Can a new node join the chain without bootnodes

Question

I added a brand new node into the private network, without bootnodes. Over time this node DIDN'T seem to add any peers to talk with. Is that normal and expected?

Answer 1

Yes it's normal and expected. The P2P protocol requires that you indicate at least a bootnode from which your discovery will start. Bootnode is a venue for new nodes otherwise they can't know where to start searching for peers. There's a list of default bootnode in clients, but as you run a private network, this list isn't useful for your. Depending on the client you use, there may be different ways to turn a node into a bootnode. If you indicate your client and I'll edit my answer.