration this time  ).

ID: lightning:lntb1p0qfme7pp57m2jxyx6ugwxn0xdhwtwqeshem8h0h8va4acynsxzzmlj3f3j6aqdqqxqr4rqrzj qwfn3p9278ttzzpe0e00uhyxhned3j5d9acqak5emwfpflp8z2cngx85tgqqqxqqqqqqqqlgqqqqqeq qjqxa7x88gj5xt8pvu62w4d4fvh5c7d62w4xzs55vfwqfj4lnwdfwys7w6mj7g00ga6kzvppgzdu4yq qnleeln79kw6el5zt9c8ptn8xwqpc2cqjc

[PrimeNumber7]

Please remember that you can only receive fund what you have spent. If you have funded your channel with 0.01 BTC & you haven't spent anything yet, you can't receive any amount.

There are some services that, for a fee, will open a LN channel that will allow you to receive a certain amount of coin, even if you have not spent anything on LN. This is known as having inbound capacity. You will typically need to pay the service the cost of the opening and closing transactions in advance, plus a percentage of the inbound capacity you are asking them to provide.

[RapTarX]

@Loganota
I have been encountered the following when I tried out sending you through your payment request. I'm not sure why it's happening. Have you closed the channel?

There are some services that, for a fee, will open a LN channel that will allow you to receive a certain amount of coin, even if you have not spent anything on LN. This is known as having inbound capacity. You will typically need to pay the service the cost of the opening and closing transactions in advance, plus a percentage of the inbound capacity you are asking them to provide.

Thank you for sharing this. I had no idea what it was although I have encountered something similar to this when I tried to create a channel; didn't bother much at that time though.

[Loganota]

@Loganota
I have been encountered the following when I tried out sending you through your payment request. I'm not sure why it's happening. Have you closed the channel?

I didn't. Channel is open for me and i'm able to receive 0,0495 BTC.  

Edit: Maybe my eclair wallet has to be open by the time you send the coins?

[GreatArkansas]

In using Lightning Network, how can I transfer my Bitcoin from my regular Bitcoin wallet? Is that possible?
I started to become curious about that since I am planning to explore Lightning Network of Bitcoin and start creating my own Lightning Network Channel.

[RapTarX]

In using Lightning Network, how can I transfer my Bitcoin from my regular Bitcoin wallet? Is that possible?
I started to become curious about that since I am planning to explore Lightning Network of Bitcoin and start creating my own Lightning Network Channel.

When you will create a channel with for instance: starblocks to pay for a coffee, you will fund the channel at the beginning. You have a limit of having a maximum 0.16 BTC funding & a minimum amount determined by the Lightning Node you are using. I'm not sure what you are referring by own channel. Everyone requires to create channel in order to pay with LN. I guess you are speaking about running Lightning Node.

[50 Cent]

I have been following your tutorial and made success payment



I use https://coinfaucet.eu/en/btc-testnet/ to get Bitcoin testnet.

And I was posted your thread on my local forum: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5213094.0

Thank you.

[50 Cent]

today I continue make some test and was made payment another shop https://lnroute.com/shop/

and success ordered some tea

https://lnroute.com/checkout/order-received/10527/?key=wc_order_qRdZpdvB5K3Oq&utm_nooverride=1

[PrimeNumber7]

There are some services that, for a fee, will open a LN channel that will allow you to receive a certain amount of coin, even if you have not spent anything on LN. This is known as having inbound capacity. You will typically need to pay the service the cost of the opening and closing transactions in advance, plus a percentage of the inbound capacity you are asking them to provide.

Thank you for sharing this. I had no idea what it was although I have encountered something similar to this when I tried to create a channel; didn't bother much at that time though.

This is something you would encounter if you were to ever receive your salary via LN payments, or if you were to receive payment for services on an ongoing basis.

[zasad@]

Russian Version - https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5216475

why can't I share a screenshot of the balance?
I didn't see any secret information in your test's pictures

[RapTarX]

why can't I share a screenshot of the balance?
I didn't see any secret information in your test's pictures

Nothing special other than a little bit awareness for self protection.
You might be the target of hacker or any other prying eyes if you reveal your balance; that's not guaranteed. I guess the perfect sentence here is- Prevention is better than cure.
OP updated with the translated link.

[zasad@]

I want to open a store and accept payments through the LN payment system. How do I accept payments?  Do I need to spend money first to get a limit for payment or do I need to use other software?

[RapTarX]

I want to open a store and accept payments through the LN payment system. How do I accept payments?  Do I need to spend money first to get a limit for payment or do I need to use other software?

PrimeNumber7 has given an explanation above. You can check it.
When you open a channel, you have your local balance & remote balance; which is the sum of the total capacity of that channel. The amount you can receive is your inbound capacity which can be increased in couple of ways through having channel created for you by others. It's kind of renting a channel. You can check it out here- https://blog.muun.com/the-inbound-capacity-problem-in-the-lightning-network/
Upon having some research, I found one tricky way to increase the inbound capacity. It can be done by exchanging BTC for BTC. You can send Lightning BTC to other in exchange of On chain BTC. There are exchanges/swap sites to execute this. hodlhodl.com, zigzag, sideshift
There are some services for sharing channel with you. You can get the available options link provided above.

You can maintain a node as well which will help you increasing your inbound capacity.
BitCryptex may give us a better solution. I am yet a bit confused on this matter to be honest.

[zasad@]

I want to open a store and accept payments through the LN payment system. How do I accept payments?  Do I need to spend money first to get a limit for payment or do I need to use other software?

PrimeNumber7 has given an explanation above. You can check it.
When you open a channel, you have your local balance & remote balance; which is the sum of the total capacity of that channel. The amount you can receive is your inbound capacity which can be increased in couple of ways through having channel created for you by others. It's kind of renting a channel. You can check it out here- https://blog.muun.com/the-inbound-capacity-problem-in-the-lightning-network/
Upon having some research, I found one tricky way to increase the inbound capacity. It can be done by exchanging BTC for BTC. You can send Lightning BTC to other in exchange of On chain BTC. There are exchanges/swap sites to execute this. hodlhodl.com, zigzag, sideshift
There are some services for sharing channel with you. You can get the available options link provided above.

You can maintain a node as well which will help you increasing your inbound capacity.
BitCryptex may give us a better solution. I am yet a bit confused on this matter to be honest.

Thanks for the information

[Spontebob]

Filipino Version: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5218362