Sync your node
Before you can use your node, it needs to sync with the network. Syncing starts automatically when you start your node, and may take several hours, or even days, depending on the performance of your hardware.
Tip
To get started more quickly, you can perform a trusted node sync instead. This requires access to a synced node or a third-party service.
If you are planning to become a validator, you should ensure that your beacon node is completely synced before submitting your deposit; otherwise, you might miss attestations, proposal duties and sync committee duties until it has finished syncing.
Note
You need need to run an execution client (web3 provider) together with the beacon node. See here for instructions on how to do so.
Networks
Using Nimbus, you can connect either to a testnet or mainnet. Mainnet is the main Ethereum network where real assets are at stake, while testnets are used by users and developers alike to test their node and setup before committing real assets.
If this is the first time you're setting up your node, it is recommended you run it on a testnet first. Later, when everything is working, you can easily switch to mainnet.
Log output
You should see the following output:
INF 2023-10-01 11:25:33.487+01:00 Launching beacon node
...
INF 2023-10-01 11:25:34.556+01:00 Loading block dag from database topics="beacnde" tid=19985314 path=build/data/shared_holesky_0/db
INF 2023-10-01 11:25:35.921+01:00 Block dag initialized
INF 2023-10-01 11:25:37.073+01:00 Generating new networking key
...
NTC 2023-10-01 11:25:59.512+00:00 Eth1 sync progress topics="eth1" tid=21914 blockNumber=3836397 depositsProcessed=106147
NTC 2023-10-01 11:26:02.574+00:00 Eth1 sync progress topics="eth1" tid=21914 blockNumber=3841412 depositsProcessed=106391
...
INF 2023-10-01 11:26:31.000+00:00 Slot start topics="beacnde" tid=21815 file=nimbus_beacon_node.nim:505 lastSlot=96566 scheduledSlot=96567 beaconTime=1w6d9h53m24s944us774ns peers=7 head=b54486c4:96563 headEpoch=3017 finalized=2f5d12e4:96479 finalizedEpoch=3014
INF 2023-10-01 11:26:36.285+00:00 Slot end topics="beacnde" tid=21815 file=nimbus_beacon_node.nim:593 slot=96567 nextSlot=96568 head=b54486c4:96563 headEpoch=3017 finalizedHead=2f5d12e4:96479 finalizedEpoch=3014
...
Data directory
While running, the beacon node will store chain data and other information its data directory, which by default is found in build/data.
For more information, see the data directory guide.
Command line options
You can add command line options to the startup command. For example, to change the port to 9100, use:
To see a list of the command line options available to you, with descriptions, run:
More information is available from the options page.
Keep track of your sync progress
See here for how to keep track of your sync progress.
Checkpoint sync
This feature is available from v23.11.0 onwards.
You can use an existing synced node or a third-party service to accelerate sync significantly. Instead of downloading and verifying the entire blockchain, you can point Nimbus to a trusted block.
Warning
Selecting a block from an untrusted source or using an outdated block or state may lead to Nimbus syncing to an unexpected state. Especially when running a validator, it is vital to pick a recent trusted block for checkpoint sync, and to verify that Nimbus is synced to the correct state before starting validator duties.
Note
The Nimbus database must be empty to use checkpoint sync. When using a pre-existing database, checkpoint sync options are ignored.
Tip
A list of community-operated checkpoint sync nodes can be found here.
To use checkpoint sync, run the following commands (inserting the checkpoint sync endpoint and your own trusted block root):
The following configuration options control checkpoint sync behaviour:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--external-beacon-api-url |
|
--trusted-block-root |
|
--trusted-state-root |
|
Info
If the external beacon API does not support serving light client data, use the --trusted-state-root option instead of --trusted-block-root.