Metamask: Metamask does not switch to local node, no error message

Metamask issue when switching local nodes

I see a common issue when users try to switch their MetaMask instance from a remote network to a local Hardhat node using Wagmi.sh. The dialog that appears after confirming the switch often doesn’t show any error messages, which is a source of frustration.

Problem:

If you use the “useSwitchNetwork” function with Wagmi.sh and Metamask on a remote network, a dialog box asks you to confirm the switch from the remote network to the local Hardhat node. However, it doesn’t show any error message or indicate that the switch was successful. This can lead users to think that the issue has been fixed without actually knowing what went wrong.

Solution:

To resolve this issue, you need to add a check for the success of the switch operation and display an appropriate error message if it fails. Here’s a sample code snippet to get you started:

const useSwitchNetwork = async ({ type, network }) => {
try {
await useSwitchNetwork({ type, network });
} catch (error) {
console.error('Error switching to local Hardhat node:', error);
alert('Error switching to local Hardhat node. Please check the connection and try again.');
}
};

In this code snippet, we use a try-catch block to catch any errors that may occur during the switching operation. When an error occurs, we log it to the console and display a user-friendly error message with an alert box.

Alternative solution:

You can also use Wagmi.sh’s built-in support for network switching by using the “useSwitchNetwork” function in the Hardhat configuration file (hardhat.config.js). Here’s an example:

const { ethers } = require('wagmi');
module.exports = {
//...
async configure({ env}) {
const network = env.network;
try {
const metamaskInstance = await ethers.getSigner();
if (network === 'metamask') {
await useSwitchNetwork({
type: "switch"
network,
});
}
} catch (error) {
console.error('Error switching to local Hardhat node:', error);
alert('Error switching to local Hardhat node. Please check the connection and try again.');
}
},
};

In this example, we use the ether library to get a signer instance based on the current network. We then use the `useSwitchNetwork'' function to switch to the local Hardhat node.

By adding error checking and displaying user-friendly error messages, you can resolve the issue of Metamask not switching to the local Hardhat node after usinguseSwitchNetwork’. This should improve the overall user experience and help prevent frustration.