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Topic: Nodes: good idea for a beginner or not? (Read 454 times)

staff
Activity: 3458
Merit: 6793
Just writing some code
January 05, 2017, 12:50:36 AM
#2
Running a node is very easy to do, but it also requires a lot of patience and some (but not a lot) of knowledge about networks and your own network connections.

First of all, starting up a new node is incredibly easy. Download Bitcoin Core, install, and run. That's all you have to do and you will have a node running.

The complicated part comes in when you are considering whether you are able to run a new node. Ideally you want an internet connection with no data caps, a computer that has 100+ GB of free disk space and can run 24/7, and at least an internet connection with a 2 Mbps download and upload speed. If you don't have one or more of those, you still can run a node but doing so requires a bit more configuration. Besides those, you just need a lot of patience. Downloading and verifying the blockchain can take anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days depending on your computer hardware and your network connection.

Having a full node wallet (a full node with wallet capabilities such as Bitcoin Core) gives you the benefits of better privacy and not needing to trust anyone else on the Bitcoin network in addition to aiding the network by being another full node.

Running a full node does not mean that you will learn more about how Bitcoin works.

I want to learn the way the. Blocks are actually created or "solved".
Regular full nodes are not involved in the block mining process. That is for specific full nodes called miners. The miners have specialized hardware to mine blocks.
sr. member
Activity: 672
Merit: 251
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January 05, 2017, 12:13:09 AM
#1
As a newcomer to this forum with limited experience,  I am seeking advice from the experts.  I am always striving to learn more about the science and technology behind the beloved bitcoin  blockchain.... I still scratch my head at the basics.  I see in bitcoin.org that anyone willing and able CAN run a NODE. 

Is this beneficial as far as the learning curve goes?  I understand that is is of great benefit to the entire bitcoin user community, but can I learn more about the way it all works if I run a node from my home ?  I want to learn the way the. Blocks are actually created or "solved". 



Any words ?   Thank you! 
Lori Brown
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