Nexa: How to see current p2p connections?

jQrgen
3 min readJan 25, 2023
Nexa Node / Desktop Wallet

Nexa is a decentralized digital currency that relies on a peer-to-peer network to propagate transactions and blocks. To ensure the integrity and security of the network, it’s crucial to monitor the connections that your Nexa node is making. This article will show you how to use the Nexa Node GUI on a Mac to view your inbound and outbound connections and how to open the debug menu.

First, ensure that you have the Nexa Node GUI installed and running on a desktop, such Nexa Wallet Mac used in this article. Once it’s open, you will see the main dashboard with various statistics and information about your node. To view your connections, you first need to open the debug menu, which can be accessed through the Help menu. To open the debug menu on a Mac, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the menu bar at the top of the screen and click on “Help.”
  2. Select “Debug Window”
  3. Select the “Peers” tabb
  4. The Debug menu will appear, and you can access various debugging options and information about your node.

This will open a new window that displays a list of all the peer connections that your node has established. The list includes each peer's IP address, port, and version when the connection was last active. To see if a connection is inbound or outbound, look for the “Direction” column. A value of “Inbound” means that the connection is inbound, and a value of “Outbound” means that the connection is outbound.

Screenshot from a peer in the Nexa Wallet

It’s important to note that having a mix of inbound and outbound connections is normal. Outbound connections are typically used to request information from other nodes, while inbound connections receive information from other nodes. The more connections you have, the more robust and secure the network is.

By keeping the Nexa Node GUI open and running on your Mac, you are helping to maintain and strengthen the peer-to-peer network. More nodes participating in the network means more robustness and security for the Nexa network. It also means more diversity and decentralization, which is essential for the long-term health and stability of the network.

In conclusion, monitoring your connections on the Nexa network is essential to maintaining the network's security and stability. The Nexa Node GUI on a Mac provides a user-friendly interface for viewing and managing your connections. By keeping your wallet program open, you are contributing to the decentralization of the network and helping to ensure its long-term health and stability.

--

--