Monero Wallet Not Connecting to Daemon? Fixes by Symptom

If your Monero wallet is not connecting to its daemon (the node it reads the network from), the cause is almost always one of a short list: the node is down or busy, the address, port or network is wrong, SSL is switched on or off by mistake, or something on your device or network is blocking the link. Your funds are not at risk. This page starts with the symptom and walks through the fixes in the order that finds the cause fastest.

What the error means

A Monero wallet does not hold your coins. It holds keys, and it reads the blockchain through a node. In older wallet software the node program is called the daemon, and the file is monerod. When a wallet says "failed to connect to daemon", "disconnected", or "no connection to node", it tried to open that link and failed.

That is a different problem from a wallet that connects but never finishes catching up. If the status shows a block counter that moves slowly or freezes, read why a Monero wallet is not syncing. This page covers the step before that: getting a connection at all.

Find the cause fast

Two quick checks split most cases in half. First, confirm that ordinary websites load on the same device. Second, point the wallet at a different public node. If the new node connects, the first one was the problem and you are done.

The node is down or busy

Public remote nodes are run by volunteers. They go offline for maintenance, run out of connections when many wallets use them at once, or fall behind the network. This is the most common reason for a connection error, and the fix is to use another node.

1. Open the wallet's node or network settings.
2. Choose a different remote node. A directory such as monero.fail lists public nodes and checks their health, with options for Tor and I2P.
3. Save, then wait a few seconds for the status to change.

Keep a second node noted down so you are not stuck if your usual one disappears. If you rely on a wallet daily, our guide to choosing a remote node explains what to look for.

Wrong port or network

A node is reached by an address plus a port. Wallets fail quietly when either is off by a digit, or when you point a real mainnet wallet at a test network. Monero runs three separate networks, each with its own default ports:

The ports in the table are the defaults from the official monerod reference. Public remote nodes frequently publish a separate restricted port instead, and 18089 is a common choice on mainnet (the same pattern is used on stagenet with 38089). If a node's own page lists a port, use that one over the default.

Check these in order:

• Address. No spaces, no stray http:// unless the wallet asks for the full URL, and no copied trailing slash.
• Port. A number in the 18000 range for mainnet. A 38000 or 28000 port means you picked a test node.
• Network. Your wallet and the node must both be mainnet. A mainnet wallet pointed at stagenet will not work, and a stagenet wallet will never show real coins.
• Node type. A node on your own network may allow only local connections. Behind a router, the address must be reachable from where the wallet runs.

SSL and https mismatch

Some nodes accept encrypted connections (SSL, shown as https). Others accept only plain connections. The wallet's SSL setting has to agree with the node. Turn SSL on for a node that needs it, and leave it off for one that does not. A mismatch gives the same generic connection error as a dead node, so it is easy to misread.

Cake Wallet's documentation advises enabling SSL only when the node operator says to or you know the node uses it, and notes that a node on a local network can fail when the SSL toggle is on by mistake. The same logic applies in other wallets: if the address and port look right and it still fails, check this setting before anything else.

Firewall, VPN and Tor

If the node works for other people but not for you, the block is on your side. Test each of these in turn, switching it off briefly to see whether the wallet connects:

• VPN. Some VPN servers block or throttle crypto traffic. Try another server or turn the VPN off for the test.
• Tor. A wallet set to use Tor needs a working Tor connection, and a node that supports it. A clearnet node will not respond through an onion setting, and the reverse.
• Firewall or antivirus. Allow the wallet (and monerod if you run it) to make outgoing connections. Security software sometimes flags Monero programs, a point the official downloads page also mentions.
• Captive portals. Hotel, airport and cafe wifi may need a login page before any app can reach the internet.
• Router or corporate network. Some networks block uncommon ports. Switching to mobile data is a quick test.

Your own daemon is still syncing

If you run your own node, the wallet can only use it once it is up. Check that monerod is running, that it listens on the address and port the wallet uses (the default RPC address is local only), and that it has caught up with the network. A freshly started node can take a long time on its first run, and a wallet connected to a node that is far behind will show old data or fail.

If the node is not synced yet, you can point the wallet at a remote node in the meantime and switch back later. For setting up and maintaining your own node, see how to run a Monero node.

Restricted RPC

A node can expose two kinds of RPC access. The full version gives complete control of the node and listens on the local machine only by default. The restricted version is limited to the safe commands a wallet needs, and is what public nodes should offer. The official docs describe the restricted option as limiting the API to view-only commands. If a wallet connects but certain actions fail, you may have the wrong one:

• For a wallet on another machine, use the node's restricted address and port, not the local-only one.
• If you run the node, bind the restricted port for outside access rather than opening the full one to your network.
• Never expose the full, unrestricted RPC to the internet.

Date, time and old software

Two quiet causes are worth a minute. A badly wrong system clock can break encrypted connections, so make sure automatic date and time is on. And old software can stop working after a network upgrade: Monero changes its rules through scheduled hard forks, and the project says users and services should run current software before each one. A wallet or node that is many versions old may be refused by the network. Update from the official downloads page, and verify the file as it describes.

Wallet by wallet

Monero GUI

According to the official remote node guide, custom remote nodes need Advanced mode. In Settings, then Node, choose Remote Node, enter the address and port, add a username and password only if the node needs them, and press Connect. For your own node, choose the local option and make sure monerod is running. Menu wording can shift between versions, so use this as a guide, not a script.

Monero CLI wallet

Start the wallet with --daemon-address host:port. Add --stagenet or --testnet only when the daemon is on that network, and leave both off for mainnet. The CLI reference says the default daemon port is 18081 when you do not set one.

Feather

Feather's documentation says it connects to a random node from a curated list unless you change it, and that you can manage nodes under Settings, Network, Nodes. If one node fails, pick another from the list.

Cake Wallet

Cake Wallet's documentation places node management under Nodes in its settings, and says you can also tap the sync status bar on the home screen. Add a node with the plus button, set address, port and SSL to match the node, and tick "Trusted" only for your own node.

MonkStash

MonkStash connects through its own node connection automatically, so there is no address or port to type. If the connection fails, the dashboard shows Sync stopped with a Retry button. Press Retry once; the cause is usually a node that was briefly unavailable. If it keeps failing, check your internet and any VPN, then try again. Your recovery words are untouched, and you can restore on another device any time (see restoring a wallet). MonkStash is an early preview and has not yet been independently audited.

What to do next

Once the wallet connects, give it a moment to scan. If the balance then looks wrong, read why a Monero balance shows zero. To understand what you were connecting to, see what a Monero node is, and if you want a connection that depends on no one else, run your own. Still stuck? Visit support or the FAQ, and never share your recovery words with anyone who offers help.