can't open a channel, 'GracefulDisconnect'

[obsign]

Hi, I'm unable to open a lightning channel to LNBig (lnd-20).
I had a smaller channel open and it worked well, but I needed a bigger one.

I tried to open a channel multiple times while the smaller channel (to lnd-20) was open and I got this:

"Could not open channel: GracefulDisconnect("remote peer sent error [DO NOT TRUST THIS MESSAGE]:
'Number of pending channels exceed maximum'")"

Clueless, I thought maybe it's because the other channel is open so I then closed the smaller channel and tried again. Same message.

My current list of channels looks like this:

1 channel OPEN (to another LNBig node),
2 old ones (to other nodes, closed ages ago) REDEEMED
1 CLOSED channel (to LNBig)

Still getting the same message. Is this a problem on my end or is LNBig having an issue with me..?

Thanks,

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[BitMaxz]

Is the issue or error came from LNBig? If yes then you should contact them why did you get that error?

I never heard of this site before but I tried to search and check their About page if they have contact info. It seems they don't have any contact info even searching it through Google.

Why would you use a third party if you can open a channel with Electrum?

[obsign]

Is the issue or error came from LNBig?

I really have no idea, that's what I'm trying to solve.

I never heard of this site before but I tried to search and check their About page if they have contact info.

I believe LNBig runs some of the largest nodes on the lightning network, so they're quite popular,
I've opened multiple channels to them on different wallets for more than 6 months. Never had this issue.
I've never contacted any node provider before opening a channel, I really have no idea how that's even supposed to work.
I've always just opened a channel and use it. Some providers just kick me out immediately and with others just keep working.

Why would you use a third party if you can open a channel with Electrum?

In this particular case I want to use the Boltz swap service so I need a node that's well connected to them and reasonably priced and LNBig 20 is perfect fit for that. I've tried other channels with other nodes before but sometimes they don't work at all, routing issues or other issues and it's just very stressful especially if you swap on-chain to LN, you have to wait 24 hours or more to get a refund. I need something that's guaranteed to work with minimum fuss.

[Cricktor]

"Could not open channel: GracefulDisconnect("remote peer sent error [DO NOT TRUST THIS MESSAGE]:
'Number of pending channels exceed maximum'")"

I interpret this error message as probably a temporary issue of your partner node. LNBig lnd-20 seems to have a maximum number of pending channels likely caused by other users trying to open channels to them with rather low fees for the funding transaction. Those channels are in pending state until their funding transaction gets confirmed. If fees are rather on the low side, this confirmation can take a while.

Have you retried it at some time later, maybe today?

[obsign]

"Could not open channel: GracefulDisconnect("remote peer sent error [DO NOT TRUST THIS MESSAGE]:
'Number of pending channels exceed maximum'")"

I interpret this error message as probably a temporary issue of your partner node. LNBig lnd-20 seems to have a maximum number of pending channels likely caused by other users trying to open channels to them with rather low fees for the funding transaction. Those channels are in pending state until their funding transaction gets confirmed. If fees are rather on the low side, this confirmation can take a while.

Yes, that sounds feasible since it's a popular node.

I did try again today a few times to the same effect.

But, needing a channel I opted to open ACINQ (trampoline) channel with Electrum that opened normally, so I'll try with that for now.
I'll probably try again later if things don't work out with ACINQ.

Thanks

[o_e_l_e_o]

There is one match for such an error on the Electrum GitHub here: https://github.com/spesmilo/electrum/issues/7657

It doesn't provide a solution, but seems to match up with what Cricktor has hypothesized above. It sounds like there is nothing you can do on your end but to wait for the relevant pending channels to be opened or timeout, or choose to open a channel with a different node as you have already done.