how expensive or cheap is it to buy, set up and maintain a node?
Discussion
bitcoin or lightning or nostr or all of the above?
uhm, i’m a complete newbie in this regard, so i’m not really sure that there was a difference for all of them like that 💜🤔
My recommendation if you a newbie is start with a bitcoin node.
nostr:npub1rxysxnjkhrmqd3ey73dp9n5y5yvyzcs64acc9g0k2epcpwwyya4spvhnp8 has some great tutorials.⚡️
Cheap on all counts but you *can* spend a lot on the hardware if you choose
i’m a complete tard, but might as well set the example and set up my own, even without any previous knowledge 💜
Hue know i’m a megatard also, and yes i had a raspberry pi already laying around. Just had to buy a SSD (1TB harddrive but i’d recommend 2TB), umbrel was free and easy to set up/use
Check Start9 out as well. Umbrel's lack of SSL makes it incompatible with a lot of wallets. Not much use for a node if your wallet can't connect.
people here saying that a RaspPi gonna be underpowered 🤔
umbrel is the software running on top, correct?
Correct. The smart guys all say NUC’s are where it’s at compared to raspis. More expensive but much better performance
Gonna Google what NUC’s are, brb 💜
There are things like this all over for cheap. Would absolutely destroy a rpi in performance 👍
and this would be enough to run a node?
I have a node running on a Pi, it was cheap(ish). Like you say though, not much else that it can do. I’ll upgrade it one day and start self hosting properly
rpi has no internal hard drive, so you have to connect one via usb. the hard drive is also powered over usb and rpi are known for not supplying adequate power to the usb. this is the core reason they are unsuitable. will it work? probably. will it randomly die in 3 years? probably.
ah shid, good points 💜
I have one, it’s not underpowered for a node but it’s only a node. Yeah I run umbrel. You’d need at least the 4gb version
I'm running a bitcoin node on a 10 year old desktop PC. Cost me $100 CAD for a 1TB SSD.
good exmaple - u can also used 500GB x 3 cluster them - attached ur exisitng home PC free
Not very, by design. Just about any old computer or laptop can do it. Setting it up takes time, not money. Maintenance costs are the electricity to run the computer. Most expensive component you might need would be a terabyte or larger hard drive, but even those aren’t anywhere near the price they used to be.
You could get a used minicomputer, add ram and ssd for something around $500. If you have access to it, check recycling centers near by. I got a minicomputer out of the recycling center (Zero costs) added 16gb ram and 2tb ssd for around $200.
You going for anti counterfeit protection (so just Bitcoin core) or a full lightning network stack?
i have no idea about either of them, i’m just a pleb looking to learn and hopefully set up my own one day, just to become more knowledgable about the space
there is a twitter community dedicated to used thinkpads for nodes https://twitter.com/i/communities/1563029300911058944
depends depends on ur tech knowhow - can be "free" to max $800
FREE - if u use old/existing hw at home/office buy used stuff <$100
power cost running same if keep microwave IDLE connected in kitchen
The Sovran Pro is easy to use and all the software is already installed and ready to go. Even the entire block chain is already downloaded. You basically just have to plug it in. https://sovransystems.com
200bucks. entry level.
An old laptop would be one of the best/cheapest ways to run one without buying new hardware. Start9 has guides on installing their OS on a Raspberry Pi (not ideal) or an x86 machine. Umbrel is another option but I find that their node implementation is a bit more bloated and not as reliable.
I run it on my 5 year old hp with 16 GB Ram, i5 7 Gen and 1TB Samsung SSD.
But I can only prune the block storage,
otherwise it shows an error and shuts down.
Cost ~700€