# Set Maximum Number of Peers

The `rippled` server has a configurable soft maximum number of [peers](/docs/concepts/networks-and-servers/peer-protocol) to connect to. The default maximum number of peers is **21**.

Internally, the server generates approximate quotas of incoming and outgoing peers. You can potentially go over the soft maximum if you are using [fixed peers, peer reservations](/docs/concepts/networks-and-servers/peer-protocol#fixed-peers-and-peer-reservations), or if you manually connect to additional peers using the [connect method](/docs/references/http-websocket-apis/admin-api-methods/peer-management-methods/connect).

To change the maximum number of peers your server allows, complete the following steps:

1. Edit your `rippled`'s config file.

```
$ vim /etc/opt/ripple/rippled.cfg
```

2. In the config file, uncomment and edit the `[peers_max]` stanza, or add one if you don't have one already:

```
[peers_max]
30
```
The only content of the stanza should be an integer indicating the total number of peers to allow. By default, the server attempts to maintain a ratio of about 85% incoming and 15% outgoing peers, but with a minimum of 10 outgoing peers, so any value less than 68 won't increase the number of outgoing peer connections your server makes.
If the `[peers_max]` value is less than 10, the server still allows a hardcoded minimum of 10 outgoing peers so that it can maintain connectivity with the network. To block all outgoing peer connections, [configure the server as a private peer](/docs/infrastructure/configuration/server-modes/run-rippled-as-a-validator#connect-using-proxies) instead.
The more peer servers you are connected to, the more network bandwidth your `rippled` server uses. You should only configure large numbers of peer servers if your `rippled` server has a good network connection and you can afford the costs you may incur for the bandwidth it uses.
3. Restart the `rippled` server.

```
$ sudo systemctl restart rippled.service
```


## See Also

- **Concepts:**
  - [Peer Protocol](/docs/concepts/networks-and-servers/peer-protocol)
  - [The `rippled` Server](/docs/concepts/networks-and-servers)
- **Tutorials:**
  - [Capacity Planning](/docs/infrastructure/installation/capacity-planning)
  - [Troubleshoot the `rippled` Server](/docs/infrastructure/troubleshooting)
- **References:**
  - [connect method](/docs/references/http-websocket-apis/admin-api-methods/peer-management-methods/connect)
  - [peers method](/docs/references/http-websocket-apis/admin-api-methods/peer-management-methods/peers)
  - [print method](/docs/references/http-websocket-apis/admin-api-methods/status-and-debugging-methods/print)
  - [server_info method](/docs/references/http-websocket-apis/public-api-methods/server-info-methods/server_info)