Bitcoin node is stuck

1

I noticed the Bitcoin node on my Umbrel is very very slow at validating blocks. Its currently trying to validate blocks from three months ago.

I went to the log and below seems to be the only recurring error I could find
2024-07-25T00:47:39Z Socks5() connect to xxx.onion:8333 failed: host unreachable

I have searched online but I cannot find a fix to this error so my node can validate blocks at a normal rate

I am running umbrel 4GB memory (2.62GB is used and 1.36GB is left) and 1TB SSD (799GB is used and 185GB is left) and I have 21 apps installed.

Any advise on actions I can take to resolve this so my Bitcoin node can valid blocks at a normal rate?thanks

2

If you want to speed up the initial block download you can increase the cache size or only connect to clearnet nodes(Outgoing Connections to Clearnet Peers). You find both options under advanced settings in the webui of the bitcoin node.

3

I have deactivated “Outgoing Connections to Tor Peers” and increase the cache size to 1000MB

Also when I login, the Bitcoin node always showing starting with the data blank for a really long time even when the umbrel has been running for days. Is this normal or is there a fix for it? Thanks

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4

Have a look at the logfile,of the bitcoin app and check if blocks are downloaded. Maybe its just an ui issue

5

I can see just one peer on the UI, and the block validation on the UI does not happen as often as on the logs. Is there a fix on the ui issue as the logs seem to be okay

6

Is port 8333 open?

7

How do I go about checking if port 8333 is open?

8

Access Your Router’s Admin Interface

  1. Find Router’s IP Address:
  • Windows: ipconfig in Command Prompt; look for "Default Gateway.”
  • macOS/Linux: netstat -nr | grep default or ip route | grep default in Terminal.
  1. Log In:
  • Enter the IP address in a web browser and log in with your router’s admin credentials.

2. Check Port Forwarding

  1. Navigate to Port Forwarding Settings:
  • Look for “Port Forwarding,” “Virtual Server,” or similar.
  1. Verify/Add Rule:
  • Check Existing Rules: Ensure port 8333 is forwarded to your internal IP.
  • Add New Rule:
    • Service Name: Name it (e.g., Port 8333).
    • Port Range: 8333 for both start and end.
    • Internal IP: Enter the device’s local IP.
    • Protocol: TCP (usually for Bitcoin).
    • Save/Apply Changes.

3. Check Port Status Externally

  1. Use an Online Port Scanner:
  1. Verify Device Connectivity:
  • Ensure the device is on and its firewall allows port 8333.
9

My ISP does not allow me to forward a port. I used to have no UI issues in a previous umbrel version. Is there a way to fix the UI to match the logs without forwarding a port?
Also, can I use Cloudflare on multiple services on my Umbrel, for example, on btcpaysever and another app on Umbrel?

10

The error message you’re seeing, Socks5() connect to xxx.onion:8333 failed: host unreachable, indicates that your Bitcoin node is trying to connect to a .onion address using the Tor network, but it’s unable to reach it. Here are some steps you can take to resolve the issue and improve block validation speed:

1. Check Tor Configuration

  • Verify Tor Service: Ensure that the Tor service is running correctly on your Umbrel node. You can check the Tor logs for any errors.
  • Update Tor: Make sure you have the latest version of Tor, as updates can fix connectivity issues.

2. Network Connectivity

  • Firewall and NAT Settings: Ensure that your network allows outbound connections on port 8333. If you’re behind a firewall or NAT, configure it to allow these connections.
  • Check Network Latency: High network latency or intermittent connectivity issues can slow down block validation.

3. Node Configuration

  • Increase Peers: Configure your node to connect to more peers. This can be done in the Bitcoin configuration file (bitcoin.conf). You can add more peers to increase your node’s connectivity:
11

I have deactivated “Outgoing Connections to Tor Peers” and increased the cache size to 1000MB, but it still seems to validate the blocks slowly.
Please let me know how I can verify the Tor service and update Tor.
Also, how do I go about configuring my node to connect to more peers via Bitcoin.conf

12

The node is still very slow and moving at a similar pace to the bitcoin block chain. Is there a way to speed this up?
See logs
2024-07-29T02:21:50Z UpdateTip: new best=000000000000000000000fab0196073e196cf859e29a97dc2c296e1714371229 height=841156 version=0x30000000 log2_work=94.890341 tx=995911477 date=‘2024-04-27T23:20:44Z’ progress=0.950115 cache=411.9MiB(3058919txo)
2024-07-29T02:22:00Z UpdateTip: new best=0000000000000000000330656b3a0add61c691fe2eb73c5359d2023b535c1a74 height=841157 version=0x2be62000 log2_work=94.890356 tx=995916484 date=‘2024-04-27T23:44:31Z’ progress=0.950124 cache=412.8MiB(3064904txo)
2024-07-29T02:22:15Z UpdateTip: new best=000000000000000000031169f8c102eec965c4831e397a6c628f43d08e23491d height=841158 version=0x29e86000 log2_work=94.890370 tx=995921709 date=‘2024-04-27T23:53:25Z’ progress=0.950127 cache=413.4MiB(3069992txo)
2024-07-29T02:22:33Z UpdateTip: new best=00000000000000000000310e0dac4018f921a9584e9e92cc7615f6b173e3896b height=841159 version=0x22006000 log2_work=94.890385 tx=995926535 date=‘2024-04-27T23:59:36Z’ progress=0.950129 cache=414.0MiB(3074839txo)
2024-07-29T02:22:46Z UpdateTip: new best=00000000000000000000a653dc3ea855b96767aa361505a4a9ae82792f0cec95 height=841160 version=0x24832000 log2_work=94.890400 tx=995931108 date=‘2024-04-28T00:08:18Z’ progress=0.950133 cache=414.6MiB(3079647txo)
2024-07-29T02:22:57Z UpdateTip: new best=000000000000000000017bf3a019e01f1e6772224b6517749e9abf4b155859d7 height=841161 version=0x20074000 log2_work=94.890415 tx=995935444 date=‘2024-04-28T00:10:26Z’ progress=0.950134 cache=415.2MiB(3085097txo)
2024-07-29T02:23:09Z UpdateTip: new best=000000000000000000013835132fed0285c0cd45f13b69ff99d5e3eeda5f1ec7 height=841162 version=0x20008000 log2_work=94.890430 tx=995940450 date=‘2024-04-28T00:28:58Z’ progress=0.950140 cache=415.8MiB(3091098txo)
2024-07-29T02:23:42Z UpdateTip: new best=00000000000000000001e4c9619a817c8e52726e2a831057dc3ee20fc7466944 height=841163 version=0x2e4f0000 log2_work=94.890445 tx=995944514 date=‘2024-04-28T00:30:21Z’ progress=0.950141 cache=416.7MiB(3097668txo)
2024-07-29T02:23:57Z UpdateTip: new best=000000000000000000010a7c525635d88a7d2686cb29e69a2f76cf2affed6cec height=841164 version=0x3c000000 log2_work=94.890460 tx=995948807 date=‘2024-04-28T00:37:52Z’ progress=0.950144 cache=417.0MiB(3101780txo)
2024-07-29T02:24:18Z UpdateTip: new best=00000000000000000000d848ad7c050055540dc6c3844ca8021be2a24e27142f height=841165 version=0x26000000 log2_work=94.890474 tx=995951854 date=‘2024-04-28T00:39:45Z’ progress=0.950144 cache=417.7MiB(3105919txo)
2024-07-29T02:24:40Z UpdateTip: new best=00000000000000000000e006aa1e7a8631937f57d823659e8623408fe0633d30 height=841166 version=0x2d380000 log2_work=94.890489 tx=995956979 date=‘2024-04-28T00:41:08Z’ progress=0.950145 cache=418.0MiB(3109242txo)

13

I’m having the same issues, the bitcoin core node says its complete and HDD or SDD is at 450 MB, i have just installed mempool and the page is blank but it says “Backend is synchronizing (99%)” ??? I’m going for yet another restart. I’d actually like to move the blockchain data to an external 500GB SDD that I have USB3.0. But should fix this issue before moving there.

14

Are you both still having issues?

Can you post the most recent logs?

15

I have done the necessary Umbrel and Bitcoin code updates. I have been stuck on 94-95% since then. I don’t know what to do to resolve this. Please advise.
See my logs from today showing its still on 94%-95% range since then
umbrel@umbrel:/mnt/data/umbrel/app-data/bitcoin/data/bitcoin$ tail -n 5 debug.log
2024-08-07T10:54:27Z UpdateTip: new best=0000000000000000000122acfd6d814599dfa98d597e123d99e5bf0b7082809c height=841273 version=0x233e2000 log2_work=94.892079 tx=996342684 date=‘2024-04-28T19:12:12Z’ progress=0.945770 cache=451.5MiB(3390279txo)
2024-08-07T10:55:02Z UpdateTip: new best=00000000000000000003177ad7365e15bd681eb14521e131b7a8c42b3b5f8e0c height=841274 version=0x29444000 log2_work=94.892094 tx=996346359 date=‘2024-04-28T19:33:05Z’ progress=0.945777 cache=452.4MiB(3398489txo)
2024-08-07T10:55:56Z UpdateTip: new best=000000000000000000025341017f8b428af0e6c0a3384dd1cb69b4f89a201caa height=841275 version=0x3fff0000 log2_work=94.892109 tx=996349616 date=‘2024-04-28T19:52:51Z’ progress=0.945784 cache=453.4MiB(3407091txo)
2024-08-07T10:56:36Z UpdateTip: new best=00000000000000000001e8d29c686ea2a90a0f305aab467654a1dac73c762ca6 height=841276 version=0x33c02000 log2_work=94.892124 tx=996352669 date=‘2024-04-28T20:10:19Z’ progress=0.945790 cache=454.0MiB(3413766txo)
2024-08-07T10:57:09Z UpdateTip: new best=0000000000000000000082cfe356f4ba5f0cc5d144c0ea41223d45dbb7f5087d height=841277 version=0x28000000 log2_work=94.892139 tx=996356144 date=‘2024-04-28T20:12:08Z’ progress=0.945791 cache=454.3MiB(3414998txo)

16

Can you send the most recent logs? At initial glance I’d start by

1. Check System Resources

  • CPU and RAM Usage: Ensure your device isn’t overwhelmed with other processes. High CPU or memory usage can slow down the synchronization.
  • Disk Space: Make sure you have enough disk space available. Bitcoin’s blockchain is large and requires a lot of storage.
  • Network Speed: Verify your internet connection is stable and has sufficient bandwidth.

2. Restart the Bitcoin Node

  • Sometimes, simply restarting the Bitcoin node can resolve synchronization issues.
17

CPU and RAM Usage- CPU is at 50% and RAM usage is 2.67GB out of 3.98GB
Disk Space- Its a 1TB Disk and there is enough space for the sync
Network speed is high
I have restarted the node multiple times. The device seems to be syncing but it is now at 93% as against 95% when I first posted about this. It syncs less blocks that the new blocks created each day
See log
umbrel@umbrel:/mnt/data/umbrel/app-data/bitcoin/data/bitcoin$ tail -n 5 debug.log
2024-08-23T12:58:52Z UpdateTip: new best=00000000000000000000781cb80f2af94feff0f9feb5d4d6ab53655154e34996 height=841321 version=0x27c3c000 log2_work=94.892792 tx=996482257 date=‘2024-04-29T04:41:21Z’ progress=0.937849 cache=483.0MiB(3671254txo)
2024-08-23T12:59:20Z UpdateTip: new best=00000000000000000000399f8f51fc205134ff50d8a758d91f2c6a8254e30d37 height=841322 version=0x20000000 log2_work=94.892807 tx=996486552 date=‘2024-04-29T04:47:31Z’ progress=0.937852 cache=483.5MiB(3674593txo)
2024-08-23T13:00:04Z UpdateTip: new best=00000000000000000001966bba0db37c4444967071975bb7cdab5fda4f83cf17 height=841323 version=0x3fff0000 log2_work=94.892822 tx=996489164 date=‘2024-04-29T04:51:19Z’ progress=0.937853 cache=483.7MiB(3678733txo)
2024-08-23T13:00:47Z UpdateTip: new best=00000000000000000000796079397b886dc539a1083d6c132fb860d6a3d6f9eb height=841324 version=0x23b68000 log2_work=94.892837 tx=996492279 date=‘2024-04-29T05:24:34Z’ progress=0.937864 cache=484.5MiB(3686099txo)
2024-08-23T13:01:27Z UpdateTip: new best=00000000000000000001f409b4b4fab81b78d15ad7cd41135f953dc1278cacc0 height=841325 version=0x27e80000 log2_work=94.892851 tx=996495337 date=‘2024-04-29T05:25:33Z’ progress=0.937865 cache=485.0MiB(3689751txo)

18

I am having the same issue but on a Raspberry pi5. I have been trying to download the blockchain for almost 3 weeks now. It went fairly fast up to 70% but has been crawling since. I’m stuck at 82.68%. System usage is low. I’m connected via Ethernet with over 1GB speeds. I have restarted multiple times. I have changed my settings as noted by another earlier reply: “I have deactivated “Outgoing Connections to Tor Peers” and increase the cache size to 1000MB”

What else can I do?

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19

Have a look at @jofraprez helpful comments on this post - he helped me a lot and got it working again.

20

Coincidentally, I’m reindexing the blockchain on one of my nodes (RPI4, 8GB RAM) and I’m experiencing the same behavior.
I said behavior, not problem.
Upon reaching 75%, indexing has become slow. An average of 1.5% per day.

This has a lot to do with the block size being larger, as well as the hardware you’re using. In my case, RPI4, 8GB RAM, and an HDD, not an SSD. All of this has an impact.

Then, there are variables like your internet connection, its stability, and the way your node connects to the internet (router, switches, etc.). Many things can affect it.

Anyway, in your case, and based on the limited information you provide, I see the node working.

Has the node stopped at block 834,588?

Is it still indexing blocks, even if it’s slowly?

If it’s really stuck at block 834,588, attach the umbrel log and the bitcoin-core log. Maybe we can see the cause of the problem there. If there really is a problem.

On the other hand, doing this: “…I have deactivated “Outgoing Connections to Tor Peers”…” is unnecessary. Leave everything at the default settings. What can really help is increasing the cache size. If you have RPI5 and I’m assuming 16GB of RAM, increasing it to 1800MB will help somewhat.

Another thing I’ve done is reboot the node every morning while it reindexes. This is optional, but I live in a tropical area, and rebooting helps “refresh” the hardware and system, preventing any service from going down due to the continuous, excessive load it faces while indexing.

Anyway, now you just have to be patient and/or attach the Umbrel log and the Bitcoin-core log if there really is a problem.