WiFi cable to the moon for all Nerd*s

We all know the problem: Nerd* miners have poor WiFi reception. This results in rejected shares, high latencies, and unstable connections. In the past, many attempts have been made to get this problem under control in Nerd*OS – sometimes with good results, sometimes with less good results. With the current version 1.0.35, however, my Wi-Fi reception is much more stable. At least in my network.

To be fair, I have to say that my network doesn't just consist of a simple router in the corner, but a complete Ubiquiti setup, which certainly not everyone has at home. Nevertheless, you keep reading about massive problems with Wi-Fi reception, whether with the Nerd* devices themselves or, particularly often, with the Bitaxe.

First, the bad news: unfortunately, the Bitaxe is out of luck here. The good news: all Nerd units can be significantly improved in terms of reception for around a dollar. The solution is surprisingly simple – and yet hardly anyone seems to have thought of it.

All Nerd* units are based on the LILYGO-T Display S3. The ESP module, which is controlled by the Nerd*OS firmware, is located on this display. This small display is not only visually appealing, but also packed with technique. The ingenious thing about it is that it has a u.FL connector, which makes it easy to connect an external antenna.

These antennas are small, widely available, standardized, and, above all, very inexpensive. It is important to note that u.FL (also known as IPEX or MHF) is not compatible with IPEX4. So when looking for a suitable antenna, you should pay attention to the following specifications:

• Plug connection: u.FL/IPEX (MHF)
• Not IPEX4
• Suitable for the 2.4 GHz frequency range
• Cable length: ≤ 15 cm
• Receiver gain: 2–5 dBi

Since I operate several miners with Nerd*OS, I ordered the first suitable antenna I could find on Amazon. 20 units u.FL antennas, made from sturdy ABS casing, with a compatible u.FL/IPEX port. At a price of just EUR 0.45 per unit, this is probably the cheapest upgrade I have ever implemented.

Here is a rough classification of reception quality based on the RSSI value: Conveniently, you can access and view this metric on the “System” page in Nerd*OS.

According to official documentation, the connection for the external antenna is physically disabled on the LILYGO T-Display S3, even though the connector is present.

The same probably applies to the NerdQaxe+ and NerdGamma, as they are based on the same LILYGO T-Display S3. However, I have not tested this, as I do not have a NerdGamma and my NerdQaxe+ is currently being serviced.

I therefore assume that even if the switchover is not implemented optimally, this solution offers a noticeable advantage - especially for those of us who have been struggling with poor WiFi for weeks.

Now comes the real trick: you don't have to look for a separate piece of metal. All Nerd* miners already have a heat sink  - made of aluminum or copper - with a large surface area and perfect geometry. It doesn't get any better than that.

This creates another one of those wonderful synergies: One component fulfills two tasks at once – cooling and reception amplification.

Installation is very simple: 

• Attach the end of the antenna to the cleanest possible spot on the cooler with a small piece of tape – done.
   

The perfect synergy: this turns your cooler into a giant receiving antenna at no extra cost.

This setup was tested on several Nerd* units. To deliberately make conditions more difficult, I placed all test devices in another room, with two solid stone walls between the miner and the access point. As always, testing was carried out in the local pool under Bassin and Umbrel. Measured variable: RSSI in dBm at 2.4 GHz WLAN

• TS-1: Standard operation, without extra antenna
• TS-2: External antenna on the LILYGO T-Display S3
• TS-3: External antenna on the LILYGO T-Display S3, the end attached to the cooler

To make it easier to visually assess how much reception will improve, we use ⊛ as an indicator in the following table, which represents our “reception quality” table. Where 5 ⊛ stands for perfect reception and 1 ⊛ stands for “very poor.”

As you can easily see: the reception is more than just good. An additional access point is not necessary, the miners no longer have to be right next to the router – and a LAN cable is also superfluous.

• Extremely mobile.
• No additional cables.
• No mods.
• No firmware adjustments.
• No magic.

👉 Connect the antenna to the LILYGO T-Display S3, attach the end to the cooler – and the magic is done. 

And all that for less than one Euro/Dollar.