How to configure PhoenixMiner for ETC? (Mining pool setup)

Understanding PhoenixMiner Compatibility with ETC

1. PhoenixMiner is a widely used GPU-based Ethereum Classic (ETC) mining software known for its stability and low developer fee structure.

2. It supports the Ethash algorithm, which ETC continues to use post-merge, making it fully compatible with current ETC network requirements.

3. The miner works across AMD and NVIDIA GPUs, though optimal performance varies depending on driver versions and GPU architecture.

4. Unlike some newer miners, PhoenixMiner does not support ProgPoW or other post-Ethash forks — this ensures alignment with ETC’s unchanged consensus rules.

5. Users must verify their GPU’s VRAM capacity; cards with less than 4GB may fail to mine ETC blocks due to DAG size growth over time.

Required Pool Connection Parameters

1. Every ETC mining pool provides a unique stratum URL, typically in the format stratum+tcp://etc-eu1.nanopool.org:10050.

2. A valid wallet address is mandatory — ETC addresses start with 0x and must be verified before mining to prevent rejected shares.

3. Worker name is optional but recommended for identifying rigs in pool dashboards; it follows the format rig01 or office-nvidia-03.

4. Some pools enforce password fields, often accepting x or blank input unless specified otherwise.

5. Failover servers are essential for uninterrupted operation; most pools list at least two regional endpoints in their documentation.

Building the Launch Command

1. A minimal working command uses -pool, -wal, and -proto flags: PhoenixMiner.exe -pool etc-eu1.nanopool.org:10050 -wal 0xAbc123... -proto 3.

2. Adding -rvmt 1 enables Radeon Vulkan memory tuning for AMD cards, improving hash rate consistency.

3. For NVIDIA users, -nvidia activates CUDA-specific optimizations, while -cclock and -mclock allow manual core and memory overclocking.

4. The -ftime parameter sets failover timeout duration — default is 30 seconds, but lowering it to 15 improves responsiveness during pool outages.

5. Logging can be enabled with -log followed by a filename, useful for diagnosing stale share rates or connection drops.

Verifying Mining Stability and Share Acceptance

1. After launch, PhoenixMiner displays real-time stats including accepted shares per minute, stale share count, and DAG load progress.

2. A healthy rig shows consistent accepted shares without repeated “connection lost” or “bad difficulty” warnings.

3. Pools like Nanopool or 2Miners update dashboard data every 60–120 seconds; delays beyond that suggest network latency or firewall interference.

4. High stale share percentages (>5%) often point to unstable GPU clocks or incorrect -ftime settings.

5. Monitoring GPU temperature via -tstart and -tstop prevents thermal throttling — values above 85°C should trigger automatic fan speed adjustments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can PhoenixMiner mine ETC on Windows Server editions?A: Yes, provided DirectX 12 or Vulkan runtime is installed and GPU drivers are up to date. Server Core installations require manual DLL dependencies.

Q: Why does PhoenixMiner report “No GPU detected” despite device manager showing the card?A: This occurs when the miner lacks permission to access the GPU — running as Administrator or disabling Windows Hypervisor Platform resolves it.

Q: Is dual mining ETC + another coin supported?A: No, PhoenixMiner does not support dual mining. It focuses exclusively on Ethash-based chains like ETC and ETH (pre-merge).

Q: What happens if my ETC wallet address is mistyped in the command line?A: All mined rewards will be sent to the incorrect address. There is no recovery mechanism — always copy-paste from a trusted wallet interface.