Do you know what's so funny about it? I knew about it, I did. However, I haven't realised the significance of the issue and thus I am stuck in the current situation that puts whole project at risk. Connecting the dots is an important characteristics.
Background of Involuntary Off-grid
Due to my energy provider's commitment to connect my home to the grid only in 2027, I had to develop alternative energy solutions. I invested in a 10 kWp off-grid photovoltaic system, a three-phase DEYE hybrid inverter, and a 15 kWh energy storage unit from Breeze. The said equipment in Polish conditions will not be able to fully cover the consumption of air heat pump since October till March/April and since I want to move in before 2027 I had to resort 10KW diesel power generator - a 225 kg beauty.
As part of energy optimization, I recalled my experience with cryptocurrencies. In the past, between 2012 and 2018, I mined cryptocurrencies and knew that mining rigs generate waste heat, which could be used efficiently. My plan was to invest in small ASIC miner, such as the Lucky Miner LV07, which consume little power. The idea was to use excess summer energy for mining (to partially cover the electricity bill) and the generated heat during winter to warm the batteries in the garage as they degenerate in low temperatures. That was the idea...
Problems During Testing Phase I Would Never Think Of
Unfortunately, testing revealed that the project was not as straightforward as I had envisioned.
It turned out that mobile internet providers are blocking the ports (it is self explanatory that there's no fixed Internet at the constructions site). This is essential, because mining pools require direct connection. The blocked ports prevent the mining rig from connecting to the mining pool. I tested connections with two different mobile internet providers – both had the same restrictions, however one of 4 tested simcards allowed me to connect to the pool and to mine at full speed for almost a day.
I contacted the operators and either of them offers an option to unlock ports, however it requires for me to switch from pay-as-you-go into subscription offer with addition paid service to unlock the ports or set up external IP.
The option to unlock ports proved too expensive, and the cost of a router-based VPN exceeded the potential profits of the miner.
Considered Solutions
I am currently analyzing whether there is a fixed-line internet option available in my area that could solve the port blocking issue. If such a solution proves costly or unfeasible, I may be forced to abandon the entire project.
I am also considering whether purchasing a new router that supports modern VPN protocols like OpenVPN or WireGuard would be more cost-effective. This would allow me to use free or low-cost VPN services, as cryptocurrency mining consumes minimal data transfer. My current 4G router supports only outdated protocols (L2TP and PPTP), however this cost might make whole operation senseless.
A Call for Community Support
I am reaching out to you for help and suggestions:
- Do you know of any affordable or free VPN services that support L2TP or PPTP protocols, which I could use?
- Are there other technical solutions to bypass the issue of port blocking?
- Have you had similar experiences with cryptocurrency mining over mobile internet and could share your ideas?
Every suggestion can help me turn this project into a viable solution to energy management challenges in an off-grid home. I am afraid that, until finding fixed-line internet solution I need to focus on different approaches to make a house livable.
Disclaimer
This article was written (not generated) using ChataGPT - it was not about throwing a propmpt, only using the chat option. I think this is a feature that can revolutionize the way we use it. In this option, chatGPT becomes your interlocutor, reviewer, asks questions, suggests changes. Our conversation lasted over 1.5 hours