Troubleshooting Slow Node Sync on Ethereum: 3 Ways to Improve Node Sync on Ethereum Blockchain

In Brief:

  • Introduction
  • Why Node Sync
  • Types of Node Sync
  • How Resolve Slow Node Sync on Ethereum

Introduction

Despite the urge to get it over with, the truth is node synchronization is not optional, particularly if you run a validator node and you intend to earn maximum block rewards. Think of it like joining a WhatsApp group - you get the complete knowledge of the group when you read through the chat history.

Resolving slow node synchronization on the Ethereum blockchain is regarded as one of the most challenging tasks due to how diverse and decentralized the blockchain is. Also, Ethereum has thousands of dApps running on it; hence, attempting to synchronize a newly deployed node with the blockchain means loading data from millions of transactions - it requires time and resources.

However, developers and validators do not want to wait weeks for node sync, even when we understand that blockchain, by its design, is a cumbersome technology. This leaves us with questions on node synchronization and how to scale up the process.

Why Node Sync?

The answer to this is simple - A node is a separate blockchain server with blockchain data. A typical full node is expected to have all the blockchain's historical data. This is how the ecosystem establishes trust and remains decentralized. Hence, to operate efficiently and securely on a blockchain, your node must synchronize all the blocks previously added.

Types of Node Synchronization

On the Ethereum blockchain, there are different node syncs. Understanding this gives users ample knowledge of syncing speed, making it possible to estimate when a node sync should be completed.

  • The full Sync: The full sync downloads and verifies all blockchain activities from the first block to the latest one. Hence, it requires a high system configuration and may take up a lot of space (up to 2TB). Deploying a full node for full sync is considered more efficient; however, given the extent of data, it is often slow.
  • Snap Sync (default in Geth): This type of synchronization only downloads a snapshot of the Ethereum state, then proceeds to fill in recent history. It does not validate older blocks; hence, it is faster compared to full sync.
  • Light Sync: This is a super-fast synchronization as it only downloads block headers and verifies recent blocks. It doesn't store all data; hence, it is not an ideal option for developers and validators.

How to Resolve Slow Node Sync on Ethereum

For a developer, running a full sync may be time-consuming; however, aside from types of node sync, you may experience slow node sync for a plethora of reasons, and to resolve that, implement the following tricks.

1. Check Hardware configuration: Opt for SSD-Back Server   with High IOPS

There is no two-way around it. If you want your node to operate at its optimal level, you need the proper hardware for support. For developers on hardware with low configuration, fast node sync is considered black magic. While many spent weeks or even months trying to load blockchain data, the truth is that developers with the proper hardware are getting it done in days.

Geth developers have concluded that it is impossible to get fast throughput on an HDD server. Similarly, old processors may struggle with computational demands for syncing; hence, getting hardware with high configuration is fundamental.

Start by replacing shared nodes with dedicated nodes. Then ensure that your server is backed by an SSD processor with high IOPS, for Ethereum, above 1M is recommended. Another rule is never to use only one computer for your node activities. Instead, use one computer to run node activities while you use another to view chain data and monitor the dashboard.

Learn about the differences between shared nodes and dedicated nodes here; or

Try reliable dedicated nodes on Chainnodes for free!

2. Network Connectivity: Watch Bandwidth and Peer  

  Connection

The ability of your node to connect with as many peers as required can affect speed as well. However, it is vital to be careful here as you do not want to under- or over connect to peers. Typically, connecting to 20 peers max is sufficient. One trick that works is limiting the number you connect to when the node is syncing to reduce overhead. Afterward, you can increase.

Network bandwidth can also affect the speed of data retrieval, which can slow down the syncing process. Ensure that your internet speed is as fast as possible.

3. Server Maintenance: Dashboard monitoring and Server   Restarting

You simply cannot set your node to sync and then abandon it; you have to monitor it. Fortunately, there are tons of tools that make monitoring your node dashboard easy and straightforward. For instance, you can get on Ethereum Client Logs like Geth or Nethermind, where you can see the output and real-time sync status to get details like current block, peers connected to, and time per block. You can also use JSON-RPC interfaces to get information on whether your node is still syncing and speed of synchronization (eth_syncing), list of connected peers (admin_peers), store and receive archival data.

You probably don't know this, but sometimes your server fixes itself. This is possible because Geth developers and the entire Ethereum ecosystem are constantly trying to fix node errors and bugs. Hence, periodically restarting your server allows the node to pick up the latest solution and implement it. This may resolve the reason for the slow speed.

Conclusion

Efficiently speed for node sync is not achievable with only one solution, hence, you must implement all the three mentioned above for optimal result. Getting the best infrastructure can, however be challenging, which can in return exposes you slow node sync or system failure. To resolve this, a dedicated node from reliable source like Chiannodes is the best solution.

Getting a node dedicated node is essential to reducing the number users and transactions on a node, which can increase speed significantly. The Chainnodes dedicated node is designed to server you in this regard. Designed for optimal speed, low-latency, high throughput and unlimited archival data access, dedicated node from Chainnodes ensure that you do not constantly deal with complex speed issue.

Finally, using the node for snapshot or light sync allows you complete node sync in hours while you access old block data on its archival data storage.