Topic: max 8 connections to Bitcoin Network - page 2. (Read 7772 times)

It's not dependent on the router. You need to configure it on the computer itself. You also do NOT need a static external IP. I'm assuming you have a router and aren't just plugging your computer straight into a modem that doesn't do any NAT.

Here are the steps I would take. Note that I'm working from memory as I haven't used Windows in a while.

1. Press windows key+R for run dialog. Run ncpa.cpl (to open the network connections control panel page).
2. Right-click the wired or wireless interface you're using to connect to the internet. Click status. Head to the second tab and check that the address is of the form 192.168.X.Y. If this is not the case, these steps probably won't work. Record that address on a piece of paper.
3. Close that dialog. Right-click the interface again, properties. Select Internet protocol Version 4, and choose to edit its configuration. Give it the following settings: IP 192.168.X.200 (200 is a fairly high number so no risk of faulty routers causing weird DHCP conflicts). X must be the same as in step 2. Subnet mask is ALMOST always 255.255.255.0. Gateway is 192.168.X.1 (X must be the same as step 2) DNS servers can be 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (Google public DNS).
4. Go to your router's page, and forward port 8333 to 192.168.X.200. Depends on the make and model of your router.

Virtually every router allows you to assign IP addresses to machines within the network.  Just assign a static IP address to the machine running the BTC node, then forward the traffic over port 8333 to that machine.

By the way... you might want to update to 0.11 as that's the latest release (not the 0.10.2 you quoted).

If you want to port fordward, you need a static ip afaik.
The modem/router needs to know on what local ip it should forward a particular port.
DHCP assigns random ip addresses, so you will need to set a static one.

I do not have a static IP.  sigh

check to see the ports open. type into google "canyouserme" and click the top link should take you to a good port testing site

Also, this is not the current version.  :-)

If you use DHCP make sure the port 8333 is forwarded to the correct machine on the router/modem/firewall box.

Check your firewall settings to make sure that bitcoin-qt.exe is allowed to have incoming connections as well as tcp port 8333. Also check your router's firewall to make sure that it isn't blocking tcp port 8333.

Is that found in the Windows Firewall settings?


In the wallet Settings, Options, Network UPnP and Allow incoming connections are both checked.

You need to be accepting incoming connections in order to get more than 8. Make sure your node is listening for incoming connections.

With the last core update to Bitcoins wallet (v0.10.2), I can no longer get more than 8 connections to the network.  Most of the time I get 0-5, which with the size of the ledger, will take months to sync.  Bitcoin was given rights to pass through the Windows 7 firewall when the update was installed, so I do not understand why it is unable to connect to more than 8 nodes max.

I am running other cypto currencies wallets (Litecon / Dogecoin) with no issues connecting to the max nodes for sync, even following their software updates.

I've tried -maxconnections=##, but it appears that it is not a command line option with Bitcoin Core version v0.10.2 (64-bit).

I'm running Windows 7 64bit (fully updated), Bitcoin Core version v0.10.2 (64-bit), though 2wire Gateway DSL modem.  No Virus protection when running wallets sync.