Help me pick a pool

[WEB slicer]

I started with BTCguild cause they are the biggest. I figured if the majority are mining with BTCguild there must be a good reason. But now i have a few avalons and a few more on the way. So im trying to figure out the best pool based on technical stuff vs who is the biggest. I started looking at the sticky and realized there are alot of pools with many different features and fee structures. I understand the fee part but not the details such as pay TX reward, pay orphans, variable difficulty, local work, merged mining, DGM, PPLNS, PPS, proportional. Im guessing these details mean more than the fee cause if they didnt everybody would be mining with the pools that offer 0% fee. So im hoping somebody here who understands the details can teach me something so i can make an educated decision where i want to mine. Thanks for the information.

[1714779007]

1714779007

[os2sam]

Ozcoin.

You need more than one pool.  Just make sure the ones you choose have stratum and variable difficulty and you should be good to go.  Setup failover pools and a Bitcoin-Qt as your last pool.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=104664.msg1146108#msg1146108

The link is to the mining pool list which is at the top of the pool forum.
Sam

[WEB slicer]

I was looking at that post. I read the method description but i dont really understand it. I did not see a description for pay orphans, pay TX reward, variable difficulty, stratum, etc. Would like to understand the details at least a little bit.

Why ozcoin?

[os2sam]

I was looking at that post. I read the method description but i dont really understand it. I did not see a description for pay orphans, pay TX reward, variable difficulty, stratum, etc. Would like to understand the details at least a little bit.

Why ozcoin?

You asked for help picking so I gave you a pick.

Ozcoin does all of the things you don't yet understand.  They are all good things for the miner.
Sam

[WEB slicer]

LOL thanks for suggestion. Hopefully i can get a few more opinions and maybe a quick education.

[mnyonpa]

BitMinter.

It is big enough so you get paid regularly but not the largest so you don’t compromise the security by potentially allowing a pool to get to 51% of the network in the future. The Java client is really neat but you are not required to use it if you don’t like. PPLNS so you have the best pay. Small fee. Joined namecoin mining so you get namecoins for free.

[WEB slicer]

Thanks for the recommendation. I also appreciate a brief explanation for your recommendation. Never even heard of namecoin yet. Will google it.

[os2sam]

LOL thanks for suggestion. Hopefully i can get a few more opinions and maybe a quick education.

Just search the forums for those terms and you will get allot of information.  There are threads dedicated to the payout systems if you want the technical info behind them.
Sam

[WEB slicer]

OK will try that. If anybody has some time to explain in simple terms for a nub that would be appreciated.

Also, does the size of the pool effect anything of just the features it offers?

[os2sam]

OK will try that. If anybody has some time to explain in simple terms for a nub that would be appreciated.

Also, does the size of the pool effect anything of just the features it offers?

Size of the pool only matters if the pool is very small.  Medium sized to large pools will get you about the same payout over periods of time.
Sam

[WEB slicer]

I think i should start by figuring out which method i should mine with. DGM, PPLNS, PPS, proportional. Any suggestions?

[dbitcoin]

I think i should start by figuring out which method i should mine with. DGM, PPLNS, PPS, proportional. Any suggestions?

DGM or PPLNS.
PPS - only if you need instant payments and simple calculation, but with high pool commission (5-7.5%).
proportional - vulnerable from pool-hopping attack, not recommended.

[os2sam]

I think i should start by figuring out which method i should mine with. DGM, PPLNS, PPS, proportional. Any suggestions?

I will never do PPS again.  It has caused serious damage to good pools and has caused some pools to go completely bankrupt.

I like DGM on Ozcoin I seem to do really well with it.  BTC Guild is a very good pool so I guess I don't mind PPLNS.  There are threads on these forums that explain the theory of operation for these payout methods.
Sam

[notme]

If you have a fast connection and good disks, mine on p2pool.

[spiccioli]

Web slicer,

if your're looking for a pool with high availability, resilient, which pays PPLNS with a very low fee (you have avalons, so you can mine there with difficulty 512 or even more) AND gives you half of the block fees of the blocks you find, then without further ado point your miners to HHTT.

You'll be one of a few selected miners enjoying the emazing no frills pool we all suckers have come to love.



spiccioli

[WEB slicer]

Ive been considering DGM pitparking, eclipse, maxbtc with 0% fee.

DGM OZcoin has charges 1% but they are the only DGM pool that pays TX reward. Wondering whats the better deal 0% fee with no TX reward or 1% fee with TX reward.

Also considering PPLNS P2pool with 0% and pay TX reward.

[mdbssm]

Ive been considering DGM pitparking, eclipse, maxbtc with 0% fee.

DGM OZcoin has charges 1% but they are the only DGM pool that pays TX reward. Wondering whats the better deal 0% fee with no TX reward or 1% fee with TX reward.

Also considering PPLNS P2pool with 0% and pay TX reward.

Apparently avalons and p2pool don't work well together, yet.

[WEB slicer]

Interesting, thanks for the tip. This is why i ask questions. Do you know why P2pool doesnt work well with avalons?

[notme]

Interesting, thanks for the tip. This is why i ask questions. Do you know why P2pool doesnt work well with avalons?

It is the short share time combined with the high latency of that particular hardware.  The new version will extend the share time from 10 to 30 seconds, which should make Avalons (and other ASICs) perform decently.  But before the change can happen, we need to have 95% of the hashing power on the new codebase.  At that point, the share chain will hardfork and p2pool will be ASIC heaven.  Could be today, could be 2 weeks.  It all depends on people upgrading or new users joining up with the latest version.

[os2sam]

Interesting, thanks for the tip. This is why i ask questions. Do you know why P2pool doesnt work well with avalons?

P2Pool mines against your local Bitcoind and that doesn't supply work to an Avalon fast enough.  My local Bitcoin-QT client doesn't even supply work to a Block Erupter fast enough.