Bitaxe Radar

Bitaxe setup: your first-hour checklist

Just unboxed your Bitaxe? Here's everything to do in the first hour: get it on Wi-Fi, point it at a pool that pays your Bitcoin address, and check it's running right.

Updated · 4-minute read

Before you start

  • A Bitcoin address you own, from your own wallet. This is where a block reward would go.
  • Your Wi-Fi name and password. The Bitaxe only works with 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.
  • The power supply that came with it. Some boards take 5 V and others 12 V (see the board table), so don't swap in a random one.
  • A spot with airflow, away from curtains, with the fan side clear.

1. Plug it in and join its setup Wi-Fi

  1. Plug in the power supply. The screen lights up and shows a setup Wi-Fi name like Bitaxe_1A2B (the last four characters differ on every miner), plus a QR code.
  2. On your phone, scan the QR code or pick that Wi-Fi name in your Wi-Fi settings. It has no password.
  3. A setup page should pop up on its own. If it doesn't, open your phone's browser.

2. Put it on your home Wi-Fi

  1. On the setup page, choose your home Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz) and type its password.
  2. Save. The miner restarts, joins your network, and shows its new IP address on the screen, something like 192.168.1.57. Write it down.
  3. Reconnect your phone to your normal Wi-Fi and type that IP address into the browser. That's your miner's dashboard (AxeOS).

3. Set the pool and your Bitcoin address

This is the step people skip, and the one that matters most. Open Pool settings in the dashboard.

  • Pool address and port: the firmware comes set to Public Pool (public-pool.io, port 21496) with Solo CKPool (solo.ckpool.org, port 3333) as the backup. Both are solo pools. Keep them or pick another from our pool comparison.
  • User: replace it with your own Bitcoin address, plus a dot and a miner name if you like (youraddress.bitaxe1). If AxeOS shows a warning that you're using the default factory Bitcoin address, this field still needs changing.
  • Password: usually just x.
  • Do the backup pool too. Its User field should also be your address, or a reward found while it's on the backup won't reach you.

Save and let it restart.

4. Check it's mining

  • Shares accepted goes up within a few minutes.
  • Hashrate: give it 10 minutes, then compare the average with the stock numbers in Is my Bitaxe normal? (a Gamma lands near 1.07 TH/s at stock).
  • Temperature: the fan aims for about 60°C on the chip. If it goes above 75°C the firmware stops mining to protect it.
  • Best difficulty climbs over the first hours. See what your best difficulty means.

5. Nice to do in week one

Questions

Why can't my Bitaxe find my Wi-Fi?

The Bitaxe's chip only works with 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. If your router puts 2.4 and 5 GHz under one name, it usually still works; if not, turn on a separate 2.4 GHz network in your router settings.

What do I put in the User field?

Your own Bitcoin address, often followed by a dot and a name for the miner, like youraddress.bitaxe1. The Password field can usually stay as x. Check your pool's own page, since a few pools ask for something different.

Do I need an account with the pool?

Not for solo pools like Public Pool or Solo CKPool: your Bitcoin address is your login. Some shared pools, like Braiins, ask you to sign up.

How do I find my Bitaxe's dashboard later?

Its IP address is on the miner's little screen once it's on your Wi-Fi. Type that number into a browser on a phone or computer connected to the same network.

My Bitaxe is on, but the hashrate is 0. What's wrong?

Usually the pool address or port has a typo, or the miner isn't on Wi-Fi yet. Open the Pool settings, check every field, save, and let it restart.

Keep reading

Steps follow the official open-source AxeOS firmware, checked . Menus can move between versions, and other boards (like NerdQaxe) run their own firmware with similar steps. General guidance only; follow your maker's instructions.