Ethereum: How to open a Lightning Network channel to a selected node in Electrum?

Opening a Lightning Channel for a Selected Node in Electrum

Electrum, a popular open-source Bitcoin client for Windows, macOS, and Linux, provides a convenient way to manage Bitcoin network connections. However, not all nodes are accessible from the Open Channel (OC) dialog in Electrum. In this article, we will take a look at how to open a Lightning Channel for a selected node in Electrum.

Why can’t I open a channel for a specific node?

When you try to open an OC channel in Electrum, it may not be able to connect to the specified node for various reasons:

• Node is not online: The node may be down or unavailable.

• Node is not connected to the network: The node’s connection to the Bitcoin network may have been lost or interrupted.

• Node has a high number of connections: Electrum may not be able to establish a new channel with a specific node due to heavy network traffic.

How ​​to Open a Lightning Network Channel for a Selected Node in Electrum

To open a Lightning Network channel for a selected node, follow these steps:

• Open Electrum and go to the Open Channel dialog.

• Click the “Trampoline” option at the top of the dialog.

• In the Trampoline menu, select “Connect to…” (not available in the current version of Electrum).

• Instead, click the “Advanced” or “Settings” button to access the advanced options.

Accessing Advanced Settings

In the advanced settings, you will find a new option called “Use External Connection.” To use this feature:

• Click “Edit” in the upper right corner of the Trampoline menu.

• In the Edit window, scroll down to the “Trampoline” section and check the box next to “Use External Connection.”

• Set the desired node as the target in the “Target Node” field.

Setting the Target Node

To select a specific node for a new channel:

• Click the “Edit” button in Advanced Settings.

• In the Edit window, scroll down to the “Trampoline” section and enter the node address (e.g. npx@) in the “Target Node” field.

Connection Confirmation

Once you have set up the target node, Electrum will attempt to establish a new channel to that node. You can verify this by checking your Electrum wallet balance or reviewing your transaction history.

Please note that opening a Lightning Network channel to a specific node requires a stable and connected connection. If you encounter any issues during the process, you may need to restart Electrum or wait a few minutes before trying again.

Additional Tips

• Make sure you are using the correct wallet address for the target node.

• Be aware of Electrum network congestion and consider using an alternate method if it is affecting your connection speed.

• Please note that opening new channels may impact the stability of the Electrum client.