---
title: Node Types
description: >-
  Learn about Paxeer network node types—RPC, archive, state sync, and validator
  nodes—plus common ports and a systemd setup template.
keywords:
  - paxeer node
  - blockchain node
  - node types
  - RPC
  - archive node
  - validator node
  - state sync
  - ports
  - systemd
  - P2P
---

> **For AI agents:** the complete documentation index is at [llms.txt](/llms.txt). Append `.md` to any page URL for its markdown version.

There are several node types that can be run on the Paxeer network which serve a variety of purposes. These include:

- **RPC / Full Nodes**: Generally used for querying data or interacting with the chain. They maintain some state but not since genesis. The default settings will run RPC / full nodes.

- **Archive / Full Nodes**: Maintain full state of the blockchain from genesis. Generally requires large disks (10 TB+ minimum). To enable this type of node, set `min-retain-blocks=0` and `pruning="nothing"` in your `app.toml`.

- **State Sync Nodes**: Provide snapshot data for other nodes to use to bootstrap onto the chain. To enable this type of node, set `enable=true` under the `[statesync]` section in config.toml.

- **Validator Nodes**: Provide security to the chain by proposing and signing blocks. To enable this type of node, set `mode=validator` in `config.toml`. Note that because Paxeer is proof-of-stake, you must have enough delegation to join the active set.

## Commonly Used Ports

`paxd` uses the following TCP ports. Toggle their settings to match your environment.

- `26656`: The default port for the P2P communication. This port is used to communicate with other nodes and must be open to join the network.
- `26657`: The default port for the RPC interface. Because this port is used for querying and sending transactions, it must be open for serving queries from `paxd`.
- `1317`: The default port for interacting with the `paxd` API server for HTTP RESTful requests. This allows applications and services to interact with the `paxd` instance through RPC.
- `9090`: The default port for gRPC communication. This is used for high-performance communication with the node.
- `8545`: The default port for EVM HTTP RPC. This port is used for Ethereum JSON-RPC calls and must be open if you want to interact with EVM-compatible applications.
- `8546`: The default port for EVM WebSocket RPC. This port provides real-time communication for EVM applications that require WebSocket connections.
- `26660`: The default port for interacting with the Prometheus database, which can be used to monitor the environment. In the default configuration, this port is not open.

These ports are all customizable in `$HOME/.paxeer/config/config.toml` and `$HOME/.paxeer/config/app.toml`.

## Systemd File Template

```toml
[Unit]
Description=Paxeer Node
After=network.target

[Service]
User=<USER>
Type=simple
ExecStart=<PATH_TO_PAXD>/paxd start --chain-id hyperpax_125-1
Restart=always
RestartSec=30
TimeoutStopSec=30
KillSignal=SIGINT
LimitNOFILE=65535

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
```