Yeah, I think as long as you're looking at how much power these things provide you're going in the right direction.
Yeah that was my mistake the first time haha. Probably better to use 1 fan for each set of 6. 
Topic: ASICMiner Block Erupter General Question (Read 1224 times)
Yeah, I think as long as you're looking at how much power these things provide you're going in the right direction.
after playing with BFGM miner I found that you can mine on multiple pools. So you can set your miner to mine on 2 pools, so if one pools slacks on giving you work. Your mining software will point more hashing power towards the pool that is being more efficient. Its called LOAD Balancing.
Would you mind sending me a link of how to set up BFGM miner for multiple pools because i might try to continue to run slush (they have a 2% fee if i remember right) and run on the BTCguild PPLNS.Thanks in advance. I'll do a quick google search, but if you have a link with instructions/information that worked for you, I'd prefer to read into that instead of taking a while reading through potentially outdated/irrelevant information.
Also, I would mine litecoins, but there are no asics that I know of for these.
One thing you have to be concerned about is that the power supply for the USB hub needs to have a pretty good rating or you'll only get away with being able to use a few ports.
For example youll notice that this USB hub has a 12v power supply that is able to output 5amps.
http://www.amazon.com/Release-Anker%C2%AE-Uspeed-Charging-Adapter/dp/B005NGQWL2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379194906&sr=8-1&keywords=anker+10+port
I've seen plenty of posts from lurking on here that show that hub of being able to handle 9-10 USB miners just fine. Most fill 9 ports with the USB miners and then fill the last port with a USB fan like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-USB-Powered-Portable-Cooling-Solution/dp/B003XN24GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379195003&sr=8-1&keywords=usb+fan
Again, that is kind of an expensive solution, but it's one that works reliably.
You can try getting other hubs and experiment with using different power supplies, but that could end VERY badly. At the least you could destroy your USB miners and at the worst you could start a fire.
http://www.amazon.com/JETION-Ports-Multi-Expansion-Splitter/dp/B009VRKPR6/ref=sr_1_51?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1379224969&sr=1-51&keywords=hub
It pushes 500 mA to every port. So with 12 Block Erupters i could fill it and on the last 1 put a fan + $23.99 which means the Price per Mineable-Port is ~$3.43 vs. ~$6.67 for the anker.
Your right, BTC ASIC's are designed to only mine BTC & currently no one has hacked them yet to do otherwise (that I know of at least 
) I only mentioned mining LTC because you mentioned that your squeezing out every hash you can get by ultilizing your Laptop to mine BTC & those 10Mh/s would be put to better use by mining an ALT-Crypto. Although its probaly not worth your electricity and the degeneration of your laptop. Besides NVIDIA is unefficient in mining so profit after electric cost is null.
I actually will probably be mining ZET coins (an alternate SHA-256 Cryptocurrency) because the Block Erupters can be used on those and supposedly ZET coins are more profitable to mine. ) I only mentioned mining LTC because you mentioned that your squeezing out every hash you can get by ultilizing your Laptop to mine BTC & those 10Mh/s would be put to better use by mining an ALT-Crypto. Although its probaly not worth your electricity and the degeneration of your laptop. Besides NVIDIA is unefficient in mining so profit after electric cost is null. 
after playing with BFGM miner I found that you can mine on multiple pools. So you can set your miner to mine on 2 pools, so if one pools slacks on giving you work. Your mining software will point more hashing power towards the pool that is being more efficient. Its called LOAD Balancing.
Would you mind sending me a link of how to set up BFGM miner for multiple pools because i might try to continue to run slush (they have a 2% fee if i remember right) and run on the BTCguild PPLNS.
Now remember that your 3.4Gh/s will not be hashing on multiple pools. The software allocates the hashing power. I feel as if Im diving into territory that I cannot elaborate throughly enough because of my own understanding but am only speaking on behalf of my own experience. I still have not found an answer if this is the most profitable route but makes sense in my mind to ultilize multipool mining. I must also mention that cgminer also offers the ability to multipool mine.
In short once you have the software up and running. You hit [P] for Pool management, [A] for Adding another Pool and then [C] for changing Pool managment strategy.(both for BFGMiner and CGMiner)
The below text was taken via https://github.com/luke-jr/bfgminer/blob/bfgminer/README
MULTIPOOL
FAILOVER STRATEGIES WITH MULTIPOOL:
A number of different strategies for dealing with multipool setups are
available. Each has their advantages and disadvantages so multiple strategies
are available by user choice, as per the following list:
FAILOVER:
The default strategy is failover. This means that if you input a number of
pools, it will try to use them as a priority list, moving away from the 1st
to the 2nd, 2nd to 3rd and so on. If any of the earlier pools recover, it will
move back to the higher priority ones.
ROUND ROBIN:
This strategy only moves from one pool to the next when the current one falls
idle and makes no attempt to move otherwise.
ROTATE:
This strategy moves at user-defined intervals from one active pool to the next,
skipping pools that are idle.
LOAD BALANCE:
This strategy sends work to all the pools to maintain optimum load. The most
efficient pools will tend to get a lot more shares. If any pool falls idle, the
rest will tend to take up the slack keeping the miner busy.
BALANCE:
This strategy monitors the amount of difficulty 1 shares solved for each pool
and uses it to try to end up doing the same amount of work for all pools.
Thanks in advance. I'll do a quick google search, but if you have a link with instructions/information that worked for you, I'd prefer to read into that instead of taking a while reading through potentially outdated/irrelevant information.
Also, I would mine litecoins, but there are no asics that I know of for these.
Also, I would mine litecoins, but there are no asics that I know of for these.
Your right, BTC ASIC's are designed to only mine BTC & currently no one has hacked them yet to do otherwise (that I know of at least
) I only mentioned mining LTC because you mentioned that your squeezing out every hash you can get by ultilizing your Laptop to mine BTC & those 10Mh/s would be put to better use by mining an ALT-Crypto. Although its probaly not worth your electricity and the degeneration of your laptop. Besides NVIDIA is unefficient in mining so profit after electric cost is null.after playing with BFGM miner I found that you can mine on multiple pools. So you can set your miner to mine on 2 pools, so if one pools slacks on giving you work. Your mining software will point more hashing power towards the pool that is being more efficient. Its called LOAD Balancing.
Would you mind sending me a link of how to set up BFGM miner for multiple pools because i might try to continue to run slush (they have a 2% fee if i remember right) and run on the BTCguild PPLNS.Thanks in advance. I'll do a quick google search, but if you have a link with instructions/information that worked for you, I'd prefer to read into that instead of taking a while reading through potentially outdated/irrelevant information.
Also, I would mine litecoins, but there are no asics that I know of for these.
One thing you have to be concerned about is that the power supply for the USB hub needs to have a pretty good rating or you'll only get away with being able to use a few ports.
For example youll notice that this USB hub has a 12v power supply that is able to output 5amps.
http://www.amazon.com/Release-Anker%C2%AE-Uspeed-Charging-Adapter/dp/B005NGQWL2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379194906&sr=8-1&keywords=anker+10+port
I've seen plenty of posts from lurking on here that show that hub of being able to handle 9-10 USB miners just fine. Most fill 9 ports with the USB miners and then fill the last port with a USB fan like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-USB-Powered-Portable-Cooling-Solution/dp/B003XN24GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379195003&sr=8-1&keywords=usb+fan
Again, that is kind of an expensive solution, but it's one that works reliably.
You can try getting other hubs and experiment with using different power supplies, but that could end VERY badly. At the least you could destroy your USB miners and at the worst you could start a fire.
after playing with BFGM miner I found that you can mine on multiple pools. So you can set your miner to mine on 2 pools, so if one pools slacks on giving you work. Your mining software will point more hashing power towards the pool that is being more efficient. Its called LOAD Balancing.
Would you mind sending me a link of how to set up BFGM miner for multiple pools because i might try to continue to run slush (they have a 2% fee if i remember right) and run on the BTCguild PPLNS.Thanks in advance. I'll do a quick google search, but if you have a link with instructions/information that worked for you, I'd prefer to read into that instead of taking a while reading through potentially outdated/irrelevant information.
Also, I would mine litecoins, but there are no asics that I know of for these.
Thanks, that helps a lot. I'm currently running a custom designed windows 7 professional laptop with NVIDIA graphics, 32gb of ram and a 64-bit system. What I was primarily looking to know was if I needed a driver or not :p
I believe that you will need a driver no matter what. This is at least what from I have read. In my situation, both windows XP and 7 I needed the driver. You will know if you need the driver because your mining software either a)Not be able to see Block Erupters or b) give you an error that says that "you do not have permissions to access COM1". Ill leave this link here even though I think they make it sound more complicated then what it is-> https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/how-to-use-asicminer-block-erupters-with-cgminer-on-windows-7-220450 However the additional information is appreciated. I do have another question if you have the time, I'm currently using the Slush pool because I'm just hashing at 10.7 Mh/s using my devices listed in the GUIMiner list, but if I'm running 12 330 Mh/s ASIC's (which I've been told clock in at actually around 336), then using 330 (the average of the advertised amount and the reported amount) * 12 I project to be hashing at 3996 Mh/s (3.996 GH/s). Based on that, in your opinion, would it be more profitable to stick with the Slush pool or switch over to another pool? Are there pools which are constructed based on speed of users, or am I just as well to stick with the Slush pool?
Thanks
I recently had the same question about what pool is the most profitable because relatively my hashes are very low. I am not familiar with Slush Pool. But I am confident to say that the following holds true for most of the Mainstream pools: Your profit all boils down to how much Hashing power you have & the luck and variance of these hashes. So really no snake oil. Youll find that some pools automatically Merge Mine Namecoin. So this is something to consider as you can factor this into your profit.Thanks
Ill try to elaborate as this post has gotten long.Whether its a large pool(like BTCguild http://blockchain.info/pools) or a smaller pool you are getting paid by the number of shares your hashing power produces. It all factors out in the end when it comes to profitability. **Disclaimer though** In your research your going to find that some pools charge a higher fee, some pools allow you to choose if you want to get paid via "Paid per Share", Proportional, PPLNS etc etc. BTCguild uses PPLNS and PPS. I like PPLNS and the merge mining of NMC that BTCguild offers. BTCguild has high fees for PPS comparing to lets say Deepbit which only charge 2% for PPS. If you have been mining for a period of time with your 10M/hs I guess you have some coin stuck in slush that perhaps youll want to withdraw (I imagine their minimum withdraw is .01) One more thing....after playing with BFGM miner I found that you can mine on multiple pools. So you can set your miner to mine on 2 pools, so if one pools slacks on giving you work. Your mining software will point more hashing power towards the pool that is being more efficient. Its called LOAD Balancing.
In conclusion everyone has their opinion and because a pool is larger or smaller doesnt neccesary make it more desirable when considering your hashing power but like I said the pools luck can play a part. I hope all that makes sense and gave you some insight.
Ohh and one more thing.I know that "every hash adds up over time" but if your going to sacrifice your Laptop for a bit of mining I would mine for LTC.
**edit: added an additional link
Well the reason for the conversion to these "ASIC's" is because their Hashing power versus Power consumption is far more efficient then a GPU. Lets not forget their $ per Mh/s is far cheaper then a GPU as well. Its an Arms Race so it doesn't necessarily mean that you will see your ROI quickly. Mining is fun, so Im not discouraging you to invest and learn something new!
As far as the technical details involved with getting your 12 USB array up and hashing. If you google search and/or search the forum you will find a plethora of viable information. I happen to be on BTCguilds website so here is a quick link to their guide. https://www.btcguild.com//index.php?page=support§ion=blockerupter
Is it Plug & Play, well the answer is Yes & No
It really depends on your technical foundation and what you consider to be a hurdle &/or what operating system you run. Relatively speaking they are fairly plug and play in Windows. You create an account at a Mining pool, download your mining software. https://github.com/luke-jr/bfgminer or https://github.com/ckolivas/cgminer works well. Install the drivers.http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/Pages/USBtoUARTBridgeVCPDrivers.aspx Run the miner. Copy & paste your commands & tweak.
Utilizing the Raspberry Pi's in an option and you see guys using these because they have alot less power consumption opposed to running a desktop PC all day. I personally do not have a Raspberry Pi but from what I read, it seems simple but there a few more steps to get one setup both on the software side (ie:flashing firmware, connectivity etc ) and on the hardware side of things (ie: are you buying a pre-build Raspberry Pi or are you building one) comparing to straight up Windows PC. Cheers I hope that helps!
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/walkthrough-raspberry-piblock-erupter-mining-rig-setup-with-autostart-and-vnc-255582
Thanks, that helps a lot. I'm currently running a custom designed windows 7 professional laptop with NVIDIA graphics, 32gb of ram and a 64-bit system. What I was primarily looking to know was if I needed a driver or not :p However the additional information is appreciated. I do have another question if you have the time, I'm currently using the Slush pool because I'm just hashing at 10.7 Mh/s using my devices listed in the GUIMiner list, but if I'm running 12 330 Mh/s ASIC's (which I've been told clock in at actually around 336), then using 330 (the average of the advertised amount and the reported amount) * 12 I project to be hashing at 3996 Mh/s (3.996 GH/s). Based on that, in your opinion, would it be more profitable to stick with the Slush pool or switch over to another pool? Are there pools which are constructed based on speed of users, or am I just as well to stick with the Slush pool?As far as the technical details involved with getting your 12 USB array up and hashing. If you google search and/or search the forum you will find a plethora of viable information. I happen to be on BTCguilds website so here is a quick link to their guide. https://www.btcguild.com//index.php?page=support§ion=blockerupter
Is it Plug & Play, well the answer is Yes & No
It really depends on your technical foundation and what you consider to be a hurdle &/or what operating system you run. Relatively speaking they are fairly plug and play in Windows. You create an account at a Mining pool, download your mining software. https://github.com/luke-jr/bfgminer or https://github.com/ckolivas/cgminer works well. Install the drivers.http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/Pages/USBtoUARTBridgeVCPDrivers.aspx Run the miner. Copy & paste your commands & tweak. Utilizing the Raspberry Pi's in an option and you see guys using these because they have alot less power consumption opposed to running a desktop PC all day. I personally do not have a Raspberry Pi but from what I read, it seems simple but there a few more steps to get one setup both on the software side (ie:flashing firmware, connectivity etc ) and on the hardware side of things (ie: are you buying a pre-build Raspberry Pi or are you building one) comparing to straight up Windows PC. Cheers I hope that helps!
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/walkthrough-raspberry-piblock-erupter-mining-rig-setup-with-autostart-and-vnc-255582
Thanks
Well the reason for the conversion to these "ASIC's" is because their Hashing power versus Power consumption is far more efficient then a GPU. Lets not forget their $ per Mh/s is far cheaper then a GPU as well. Its an Arms Race so it doesn't necessarily mean that you will see your ROI quickly. Mining is fun, so Im not discouraging you to invest and learn something new!
As far as the technical details involved with getting your 12 USB array up and hashing. If you google search and/or search the forum you will find a plethora of viable information. I happen to be on BTCguilds website so here is a quick link to their guide. https://www.btcguild.com//index.php?page=support§ion=blockerupter
Is it Plug & Play, well the answer is Yes & No It really depends on your technical foundation and what you consider to be a hurdle &/or what operating system you run. Relatively speaking they are fairly plug and play in Windows. You create an account at a Mining pool, download your mining software. https://github.com/luke-jr/bfgminer or https://github.com/ckolivas/cgminer works well. Install the drivers.http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/Pages/USBtoUARTBridgeVCPDrivers.aspx Run the miner. Copy & paste your commands & tweak.
Utilizing the Raspberry Pi's in an option and you see guys using these because they have alot less power consumption opposed to running a desktop PC all day. I personally do not have a Raspberry Pi but from what I read, it seems simple but there a few more steps to get one setup both on the software side (ie:flashing firmware, connectivity etc ) and on the hardware side of things (ie: are you buying a pre-build Raspberry Pi or are you building one) comparing to straight up Windows PC. Cheers I hope that helps!
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/walkthrough-raspberry-piblock-erupter-mining-rig-setup-with-autostart-and-vnc-255582
As far as the technical details involved with getting your 12 USB array up and hashing. If you google search and/or search the forum you will find a plethora of viable information. I happen to be on BTCguilds website so here is a quick link to their guide. https://www.btcguild.com//index.php?page=support§ion=blockerupter
Is it Plug & Play, well the answer is Yes & No
It really depends on your technical foundation and what you consider to be a hurdle &/or what operating system you run. Relatively speaking they are fairly plug and play in Windows. You create an account at a Mining pool, download your mining software. https://github.com/luke-jr/bfgminer or https://github.com/ckolivas/cgminer works well. Install the drivers.http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/Pages/USBtoUARTBridgeVCPDrivers.aspx Run the miner. Copy & paste your commands & tweak. Utilizing the Raspberry Pi's in an option and you see guys using these because they have alot less power consumption opposed to running a desktop PC all day. I personally do not have a Raspberry Pi but from what I read, it seems simple but there a few more steps to get one setup both on the software side (ie:flashing firmware, connectivity etc ) and on the hardware side of things (ie: are you buying a pre-build Raspberry Pi or are you building one) comparing to straight up Windows PC. Cheers I hope that helps!
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/walkthrough-raspberry-piblock-erupter-mining-rig-setup-with-autostart-and-vnc-255582
Hi, so I'm new to bitcoin mining, but I'm very interested in getting started just as a hobbiest. I have one problem though. I can see that bitcoin mining is primarily done via ASIC's and thus I'm prepared to order 12 USB Block Erupters with a 12 USB port hub and a fan that will plug into another usb port, but what I don't have a definitive answer on yet is what sort of software you need to install to make an application like GUIMiner or CGminer recognize and utilize these USB ASIC's for processing power. I know some people are using raspberry pi for this, but I've seen videos of set ups that are not using raspberry pi. So is there some special software or driver I need to install to utilize these ASIC's, or are they just Plug-N-Play (for lack of a better term)?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
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