To connect a Bitcoin-compatible Antminer to a mining pool, log in to the miner's web interface, enter the pool URL, worker name, and mining password in the primary pool slot, then save the settings. Verify the active pool and accepted shares locally, and confirm worker activity on the pool dashboard. This guide uses ViaBTC's BTC mining pool as the working example.

What Connecting to a Pool Actually Involves

From the Antminer's perspective, joining a pool means configuring the Stratum protocol settings so the device can receive mining jobs and submit completed work. The pool server issues each connected device a target that is easier to satisfy than the Bitcoin network's block target. When the miner finds a hash below that pool-assigned target, it submits a "share" as proof of work. A share is not the same as a Bitcoin block; it is an accounting unit the pool uses to measure each miner's contribution over time, as described in the Bitcoin Developer Documentation's mining guide (developer.bitcoin.org). The pool calculates and credits mining rewards according to the payout method the account has selected; withdrawing those credited rewards is a separate process.

The Antminer connects to an existing mining pool; it does not create or host one. There is no pool software to install and no server to run for this setup. The miner-side connection settings described here are entered in the Antminer's web interface, while account settings such as the payout method are managed on ViaBTC.

Prerequisites Before Configuring the Pool Connection

Before opening the miner's dashboard, confirm the following:

• A SHA-256 Antminer model that supports Bitcoin mining, with stable power and adequate cooling and ventilation.
• A wired Ethernet connection; Bitmain's documentation for new ANTMINER units specifies Ethernet rather than Wi-Fi connectivity (support.bitmain.com).
• A computer or device on the same local network as the miner.
• The miner's local IP address and its current web-interface login credentials. These vary by model, firmware, and prior configuration, so there is no single default to rely on.
• An active ViaBTC account and the account's user ID.
• The current BTC Stratum URLs copied directly from ViaBTC's official BTC Mining help page immediately before configuration, since pool endpoints can change.

Step-by-Step: Connecting an Antminer to ViaBTC

Step 1: Locate the IP Address and Log In

Find the Antminer's local IP address through your router's connected-device list or a manufacturer-supported discovery tool. Enter that address in a browser on a device that can reach the same network, then log in using the miner's current administrator credentials.

Step 2: Enter the Pool Connection Details

Open the page labeled Miner Configuration, Mining Settings, or an equivalent menu, depending on firmware version. Enter the pool details in Pool 1, or the highest-priority primary slot identified by your firmware. If that slot already contains a working configuration, record it before changing it. Adding ViaBTC only to a lower-priority backup slot will not make it the active pool while a higher-priority pool remains connected. ViaBTC's official BTC mining guide lists the following primary endpoint and worker format (support.viabtc.com):

Pool URL: stratum+tcp://btc.viabtc.io:3333
Worker:   yourUserID.workerID
Password: optional; use "x" if the firmware requires a value

The workerID portion of the worker name uses lowercase letters and numbers and can be up to 64 characters, per ViaBTC's documentation. For example, an account with user ID northstarmining running a single device might use:

Worker: northstarmining.s21rack01

Two details are worth emphasizing because they are common sources of error. First, the pool URL is a mining-server address, not a Bitcoin payout address; nothing should be entered there other than the Stratum string. Second, the pool password field is separate from the ViaBTC account login password and should not contain it — ViaBTC documents this password as optional, and a placeholder value such as "x" is sufficient where the firmware requires a non-empty field.

Step 3: Configure a Backup Pool Entry

Most Antminer firmware provides multiple pool slots with decreasing priority; Bitmain's S21 XP Hyd. Installation Guide, section 3, for example, documents three pool entries, with lower-priority entries used only if all higher-priority pools are offline. The exact number of available slots and their labeling vary by model and firmware, so consult the on-screen labels for your specific unit. ViaBTC's BTC mining guide also lists a secondary endpoint for this purpose:

Pool 2 URL: stratum+tcp://btc.viabtc.io:443
Worker:     northstarmining.s21rack01
Password:   x

Using the same worker name across both entries keeps the device associated with a single worker record on the pool dashboard, regardless of which endpoint it is actively using.

Step 4: Save and Verify

Select Save, Save & Apply, or the equivalent control. The miner may briefly restart its mining process while it reconnects. Check the Antminer's local status page or logs to confirm the active pool URL, the configured worker name, and accepted-share activity. Then log in to ViaBTC, open Pool → Workers, and confirm that the expected worker reports activity and hashrate under the correct account and BTC pool (ViaBTC Help Center — How to Manage Workers). Local hashing alone does not establish that the intended pool is accepting work.

ViaBTC's documentation suggests allowing roughly 10–15 minutes after the miner stabilizes before reviewing operation and earnings, and notes separately that a worker returning from a disconnection may take approximately 10–20 minutes to show as active again. These are practical observation windows based on ViaBTC's own guidance, not guaranteed connection times, and actual timing can vary with network conditions. If the miner reports connection or authorization errors, investigate them immediately rather than waiting for the dashboard to update (ViaBTC — How to Set Up a Worker on ViaBTC Mining Pool).

Understanding the Three Configuration Fields

It is useful to keep the function of each field distinct when troubleshooting or documenting a fleet of miners:

• Stratum URL: the pool's server endpoint, including the protocol prefix, hostname, and port. Each coin and, in some cases, each payout option may use a different endpoint.
• Worker name: the identifier the pool uses to associate submitted shares with a specific account and device. It typically follows a userID.workerID pattern.
• Password: a field defined by the firmware and, in some cases, by the pool. For ViaBTC's BTC mining pool, this field is optional and is unrelated to the account's login credentials.

Shares, Hashrate, and What the Pool Dashboard Shows

Once a miner is connected, two different hashrate readings become visible, and they are not interchangeable. The Antminer's own interface reports a locally measured hashrate based on its internal hashing activity. The ViaBTC dashboard reports a pool-estimated hashrate, calculated from the valid shares the pool received over a defined measurement window. Because these two figures come from different measurement methods and time windows, short-term differences between them are expected and do not, by themselves, indicate a hardware fault.

Check accepted and rejected shares on the miner's status page or in its logs where the firmware exposes them; use the pool dashboard to review worker activity, pool-estimated hashrate, and rejection rate. Accepted shares meet the pool's assigned target and are counted toward the worker's contribution; rejected shares do not meet that target or fail another pool-side check, with stale and invalid shares as possible subcategories depending on how the pool reports rejections. A small number of rejected shares is normal in pooled mining and is not, on its own, evidence of a configuration problem.

Choosing a Payout Method

Mining pools pay out block rewards under a specific accounting method, and this choice is separate from the Antminer's connection settings described above. ViaBTC discontinued its SOLO payment method for all supported coins on May 20, 2026 (UTC+8); its BTC mining pool currently lists PPS+ and PPLNS as available payment methods following that change (support.viabtc.com).

Under PPS+, the basic reward component uses PPS accounting for valid shares, regardless of whether the pool actually finds a block, while transaction-fee rewards are distributed using PPLNS. PPLNS rewards depend on blocks actually found by the pool (ViaBTC Help Center — How to Choose the Optimal Payment Method (PPS+, PPLNS)?). The selected payout method affects how rewards are calculated and does not change the Stratum URL, worker name, or password fields entered on the Antminer. Readers should confirm the payment method set on their account before connecting a miner, since it determines how submitted work is converted into credited rewards, but this is an account-level setting rather than a device-level one.

Troubleshooting Common Connection Issues

The miner reports "Socket connection failed" or will not connect

Recopy the full Stratum URL directly from ViaBTC's official BTC mining page and check for typing errors, extra spaces, or an incorrect protocol prefix. Confirm the worker name uses the correct ViaBTC user ID and that the selected endpoint is for BTC/SHA-256 mining rather than another coin. Bitmain's Socket connection failed support article, which applies to the older models listed on that page, identifies pool-URL errors and network instability as possible causes. These configuration and network checks are useful starting points; follow the documentation for your specific model for any further firmware or hardware troubleshooting. Also confirm the miner's Ethernet connection is stable and that no firewall, VLAN, or router rule is blocking outbound traffic to the pool's port.

The worker does not appear on the dashboard right away

Check the miner's active pool, worker name, and accepted-share activity first, and make sure ViaBTC's Pool → Workers page is showing the correct account and BTC pool. If the miner is submitting accepted shares, allow the observation window described above for pool reporting to update. If it reports connection or authorization errors, begin troubleshooting immediately. If the worker still does not appear after the observation period, recheck the URL, worker name, and network connection, and review the miner's local logs for errors.

The miner connects, but hashrate or rewards look different than expected

Before concluding there is a hardware or pool issue, confirm the account's selected payout method, the reporting window used for the pool-estimated hashrate, accepted-share activity and any rejection messages in the miner's status page or logs, the rejection rate reported by ViaBTC, and whether the miner is currently using its primary or backup pool entry. Also check the miner's local interface for any hardware or temperature alarms, since these can affect hashing performance independently of the pool connection.

FAQ

Does the Antminer host its own mining pool?

No. The Antminer connects to an existing pool server operated by a mining pool provider; it does not create, host, or run pool software itself.

What should I enter in the pool password field?

ViaBTC documents the BTC mining pool password as optional. If the firmware requires a non-empty value, a placeholder such as "x" is sufficient. The pool password field should not contain the ViaBTC account's login password.

Why do I see two different hashrate numbers?

The Antminer's local interface reports a hashrate measured directly on the device, while the pool dashboard reports an estimate derived from valid shares submitted during a defined window. These use different measurement methods and time frames, so minor short-term differences are expected.

How long should I wait before checking if the worker is online?

ViaBTC's documentation suggests allowing approximately 10–15 minutes after the miner stabilizes, and notes that a worker recovering from a disconnection may take about 10–20 minutes to return to active status. These are practical guidelines rather than fixed guarantees. Check the active pool and accepted-share activity locally, and investigate connection or authorization errors immediately instead of waiting for the dashboard.

Can I configure more than one pool on my Antminer?

Most Antminer firmware supports multiple pool entries with decreasing priority, used as backups if a higher-priority pool becomes unreachable. The number of available slots varies by model and firmware version.

References

• ViaBTC Help Center, "BTC Mining"
• ViaBTC Help Center, "Announcement on the Discontinuation of SOLO Payment Method for All Coins"
• Bitmain Support, "Do's and Don'ts of a New ANTMINER"
• Bitmain Support, "Miner overview page says Socket connection failed"
• Bitcoin Developer Documentation, "Mining"
• Bitmain, "S21 XP Hyd. Server Installation Guide", section 3
• ViaBTC Help Center, "How to Manage Workers?"
• ViaBTC Help Center, "How to Choose the Optimal Payment Method (PPS+, PPLNS)?"
• ViaBTC Blog, "How to Set Up a Worker on ViaBTC Mining Pool"