<blockquote>
  <p>Bitcoin has only 8 active connections</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Correction: it has 8 <em>outbound</em> connections. By default, it can also accept up to 117 inbound connections</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>which port</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Port 8333, TCP</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>how should I tell Bitcoin-qt to use the forwarded port?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Don't need to. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-20T20:01:49.850Z
OK, so does forwarding the port increase the number of outbound connections?
BenjiWiebe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-20T20:02:50.400Z
No, but it makes it possible to get inbound connections, which helps the network.
Nick ODell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-20T20:05:56.147Z
So why does Bitcoin-qt only have 8 outbound connections? Is there any way to increase this?
BenjiWiebe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-20T20:13:22.663Z
Yes, go into the [source code](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/src/net.cpp#L28) and modify `MAX_OUTBOUND_CONNECTIONS`, then recompile.
Nick ODell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-20T20:14:24.663Z
No `.conf` file setting to change?
BenjiWiebe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-20T20:15:49.207Z
There's `maxconnections`, but that's the total connections.
Nick ODell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-20T20:15:50.330Z
Obviously not; it is a `const`. @Nick ODell Thanks! I'll modify the source! (I built it from source anyhow.)
BenjiWiebe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-20T22:09:04.953Z
Incidentally, adding more than 8 outbound connections doesn't necessarily help you ... it can actually put additional work for your system and consume inbound connections elsewhere that others might have used instead.
Stephen Gornick
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-21T00:40:36.820Z
@StephenGornick I noticed that, when I edited the source code to allow more connections, it actually went slower.
BenjiWiebe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-20T19:59:48.740Z
2013-02-20T19:59:48.740Z
Nick ODell
<p>Bitcoin has only 8 active connections, and I read somewhere that it helps to forward ports. I know how to forward a port, but which port should I forward, and how should I tell Bitcoin-qt to use the forwarded port?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-20T22:07:07.463Z
8 connections is more than enough for your client to pull blocks from the bitcoin network.  So adding more doesn't help you, at least not directly.  But it does help the bitcoin network if your node is accessible to others.
Stephen Gornick
<client><bitcoin-core><linux>
Port forwarding plus Bitcoin
BenjiWiebe
# Port forwarding plus Bitcoin

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-02-20)

Bitcoin has only 8 active connections, and I read somewhere that it helps to forward ports. I know how to forward a port, but which port should I forward, and how should I tell Bitcoin-qt to use the forwarded port?

**Tags:** client, bitcoin-core, linux

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 8 connections is more than enough for your client to pull blocks from the bitcoin network.  So adding more doesn't help you, at least not directly.  But it does help the bitcoin network if your node is accessible to others.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2013-02-20. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

> Bitcoin has only 8 active connections

Correction: it has 8 *outbound* connections. By default, it can also accept up to 117 inbound connections

> which port

Port 8333, TCP

> how should I tell Bitcoin-qt to use the forwarded port?

Don't need to.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: OK, so does forwarding the port increase the number of outbound connections?  
> **username_2**: No, but it makes it possible to get inbound connections, which helps the network.  
> **username_0**: So why does Bitcoin-qt only have 8 outbound connections? Is there any way to increase this?  
> **username_2**: Yes, go into the [source code](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/src/net.cpp#L28) and modify `MAX_OUTBOUND_CONNECTIONS`, then recompile.  
> **username_0**: No `.conf` file setting to change?  
> **username_2**: There's `maxconnections`, but that's the total connections.  
> **username_0**: Obviously not; it is a `const`. @username_2 Thanks! I'll modify the source! (I built it from source anyhow.)  
> **username_1**: Incidentally, adding more than 8 outbound connections doesn't necessarily help you ... it can actually put additional work for your system and consume inbound connections elsewhere that others might have used instead.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 I noticed that, when I edited the source code to allow more connections, it actually went slower.  

---

