Setting Up Your Bitaxe

Getting a Bitaxe mining is straightforward. You don't need to be technical. You need a power supply, a WiFi network, a Bitcoin wallet address, and about 10 minutes.

What You Need

• Your Bitaxe (Gamma 601, Supra, Ultra, or similar)
• A 5V USB-C power supply (minimum 3A to 5A recommended for Gamma)
• USB-C cable
• A device with a browser on the same WiFi network
• A Bitcoin wallet address (just a receive address, no funds needed on it)

Step 1: First Power-On

Connect the USB-C cable to your Bitaxe and power supply. The display will light up and cycle through startup screens. The fan will spin up.

On first boot, the Bitaxe creates its own WiFi access point. Look for a network named something like Bitaxe_XXXXXX on your phone or laptop.

Step 2: Connect to AxeOS

1. Connect your device to the Bitaxe's WiFi access point
2. Open a browser and navigate to 192.168.4.1 (the Bitaxe's setup address while in access point mode)
3. The AxeOS setup page will load
4. Enter your home WiFi network name (SSID) and password
5. Click Save: the Bitaxe will reboot and connect to your home network

Once connected to your home network, the Bitaxe's assigned IP address (e.g. xx.xx.xx.xx) will appear on the device's display. Note this address: it's how you'll access AxeOS going forward. Your router assigns a different IP to every device, so read it directly from the Bitaxe's screen rather than assuming a fixed number.

Step 3: Configure Your Pool

Open AxeOS by navigating to your Bitaxe's local IP address in a browser. Go to Settings.

We recommend web.solo-pool.io for solo mining (OSMU affiliated):

Save the settings. The Bitaxe will reboot and connect to the pool.

Step 4: Confirm It's Working

On the AxeOS dashboard you should see:

• Hash rate: Live reading in GH/s or TH/s. For a Gamma 601, expect ~1,100–1,400 GH/s after warmup
• Accepted shares: This number should increment over time
• Temperature: Normal is 55–70°C on the chip. Below 75°C is comfortable

Common Issues and Fixes

WiFi won't connect

• Ensure you're connecting to a 2.4GHz network: the Bitaxe's ESP32 doesn't support 5GHz
• Double-check SSID and password (case sensitive)
• Hold the reset button briefly to clear settings if the access point doesn't appear

Pool not connecting

• Verify the stratum hostname and port are correct
• Check your wallet address starts with 1, 3, or bc1
• Try a different pool temporarily to rule out network issues

Hash rate lower than expected

• Hash rate varies, 10–20% fluctuation is normal
• High chip temperature can cause throttling, ensure adequate airflow
• Try a firmware update

Overheating (chip above 80°C)

• Improve airflow, don't run the Bitaxe enclosed or flat on a surface
• Ensure the fan is spinning freely

Keeping AxeOS Updated

AxeOS firmware updates are released regularly and worth staying on top of for performance improvements and bug fixes.

Checking for updates via AxeOS: Open AxeOS in your browser and check the Settings or System page for update notifications. If an update is available, download two files from the ESP-Miner GitHub releases page: the .bin firmware file and the www web interface file. Upload both through AxeOS, click Update, and allow the device to restart.

The easier method: Bitaxe Web Flasher. Created by WantClue, a prominent OSMU contributor, the Bitaxe Web Flasher is the recommended way to update. Open it in a Chromium-based browser (Chrome, Edge, or Brave), connect your Bitaxe via USB, and follow the on-screen steps. It handles file selection and flashing automatically. No manual file downloads required.