Algorand MCP

title: Configure node as a relay A benefit of Algorand's decentralized network implementation is that a relay is effectively the same as any other node. The distinction currently is made by configuring a node to actively listen for connections from other nodes and having itself advertised using SRV records available through DNS. It is possible to set up a relay for a personal network that does not require DNS entries. This is done using the following steps. # Install Node See this page for [node hardware requirements](../../setup/install/#hardware-requirements). Follow the [install instructions](../../run-a-node/setup/install.md) for the specific operating system that the relay will run on. # Edit the Configuration File Edit the configuration file for the node as described in the [configuration](../config) guide. Set the property `NetAddress` to `":4161"` for TestNet and to `":4160"` for MainNet. Then the file. Make sure the file is named `config.json`. Concretely, your `config.json` file should look like: ```json { "NetAddress": ":4161" } ``` for TestNet. !!! warning As a precaution, it is not recommended that relay nodes interact with accounts or participate in consensus. # Start the Node Start the node as described in the [install](../../run-a-node/setup/install.md) guide. The node will now listen for incoming traffic on port 4161 (for TestNet) or on port 4160 (for MainNet). Other nodes can now connect to this relay. # Connect a Node to Relay Any node can connect to this relay by specifying it in the `goal node start` command. ``` goal node start -p "ipaddress:4161" ``` The node can also be set up to connect to multiple relays using a `;` separated list of relays. ``` goal node start -p "ipaddress-1:4161;ipaddress-2:4161" ``` (4161 needs to be replaced by 4160 for MainNet.) !!! warning Using the above process will prevent the node from connecting to any of the Algorand networks. See the [Phonebook](../artifacts#phonebookjson) documentation for more information on how nodes connect to relays. See the [Algorand Foundation FAQ](https://www.algorand.foundation/general-faq#04-faq) for additional details about MainNet relays.