Connecting a WhatsMiner ASIC to a mining pool is a configuration task performed through the miner's local web interface (or, for larger deployments, through WhatsMinerTool). The process itself is short: locate the miner's IP address, sign in to its web interface, enter the pool's current Stratum URL together with a worker name and password, save the configuration, and confirm that the pool is receiving submitted shares. This guide walks through each step and uses ViaBTC's published BTC connection settings as a worked example. The same workflow applies to other pools, provided the operator uses that pool's own current connection details rather than the example values shown here.

What You Need Before You Start

Before opening the WhatsMiner web interface, confirm the following:

• The WhatsMiner is powered on, connected via Ethernet, and has network access.
• A computer on the same local network as the miner is available for configuration.
• The miner's administrator login credentials are known.
• For the ViaBTC example in this guide, a ViaBTC account exists, with a user ID and a chosen worker name ready to use. For other pools, prepare the mining username or worker identifier specified in that pool's official setup guide.
• The pool's current Stratum URL has been copied directly from the pool's own official documentation rather than from an old screenshot, video, or third-party listing.

Step 1: Find Your WhatsMiner's IP Address

The miner's local IP address is required to reach its web interface. Two common methods are used in practice:

• Check the DHCP client list on the router or network switch managing the miner's connection.
• Use WhatsMinerTool's IP Monitor function to receive the IP address reported by the miner. The computer running WhatsMinerTool generally needs to be on the same local network as the miner for this discovery function to work.

To use IP Monitor:

1. Open WhatsMinerTool, select IP Monitor, and click Start to begin listening for reported addresses.
2. With the miner powered on, press and hold the IP Found button on its control board for a few seconds until the two LEDs flash. This indicates that the miner has broadcast its IP and MAC addresses.
3. Read the reported IP address in WhatsMinerTool and use it to open the miner's web interface.

MicroBT's WhatsMinerTool Basic Operations, Interface and Account Configuration Q&A describes the IP Found button and the IP Monitor controls.

For operators managing a single unit, checking the router's connected-devices list is usually the simplest option. For larger deployments, MicroBT's WhatsMinerTool Operation Guide documents IP management, batch pool configuration, and firmware handling across multiple units.

Step 2: Log In to the WhatsMiner Web Interface

Enter the miner's local IP address into a web browser on a computer connected to the same network. This opens the WhatsMiner web interface login screen. Sign in using the miner's administrator credentials. Default credentials vary by model and firmware version, so operators should confirm the correct login for their specific unit rather than assume a universal default password.

Step 3: Open the Pool Configuration Page

Once logged in, navigate to the pool configuration page. On many WhatsMiner firmware versions this is labeled Configuration → CGMiner Configuration, though the exact menu label can differ by model and firmware release. This page typically displays up to three pool entries, each with fields for a pool URL, worker name, and password.

Step 4: Enter the Pool URL, Worker Name, and Password

Each field in the pool configuration form serves a distinct purpose:

• Pool URL (Stratum address): tells the ASIC where to send its computational work and submit shares. This is not a wallet address and should never be replaced with one.
• Worker name: identifies the miner to the pool using the format that pool requires. On ViaBTC, it associates submitted shares with a specific account and worker. Other pools may use different identification formats; follow their official setup instructions.
• Password: a field required by the Stratum protocol's login handshake; many pools treat this as optional and accept a placeholder value.

As a concrete, clearly labeled example, ViaBTC's published BTC mining settings use the following configuration:

Pool 1 URL: stratum+tcp://btc.viabtc.io:3333
Worker:     yourUserID.worker01
Password:   x

According to ViaBTC's BTC mining documentation, port 3333 is the standard connection port for BTC mining, the worker name follows the format userID.workerID, and the workerID portion may contain lowercase letters and numbers up to 64 characters. The mining password is listed as optional, so the placeholder x can be used. ViaBTC documents this standard BTC endpoint separately from its Smart Mining endpoint (stratum+tcp://bitcoin.viabtc.io:3333); the two should not be used interchangeably, since they represent different mining configurations.

These values apply specifically to ViaBTC's BTC mining setup at the time of writing. Readers using a different pool, or mining a different coin on the same pool, should substitute the connection details published in that pool's own current documentation.

Step 5: Configure a Backup Pool

Most WhatsMiner firmware supports multiple pool entries, commonly labeled Pool 1, Pool 2, and Pool 3. A second entry allows the miner to attempt a different configured connection if the first one becomes unreachable. Using the same ViaBTC example, port 443 is published as a failover port on the same BTC hostname:

Pool 2 URL: stratum+tcp://btc.viabtc.io:443
Worker:     yourUserID.worker01
Password:   x

A backup entry provides the miner with an alternate configured connection to try; it does not guarantee uninterrupted mining, since connectivity still depends on the local network, the pool's availability, and the miner's own operating condition. Current global endpoints, regional endpoints, and SSL-specific addresses are listed on ViaBTC's Mining Pools Information page; operators should confirm the exact hostname and port against that page rather than relying on a figure from an external source, since pool infrastructure can change over time.

Step 6: Save the Configuration and Verify Pool Connectivity

After entering the pool details, use the interface's save or apply control and follow any prompts to activate the changes. If the interface or the operation guide for your model and firmware requires restarting the mining process or rebooting the miner, complete that step before checking connectivity. Do not assume that saving the fields automatically restarts mining.

To confirm the setup succeeded:

• Check the miner's status page to confirm that the active pool connection matches the intended hostname and port, and that the accepted-share count increases after the change. Saved configuration fields alone do not confirm that the new connection is active.
• For ViaBTC, log in to the account and locate the worker under the Workers page. For other pools, use the monitoring method described in their official setup guide.
• Allow the connection time to stabilize before drawing conclusions. ViaBTC's documentation notes that dashboard figures may take approximately 10–15 minutes to reflect current activity, and that a worker typically shows as active after roughly 10–20 minutes of continuous operation. These are operational guidelines rather than fixed service commitments.

It is worth distinguishing the hashrate shown on the miner's own display from the hashrate shown on the pool dashboard. The miner reports a device-side measurement (often a real-time or since-boot average), while the pool estimates hashrate from the shares it has received over its own measurement window. Minor differences between the two are expected, particularly over short intervals, and do not necessarily indicate a configuration problem.

Troubleshooting Common WhatsMiner Pool Setup Errors

If the worker does not appear active after a reasonable monitoring period, check for the following:

• Wrong endpoint for the coin or mining mode. Confirm the URL matches the intended coin and mining mode (for example, standard BTC mining versus a pool's Smart Mining option), since these can use different hostnames.
• Typing errors. A single incorrect character in the hostname, port, or worker name will prevent a valid connection.
• A wallet address entered in the ViaBTC worker field. For ViaBTC, use userID.workerID; configure the payout address separately in the account. For other pools, follow their documented mining username or worker format rather than applying ViaBTC's account-based rule.
• Confused credentials. In the ViaBTC setup, the miner's own login password, the ViaBTC account password, and the Stratum mining password serve different purposes and should not be interchanged.
• Network restrictions. Firewalls, DNS filtering, or restrictive router settings can block the outbound connection required for Stratum mining.
• Persistent rejected shares. Occasional rejected shares are normal. A consistently high rejection rate can indicate network latency, an incorrect pool configuration, or a hardware issue, and warrants further investigation rather than being treated as a one-time error.

Pooled mining itself works by having the pool set a share target that is easier to satisfy than the Bitcoin network's block target; miners submit shares that meet this easier target, and the pool uses accepted shares to account for each participant's contribution. The Bitcoin Developer Guide provides a concise technical description of this share-based mining process, which is useful background for understanding why accepted and rejected share counts are the primary indicators of a working connection, rather than hashrate alone.

FAQ

Which pool URL should I use?

Use the current URL published on the pool's own official documentation for the specific coin and mining mode intended. For ViaBTC BTC mining, the standard URL at the time of writing is stratum+tcp://btc.viabtc.io:3333, with port 443 available as a backup on the same hostname; always verify against the pool's current page before entering it into the miner.

Do I need a mining password?

For ViaBTC's BTC mining configuration, the password field is optional, and a placeholder such as x can be used. Requirements differ by pool, so confirm the specific pool's documentation if a different value is required.

Why is the pool hashrate different from the miner's display?

The miner reports a device-side measurement, while the pool calculates an estimate based on shares received over its own measurement window. Short-term differences between the two are expected and do not by themselves indicate a fault.

Why is the worker still inactive?

Allow time for the connection to stabilize, since pool dashboards and worker-status indicators are not instantaneous. If the worker remains inactive well beyond the pool's stated monitoring guidance, review the URL, port, worker name, local network connection, and whether shares are being accepted on the miner's own status page.

Should each miner have its own worker ID?

On ViaBTC, using a distinct worker name for each device allows the operator to monitor each unit's activity separately on the Workers page. This is a matter of operational convenience rather than a technical requirement of the Stratum protocol itself. For other pools, follow their worker naming and monitoring guidance.

References

• ViaBTC Help Center, BTC Mining
• ViaBTC Help Center, Mining Pools Information
• MicroBT WhatsMiner Support, WhatsMinerTool Operation Guide
• MicroBT WhatsMiner Support, WhatsMinerTool Basic Operations, Interface and Account Configuration Q&A
• Bitcoin Developer Guide, Mining