experience with verizon 3g/4g fronting mining rigs

[ordy]

i'm planning ahead for potentially setting up 1-3 rigs in a remote location with no viable options for conventional and affordable broadband internet connections.  it looks like verizon has a 5 GB/mo cellular plan which based on others in this forum would suffice.

obviously i need to be at the point where it more than pays for itself in the long haul but i hope to be within a month or 2.

what i'm asking is if anyone has experience with verizon or any other cell based connections to the internet and if there are any mining specific issues with these setups.  based on my 3g verizon blackberry reception at the site is very good.

thanks

[aaa801]

i have hsdpa+ connection and the things are horidly unreliable, they will cut out every few hours and require a power cycle :/

[ordy]

i have hsdpa+ connection and the things are horidly unreliable, they will cut out every few hours and require a power cycle :/

thanks, i overlooked the basic reliability of simply keeping the device up.  i've been researching and apparently many people have issues with the devices overheating and dropping off regularly and/or failing outright. 

knowing verizon they prolly don't have a 'trial period' where you can return and cancel service without penalty if it proves faulty - but i'll check just the same.

the site is only 15 minutes away but running over more than a few times per week will get old as well as raise eyebrows......

[spartan442]

I am using Clearwire (4g) (Sprint uses same network) for four machines (around 5Mhs) and have been running for a while with no problems. I am getting the expected amount of shares using the service and I haven't had any problems with the connection. My data plan is unlimited, but I can tell you unless you are running other programs that use the connection, mining will not come close to hitting your data cap.

[Beaflag VonRathburg]

You could simply have the device plugged into a USB port for power. Wifi hot spot --> wireless antennas. It would depend on your area how your connection would be. I've thought about using a 3G signal to power my upstairs machine, but haven't gotten around to messing with it.

[BlueCorp]

i use my Sprint Phone to make a hotspot using my 4G service. i live next to a 4G tower

[ordy]

thanks for the tips guys.  i didn't know that the newer phones can run as hotspots themselves.  that would allow me to make use of the device and service should i drop mining for any reason.  i need to test another sprint phone since last time i tried one i got no service at all.

[RandyFolds]

4G is patchy as all hell. I signed up for Clearwire's 10mbit service and it never broke 4mbit, and had all sorts of connectivity issues. You are going to have crippling downtime if you rely on it for mining.

[BlueCorp]

4G is patchy as all hell. I signed up for Clearwire's 10mbit service and it never broke 4mbit, and had all sorts of connectivity issues. You are going to have crippling downtime if you rely on it for mining.

I had Clearwire and it wasn't good.

And my Sprint phone 4g was faster

[spartan442]

I am certainly not advocating for Clearwire, only that it has worked for me. I chose Clearwire because I pay $25(US) a month for the service and I have no contract and can cancel it at anytime. M speed is capped at 1.5Mbs down and .5Mbs up, but that is sufficient speed for mining.

[Garr255]

I would recommend getting a MiFi, I think it's called, and open it up and have something blowing on it to prevent overheating. I did this with mine when my internet was down for a bit over the summer. It stopped dropping out and worked great.

[John (John K.)]

Better still, get a USB based 3G dongle, remove the casing and set it beside a fan or something. At least that's what I've heard working as a 3G based miner that wouldn't have intermittent downtime like 4g does.

[Garr255]

Yup.

[ordy]

thx for all the tips, i will investigating all.  sadly i don't get clearwire as an option in my area but i like the idea of finding another carrier for $25/mo no contract.  i'll be sure to get a device that is 3g only so it doesn't flop back and forth on 4g.  download rate is not important to me as it would only be for mining.

i've got at least another month to figure out a solution - then this extra heat will stop being a indirect benefit.

[Beaflag VonRathburg]

I used to use a program called PDAnet to tether internet to my laptop. It's an app that you can track down in 32 and 64 bit format easily. That would be good for one computer where you need a connection, but the consistency of it will be the issue. For multiple machines I would find a used phone, wipe it, root it with a ROM that supports free wifi hot spot, and use that. The phone could be powered off of the USB and even with the computer off it will charge so if the hosting machine goes down you won't have an issue with the other ones.

[portron]

http://www.virginmobileusa.com/mobile-broadband/

3G Broadband... I've used it a few times and everything was fine...

Unlimited is $50 but you could do this:

http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phones/samsung-intercept-phone.jsp

Buy that for $99, root it, install wired / wireless tether and have unlimited service for $35/mo.

Looks like Tmobile has it for $30

http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans

[Beaflag VonRathburg]

http://www.virginmobileusa.com/mobile-broadband/

3G Broadband... I've used it a few times and everything was fine...

Unlimited is $50 but you could do this:

http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phones/samsung-intercept-phone.jsp

Buy that for $99, root it, install wired / wireless tether and have unlimited service for $35/mo.

Looks like Tmobile has it for $30

http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans

Tmobile unlimited throttles majorly at 5 gigs. Ask me how I know. I'm not sure how much data mining uses though? I know there's a way to setup a local machine in linux to command all of the input and output though.

[portron]

4x 5870
Uptime: 31 Days 10 Hours
1.2gb Sent, 1.3gb Rec.


250mb or so from drivers / software downloads

[ordy]

thanks, you guys rock.  t-mobile pay by month seems ideal and should not have to worry about the 5 GB soft cap - and is available for me.  seems like getting a 3G only device makes sense and i'm sure are more available on secondary markets than 4G. 

actually i'm wondering if my old iphone 3GS could be used.  been running it as an ipod touch after i dropped at&t.  time for me to do more research......

[portron]

thanks, you guys rock.  t-mobile pay by month seems ideal and should not have to worry about the 5 GB soft cap - and is available for me.  seems like getting a 3G only device makes sense and i'm sure are more available on secondary markets than 4G. 

actually i'm wondering if my old iphone 3GS could be used.  been running it as an ipod touch after i dropped at&t.  time for me to do more research......

If you use it on T-mobile you won't get 3G... only 2G