Bitcoin Forum

Hello everyone,

I have a question about mining using a USB WiFi adapter. Does mining eventually kill the WiFi adaptor? I have been running a GPU mining rig for about 6 months now, and in that time I have had to switch USB adapters twice, and now its looking like a third time. Basically, the adaptor starts being unable to stay connected to the network, and the hardware will randomly disconnect and I will have to reboot the computer to get it to properly recognize again. Has anyone else had similar issues? Thanks for any help!

Mining over wifi is not recommended - latencies can cause problems.

Mining - no. Heat - maybe, if you're using a cheap adapter. Windows updates screwing up your WiFi driver is also a possibility.

How much GPUs plugged in your rig? Which Motherboard are you using? It may be related to PCIe lanes used, how many lanes that still available after all devices connected. It also can be happened causing by system crash (related to lines used and other software crash, such as driver or OS itself)

To chime in, i would also strongly advise against using USB-based WiFI adapters.

These wifi adapters are designed to be used in situations where you have to be mobile and temporarily have to bring with you something portable that can be used in multiple devices. Specifically, they are not designed for sustained use because otherwise a wired connection would have been used. Given this, your portable device will probably burn out and destroy itself before you get back it's ROI. Just get a real WiFi router or a wired connection.

It will depend on which device you are using. As we know USB 3.1 used PCIe lines, So, yes, using this USB wireless adapter will affect our GPUs rig.


Cable would be more stable than wireless. If you place the AP near to your device, it may isn't giving much different, if it not, as above said, You'll get a lot of stale shares for sure.

It's suboptimal but it does work for mining. I put a WiFi adapter on an old Spondoolies SP20 miner and the adapter worked fine without causing an explosion or fire, just some more stale and rejected shares. The adapters don't use much electricity and they shouldn't cause such catastrophic failures unless you buy an adapter that's just absolutely shit. I've also used them on computers without built in WiFi connectors and they ran fine 24/7. Just be aware that latency is a big issue with wireless connections in general, and every millisecond counts in mining. If possible in the future, try to get a wired connection.

I'm a big fan of powerline ethernet adapters now that I've been using them for about a month.  I guess I'm lucky because it all works just fine for me despite the fact I'm jumping across circuits (but in the same circuit breaker box)  I guess some people have had issues going across circuits even in the same circuit box but I'm as separated in my house as I can be from my main wifi router and it all works amazingly well.  Basically I have a rig in my basement and my wifi router is on the 2nd floor.  The wire runs from my basement, into the first floor fuse box (actually daisy chained in a first floor outlet! haha.. all up to spec of course!) and then somehow finds its way through the fuse box into the circuit leading to the 2nd floor wifi router.  PFM I tell you!  PURE FRIGGIN MAGIC!@!   8)

Most at time it all depends on the capacity and capabilities of your system to have full control of your mining. Go for upgrade of your ram because the complexity at which you are working is more the required programs, in such manner you fixed some issues that going on though I m not into mining but I m a computer and system analysts. I can give you more details on how project most the issues coming and how to overcome it.

Lol, how on earth upgrading RAM would be an issue with failing USB adapter?

@OP,

try to plug the usb to other slots, there were times that the on board USB might be faulty

and just what others suggested, its truly recommended to use an ethernet connections on mining gears

I agree with you because I have the same issue. That's why I don't recommend using wifi adaptors. It's best if we use the direct lan cables for the miners. It is the most stable connection for mining.