Node Peer Count Monitor

WHAT IT DOES

The Node Peer Count Monitor is an analytics tool that tracks the peer count of your connected RPC node over time. It periodically queries the node's net_peerCount via RPC, records historical snapshots, and calculates statistics including current, average, maximum, and minimum peer counts. The tool provides real-time health assessments based on peer count levels, visualizes the peer count trend, and maintains a historical record to help you understand your node's connectivity stability. This is essential for node operators, developers, and infrastructure teams monitoring the health and reliability of their Ethereum nodes.

HOW TO USE

Connect your wallet to establish an RPC provider connection. Configure the check interval (default 10 seconds) and the number of historical samples to keep (default 50). Click "start monitoring" to begin collecting peer count data. The tool will display a real-time dashboard showing the current peer count with health status (healthy, moderate, or low), statistical summaries (average, max, min, sample count), and a visual bar chart comparing current peer count against historical range. A detailed history table shows the last 20 peer count snapshots with timestamps. Use "stop monitoring" to pause data collection and "clear history" to reset the data set.

TECHNICAL MECHANISM

The tool accesses the connected RPC provider and sends a net_peerCount JSON-RPC request to the node. This method returns the number of active peers the node is currently connected to, typically as a hexadecimal string (e.g., "0x10" for 16 peers). The tool parses this value into a decimal number. If net_peerCount is not supported by the provider, the tool falls back to admin_peers and counts the number of returned peer objects. Each successful fetch creates a timestamped snapshot stored in memory. The tool calculates real-time statistics by iterating over the history array and computing sum, average, max, and min values. The health status is determined by thresholds: 0-4 peers is "low" (critical), 5-14 peers is "moderate" (warning), and 15+ peers is "healthy" (good). The visual bar chart shows the current peer count positioned relative to the historical min and max range, providing immediate context for connectivity trends. The monitoring loop runs at the configured interval using setTimeout-based recursion.

WHAT IT CANNOT SEE

The tool cannot access peer counts of other nodes or networks beyond the connected RPC endpoint. It cannot determine peer quality, geographic distribution, or the reliability of individual peers. The tool cannot verify node synchronization status with the network or detect malicious peers. It cannot monitor peer counts across multiple nodes simultaneously without separate connections. The tool cannot predict future peer count trends or network health changes. It cannot detect if the connected node is functioning correctly beyond the peer count metric—a node with many peers could still be misconfigured or behind on synchronization. The tool cannot diagnose the root cause of low peer counts.

PLEASE NOTE

This tool is designed for Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible chains only. Peer count values depend on node configuration, network conditions, and provider-specific limitations. Some RPC providers may not expose net_peerCount or admin_peers, in which case the tool will report a failure. The health thresholds (5 and 15 peers) are approximate guidelines and may vary by network and node type. The tool provides estimates only and should not be used as the sole basis for critical infrastructure decisions. For production environments, combine this with other monitoring metrics like block sync status and response latency.