System Settings: Firmware, Reboot, and Factory Reset

Your miner’s system settings page is like the control room of a power plant. Most of the time, you don’t need to touch anything — the defaults work fine. But when you need to update firmware, recover from a crash, or squeeze out more performance, this is where you go. And unlike a power plant, getting something wrong here won’t cause a meltdown — though it might brick your miner if you’re careless.

Let’s walk through everything on the system settings page: firmware updates, reboots, factory resets, overclocking profiles, and a few settings most people forget about.

Firmware: The Software That Runs Your Miner

Firmware is the operating system of your ASIC miner. It controls everything — how the chips are driven, how the fans respond to temperature, how the miner talks to your pool, and what the web interface looks like. Think of it like the software on your phone: the hardware is the same, but the firmware determines how it behaves.

Every miner ships with stock firmware from the manufacturer (Bitmain for Antminers, MicroBT for Whatsminers). This firmware is stable, tested, and conservative. It runs your miner at the rated specs — no more, no less.

Why Update Firmware?

Manufacturers release firmware updates for several reasons:

• Bug fixes — resolving crashes, hashrate instability, or fan control quirks
• Security patches — closing vulnerabilities that could let attackers hijack your miner
• Performance improvements — better tuning algorithms, improved chip driving
• New features — additional configuration options, better logging, new API endpoints

Tip

Check the manufacturer’s website or support channels every few months for firmware updates. Running outdated firmware is like driving a car that’s overdue for a recall fix — it might work fine, or it might cause problems you didn’t expect.

How to Update Firmware

The process is similar across brands, though the exact menus differ:

1. Download the firmware file from the manufacturer’s official website. For Antminers, it’s a .tar.gz file. For Whatsminers, it’s typically a .bin or similar archive.
2. Navigate to the upgrade page in your miner’s web interface. On Antminers, this is under “System” -> “Upgrade.” On Whatsminers, look for “Firmware Update” or “Upgrade Firmware.”
3. Select the firmware file using the file picker.
4. Click “Upgrade” or “Flash” and wait. The miner will upload the file, verify it, flash the firmware, and reboot automatically.
5. Do not touch anything during this process. Don’t close the browser, don’t unplug the miner, don’t reboot it manually.

Caution

Interrupting a firmware update is one of the few ways to genuinely brick your miner. If power goes out mid-flash, the firmware can end up in a half-written state where the miner can’t boot. Treat firmware updates like surgery — once you start, you commit until it’s done.

The Risks of Bad Firmware

Not all firmware is created equal, and flashing the wrong file can cause real problems:

• Wrong model firmware — Flashing S19 firmware onto an S21 (or vice versa) can damage the machine. The chips are driven differently, and incorrect voltage or frequency settings can burn them out. Always double-check the model number.
• Corrupted download — If the firmware file was partially downloaded or corrupted, the flash might fail. Some miners verify checksums before flashing; some don’t. Download again if in doubt.
• Untrusted sources — Only download firmware from the manufacturer’s official site. Firmware from random forums or file-sharing sites might contain malware that redirects your hashrate to someone else’s wallet.

Custom Firmware: Braiins OS, Vnish, and Others

Beyond stock firmware, there’s an ecosystem of custom (aftermarket) firmware that replaces the manufacturer’s software entirely:

Braiins OS+ — Made by the creators of the first mining pool (Braiins/Slush Pool). It’s the most well-known custom firmware and offers autotuning (the firmware automatically finds the best frequency and voltage for each individual chip), power capping (set a watt limit and the firmware optimizes within it), and detailed per-chip performance data. It supports most Antminer S-series models.

Vnish — Another popular custom firmware for Antminers. It offers aggressive overclocking profiles, immersion cooling support, and a polished web interface. Vnish is known for squeezing more hashrate out of hardware, though at higher power consumption.

LuxOS — A newer entrant focused on Antminers, offering features similar to Braiins with its own tuning approach.

Note

Custom firmware typically voids your manufacturer warranty. If your miner is still under warranty, think twice before flashing third-party firmware. Most custom firmwares can be reverted back to stock, but the process is not always smooth.

Should You Use Custom Firmware?

That depends on your priorities:

Factor	Stock Firmware	Custom Firmware
Stability	Very stable, manufacturer-tested	Generally stable, but varies by version
Performance	Rated specs only	Overclocking, underclocking, autotuning
Efficiency	Fixed profile	Power capping, per-chip optimization
Warranty	Preserved	Typically voided
Risk	Minimal	Moderate (wrong settings can damage hardware)
Features	Basic	Advanced monitoring, API, integrations

For miners who care about maximizing efficiency (J/TH) or who run large operations where even a 5% improvement adds up, custom firmware is often worth it. For hobbyists running one or two machines, stock firmware is perfectly fine.

Reboot vs. Factory Reset: Know the Difference

These are two different things, and using the wrong one can either waste your time or wipe your settings. Let’s be very clear about what each does.

Reboot (Restart)

A reboot is exactly what it sounds like: the miner turns off and turns back on. It’s the mining equivalent of restarting your computer. Your settings — pool configuration, network settings, fan profiles — are all preserved. The miner just gets a fresh start.

When to reboot:

• Hashrate dropped for no obvious reason and hasn’t recovered after 30 minutes
• The web interface is sluggish or unresponsive
• You changed a setting that requires a restart to take effect
• A hash board stopped being recognized (sometimes a reboot re-detects it)
• The miner has been running for months and is acting sluggish (accumulated memory issues)

How to reboot: Navigate to “System” -> “Reboot” in the web interface and click the button. Alternatively, you can do a “hard reboot” by unplugging the power and plugging it back in after 10 seconds — but the software reboot is preferred because it shuts down the hash boards gracefully.

Tip

A reboot takes about 3-5 minutes for most ASIC miners. The miner needs to re-initialize all hash boards, detect chips, ramp up frequencies, and reconnect to the pool. Don’t panic if hashrate shows zero for the first few minutes after a restart.

Factory Reset

A factory reset wipes everything and returns the miner to its original out-of-the-box state. All your custom settings — pool URLs, worker names, network configuration, fan speed overrides, overclocking profiles — are erased. It’s the nuclear option.

When to factory reset:

• You’re selling or giving away the miner and want to clear your pool/wallet data
• The miner is stuck in a boot loop that reboots can’t fix
• You’ve messed up settings so badly that you can’t figure out what’s wrong
• You flashed custom firmware and want to return to a clean stock state
• The web interface is corrupted or won’t load at all

How to factory reset: Most miners have two methods:

1. Software reset — Through the web interface under “System” -> “Reset” or “Restore Defaults”
2. Hardware reset — A small physical reset button on the control board (usually requires a paperclip). Hold it for 5-10 seconds while the miner is powered on. This is your last resort when you can’t access the web interface at all.

Caution

After a factory reset, the miner will revert to its default IP configuration (usually DHCP). If you had a static IP, you’ll need to find the miner’s new address using an IP scanner or your router’s DHCP client list. You’ll also need to reconfigure your pool settings from scratch.

Quick Decision Guide

Symptom	Try Reboot First	Factory Reset If Reboot Fails
Low hashrate	Yes	Rarely needed
Web interface frozen	Yes	Only if persistent
Hash board not detected	Yes	Possibly
Boot loop	Yes (hard power cycle)	Yes, likely needed
Selling the miner	No	Yes, always
Corrupted firmware	No	Yes
Forgot login password	No	Yes (or use hardware reset)

Overclocking and Underclocking Profiles

Most modern ASIC miners let you adjust performance settings — trading between hashrate, power consumption, and heat. This is where things get interesting.

What You Can Adjust

Frequency (MHz) — This controls how fast the ASIC chips cycle through hash calculations. Higher frequency = more hashes per second = more heat and power consumption. Think of it like an engine’s RPM — you can rev higher for more speed, but you’ll burn more fuel and run hotter.

Voltage (mV) — The electrical voltage supplied to the chips. Higher voltage is needed to sustain higher frequencies, but it also generates more heat. Voltage and frequency are closely linked — you can’t just crank frequency up without also raising voltage (the chips will become unstable and produce errors).

Power Limit (Watts) — Some firmware (especially custom firmware like Braiins OS+) lets you set a maximum power consumption. The firmware then automatically finds the best frequency and voltage combination that fits within your power budget. This is the easiest and safest way to tune performance.

Stock Profiles

Most stock firmware offers a handful of pre-set profiles:

• Low Power / Eco Mode — Reduces frequency and voltage for lower hashrate but significantly reduced power consumption. Great when electricity is expensive or ambient temperatures are high.
• Normal / Default — The manufacturer’s rated specs. Balanced performance and reliability.
• High Performance / Turbo — Increased frequency and voltage for more hashrate at the cost of higher power and heat. Typically 10-20% more hashrate but 20-40% more power.

Tip

Efficiency (J/TH) actually gets worse as you overclock. Going from 100 TH/s to 120 TH/s might require going from 3,000W to 4,000W. You gained 20% hashrate but increased power by 33%. Underclocking often gives you better efficiency — less hashrate, but proportionally even less power consumption.

Overclocking Risks

Pushing your miner beyond stock settings comes with trade-offs:

• Increased heat — Higher frequencies mean more heat. If your cooling can’t keep up, the miner will throttle itself (defeating the purpose) or overheat.
• Higher error rates — When chips run too fast for their voltage, they produce incorrect hashes. These show up as hardware errors (HW errors) on your dashboard. A few are normal; a lot means you’ve pushed too far.
• Reduced chip lifespan — Running hotter shortens the life of ASIC chips. A miner run at stock settings for 4 years might only last 2-3 years when aggressively overclocked.
• Power supply strain — Your PSU must be rated for the increased load. A 3,000W PSU running a miner overclocked to 3,500W is a fire hazard.

Underclocking: The Smart Play for Many Miners

Counterintuitively, many professional miners actually underclock their machines. By reducing frequency and voltage, they sacrifice some hashrate but gain disproportionately better efficiency. If electricity is your biggest cost (and it usually is), running two underclocked miners can be more profitable than one overclocked miner producing the same total hashrate.

Auto-Restart on Failure

Most miners have a watchdog feature that automatically restarts the miner if something goes wrong. This is incredibly useful for remote or unattended operation.

Common auto-restart triggers:

• Hashrate drops below a threshold — If hashrate falls below a configured percentage of normal for a set period, the miner reboots itself.
• Hash board failure — If a board stops responding, the miner can attempt to restart and re-initialize it.
• Network disconnection — If the miner loses its pool connection for too long, it may restart networking services or reboot entirely.
• Temperature threshold — If temperatures exceed a critical level, the miner will shut down to protect hardware and restart when it cools down.

Note

The watchdog timer is usually configurable. Setting it too aggressively (restarting at every minor hiccup) can cause constant reboot cycles. Setting it too loosely means problems go unresolved for hours. A good default is to restart if hashrate is below 50% of normal for more than 15-20 minutes.

Password Management

Your miner’s web interface is protected by a username and password. Here’s what you need to know:

Default Credentials

• Antminer: Username root, Password root
• Whatsminer: Username admin, Password admin

Yes, everyone knows these defaults. That’s exactly why you should change them.

Why Change the Password?

If your miner is on a network with other people (a shared facility, a hosting provider, or even your home network with guests), anyone who can reach the miner’s IP can log in with default credentials and:

• Change your pool settings (redirecting your hashrate to their wallet)
• Flash malicious firmware
• Factory reset the machine
• Change the password and lock you out

Change the default password immediately after setup. Navigate to “System” -> “Password” or “Administration” and set something strong.

Caution

Write down your new password somewhere safe. If you forget it, the only recovery method is a factory reset, which erases all your settings. There is no “forgot password” email link on an ASIC miner.

API Access Settings

Many miners expose an API (Application Programming Interface) that allows external software to monitor and control the miner programmatically. This is essential for large operations using management tools like Foreman, Awesome Miner, or custom scripts.

Common API Types

• CGMiner API (Antminer) — Accessible on port 4028 by default. Allows reading stats (hashrate, temperature, fan speed) and sending commands (restart, change pools).
• Whatsminer API — Accessible via a dedicated port. Requires an API token for write operations in newer firmware versions.
• Custom firmware APIs — Braiins OS+ and Vnish offer enhanced REST APIs with more detailed data and control options.

Security Considerations

• Restrict API access to trusted IP addresses if your firmware supports IP whitelisting
• Disable the API entirely if you don’t use management software
• Use read-only mode if you only need monitoring, not control
• Never expose the API to the internet — it’s designed for local network use only

Wrapping Up

System settings are the “set it and forget it” part of mining — until they aren’t. Knowing how to update firmware safely, when to reboot versus factory reset, and how overclocking profiles affect your bottom line will save you from costly mistakes and help you squeeze the most value out of your hardware.

The most important takeaways:

• Firmware updates are important but risky — always download from official sources, never interrupt a flash, and verify you have the right file for your model.
• Reboot first, factory reset only as a last resort. Reboots preserve settings; factory resets erase everything.
• Overclocking gives more hashrate but worse efficiency. Underclocking often makes more financial sense.
• Change your default password — seriously, do it now if you haven’t already.
• Watchdog auto-restart keeps your miner running when you’re not watching, but tune it so it’s not overly aggressive.

Next up, we’ll learn how to read your miner’s system logs — the detailed diary of everything happening inside the machine, including error codes that tell you exactly what went wrong and when.