How to Check a Network Before Adding It With Chainslist

Use Chainslist when your EVM wallet does not show the network you need, or when you want to check its settings before adding it. An EVM wallet can connect to several blockchains, but each has its own balances and network settings. Adding a network changes what the wallet can display; it does not move your funds.

What Does Chainslist Show?

It shows the details a wallet needs to connect to an EVM network. The chain ID identifies the blockchain, while an RPC endpoint is the server your wallet asks for balances and uses to broadcast signed transactions. The native currency pays transaction fees, often called gas.

Say your MetaMask wallet is showing Ethereum Mainnet, but you need to use Base. I would check Chainslist for Base’s chain ID, 8453, then compare it with Base’s published settings before approving a change. A ChainList network search may show several RPC endpoints for the same chain; choose one that matches the chain and comes from a provider you trust.

• Network name: The label shown in your wallet, such as Base.
• Chain ID: The network’s identifier; Base Mainnet uses 8453, while Ethereum Mainnet uses 1.
• RPC URL: The endpoint your wallet connects to. Providers may differ in reliability, limits and how they handle request data.
• Native currency symbol: The token used for gas; Base uses ETH.
• Block explorer URL: An optional address for viewing transactions in a browser.

How Do You Add the Network?

Add it by finding the intended chain, checking its details and reviewing what your wallet asks you to approve. These steps work for a compatible EVM wallet even if its menu labels differ.

1. Open your wallet’s network menu. Look for an existing entry first; if it is already there, select it. Otherwise, find the option to add a network or add one manually.
2. Find the intended mainnet. Check both its name and chain ID, since testnets are separate networks used for testing. Turn on testnet results only when the service you are using specifically asks for a testnet.
3. Check the RPC endpoint. Compare the chain ID and RPC details with the chain’s published documentation. If several endpoints are available, I would start with one published by the chain; an endpoint can be slow or unavailable even when its chain ID is correct.
4. Add the details. In a manual form, enter the network name, RPC URL, chain ID and currency symbol; add the block explorer URL if the wallet offers that field. If you use an add to wallet button instead, review those same details in the wallet prompt.
5. Approve and switch networks. Check that the wallet now displays the intended chain. If it rejects the RPC or cannot load a balance, recheck the chain ID and try another verified endpoint for that same chain.

What Changes Once You Connect?

Your wallet can now read balances and send transactions on the selected chain. Adding the network itself has no blockchain fee; a transaction does, and the wallet shows an estimated gas fee before you sign. You need some of that chain’s native currency to pay it.

An empty balance does not necessarily mean your assets are gone. The same EVM account address can have different balances on Ethereum Mainnet and Base, and a token may need to be added to the wallet’s display. To move assets between chains, use a transfer route that explicitly supports the destination chain; switching the wallet’s network does not transfer them.

• Match the network name and chain ID.
• Check the RPC endpoint before approving it.
• Switch networks, then confirm the balance and gas currency.