Unable to connect to peers nor synchronize the network

Question

Neither I'm able to connect to my peers nor I'm able to synchronize my bitcoin core in my network.

When I connect my laptop to my mobile hotspot synchronizing works fine and progress in shown. Here is the debug.log for this session.

2017-04-22 02:16:35 Bitcoin version v0.14.0
2017-04-22 02:16:35 InitParameterInteraction: parameter interaction: -whitelistforcerelay=1 -> setting -whitelistrelay=1
2017-04-22 02:16:35 Assuming ancestors of block 00000000000000000013176bf8d7dfeab4e1db31dc93bc311b436e82ab226b90 have valid signatures.
2017-04-22 02:16:35 GUI: "registerShutdownBlockReason: Successfully registered: Bitcoin Core didn't yet exit safely..."
2017-04-22 02:16:36 Default data directory C:\Users\rewanth\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin
2017-04-22 02:16:36 Using data directory C:\Users\rewanth\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin
2017-04-22 02:16:36 Using config file C:\Users\rewanth\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\bitcoin.conf
2017-04-22 02:16:36 Using at most 125 automatic connections (2048 file descriptors available)
2017-04-22 02:16:36 Using 32 MiB out of 32 requested for signature cache, able to store 1048576 elements
2017-04-22 02:16:36 Using 4 threads for script verification
2017-04-22 02:16:36 Using BerkeleyDB version Berkeley DB 4.8.30: (April  9, 2010)
2017-04-22 02:16:36 Using wallet wallet.dat
2017-04-22 02:16:36 scheduler thread start
2017-04-22 02:16:36 init message: Verifying wallet...
2017-04-22 02:16:36 CDBEnv::Open: LogDir=C:\Users\rewanth\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\database ErrorFile=C:\Users\rewanth\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\db.log
2017-04-22 02:16:36 Bound to [::]:8333
2017-04-22 02:16:36 Bound to 0.0.0.0:8333
2017-04-22 02:16:36 Cache configuration:
2017-04-22 02:16:36 * Using 2.0MiB for block index database
2017-04-22 02:16:36 * Using 8.0MiB for chain state database
2017-04-22 02:16:36 * Using 290.0MiB for in-memory UTXO set (plus up to 286.1MiB of unused mempool space)
2017-04-22 02:16:36 init message: Loading block index...
2017-04-22 02:16:36 Opening LevelDB in C:\Users\rewanth\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\blocks\index
2017-04-22 02:16:36 Opened LevelDB successfully
2017-04-22 02:16:36 Using obfuscation key for C:\Users\rewanth\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\blocks\index: 0000000000000000
2017-04-22 02:16:36 Opening LevelDB in C:\Users\rewanth\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\chainstate
2017-04-22 02:16:36 Opened LevelDB successfully
2017-04-22 02:16:36 Using obfuscation key for C:\Users\rewanth\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\chainstate: 60c31a5357347687
2017-04-22 02:16:41 LoadBlockIndexDB: last block file = 6
2017-04-22 02:16:41 LoadBlockIndexDB: last block file info: CBlockFileInfo(blocks=5029, size=87792634, heights=156435...161579, time=2011-12-07...2012-01-10)
2017-04-22 02:16:41 Checking all blk files are present...
2017-04-22 02:16:41 LoadBlockIndexDB: transaction index disabled
2017-04-22 02:16:41 LoadBlockIndexDB: hashBestChain=00000000000000c60ea90c44bc166bb558633110631b4674d6e909e7ff5fb510 height=161480 date=2012-01-10 01:03:18 progress=0.010138
2017-04-22 02:16:41 init message: Rewinding blocks...
2017-04-22 02:16:41 init message: Verifying blocks...
2017-04-22 02:16:41 Verifying last 6 blocks at level 3
2017-04-22 02:16:41 [0%]...[16%]...[33%]...[50%]...[66%]...[83%]...[99%]...[DONE].
2017-04-22 02:16:42 No coin database inconsistencies in last 7 blocks (294 transactions)
2017-04-22 02:16:42  block index            5693ms
2017-04-22 02:16:42 init message: Loading wallet...
2017-04-22 02:16:42 nFileVersion = 140000
2017-04-22 02:16:42 Keys: 102 plaintext, 0 encrypted, 102 w/ metadata, 102 total
2017-04-22 02:16:42  wallet                   27ms
2017-04-22 02:16:42 setKeyPool.size() = 100
2017-04-22 02:16:42 mapWallet.size() = 0
2017-04-22 02:16:42 mapAddressBook.size() = 1
2017-04-22 02:16:42 mapBlockIndex.size() = 462900
2017-04-22 02:16:42 nBestHeight = 161480
2017-04-22 02:16:42 Imported mempool transactions from disk: 0 successes, 0 failed, 0 expired
2017-04-22 02:16:42 torcontrol thread start
2017-04-22 02:16:42 init message: Loading addresses...
2017-04-22 02:16:42 Loaded 31871 addresses from peers.dat  152ms
2017-04-22 02:16:42 init message: Loading banlist...
2017-04-22 02:16:42 init message: Starting network threads...
2017-04-22 02:16:42 net thread start
2017-04-22 02:16:42 init message: Done loading
2017-04-22 02:16:42 opencon thread start
2017-04-22 02:16:42 addcon thread start
2017-04-22 02:16:42 dnsseed thread start
2017-04-22 02:16:42 msghand thread start
2017-04-22 02:16:42 GUI: Platform customization: "windows"
2017-04-22 02:16:42 GUI: PaymentServer::LoadRootCAs: Loaded  46  root certificates
2017-04-22 02:16:46 GUI:   OpenType support missing for script 11
2017-04-22 02:16:46 GUI:   OpenType support missing for script 11
2017-04-22 02:16:46 GUI:   OpenType support missing for script 11
2017-04-22 02:16:46 GUI:   OpenType support missing for script 11
2017-04-22 02:16:46 GUI:   OpenType support missing for script 16
2017-04-22 02:16:46 GUI:   OpenType support missing for script 16
2017-04-22 02:16:46 GUI:   OpenType support missing for script 16
2017-04-22 02:16:46 GUI:   OpenType support missing for script 16
2017-04-22 02:16:53 Loading addresses from DNS seeds (could take a while)
2017-04-22 02:17:00 112 addresses found from DNS seeds
2017-04-22 02:17:00 dnsseed thread exit
2017-04-22 02:28:44 receive version message: /Satoshi:0.13.1/: version 70014, blocks=462955, us=49.15.64.2:36345, peer=0
2017-04-22 02:28:45 UpdateTip: new best=00000000000003f2ccb5a19f40f6b5802ff07719ba10fc7e99d9bcd44de94a68 height=161481 version=0x00000001 log2_work=67.487095 tx=2174008 date='2012-01-10 01:08:08' progress=0.010138 cache=0.2MiB(234tx)
2017-04-22 02:28:45 UpdateTip: new best=0000000000000b8e36b81ce65b918438ac8a83d5e0d3122f7602edc5d452b35c height=161482 version=0x00000001 log2_work=67.487133 tx=2174082 date='2012-01-10 01:26:49' progress=0.010139 cache=0.5MiB(511tx)
2017-04-22 02:28:45 UpdateTip: new best=0000000000000284fe62694cbf9642e37098529a198593cde9c2cec802d176bc height=161483 version=0x00000001 log2_work=67.48717 tx=2174103 date='2012-01-10 01:37:45' progress=0.010139 cache=0.5MiB(564tx)
2017-04-22 02:28:45 UpdateTip: new best=0000000000000895acb623071d6f327633577ec0b241c16d94c05c4a5e76284b height=161484 version=0x00000001 log2_work=67.487208 tx=2174142 date='2012-01-10 01:39:38' progress=0.010139 cache=0.6MiB(661tx)
2017-04-22 02:28:45 UpdateTip: new best=000000000000041cc6c4728ae6cb6a75360c8e1e686a77e08ebd63e439e3931c height=161485 version=0x00000001 log2_work=67.487245 tx=2174296 date='2012-01-10 01:42:40' progress=0.010140 cache=0.6MiB(826tx)
2017-04-22 02:28:45 UpdateTip: new best=00000000000007e320dcb7e350eca2deb12ef4d37968c082124e82c455d1b391 height=161486 version=0x00000001 log2_work=67.487283 tx=2174302 date='2012-01-10 01:44:13' progress=0.010140 cache=0.7MiB(841tx)
2017-04-22 02:28:45 UpdateTip: new best=0000000000000258cf7d2142a5deae114cb0c23849c3633ab1f984ae0904520f height=161487 version=0x00000001 log2_work=67.48732 tx=2174316 date='2012-01-10 01:47:50' progress=0.010140 cache=0.7MiB(900tx)
2017-04-22 02:28:45 UpdateTip: new best=0000000000000b9636a1f36bd4ae07e2fae5711924cfe1343e19a156d4ca1fae height=161488 version=0x00000001 log2_work=67.487358 tx=2174325 date='2012-01-10 01:47:54' progress=0.010140 cache=0.7MiB(924tx)
2017-04-22 02:28:45 UpdateTip: new best=0000000000000a499dc3ddf037c5b3064c9f20388eef354ee71de37603134cf9 height=161489 version=0x00000001 log2_work=67.487395 tx=2174359 date='2012-01-10 01:50:52' progress=0.010140 cache=0.7MiB(1007tx)

But when I connect the same to my college network then bitcoin core fails in synchronizing with the network and it doesn't even show any peers. I'm able to run TOR also on my college network. I tried by changing the proxy address in the bitcoin core but still its of no use. The debug.log for the error is as follows.

2017-04-22 01:51:17 Bitcoin version v0.14.0
2017-04-22 01:51:17 InitParameterInteraction: parameter interaction: -whitelistforcerelay=1 -> setting -whitelistrelay=1
2017-04-22 01:51:17 Assuming ancestors of block 00000000000000000013176bf8d7dfeab4e1db31dc93bc311b436e82ab226b90 have valid signatures.
2017-04-22 01:51:17 GUI: "registerShutdownBlockReason: Successfully registered: Bitcoin Core didn't yet exit safely..."
2017-04-22 01:51:17 Default data directory C:\Users\rewanth\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin
2017-04-22 01:51:17 Using data directory C:\Users\rewanth\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin
2017-04-22 01:51:17 Using config file C:\Users\rewanth\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\bitcoin.conf
2017-04-22 01:51:17 Using at most 125 automatic connections (2048 file descriptors available)
2017-04-22 01:51:17 Using 32 MiB out of 32 requested for signature cache, able to store 1048576 elements
2017-04-22 01:51:17 Using 4 threads for script verification
2017-04-22 01:51:17 Using BerkeleyDB version Berkeley DB 4.8.30: (April  9, 2010)
2017-04-22 01:51:17 scheduler thread start
2017-04-22 01:51:17 Using wallet wallet.dat
2017-04-22 01:51:17 init message: Verifying wallet...
2017-04-22 01:51:17 CDBEnv::Open: LogDir=C:\Users\rewanth\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\database ErrorFile=C:\Users\rewanth\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\db.log
2017-04-22 01:51:17 Bound to [::]:8333
2017-04-22 01:51:17 Bound to 0.0.0.0:8333
2017-04-22 01:51:17 Cache configuration:
2017-04-22 01:51:17 * Using 2.0MiB for block index database
2017-04-22 01:51:17 * Using 8.0MiB for chain state database
2017-04-22 01:51:17 * Using 290.0MiB for in-memory UTXO set (plus up to 286.1MiB of unused mempool space)
2017-04-22 01:51:17 init message: Loading block index...
2017-04-22 01:51:17 Opening LevelDB in C:\Users\rewanth\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\blocks\index
2017-04-22 01:51:17 Opened LevelDB successfully
2017-04-22 01:51:17 Using obfuscation key for C:\Users\rewanth\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\blocks\index: 0000000000000000
2017-04-22 01:51:17 Opening LevelDB in C:\Users\rewanth\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\chainstate
2017-04-22 01:51:17 Opened LevelDB successfully
2017-04-22 01:51:17 Using obfuscation key for C:\Users\rewanth\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\chainstate: 60c31a5357347687
2017-04-22 01:51:22 LoadBlockIndexDB: last block file = 6
2017-04-22 01:51:22 LoadBlockIndexDB: last block file info: CBlockFileInfo(blocks=5029, size=87792634, heights=156435...161579, time=2011-12-07...2012-01-10)
2017-04-22 01:51:22 Checking all blk files are present...
2017-04-22 01:51:22 LoadBlockIndexDB: transaction index disabled
2017-04-22 01:51:22 LoadBlockIndexDB: hashBestChain=00000000000000c60ea90c44bc166bb558633110631b4674d6e909e7ff5fb510 height=161480 date=2012-01-10 01:03:18 progress=0.010138
2017-04-22 01:51:22 init message: Rewinding blocks...
2017-04-22 01:51:23 init message: Verifying blocks...
2017-04-22 01:51:23 Verifying last 6 blocks at level 3
2017-04-22 01:51:23 [0%]...[16%]...[33%]...[50%]...[66%]...[83%]...[99%]...[DONE].
2017-04-22 01:51:23 No coin database inconsistencies in last 7 blocks (294 transactions)
2017-04-22 01:51:23  block index            5741ms
2017-04-22 01:51:23 init message: Loading wallet...
2017-04-22 01:51:23 nFileVersion = 140000
2017-04-22 01:51:23 Keys: 102 plaintext, 0 encrypted, 102 w/ metadata, 102 total
2017-04-22 01:51:23  wallet                   29ms
2017-04-22 01:51:23 setKeyPool.size() = 100
2017-04-22 01:51:23 mapWallet.size() = 0
2017-04-22 01:51:23 mapAddressBook.size() = 1
2017-04-22 01:51:23 mapBlockIndex.size() = 462900
2017-04-22 01:51:23 nBestHeight = 161480
2017-04-22 01:51:23 Imported mempool transactions from disk: 0 successes, 0 failed, 0 expired
2017-04-22 01:51:23 torcontrol thread start
2017-04-22 01:51:23 init message: Loading addresses...
2017-04-22 01:51:23 Loaded 31862 addresses from peers.dat  154ms
2017-04-22 01:51:23 init message: Loading banlist...
2017-04-22 01:51:23 init message: Starting network threads...
2017-04-22 01:51:23 net thread start
2017-04-22 01:51:23 opencon thread start
2017-04-22 01:51:23 init message: Done loading
2017-04-22 01:51:23 dnsseed thread start
2017-04-22 01:51:23 msghand thread start
2017-04-22 01:51:23 addcon thread start
2017-04-22 01:51:23 GUI: Platform customization: "windows"
2017-04-22 01:51:23 GUI: PaymentServer::LoadRootCAs: Loaded  46  root certificates
2017-04-22 01:51:34 Loading addresses from DNS seeds (could take a while)
2017-04-22 01:51:41 113 addresses found from DNS seeds
2017-04-22 01:51:41 dnsseed thread exit
2017-04-22 01:58:34 GUI:   OpenType support missing for script 11
2017-04-22 01:58:34 GUI:   OpenType support missing for script 11
2017-04-22 01:58:34 GUI:   OpenType support missing for script 11
2017-04-22 01:58:34 GUI:   OpenType support missing for script 11
2017-04-22 01:58:34 GUI:   OpenType support missing for script 16
2017-04-22 01:58:34 GUI:   OpenType support missing for script 16
2017-04-22 01:58:34 GUI:   OpenType support missing for script 16
2017-04-22 01:58:34 GUI:   OpenType support missing for script 16

But when I run it using my mobile hotspot it shows some values in Number of blocks left, Progress increase per hour and Estimated time left until synced.

I tried to solve this issue using the above error messages, but they are out of my scope.

What's the reason for this kind of behaviour? If I want to sync the bitcoin core with the network using my college network, what should be done?

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

It looks like your college network does not allow bitcoin connections. Technically, it should be possible to get it to work using Tor, but I don't have experience with that. You write that Tor works for you, and that you have tried setting a proxy, but it is somewhat unclear what you actually tried and whether it is the right thing in your environment. One other thing to consider: Depending on the policy of your college network, using it to access bitcoin nodes might be problematic. Would it be possible for you to use an Electrum wallet instead? It might be worth a try.

Answer 2

But when I connect the same to my college network then bitcoin core fails in synchronizing with the network and it doesn't even show any peers. I'm able to run TOR also on my college network. I tried by changing the proxy address in the bitcoin core but still its of no use. The debug.log for the error is as follows.

In your second log file, it does not look like Bitcoin Core is using a proxy. Check your proxy settings, save them, safely exit and restart Bitcoin Core.

Alternatively, you can have a look here for some Bitcoin Core and Tor configuration - you can use just part of the configuration or all of it. Note that it is only necessary to bind to 127.0.0.1 if you do not wish for any incoming non-anonymous connections (which may be a good idea if your college blocks Bitcoin traffic anyway in case they have a sniffer). Also, check your proxy port, I hear some Windows installations of Tor have the proxy port on 9150 and not 9050.