Ethereum Mainnet Node Setup Guide

This guide will help you set up an Ethereum full node on the mainnet using automated Ansible playbooks. The setup includes both execution layer (Geth) and consensus layer (Lighthouse/Prysm) clients with MEV-Boost support.

Prerequisites

System Requirements

Operating System: Ubuntu 20.04/22.04 LTS x64
CPU: 4+ cores (8+ cores recommended)
Memory: 32GB RAM minimum (64GB recommended for mainnet)
Storage:
- Execution client: 2TB+ NVMe SSD
- Consensus client: 500GB+ SSD
Network: Stable internet connection with 25+ Mbps
Access: Root or sudo privileges

Network Information

Component	Value	Description
Network	Ethereum Mainnet	Production network
Execution Client	Geth `v1.17.2`	Go Ethereum implementation
Consensus Client	Lighthouse `v8.1.3` / Prysm `v7.1.3`	Beacon chain clients
MEV-Boost	`v1.12`	MEV relay sidecar
Sync Mode	Snap Sync	Fast synchronization
Storage	~2TB+	Current mainnet size

tip

This guide uses automated Ansible playbooks for easy deployment and management. The setup is production-ready and includes monitoring, security, and backup configurations.

info

Client versions were checked against official GitHub releases on 2026-05-10. Keep the Ansible roles pinned to the versions above unless a client team publishes an urgent mainnet advisory.

tip

The following commands are executed as root by default. If you are not a root user, please prepend the commands with sudo.

Installation Method: Ansible Automation

This method uses the ethnode-infra project for automated deployment.

Step 1: Install Prerequisites

sudo -i

# Update system packages
apt update
apt install -y git python3 python3-pip ansible openssh-server curl jq wget aria2

# Install required Ansible collections
ansible-galaxy collection install community.general
ansible-galaxy collection install ansible.posix
ansible-galaxy collection install community.docker

# Verify installations
python3 --version
ansible --version
ssh -V

Step 2: Clone the Repository

# Clone the ethnode-infra repository
git clone https://github.com/ronnynth/ethnode-infra.git
cd ethnode-infra

# Set environment variables
export ETH_NODE_DIR=$(pwd)
export NODE_NAME="ethereum-mainnet-node"

info

The ethnode-infra project provides production-ready Ansible playbooks for deploying Ethereum nodes with best practices for security, monitoring, and maintenance.

Step 3: Configure Inventory

Create an inventory file for your setup:

# Create inventory file
cat > hosts << EOF
[ethereum_nodes]
eth-node-01 ansible_host=localhost ansible_connection=local ansible_user=${USER}

[qcloud]
qcloud-eth-01 ansible_host=localhost ansible_connection=local ansible_user=${USER}
EOF

Step 4: Configure Deployment Variables

Update the deploy.yml file to match your environment:

# Edit deploy.yml
vars:
  execution_disk: /dev/sdb    # Your actual disk device
  consensus_disk: /dev/sdc    # Secondary disk or same as execution
  network: mainnet            # Network selection
  checkpoint: https://mainnet.checkpoint.sigp.io

Step 5: Configure Fee Recipient (Important)

Update the fee recipient address in role variables:

# For Lighthouse
cat > roles/lighthouse/vars/main.yml << EOF
---
recipient: "0xYOUR_ETHEREUM_ADDRESS_HERE"
EOF

# For Prysm (if using)
cat > roles/prysm/vars/main.yml << EOF
---
recipient: "0xYOUR_ETHEREUM_ADDRESS_HERE"
EOF

warning

Critical: Replace 0xYOUR_ETHEREUM_ADDRESS_HERE with your actual Ethereum address to receive block rewards and MEV fees.

Step 6: Run the Deployment

Option 1: Full Automated Setup

# Deploy everything
ansible-playbook -i hosts deploy.yml

# This will:
# 1. Install system dependencies (Docker, Go, monitoring tools)
# 2. Configure disk management and mounting
# 3. Install and configure Geth (execution client)
# 4. Install and configure Lighthouse/Prysm (consensus client)
# 5. Set up MEV-Boost with multiple relays
# 6. Configure systemd services
# 7. Set up JWT authentication
# 8. Optimize system parameters

Option 2: Step-by-Step Deployment

# Deploy base system components
ansible-playbook -i hosts deploy.yml --tags "base"

# Deploy Geth execution client
ansible-playbook -i hosts deploy.yml --tags "geth"

# Deploy Lighthouse consensus client
ansible-playbook -i hosts deploy.yml --tags "lighthouse"

# Deploy MEV-Boost
ansible-playbook -i hosts deploy.yml --tags "mev"

Step 7: Start the Services

# Start Geth (execution layer)
systemctl start geth
systemctl enable geth

# Wait for Geth to sync (this can take several hours)
journalctl -u geth -f

# Start Lighthouse (consensus layer)
systemctl start lighthouse
systemctl enable lighthouse

# Start MEV-Boost
systemctl start mev-boost
systemctl enable mev-boost

# Check service status
systemctl status geth lighthouse mev-boost

Step 8: Monitor Synchronization

# Check Geth sync status
curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_syncing","params":[],"id":1}' \
  http://localhost:8545

# Check Lighthouse sync status
curl http://localhost:5052/eth/v1/node/syncing

# Check MEV-Boost status
curl http://localhost:18550/eth/v1/builder/status

# View logs
journalctl -u geth -f
journalctl -u lighthouse -f
journalctl -u mev-boost -f

Installation Method: Docker Compose

If you prefer a lightweight, infrastructure-as-code approach without Ansible, you can deploy an Ethereum full node using Docker Compose directly. This method is ideal for operators who want full control over the container lifecycle and configuration.

Prerequisites

Docker Engine 24+ and Docker Compose V2 installed
All system requirements met
Ports 30303 (P2P), 9000 (P2P), and any RPC/metrics ports you expose are open in your firewall

Step 1: Prepare Project Directory

sudo -i

mkdir -p /data/ethnode/{geth,lighthouse,.jwt}
cd /data/ethnode

Step 2: Generate JWT Secret

The JWT secret is used for authenticated communication between the Execution Layer (Geth) and the Consensus Layer (Lighthouse) via the Engine API. Both clients must share the same secret.

openssl rand -hex 32 > /data/ethnode/.jwt/jwt.hex
chmod 600 /data/ethnode/.jwt/jwt.hex

warning

Do not lose or regenerate this file while both clients are running. If the JWT secret is mismatched, the consensus client will fail to communicate with the execution client, and your node will stop following the chain.

Step 3: Create Environment File

Create a .env file to centralize all version pins and configurable parameters:

cat > .env << 'EOF'
# ─── Client Versions ───────────────────────────────────────
EL_GETH_VERSION=v1.17.2
LIGHTHOUSE_VERSION=v8.1.3
MEV_MEVBOOST_VERSION=1.12

# ─── Network ───────────────────────────────────────────────
NETWORK=mainnet

# ─── Port Mapping (host:container) ─────────────────────────
# Expose only what you need; keep RPC behind firewall
EL_PORT_HTTP=8545          # Geth JSON-RPC HTTP
EL_PORT_WS=8546            # Geth JSON-RPC WebSocket
CL_PORT_API=5052           # Lighthouse Beacon API

# ─── Lighthouse ────────────────────────────────────────────
LIGHTHOUSE_CHECKPOINT_SYNC_URL=https://mainnet.checkpoint.sigp.io

# ─── MEV-Boost Relays ─────────────────────────────────────
MEV_RELAYS=https://0xac6e77dfe25ecd6110b8e780608cce0dab71fdd5ebea22a16c0205200f2f8e2e3ad3b71d3499c54ad14d6c21b41a37ae@boost-relay.flashbots.net,https://0xa7ab7a996c8584251c8f925da3170bdfd6ebc75d50f5ddc4050a6fdc77f2a3b5fce2cc750d0865e05d7228af97d69561@agnostic-relay.net,https://0xa55c1285d84ba83a5ad26420cd5ad3091e49c55a813eee651cd467db38a8c8e63192f47955e9376f6b42f6d190571cb5@builder-relay-mainnet.blocknative.com

# ─── Fee Recipient ─────────────────────────────────────────
FEE_RECIPIENT=0xYOUR_ETHEREUM_ADDRESS_HERE
EOF

warning

Critical: Replace 0xYOUR_ETHEREUM_ADDRESS_HERE with your actual Ethereum address to receive block rewards and MEV tips.

Environment Variables Reference

Variable	Description	Example
`EL_GETH_VERSION`	Geth Docker image tag	`v1.17.2`
`LIGHTHOUSE_VERSION`	Lighthouse Docker image tag	`v8.1.3`
`MEV_MEVBOOST_VERSION`	MEV-Boost Docker image tag	`1.12`
`NETWORK`	Target Ethereum network	`mainnet` / `holesky` / `sepolia`
`EL_PORT_HTTP`	Host port mapped to Geth HTTP RPC (8545)	`8545`
`EL_PORT_WS`	Host port mapped to Geth WebSocket RPC (8546)	`8546`
`CL_PORT_API`	Host port mapped to Lighthouse Beacon API (5052)	`5052`
`LIGHTHOUSE_CHECKPOINT_SYNC_URL`	Trusted checkpoint sync endpoint for fast beacon sync	`https://mainnet.checkpoint.sigp.io`
`MEV_RELAYS`	Comma-separated list of MEV relay URLs	See `.env` above
`FEE_RECIPIENT`	Ethereum address to receive priority fees & MEV rewards	`0x...`

Step 4: Create Docker Compose File

docker-compose.yml
x-logging: &default-logging
  driver: "json-file"
  options:
    max-size: "500m"
    max-file: "5"

services:
  # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
  # Execution Layer — Geth
  # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
  el-geth:
    image: ethereum/client-go:${EL_GETH_VERSION}
    container_name: el-geth
    logging: *default-logging
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "${EL_PORT_HTTP}:8545"       # JSON-RPC HTTP
      - "${EL_PORT_WS}:8546"         # JSON-RPC WebSocket
      - "30303:30303/tcp"            # P2P TCP
      - "30303:30303/udp"            # P2P UDP (discovery)
      - "6004:6060"                  # Metrics (Prometheus)
    volumes:
      - /data/ethnode/geth:/geth/data
      - /data/ethnode/.jwt:/root/jwt:ro
    networks:
      - eth-node-net
    command: >
      --${NETWORK}
      --datadir=/geth/data
      --authrpc.jwtsecret=/root/jwt/jwt.hex
      --authrpc.addr=0.0.0.0
      --authrpc.port=8551
      --authrpc.vhosts="*"
      --http
      --http.addr=0.0.0.0
      --http.port=8545
      --http.api="eth,net,web3"
      --http.vhosts="*"
      --http.corsdomain="*"
      --ws
      --ws.addr=0.0.0.0
      --ws.port=8546
      --ws.api="eth,net,web3"
      --metrics
      --metrics.addr=0.0.0.0
      --metrics.port=6060

  # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
  # Consensus Layer — Lighthouse
  # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
  cl-lighthouse:
    image: sigp/lighthouse:${LIGHTHOUSE_VERSION}
    container_name: cl-lighthouse
    logging: *default-logging
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - el-geth
      - mev-mevboost
    ports:
      - "${CL_PORT_API}:5052"        # Beacon HTTP API
      - "9000:9000/tcp"              # P2P TCP
      - "9000:9000/udp"              # P2P UDP (discovery)
      - "6005:5054"                  # Metrics (Prometheus)
    volumes:
      - /data/ethnode/lighthouse:/opt/app/beacon
      - /data/ethnode/.jwt:/opt/jwt:ro
    networks:
      - eth-node-net
    command: >
      lighthouse bn
      --network=${NETWORK}
      --checkpoint-sync-url=${LIGHTHOUSE_CHECKPOINT_SYNC_URL}
      --checkpoint-sync-url-timeout=600
      --execution-endpoint=http://el-geth:8551
      --execution-jwt=/opt/jwt/jwt.hex
      --datadir=/opt/app/beacon/
      --builder=http://mev-mevboost:18550
      --http
      --http-address=0.0.0.0
      --http-port=5052
      --metrics
      --metrics-address=0.0.0.0
      --metrics-port=5054
      --metrics-allow-origin="*"
      --suggested-fee-recipient=${FEE_RECIPIENT}

  # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
  # MEV-Boost — Relay Sidecar
  # ──────────────────────────────────────────────
  mev-mevboost:
    image: flashbots/mev-boost:${MEV_MEVBOOST_VERSION}
    container_name: mev-mevboost
    logging: *default-logging
    restart: unless-stopped
    networks:
      - eth-node-net
    command: >
      -${NETWORK}
      -loglevel=info
      -addr=0.0.0.0:18550
      -relay-check
      -relays=${MEV_RELAYS}

networks:
  eth-node-net:
    driver: bridge
    name: shared-eth-net

Service Architecture Explanation

Geth (Execution Layer)

Geth is the Go implementation of the Ethereum execution client. It handles:

Transaction processing and smart contract execution
State management — maintaining the world state trie
P2P networking — peer discovery and block propagation on port 30303
JSON-RPC API — provides eth, net, web3 namespaces for external queries
Engine API (authrpc on port 8551) — the JWT-authenticated channel used by the consensus client to deliver payloads

Port	Protocol	Purpose	Exposure
8545	HTTP	JSON-RPC queries	Host-mapped, firewall-restrict
8546	WebSocket	Streaming subscriptions	Host-mapped, firewall-restrict
8551	HTTP	Engine API (JWT auth)	Internal only (container network)
30303	TCP+UDP	P2P peer-to-peer	Public, required for peering
6060	HTTP	Prometheus metrics	Host `6004`, for monitoring

tip

--http.vhosts="*" and --http.corsdomain="*" are permissive for development. In production, restrict these to trusted origins or keep RPC behind a firewall / reverse proxy.

Lighthouse (Consensus Layer)

Lighthouse is a Rust-based beacon chain client developed by Sigma Prime. It handles:

Beacon chain finality tracking, attestation, and block proposal
Checkpoint sync — fast-syncs from a trusted checkpoint to avoid syncing from genesis (saves days of time)
Builder API — connects to MEV-Boost to request blocks from external builders for MEV extraction
Engine API client — sends execution payloads to Geth via the JWT-authenticated endpoint

Port	Protocol	Purpose	Exposure
5052	HTTP	Beacon API	Host-mapped, firewall-restrict
9000	TCP+UDP	P2P peer-to-peer	Public, required for peering
5054	HTTP	Prometheus metrics	Host `6005`, for monitoring

Key flags explained:

--checkpoint-sync-url — Skips syncing from genesis; downloads a recent finalized state from a trusted provider
--checkpoint-sync-url-timeout=600 — Allows up to 10 minutes for the checkpoint download (large on mainnet)
--execution-endpoint=http://el-geth:8551 — Connects to Geth via Docker internal DNS
--builder=http://mev-mevboost:18550 — Enables MEV-Boost for external block building
--suggested-fee-recipient — Default address for priority fees when proposing blocks

MEV-Boost (Relay Sidecar)

MEV-Boost is a middleware that connects your validator to external block builders through relay networks. It enables Maximum Extractable Value optimization:

Receives block bids from multiple relays
Selects the most profitable block for your validator to propose
-relay-check — verifies relay connectivity at startup
Does not expose any ports to the host; only accessible within the eth-node-net Docker network

Networking

All three services share a single Docker bridge network shared-eth-net:

┌─ shared-eth-net (bridge) ──────────────────────────────────┐
│                                                             │
│   el-geth:8551  ◄──── Engine API (JWT) ────  cl-lighthouse │
│                                                             │
│   mev-mevboost:18550  ◄── Builder API ────  cl-lighthouse  │
│                                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Inter-container communication uses Docker DNS (e.g. http://el-geth:8551), so no host ports are needed for internal APIs. Only P2P and optional RPC/metrics are mapped to the host.

Logging

The x-logging anchor configures JSON file logging for all containers:

max-size: "500m"   # Rotate after 500 MB per log file
max-file: "5"      # Keep at most 5 rotated files (≈ 2.5 GB max per container)

This prevents disk exhaustion from verbose client logs during syncing.

Step 5: Launch the Stack

cd /data/ethnode

# Start all services in detached mode
docker compose up -d

# Verify all containers are running
docker compose ps

Expected output:

NAME             IMAGE                                   STATUS          PORTS
el-geth          ethereum/client-go:v1.17.2              Up 10 seconds   0.0.0.0:8545->8545/tcp, ...
cl-lighthouse    sigp/lighthouse:v8.1.3                  Up 8 seconds    0.0.0.0:5052->5052/tcp, ...
mev-mevboost     flashbots/mev-boost:1.12                Up 9 seconds

Step 6: Monitor Sync Progress

# Geth sync status
curl -s -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_syncing","params":[],"id":1}' \
  http://localhost:8545 | jq .

# Lighthouse sync status
curl -s http://localhost:5052/eth/v1/node/syncing | jq .

# MEV-Boost health
curl -s http://localhost:18550/eth/v1/builder/status

# Follow real-time logs
docker compose logs -f el-geth
docker compose logs -f cl-lighthouse
docker compose logs -f mev-mevboost

info

Initial sync times: Geth snap sync typically takes 6–12 hours. Lighthouse checkpoint sync takes 5–30 minutes to reach head, but will backfill historical blocks in the background.

Docker Compose Operations

# Stop all services (preserves data)
docker compose down

# Restart a single service
docker compose restart el-geth

# Upgrade a client (update version in .env first)
docker compose pull el-geth
docker compose up -d el-geth

# View resource usage
docker stats --no-stream

# Prune old images after upgrades
docker image prune -f

Directory Structure (Docker Compose)

/data/ethnode/
├── .env                       # Environment variables
├── docker-compose.yml         # Service definitions
├── .jwt/
│   └── jwt.hex                # Shared JWT secret (EL ↔ CL auth)
├── geth/                      # Geth data directory
│   ├── geth/
│   │   ├── chaindata/         # Blockchain state
│   │   └── nodes/             # Peer database
│   └── keystore/              # Account keystores
└── lighthouse/                # Lighthouse data directory
    └── beacon/                # Beacon chain database

tip

To switch to Holesky testnet, simply update your .env:

NETWORK=holesky
LIGHTHOUSE_CHECKPOINT_SYNC_URL=https://holesky.checkpoint.sigp.io

Then recreate the containers: docker compose up -d --force-recreate

Architecture Overview

The deployment creates a complete Ethereum node infrastructure:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    Ethereum Node Infrastructure             │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  ┌─────────────┐  ┌──────────────┐  ┌─────────────────────┐ │
│  │   Geth      │  │  Lighthouse  │  │     MEV-Boost       │ │
│  │ (Execution) │◄─┤ (Consensus)  │◄─┤     (Relay)         │ │
│  │             │  │              │  │                     │ │
│  │ Port: 8545  │  │ Port: 5052   │  │ Port: 18550         │ │
│  │ Port: 8546  │  │              │  │                     │ │
│  │ Port: 8551  │  │              │  │                     │ │
│  └─────────────┘  └──────────────┘  └─────────────────────┘ │
│                                                             │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│  │              Base System Components                     │ │
│  │  • Docker                                               │ │
│  │  • Go language runtime                                  │ │
│  │  • System optimization (kernel params, limits)         │ │
│  │  • Disk management and mounting                        │ │
│  │  • Monitoring tools (htop, iotop, prometheus-exporter) │ │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Directory Structure

After deployment, your node will have this structure:

/data/
├── execution/                 # Geth execution client data
│   ├── chaindata/            # Blockchain data
│   ├── nodes/                # Network peers
│   ├── geth.ipc              # IPC socket
│   └── .jwt.hex              # JWT secret for Engine API
├── consensus/                 # Lighthouse consensus client data
│   ├── beacon/               # Beacon chain data
│   ├── validators/           # Validator keys (if staking)
│   ├── logs/                 # Client logs
│   └── .jwt.hex              # JWT secret for Engine API
└── mev-boost/                 # MEV-Boost data
    ├── logs/                 # MEV logs
    └── .jwt.hex              # JWT secret

MEV-Boost Configuration

The setup includes multiple MEV relays for optimal performance:

Flashbots - Most popular MEV relay
Titan Relay - High performance relay
Agnostic Relay - Decentralized relay
Ultra Sound Money - Community relay
Aestus - Professional relay
SecureRPC - Secure relay
BloxRoute - Max Profit & Regulated relays
Eden Network - Alternative relay

Configuration Customization

Execution Client Options

# The playbook supports multiple execution clients:
# - Geth (default) - Most popular, well-tested
# - Nethermind - Fast sync, .NET ecosystem
# - Besu - Enterprise features, Java-based
# - Erigon - Efficient storage, fast sync

Consensus Client Options

# Switch to Prysm instead of Lighthouse:
# Edit deploy.yml and replace lighthouse role with:
- role: prysm
  vars:
    base_dir: "{{ consensus_data_dir }}"
  tags: ['prysm', 'consensus']

Network Configuration

# For Mainnet (default)
network: mainnet
checkpoint: https://mainnet.checkpoint.sigp.io

# For Holesky testnet
network: holesky
checkpoint: https://holesky.checkpoint.sigp.io

# For Sepolia testnet
network: sepolia
checkpoint: https://sepolia.checkpoint.sigp.io

Service Management

Basic Operations

# Check service status
systemctl status geth
systemctl status lighthouse
systemctl status mev-boost

# View logs
journalctl -u geth -f
journalctl -u lighthouse -f
journalctl -u mev-boost -f

# Restart services
systemctl restart geth
systemctl restart lighthouse
systemctl restart mev-boost

# Stop services
systemctl stop geth lighthouse mev-boost

Updates

# Update Geth
ansible-playbook -i hosts deploy.yml --tags "update.geth"

# Update Lighthouse
ansible-playbook -i hosts deploy.yml --tags "update.lighthouse"

# Update MEV-Boost
ansible-playbook -i hosts deploy.yml --tags "update.mev"

Monitoring and Maintenance

Built-in Monitoring Tools

The playbook installs monitoring tools:

htop - Process monitoring
iotop - I/O monitoring
iftop - Network monitoring
prometheus-node-exporter - Metrics export

Performance Monitoring

# Monitor resource usage
htop
iotop
iftop

# Check disk usage
df -h /data/execution
df -h /data/consensus

# Monitor sync progress
journalctl -u geth -f | grep "Imported new chain segment"
journalctl -u lighthouse -f | grep "Synced"

Backup Considerations

Critical data to backup:

# JWT tokens
/data/execution/.jwt.hex
/data/consensus/.jwt.hex
/data/mev-boost/.jwt.hex

# Validator keys (if running validators)
/data/consensus/validators/

# Configuration files
/etc/systemd/system/geth.service
/etc/systemd/system/lighthouse.service
/etc/systemd/system/mev-boost.service

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Disk not found: Update execution_disk and consensus_disk variables in deploy.yml
Permission denied: Ensure SSH key authentication is working
Port conflicts: Check if ports 8545, 8546, 8551, 5052, 9000, 18550 are available
Sync issues: Verify network connectivity and disk space

Log Analysis

# Check for errors in logs
journalctl -u geth --since "1 hour ago" | grep -i error
journalctl -u lighthouse --since "1 hour ago" | grep -i error
journalctl -u mev-boost --since "1 hour ago" | grep -i error

# Monitor sync progress
journalctl -u geth -f | grep "Imported new chain segment"
journalctl -u lighthouse -f | grep "Synced"

Performance Tuning

I/O Performance: Ensure SSD disks, enable noatime mount option
Network: Optimize peer connections, use fast internet
Memory: Consider increasing if experiencing OOM issues
CPU: Modern multi-core processor recommended

Security Features

JWT Authentication

Each client uses unique JWT tokens for secure communication
All JWT tokens are randomly generated and unique per deployment
Execution ↔ Consensus client authentication

System Hardening

Optimized kernel parameters for network performance
Increased file descriptor limits
Docker daemon security configuration
Proper file permissions and ownership

Support Resources

For help and support:

Ethereum Documentation: ethereum.org/developers
Geth Documentation: geth.ethereum.org
Lighthouse Documentation: lighthouse-book.sigmaprime.io
MEV-Boost Documentation: boost.flashbots.net
Community: ethstaker.cc
Discord: Ethereum R&D Discord

info

This setup creates a production-ready Ethereum node with MEV-Boost support, monitoring, security, and maintenance automation. The node will automatically stay synchronized with the Ethereum mainnet.

warning

Important Notes:

Initial sync can take 6-24 hours depending on hardware and network
Ensure you have adequate storage space (2TB+ recommended)
Monitor resource usage during initial sync
Keep your system updated for security
Always test on testnets before deploying to mainnet

Prerequisites​

System Requirements​

Network Information​

Installation Method: Ansible Automation​

Step 1: Install Prerequisites​

Step 2: Clone the Repository​

Step 3: Configure Inventory​

Step 4: Configure Deployment Variables​

Step 5: Configure Fee Recipient (Important)​

Step 6: Run the Deployment​

Option 1: Full Automated Setup​

Option 2: Step-by-Step Deployment​

Step 7: Start the Services​

Step 8: Monitor Synchronization​

Installation Method: Docker Compose​

Prerequisites​

Step 1: Prepare Project Directory​

Step 2: Generate JWT Secret​

Step 3: Create Environment File​

Environment Variables Reference​

Step 4: Create Docker Compose File​

Service Architecture Explanation​

Geth (Execution Layer)​

Lighthouse (Consensus Layer)​

MEV-Boost (Relay Sidecar)​

Networking​

Logging​

Step 5: Launch the Stack​

Step 6: Monitor Sync Progress​

Docker Compose Operations​

Directory Structure (Docker Compose)​

Architecture Overview​

Directory Structure​

MEV-Boost Configuration​

Configuration Customization​

Execution Client Options​

Consensus Client Options​

Network Configuration​

Service Management​

Basic Operations​

Updates​

Monitoring and Maintenance​

Built-in Monitoring Tools​

Performance Monitoring​

Backup Considerations​

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

Log Analysis​

Performance Tuning​

Security Features​

JWT Authentication​

System Hardening​

Support Resources​

Prerequisites

System Requirements

Network Information

Installation Method: Ansible Automation

Step 1: Install Prerequisites

Step 2: Clone the Repository

Step 3: Configure Inventory

Step 4: Configure Deployment Variables

Step 5: Configure Fee Recipient (Important)

Step 6: Run the Deployment

Option 1: Full Automated Setup

Option 2: Step-by-Step Deployment

Step 7: Start the Services

Step 8: Monitor Synchronization

Installation Method: Docker Compose

Prerequisites

Step 1: Prepare Project Directory

Step 2: Generate JWT Secret

Step 3: Create Environment File

Environment Variables Reference

Step 4: Create Docker Compose File

Service Architecture Explanation

Geth (Execution Layer)

Lighthouse (Consensus Layer)

MEV-Boost (Relay Sidecar)

Networking

Logging

Step 5: Launch the Stack

Step 6: Monitor Sync Progress

Docker Compose Operations

Directory Structure (Docker Compose)

Architecture Overview

Directory Structure

MEV-Boost Configuration

Configuration Customization

Execution Client Options

Consensus Client Options

Network Configuration

Service Management

Basic Operations

Updates

Monitoring and Maintenance

Built-in Monitoring Tools

Performance Monitoring

Backup Considerations

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Log Analysis

Performance Tuning

Security Features

JWT Authentication

System Hardening

Support Resources