---
html: set-max-number-of-peers.html
parent: configure-peering.html
seo:
    description: Set the maximum number of peers your rippled server connects to.
labels:
  - Core Server
---
# Set Maximum Number of Peers

The `rippled` server has a configurable soft maximum number of [peers](../../../concepts/networks-and-servers/peer-protocol.md) to connect to. The default maximum number of peers is **21**.

{% admonition type="info" name="Note" %}Internally, the server generates approximate quotas of incoming and outgoing peers. You can potentially go over the soft maximum if you are using [fixed peers, peer reservations](../../../concepts/networks-and-servers/peer-protocol.md#fixed-peers-and-peer-reservations), or if you manually connect to additional peers using the [connect method][].{% /admonition %}

To change the maximum number of peers your server allows, complete the following steps:

1. Edit your `rippled`'s config file.

    ```
    $ vim /etc/opt/ripple/rippled.cfg
    ```

    {% partial file="/docs/_snippets/conf-file-location.md" /%}

2. In the config file, uncomment and edit the `[peers_max]` stanza, or add one if you don't have one already:

    ```
    [peers_max]
    30
    ```

    The only content of the stanza should be an integer indicating the total number of peers to allow. By default, the server attempts to maintain a ratio of about 85% incoming and 15% outgoing peers, but with a minimum of 10 outgoing peers, so any value less than 68 won't increase the number of outgoing peer connections your server makes.

    If the `[peers_max]` value is less than 10, the server still allows a hardcoded minimum of 10 outgoing peers so that it can maintain connectivity with the network. To block all outgoing peer connections, [configure the server as a private peer](../server-modes/run-rippled-as-a-validator.md#connect-using-proxies) instead.

    {% admonition type="warning" name="Caution" %}The more peer servers you are connected to, the more network bandwidth your `rippled` server uses. You should only configure large numbers of peer servers if your `rippled` server has a good network connection and you can afford the costs you may incur for the bandwidth it uses.{% /admonition %}

3. Restart the `rippled` server.

    ```
    $ sudo systemctl restart rippled.service
    ```


## See Also

- **Concepts:**
    - [Peer Protocol](../../../concepts/networks-and-servers/peer-protocol.md)
    - [The `rippled` Server](../../../concepts/networks-and-servers/index.md)
- **Tutorials:**
    - [Capacity Planning](../../installation/capacity-planning.md)
    - [Troubleshoot the `rippled` Server](../../troubleshooting/index.md)
- **References:**
    - [connect method][]
    - [peers method][]
    - [print method][]
    - [server_info method][]

{% raw-partial file="/docs/_snippets/common-links.md" /%}