Connecting External Miners and Hashrate to your Solo Pool/Node!
How to Connect External Miners to Your FutureBit Apollo or Solo Node (Port 3333)
Want to point miners from anywhere in the world directly at your Solo Node? This guide shows you how to port forward TCP 3333 and connect using WAN_IP:3333—in plain language, step-by-step.
Overview
Your FutureBit Apollo or Solo Node includes a built-in Stratum mining endpoint. When you’re mining locally (on the same Wi-Fi/LAN), miners can connect directly to the Solo Node’s local IP. But when your miner is on a different network (a different building, city, or country), you need your router to “forward” inbound mining traffic to the Solo Node.
Port forwarding is a router setting that tells your internet connection: “If someone connects to my public internet address on a specific port, send that traffic to a specific device on my internal network.”
You will forward TCP port 3333 to your Solo Node, then set your miner’s pool URL to: WAN_IP:3333 (or stratum+tcp://WAN_IP:3333 if your miner requires it).
Before You Start (Checklist)
| Item | What it means |
|---|---|
| Solo Node is online | Power is on, Solo Node UI loads, and it’s fully synced (or syncing normally). |
| Solo Node local IP | Example: 192.168.1.100 |
| Router access | You can log into your router admin page (usually via a browser). |
| Public WAN IP | Your internet-facing IP address (what the outside world sees). |
| External miner | Any miner that supports a Stratum pool URL and port. |
Many internet providers change your WAN/public IP from time to time. If your miner stops connecting later, it may be because your WAN IP changed. See the FAQ for the recommended fix (DDNS or static IP).
Network Diagram (What We’re Building)
Step 1: Find Your Solo Node Local IP Address
The Solo Node has a local IP address on your home/office network. This is where the router will forward port 3333.
- Open your Solo Node Web UI.
- Go to System Info (or Network / Status).
- Find Local IP Address (example below).
If your router changes device IPs over time, port forwarding can break. If you see a setting like DHCP Reservation or Static Lease in your router, reserve the Solo Node’s IP so it stays the same.
Step 2: Log Into Your Router
You’ll configure port forwarding inside your router’s admin page.
- Open a web browser on a device connected to the same network as your Solo Node.
- Enter your router address (common examples):
Log in using your router’s username/password. If you don’t know it, it’s often printed on the router label or provided by your ISP.
Step 3: Port Forward TCP 3333 to Your Solo Node
This is the key step. You will create a rule that forwards inbound TCP traffic on port 3333 to your Solo Node’s local IP.
Router menus vary. Look for: Port Forwarding, NAT, Virtual Server, or Advanced → Port Forwarding.
Port Forwarding Rule (Use These Values)
| Router Field | Set to |
|---|---|
| Service Name | Solo Node Mining |
| Protocol | TCP |
| External/WAN Port | 3333 |
| Internal/LAN Port | 3333 |
| Internal IP / Device IP | Your Solo Node local IP (example: 192.168.1.100) |
| Enabled | Yes |
Stratum mining uses TCP. If your router asks for UDP, leave it off unless you have a specific reason to enable both.
Step 4: Find Your WAN/Public IP Address
Your WAN/Public IP is the address external miners will use to reach your router over the internet.
- On any computer/phone, open a browser.
- Search: what is my ip (or use a trusted IP-checking site).
- Copy the displayed public IP (example below).
Step 5: Configure Your External Miner (URL = WAN_IP:3333)
In your miner’s pool settings, you will enter your WAN IP address and port 3333. Different miners label this slightly differently, but the format is consistent.
Use One of These URL Formats
Example
Typical Miner Fields
| Miner Setting | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Pool URL | WAN_IP:3333 (or stratum+tcp://WAN_IP:3333) |
| Worker Name | Your Bitcoin wallet payout address (example: bc1q58lrnrlprg9j3l0gge9pyhhqvt2nkfj3j5he82.miner01) |
| Password | Anything (many miners use x) |
Step 6: Confirm Mining Is Working
Once your miner is configured, you should verify both sides: the miner shows an active connection and your Solo Node shows incoming hashpower/shares.
- Miner status shows Connected and Submitting shares.
- Solo Node UI shows the miner as Connected (and hashrate updates).
- Shares are being accepted (no repeated connection errors).
Security Best Practices
Sovereign mining should still follow good network hygiene. Port forwarding is powerful—use it intentionally.
- Forward only TCP port 3333.
- Do not expose admin/UI ports to the public internet.
- Use a strong router password and keep router firmware updated.
- If you stop using external mining, disable the port forward.
Troubleshooting (Most Common Issues)
- Port forwarding rule is not saved/enabled.
- Forwarded to the wrong internal IP (Solo Node IP changed).
- Protocol set to UDP instead of TCP.
- ISP/router blocks inbound ports (less common).
- Your WAN/public IP changed (fix: DDNS or static IP).
- Router rebooted and reassigned the Solo Node a new local IP (fix: DHCP reservation).
- Solo Node local IP is correct.
- Port forward: WAN 3333 → Solo Node IP 3333 (TCP).
- Miner URL is WAN_IP:3333 (or stratum+tcp://WAN_IP:3333).
FAQ
If the miner is on a different network (external), use your WAN/Public IP with :3333. If the miner is on the same local network, you can typically use the Solo Node local IP with :3333.
Use Dynamic DNS (DDNS) so miners connect to a hostname that automatically follows your current WAN IP. Alternatively, request a static IP from your ISP.
Port forwarding should be done carefully. Forwarding only TCP 3333 for Stratum is typically sufficient. Avoid exposing admin interfaces, keep router credentials strong, and disable the rule if not needed.
Summary
To connect external miners to your FutureBit Solo Node, set a router port forward for TCP port 3333 to the Solo Node’s local IP address, then configure your miner’s pool URL to WAN/Public IP:3333. This enables sovereign mining directly to your node from any location.