Connection Settings

This section covers all network and connection-related configuration options for arb-assist.

RPC Configuration

rpc_url

Type: string Required: Yes Description: Solana RPC endpoint for fetching blockchain data

rpc_url = "https://api.mainnet-beta.solana.com"

Choosing an RPC Provider

Public RPCs (Not recommended for production):

rpc_url = "https://api.mainnet-beta.solana.com"
rpc_url = "https://solana-api.projectserum.com"

Recommended RPCs:

# Helius (cheaper option, fine for starting out)
rpc_url = "https://mainnet.helius-rpc.com/?api-key=YOUR_KEY"

# NFT-gated shared nodes (better performance)
rpc_url = "http://deez.top:80"
rpc_url = "http://shark.top:80"
rpc_url = "http://platinum.top:80"
rpc_url = "http://corvus.top:80"
rpc_url = "http://thor.top:80"
rpc_url = "http://vision.top:80"

config_rpc_url

Type: string Required: No Default: Same as rpc_url Description: RPC endpoint for the generated bot configuration

config_rpc_url = "http://utah.deez.top:80"

Use this when you want arb-assist and your bot to use different RPCs.

sending_rpc_urls

Type: array Required: Yes (for SMB mode) Description: RPC endpoints for sending transactions

sending_rpc_urls = [
  "https://mainnet.rpc1.com",
  "https://mainnet.rpc2.com",
  "https://mainnet.rpc3.com",
]

Best practices:

• Use 3-5 different RPC providers

• Mix geographic regions

• Include both premium and free endpoints

• Test latency to each endpoint

GRPC Configuration

grpc_url

Type: string Required: Yes Description: GRPC endpoint for streaming transaction data

grpc_url = "http://grpc.provider.com:10001"

grpc_token

Type: string Required: Depends on provider Description: Authentication token for GRPC endpoint

grpc_token = "your-authentication-token"

For Yellowstone:

grpc_token = ""  # Often not required

For ThorStreamer:

grpc_token = "your-x-token"  # Usually required

grpc_engine

Type: string Required: Yes Values: "yellowstone" | "thor" Description: Type of GRPC engine to use

grpc_engine = "yellowstone"  # For Yellowstone GRPC
# OR
grpc_engine = "thor"         # For ThorStreamer

Yellowstone GRPC

Characteristics:

• Native gRPC protocol

• Lower latency

• Better for high-frequency trading

• More stable connection

Configuration example:

grpc_url = "http://nl.grpc.deez.top:10001"
grpc_token = ""
grpc_engine = "yellowstone"

ThorStreamer

Characteristics:

• HTTP/2 based

• Easier firewall traversal

• Good for VPS environments

• Token authentication

Configuration example:

grpc_url = "https://thor.provider.com/stream"
grpc_token = "eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGc..."
grpc_engine = "thor"

API Keys

helius_key

Type: string Required: No Description: Helius API key for priority fee estimation

helius_key = "your-helius-api-key"

Benefits of using Helius:

• Real-time priority fee data

• Network congestion metrics

• More accurate fee estimation

• Reduced failed transactions

Without Helius key:

• Falls back to parsed transaction data

• Less accurate fee estimates

• May overpay or underpay fees

jito_uuid

Type: string Required: No Description: UUID for Jito bundle identification

jito_uuid = "abcd-efgh-ijklm-opqrs-11223344556600"

Used for:

• Tracking bundle performance

• Jito analytics

• Debugging bundle issues

Network Settings

port

Type: integer Required: No Default: 0 (disabled) Description: Port for serving configuration files over HTTP

port = 8080  # Enable file server on port 8080
# OR
port = 0     # Disable file server

File server endpoints:

• http://server:8080/smb-config.toml

• http://server:8080/notarb-config.toml

• http://server:8080/markets.json

• http://server:8080/lookup-tables.json

Security considerations:

• Use firewall to restrict access

• Consider reverse proxy with authentication

• Monitor access logs

Connection Pools

For NotArb

Additional connection settings in the [notarb] section:

[notarb]
# Token account checking
token_accounts_checker = { 
  rpc_url = "https://separate-rpc.com", 
  delay_seconds = 3 
}

# Blockhash updates
blockhash_updater = { 
  rpc_url = "https://fast-rpc.com", 
  delay_ms = 400 
}

# Account data loading
account_size_loader = { 
  rpc_url = "https://data-rpc.com", 
  invalid_account_size = 200, 
  buffer_size = 1500 
}

These allow using different RPCs for different purposes:

• token_accounts_checker: Slower, less critical checks

• blockhash_updater: Fast, low-latency requirement

• account_size_loader: Bulk data operations

Connection Troubleshooting

RPC Issues

Connection Refused

Error: Connection refused to RPC endpoint

Solutions:

• Verify URL format (https:// vs http://)

• Check firewall rules

• Confirm API key in URL

• Test with curl: curl YOUR_RPC_URL

Rate Limiting

Error: 429 Too Many Requests

Solutions:

• Use premium RPC with higher limits

• Add multiple RPC URLs

• Reduce update_interval

• Implement request batching

GRPC Issues

Authentication Failed

Error: GRPC authentication failed

Solutions:

• Verify grpc_token is correct

• Check token expiration

• Confirm grpc_engine matches provider

• Contact provider support

Stream Interrupted

Error: GRPC stream disconnected

Solutions:

• Check network stability

• Increase timeout values

• Use closer geographic endpoint

• Monitor bandwidth usage

Performance Optimization

Latency Reduction

1. Geographic Proximity

   • Use endpoints close to your VPS

   • Test ping times to each endpoint

   • Consider multi-region setup

2. Connection Pooling

   • Reuse HTTP connections

   • Maintain persistent GRPC streams

   • Implement reconnection logic

3. Load Balancing

   sending_rpc_urls = [
     "https://us-east.rpc.com",
     "https://us-west.rpc.com", 
     "https://eu.rpc.com",
   ]

Bandwidth Management

Monitor bandwidth usage:

• GRPC streams: 50-200 Mbps typical

• RPC requests: 10-50 Mbps typical

• Total recommended: 1 Gbps connection

Reduce bandwidth:

• Filter unnecessary GRPC data

• Batch RPC requests

• Implement local caching

• Use compression where supported

Best Practices

1. Redundancy

   • Multiple RPC providers

   • Fallback GRPC endpoints

   • Automatic failover logic

2. Security

   • Rotate API keys regularly

   • Use HTTPS where possible

   • Implement IP whitelisting

   • Monitor for suspicious activity

3. Monitoring

   • Track connection uptime

   • Monitor response times

   • Alert on failures

   • Log connection events

4. Testing

   # Test RPC
   curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"getBlockHeight"}' \
     YOUR_RPC_URL
   
   # Test GRPC (example)
   grpcurl -H "x-token: YOUR_TOKEN" \
     YOUR_GRPC_URL:PORT \
     list