Problem with the first Initialization of my LN node, dial tcp my-external-ip:9735: connect: connection timed out

Question

Background

I was following 402 Payment Required's LN video and everything was good until the moment of the first Initialization of my LN node. I got an error: dial tcp my-external-ip:9735: connect: connection timed out.

I was starting the Initialization by the following way

lnd --externalip=X.X.X.X

And I've my lnd configuration file with the following attributes

alias=
debuglevel=debug
bitcoin.active=1
bitcoin.mainnet=1
bitcoin.node=bitcoind

I created the file (before) I started the Initialization.

Your environment

version of lnd: I don't know, I guess it's the latest version. which operating system (uname -a on *Nix): Ubuntu 18.04 version of btcd, bitcoind, or other backend: bitcoind 0.19.1 any other relevant environment details: My Ubuntu is running on a VM machine with a (bridged) internet connection

Steps to reproduce

I don't know how to reproduce the problem but here is a log with my issue

2020-08-14 20:33:16.008 [INF] BTCN: Server listening on [::]:9735
2020-08-14 20:33:16.009 [INF] SRVR: Initializing peer network bootstrappers!
2020-08-14 20:33:16.009 [INF] SRVR: Creating DNS peer bootstrapper with seeds: [[nodes.lightning.directory soa.nodes.lightning.directory] [lseed.bitcoinstats.com ]]
2020-08-14 20:33:16.010 [INF] DISC: Attempting to bootstrap with: Authenticated Channel Graph
2020-08-14 20:33:16.022 [INF] DISC: Attempting to bootstrap with: BOLT-0010 DNS Seed: [[nodes.lightning.directory soa.nodes.lightning.directory] [lseed.bitcoinstats.com ]]
2020-08-14 20:33:16.426 [INF] DISC: Obtained 1 addrs to bootstrap network with
2020-08-14 20:33:19.428 [DBG] SRVR: Waiting 2s before trying to locate bootstrap peers (attempt #1)
2020-08-14 20:33:21.428 [INF] DISC: Attempting to bootstrap with: BOLT-0010 DNS Seed: [[nodes.lightning.directory soa.nodes.lightning.directory] [lseed.bitcoinstats.com ]]
2020-08-14 20:33:21.463 [INF] DISC: Attempting to bootstrap with: Authenticated Channel Graph
2020-08-14 20:33:21.464 [ERR] SRVR: Unable to retrieve initial bootstrap peers: no addresses found
2020-08-14 20:33:21.464 [DBG] SRVR: Waiting 4s before trying to locate bootstrap peers (attempt #2)
2020-08-14 20:33:25.464 [INF] DISC: Attempting to bootstrap with: BOLT-0010 DNS Seed: [[nodes.lightning.directory soa.nodes.lightning.directory] [lseed.bitcoinstats.com ]]
2020-08-14 20:33:25.504 [INF] DISC: Attempting to bootstrap with: Authenticated Channel Graph
2020-08-14 20:33:25.504 [ERR] SRVR: Unable to retrieve initial bootstrap peers: no addresses found
2020-08-14 20:33:25.504 [DBG] SRVR: Waiting 8s before trying to locate bootstrap peers (attempt #3)
2020-08-14 20:33:33.504 [INF] DISC: Attempting to bootstrap with: BOLT-0010 DNS Seed: 
[[nodes.lightning.directory soa.nodes.lightning.directory] [lseed.bitcoinstats.com ]]
2020-08-14 20:33:33.539 [INF] DISC: Attempting to bootstrap with: Authenticated Channel Graph
2020-08-14 20:33:33.539 [ERR] SRVR: Unable to retrieve initial bootstrap peers: no addresses found
2020-08-14 20:33:33.539 [DBG] SRVR: Waiting 16s before trying to locate bootstrap peers (attempt #4)
2020-08-14 20:33:49.540 [INF] DISC: Attempting to bootstrap with: Authenticated Channel Graph
2020-08-14 20:33:49.540 [INF] DISC: Attempting to bootstrap with: BOLT-0010 DNS Seed: [[nodes.lightning.directory soa.nodes.lightning.directory] [lseed.bitcoinstats.com ]]
2020-08-14 20:33:49.578 [ERR] SRVR: Unable to retrieve initial bootstrap peers: no addresses found
2020-08-14 20:33:49.578 [DBG] SRVR: Waiting 32s before trying to locate bootstrap peers (attempt #5)
2020-08-14 20:34:21.579 [INF] DISC: Attempting to bootstrap with: Authenticated Channel Graph
2020-08-14 20:34:21.580 [INF] DISC: Attempting to bootstrap with: BOLT-0010 DNS Seed: [[nodes.lightning.directory soa.nodes.lightning.directory] [lseed.bitcoinstats.com ]]
2020-08-14 20:34:21.735 [ERR] SRVR: Unable to retrieve initial bootstrap peers: no addresses found
2020-08-14 20:34:21.735 [DBG] SRVR: Waiting 1m0s before trying to locate bootstrap peers (attempt #6)
2020-08-14 20:35:21.736 [INF] DISC: Attempting to bootstrap with: Authenticated Channel Graph
2020-08-14 20:35:21.736 [INF] DISC: Attempting to bootstrap with: BOLT-0010 DNS Seed: [[nodes.lightning.directory soa.nodes.lightning.directory] [lseed.bitcoinstats.com ]]
2020-08-14 20:35:22.280 [ERR] SRVR: Unable to retrieve initial bootstrap peers: no addresses found
2020-08-14 20:35:22.280 [DBG] SRVR: Waiting 1m0s before trying to locate bootstrap peers (attempt #7)
2020-08-14 20:35:27.316 [ERR] SRVR: Unable to connect to @my-external-ip:9735: dial tcp my-external-ip:9735: connect: connection timed out
2020-08-14 20:36:22.280 [INF] DISC: Attempting to bootstrap with: BOLT-0010 DNS Seed: 
[[nodes.lightning.directory soa.nodes.lightning.directory] [lseed.bitcoinstats.com ]]
2020-08-14 20:36:22.347 [INF] CRTR: Pruning channel graph using block 0000000000000000000f09423cef42338b27f29244a99deed77411cf2e6edb57 (height=643720)
2020-08-14 20:36:22.349 [INF] CRTR: Block 0000000000000000000f09423cef42338b27f29244a99deed77411cf2e6edb57 (height=643720) closed 0 channels
2020-08-14 20:36:22.461 [DBG] NTFN: Filtering 3178 txns for 0 spend requests at height 643720
2020-08-14 20:36:22.523 [INF] NTFN: New block: height=643720, sha=0000000000000000000f09423cef42338b27f29244a99deed77411cf2e6edb57
2020-08-14 20:36:22.523 [DBG] SWPR: New block: height=643720, sha=0000000000000000000f09423cef42338b27f29244a99deed77411cf2e6edb57
2020-08-14 20:36:22.523 [INF] UTXN: Attempting to graduate height=643720: num_kids=0, num_babies=0
2020-08-14 20:36:22.524 [DBG] DISC: New block: height=643720, hash=0000000000000000000f09423cef42338b27f29244a99deed77411cf2e6edb57
2020-08-14 20:36:22.757 [INF] DISC: Attempting to bootstrap with: Authenticated Channel Graph
2020-08-14 20:36:22.758 [ERR] SRVR: Unable to retrieve initial bootstrap peers: no addresses found
2020-08-14 20:36:22.758 [DBG] SRVR: Waiting 1m0s before trying to locate bootstrap peers (attempt #8)

I tried dig nodes.lightning.directory and got the following output

; <<>> DiG 9.11.3-1ubuntu1.12-Ubuntu <<>> nodes.lightning.directory
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 48349
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 25, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1
;; OPT PSEUDOSECTION:
; EDNS: version: 0, flags:; udp: 65494
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;nodes.lightning.directory. IN A
;; ANSWER SECTION:
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 93.46.54.4
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 82.1.254.100
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 83.162.151.227
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 163.158.202.112
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 212.47.254.6
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 3.12.163.140
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 178.128.165.102
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 51.83.41.129
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 193.194.163.53
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 35.229.93.213
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 52.38.99.14
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 3.16.193.211
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 73.147.115.80
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 176.122.101.230
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 173.249.48.168
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 18.223.138.245
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 203.118.186.226
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 104.248.111.88
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 46.59.13.35
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 185.228.141.6
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 98.210.161.137
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 86.176.78.2
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 152.32.173.177
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 176.74.136.237
nodes.lightning.directory. 60 IN A 45.77.156.146
;; Query time: 154 msec
;; SERVER: 127.0.0.53#53(127.0.0.53)
;; WHEN: Fri Aug 14 23:13:30 EET 2020
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 454

Expected behavior

I expected the Initialization would work normally without any issues.

Actual behavior

The first Initialization of the LN node didn't happen, stuck in the loop of trying to locate bootstrap peers

Answer 1

I'm no expert on Lightning but your log suggests it is trying to obtain a list of lightning peers from lseed.bitcoinstats.com

2020-08-14 20:34:21.580 [INF] DISC: Attempting to bootstrap with: BOLT-0010 DNS Seed: [[nodes.lightning.directory soa.nodes.lightning.directory] [lseed.bitcoinstats.com ]]
2020-08-14 20:34:21.735 [ERR] SRVR: Unable to retrieve initial bootstrap peers: no addresses found

I tried this:

$ ping -c 10 bitcoinstats.com
PING bitcoinstats.com(2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636 (2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636)) 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636 (2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636): icmp_seq=1 ttl=57 time=8.04 ms
64 bytes from 2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636 (2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636): icmp_seq=2 ttl=57 time=7.81 ms
64 bytes from 2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636 (2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636): icmp_seq=3 ttl=57 time=8.62 ms
64 bytes from 2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636 (2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636): icmp_seq=4 ttl=57 time=8.53 ms
64 bytes from 2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636 (2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636): icmp_seq=5 ttl=57 time=8.45 ms
64 bytes from 2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636 (2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636): icmp_seq=6 ttl=57 time=8.63 ms
64 bytes from 2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636 (2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636): icmp_seq=7 ttl=57 time=7.99 ms
64 bytes from 2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636 (2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636): icmp_seq=8 ttl=57 time=8.49 ms
64 bytes from 2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636 (2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636): icmp_seq=9 ttl=57 time=8.31 ms
64 bytes from 2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636 (2606:4700:3035::ac43:8636): icmp_seq=10 ttl=57 time=8.82 ms

--- bitcoinstats.com ping statistics ---
10 packets transmitted, 10 received, 0% packet loss, time 9007ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 7.817/8.373/8.825/0.310 ms

So the parent organisation seems to be operational and hasn't completely blocked ICMP.

$ ping -c 10 lseed.bitcoinstats.com
ping: lseed.bitcoinstats.com: Temporary failure in name resolution

$ ping -c 10 nodes.lightning.directory
ping: nodes.lightning.directory: Temporary failure in name resolution

Which suggests there is a DNS resolution problem with the service(s) your lightning node is configured to use for peer discovery. It may be an intermittent problem.

• The problem may be at their end.

• You might need to rebuild using the latest source in order to pick up some other bootstrap peer service which has replaced the one your lnd node is using.

• You might need to manually specify an initial peer, one that is known to be working.

---

References (old but may shed some light on this):

• https://github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/issues/1434
• https://github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/issues/1860