<blockquote>
<p>I have been running my bitcoin node for about 24 hours now and I'm hovering at 54 active connections.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>That's quite high for just 24 hours.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>However, I thought that I would be at 125. Why is it that I'm not exceeding this number?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>125 is just the (default) limit on the total number of connections your node supports. It itself will only make around 10 connections to others; the rest of the connections will be from others connecting to you. It takes a long time before other nodes on the network learn about your node's existence and care about making connections to it.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Additionally, I have two IP addresses for my server and I noticed that I'm getting some transactions twice.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Can you explain what &quot;getting some transactions twice&quot; means? In normal circumstances pretty much <em>all</em> your peers (all 54 of them, in your case) will announce every transaction to you.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Is it because I have two IP addresses?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>That may help in getting more inbound connections, but it sounds unrelated to transaction download.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Could someone explain to me how I might go about getting more connections?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>You may, over time, get more connections, but there is no reason to actively <em>want</em> more. It's important to note that for almost anything you want your node for, the 10 outgoing connections are almost all what matters to you. The inbound connections you permit others to make to you are a service you provide to the network.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-16T14:57:59.733Z
thanks for answering. So, I guess my follow up question would be how long until I max out my incoming connections?
bitcoinluvr6969
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-16T15:01:05.183Z
I don't know; days, weeks, months perhaps. It shouldn't matter.
Pieter Wuille
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-16T14:45:13.213Z
2023-02-16T14:45:13.213Z
Pieter Wuille
<p>I have been running my bitcoin node for about 24 hours now and I'm hovering at 54 active connections. However, I thought that I would be at 125. Why is it that I'm not exceeding this number? Additionally, I have two IP addresses for my server and I noticed that I'm getting some transactions twice. Is it because I have two IP addresses? Could someone explain to me how I might go about getting more connections?</p>

<bitcoin-core><p2p><connection>
Low number from getconnectioncount
bitcoinluvr6969
# Low number from getconnectioncount

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-02-16)

I have been running my bitcoin node for about 24 hours now and I'm hovering at 54 active connections. However, I thought that I would be at 125. Why is it that I'm not exceeding this number? Additionally, I have two IP addresses for my server and I noticed that I'm getting some transactions twice. Is it because I have two IP addresses? Could someone explain to me how I might go about getting more connections?

**Tags:** bitcoin-core, p2p, connection


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-02-16. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

> I have been running my bitcoin node for about 24 hours now and I'm hovering at 54 active connections.

That's quite high for just 24 hours.

> However, I thought that I would be at 125. Why is it that I'm not exceeding this number?

125 is just the (default) limit on the total number of connections your node supports. It itself will only make around 10 connections to others; the rest of the connections will be from others connecting to you. It takes a long time before other nodes on the network learn about your node's existence and care about making connections to it.

> Additionally, I have two IP addresses for my server and I noticed that I'm getting some transactions twice.

Can you explain what "getting some transactions twice" means? In normal circumstances pretty much *all* your peers (all 54 of them, in your case) will announce every transaction to you.

> Is it because I have two IP addresses?

That may help in getting more inbound connections, but it sounds unrelated to transaction download.

> Could someone explain to me how I might go about getting more connections?

You may, over time, get more connections, but there is no reason to actively *want* more. It's important to note that for almost anything you want your node for, the 10 outgoing connections are almost all what matters to you. The inbound connections you permit others to make to you are a service you provide to the network.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: thanks for answering. So, I guess my follow up question would be how long until I max out my incoming connections?  
> **username_1**: I don't know; days, weeks, months perhaps. It shouldn't matter.  

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