Purpose: A single, fact-dense directory for anyone who wants to understand, deploy, and maintain a Monero node (nodo) quickly and correctly.

Introduction

Introducing the state-of-the-art Monero node, designed for seamless network scaling and optimal performance, with low energy consumption. This full, optimized and dedicated node comes equipped with Tor and I2P support, ensuring maximum privacy and security for your transactions. Manage your node effortlessly directly on the 5.5″ OLED touchscreen. Contribute to your privacy and peace of mind by running your own personal node while contributing to the Monero network. Easily configure the node settings via the embedded display, monitor and keep the Monero blockchain synchronized at all times. Experience the efficiency and security of our cutting-edge Monero node and take your privacy to the next level.

Getting Started

1. Node Fundamentals

Aspect Details
Definition A Monero node (monerod) is software that downloads, verifies, and propagates the entire Monero blockchain and its transactions.
Core Roles 1. Validation – enforces consensus rules.
2. Storage – retains blockchain data (full or pruned).
3. Relay – gossips blocks/txs to peers.
4. RPC Service – answers wallet queries.
Node Modes • Full (≈130 GB chain, growing).
• Pruned (≈50 GB; keeps recent outputs, discards spent rings).
• Portable bootstrap (downloaded DB snapshot to skip early sync).
Protocols P2P over TCP 18080, Optional Tor/I2P, Dandelion++ stem-fluff relay, ZMQ notifications (TCP 5556 default).

2. Why Run Your Own Nodo?

Benefit Explanation
Privacy Wallet RPC calls stay local; no remote IP learns view keys, balance queries, or broadcast time.
Integrity You independently verify consensus (ring-CT, Bulletproofs, CLSAG) – no trust in third-party responses.
Sybil Resistance Every honest node increases network diversity and dilutes malicious “spy” nodes.
Reliability Eliminates “remote node offline / lagging” wallet errors.
Ecosystem Support Required for P2Pool mining, Haveno DEX liquidity, unstuck broadcasts, and running public nodes for others.

3. Minimum Hardware & Network

Resource Full Node Pruned Node
Disk 150 GB SSD (better IOPS) 70 GB SSD
RAM ≥2 GB (4 GB recommended for faster verification) same
CPU Modern dual-core 64-bit (AVX2 helps) same
Bandwidth Initial sync ~120 GB download, ~10 GB upload; steady-state ≈5 GB/mo each direction ~45 GB DL for bootstrap, then ≈3 GB/mo
Power Raspberry Pi 4 (with SSD) acceptable but slower; Intel NUC/i3 ideal for silent home server.
Ports 18080 (P2P), 18081 (unrestricted RPC – keep LAN-only), 18089 (restricted RPC, safe to expose).

4. Installation Paths

4.1 Native (Linux/macOS/Windows)

# Linux example
curl -L https://downloads.getmonero.org/cli/linux64 | tar xJ
cd monero-x86_64-linux-gnu-*
./monerod --data-dir ~/.bitmonero --rpc-restricted-bind-ip 0.0.0.0 --rpc-restricted-bind-port 18089 --public-node

Always verify PGP signatures from hashes.txt.

4.2 Docker (fastest cross-platform)

docker run -d --name monerod \
  -v $HOME/monero-data:/home/monero/.bitmonero \
  -p 18080:18080 -p 18089:18089 \
  ghcr.io/sethforprivacy/simple-monerod:latest \
  --prune-blockchain --public-node \
  --rpc-login user:pass

4.3 Systemd Service (for auto-restart)

# /etc/systemd/system/monerod.service
[Unit]
Description=Monero Full Node
After=network.target

[Service]
User=monero
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/monerod --data-dir=/var/lib/monero --rpc-login user:pass --restricted-rpc
Restart=on-failure
LimitNOFILE=10240

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

5. Key Command-Line Flags

Flag Purpose
--prune-blockchain Enable ~60 GB mode.
--public-node Advertise as remote node (good for community).
--rpc-login user:pass Basic auth for RPC interfaces.
--out-peers 64 --in-peers 32 Cap peer counts (save bandwidth).
--block-sync-size 20 Tune batch size (lower for low-RAM SBCs).
--tx-proxy tor,127.0.0.1:9050 Route outgoing tx via Tor SOCKS.
--ban-list myban.txt Auto-ban known malicious IP ranges.

6. Securing the Nodo

  1. Non-root user (monero service account).
  2. Firewall – expose 18080 & 18089 only if needed; keep 18081 internal.
  3. Fail2ban for repeated invalid RPC logins.
  4. Watchdog – systemd Restart=on-failure, or Monit/crontab health ping.
  5. Periodic updates – follow getmonero.org release posts (hard-forks ~ every 6 months).

7. Performance & Maintenance

Task Interval
Verify free disk space Weekly
monerod sync_info check height diff < 5 blocks Daily
monerod flush_cache (CLI wallets) After big tx batches
Upgrade to latest tag On new version
Snapshot backup of data-dir Monthly (optional for pruned)

8. Advanced Integrations

Use-case Extra Steps
Tor-only node Add --p2p-bind-ip 0.0.0.0 --tx-proxy tor,127.0.0.1:9050 --add-priority-node 127.0.0.1:<onion_port>
I2P seed Compile with -D BUILD_TESTS=OFF -D BUILD_GUI=OFF + I2P libraries, run --anonymous-inbound
P2Pool miner Point P2Pool to local monerod RPC (18081 w/ wallet RPC login)
Haveno DEX backend Provide restricted RPC endpoint over Tor 18089

9. Troubleshooting Quick Chart

Symptom Likely Cause Fix
Sync stuck at height X Bad peer / tiny DB corruption sync_data purge_cache then restart, or bootstrap download
High RAM spike --db-sync-mode fast on low-RAM Use --db-sync-mode safe --block-sync-size 10
“busy sync loop” CPU 100 % Initial sync verifying CLSAG Let it finish, or allocate faster CPU / SSD
Wallet “Daemon disconnected” RPC not reachable Check firewall, ensure --rpc-restricted-bind-port 18089

11. Bottom Line

Running a Monero nodo is no longer exotic:

  • One-line Docker if you want speed.
  • Native install if you like bare-metal control.
  • Pruned if you’re storage-constrained.

Either way, you:

  • Remove reliance on third-party nodes.
  • Strengthen the network against surveillance.
  • Gain instant, reliable wallet syncs.

Disk, bandwidth, and a few minutes of setup—that’s the entire cost of becoming part of Monero’s privacy backbone. If you value self-sovereignty, it’s time well spent.

Community & Resources