NerdMiner – Cannot Find 2.4GHz SSID

Log into your router admin. ISP gateways live at `192.168.1.1`, `192.168.0.1`, or `10.0.0.1`. Mesh systems use the vendor mobile app (Eero, Google Home, Orbi, Deco). Default credentials are usually printed on the router label. On Bell Giga Hub specifically, the *admin* account password is different from the default user password — both are on the sticker. Find the right credentials before continuing; you cannot fix Wi-Fi from outside admin.

Open the Wi-Fi / Wireless / Network / Radio settings page. Confirm two specific things: (a) the 2.4 GHz radio's current state — enabled or disabled — and (b) whether 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz share one SSID or have separate names. Record both answers; they tell you which fix tier you need.

If 2.4 GHz is disabled, enable it. Set a distinct SSID like `HomeNet-24`, `HomeNet-IoT`, or `MinerNet`. Use the same password as your main network for simplicity. Security: WPA2-Personal (AES only), NOT WPA3 and NOT WPA2/WPA3 Mixed-Mode — older NerdMiner builds have rough WPA3 support. Channel: `1`, `6`, or `11`. Width: `20 MHz` (`40 MHz` is unreliable on 2.4 GHz in any apartment building).

Save router settings, wait 60 seconds for rebroadcast. Reconnect to `NerdMinerAP` (password `MineYourCoins`), open `http://4.3.2.1/` in a browser, and refresh the SSID dropdown. Your new 2.4 GHz SSID should now be in the list. If not, refresh once more after another 30 seconds.

Enter the 2.4 GHz SSID and password in the captive portal, save, and let the NerdMiner reboot. Watch the display: it should transition `CONNECTING...` → hashrate / pool screen within 30 seconds. From any LAN device, browse to `http://<nerdminer-ip>/` to confirm the dashboard loads. If hashrate appears, configure your pool (`solo.ckpool.org` or your choice) before exiting the portal.

If you run a mesh system, disable band steering. Eero: app → Settings → Advanced → Wi-Fi → toggle `Steering` off, OR add an IoT Network with 2.4 GHz only (Eero added this feature *because* of devices like the Bitaxe and NerdMiner). Nest Wi-Fi: Home app → Wi-Fi → Settings → Advanced → toggle band steering off. Orbi: Admin → Wireless → uncheck `Enable Smart Connect`. Deco: Deco app → Advanced → IoT Network on supported models. ASUS AiMesh: Smart Connect → Off → configure separate 2.4 GHz SSID.

On ISP gateways without web-UI SSID-split: call ISP support and ask for `dual-SSID mode` or `legacy 2.4 GHz guest network`. The feature exists on every major Canadian and US ISP gateway — Bell, Rogers, Videotron, Telus, Xfinity, Comcast, Spectrum, AT&T — but agents usually have to escalate once. Better long-term: put the ISP gateway in *bridge mode* and use your own router behind it.

Verify the full security stack on the 2.4 GHz SSID: WPA2-Personal (AES only, NOT TKIP), fixed channel `1`/`6`/`11` (not Auto in congested apartments), channel width `20 MHz`, AP Isolation / Client Isolation DISABLED. AP Isolation blocks the NerdMiner from talking to anything else on the LAN, breaking pool / block-template polling even when Wi-Fi association works.

Temporarily disable MAC filtering to test. If your router has MAC whitelisting on, the NerdMiner is silently blocked. Find the NerdMiner's MAC on the boot splash, captive-portal page, or post-connection dashboard — format `XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX`. Add to the allow list, retest. Re-enable MAC filtering only after the NerdMiner is running stably.

Reboot router first, wait 2 minutes for full rebroadcast and radio re-stabilization, then power-cycle the NerdMiner. Watch the display transition `CONNECTING...` → hashrate / pool. Browse to `http://<nerdminer-ip>/` from a LAN device to confirm. This is where most users' problems end.

BSSID lock to a specific 2.4 GHz mesh node. If your mesh broadcasts 2.4 GHz under a unified SSID and the NerdMiner is bouncing between nodes, find the closest node's MAC / BSSID in the mesh admin app (look for `BSSID`, `AP MAC`, or `Node MAC` in node detail). Enter it in the NerdMiner v2 captive portal's `BSSID` field on newer firmware builds, or hand-edit `wifi.json` before flashing on older builds. The radio will only associate with that one node, ignoring band-steering.

Drop a dedicated 2.4 GHz travel router inline. GL.iNet Mango (`GL-MT300N-V2`) costs ~$30 CAD. Plug WAN into your existing network, set Wi-Fi to 2.4 GHz WPA2-PSK, connect the NerdMiner to it instead of your main network. Configure in 10 minutes. Pragmatic Mining Hacker fix to ISP-locked or mesh-locked main routers.

Alternative: dedicate an old Android phone as a permanent 2.4 GHz hotspot. Plug into wall charger, disable cellular data, configure hotspot at 2.4 GHz, let it tether to the main network via Wi-Fi using a share-Wi-Fi app (NetShare, PdaNet+, or OEM `Share Wi-Fi` on Samsung / Xiaomi / Pixel). Functionally identical to a travel router; costs nothing if you have the phone in a drawer.

Configure a Wi-Fi extender as a 2.4 GHz repeater. Most $25–60 extenders broadcast their own 2.4 GHz SSID by default. Verify in the extender admin that 2.4 GHz is enabled — newer Wi-Fi 6E extenders sometimes ship with 5 GHz on, 2.4 GHz off. Connect the NerdMiner to the extender's SSID; the extender bridges back to your main 5 GHz / band-steered network.

Flash the latest NerdMiner v2 firmware via Web Flasher. Use `https://bitmaker-hub.github.io/NerdMiner_v2/` or the official release on `https://github.com/BitMaker-hub/NerdMiner_v2/releases`. Select your *exact* board variant — flashing T-Display S3 firmware to a T-Dongle S3 produces weird Wi-Fi behaviour. Use a USB-C *data* cable (charge-only cables silently break the flash). Old firmware lacks WPA3 support, BSSID-field UI, and modern captive-portal handling.

Test the NerdMiner on a known-clean external network. Bring it to a friend's house with a known-good 2.4 GHz SSID and try first-boot setup. Joins immediately = your home network is the issue (data for your next ISP support call). Fails on a friend's network too = antenna or ESP32 / ESP32-S3 module is suspect → Tier 4. This 30-minute test saves shipping a healthy board across the country.

Stop DIY when you've confirmed: split-SSID configured, band steering disabled, WPA2-PSK only, BSSID-lock attempted, Tier 3 travel router tested, mesh extender tested, friend's network tested, current firmware reflashed. The NerdMiner still won't join any 2.4 GHz network. At this point the antenna, antenna feedline, or ESP32 / ESP32-S3 module is suspect. Ship to D-Central — same workshop that pioneered the Bitaxe Mesh Stand and stocks the full Nerd family.

D-Central bench process: cold-boot inspection under USB-C serial console with a known-good 2.4 GHz test AP at 1 m range, across all three non-overlapping channels. We measure antenna-feed impedance (characteristic 50 Ω, antenna path resistance < 1 Ω), visually inspect the PCB-trace antenna or u.FL connector for impact / solder defects, and bench-test against a lab AP. Module-level rework on ESP32 / ESP32-S3 boards is hot-air work — preheat from below, top-side 280–310 °C for ~30 seconds. Module BoM is minor; bench labour is the line item. Turnaround 3–7 business days.

Ship safely if the diagnosis points to module replacement. Anti-static bag, bubble wrap, double-box. Include a note with: NerdMiner board variant (LILYGO T-Display S3 / T-Dongle S3 / etc.), current firmware version flashed, observed symptoms, and your contact info. The note saves diagnostic time on the bench, which saves you bench-rate dollars on the invoice. Use a trackable carrier inbound to D-Central; we'll communicate at intake, mid-diagnosis, and on completion.

Once your NerdMiner is back online, lock in the prevention checklist: dedicated `HomeNet-IoT` 2.4 GHz SSID, WPA2-PSK (AES), channel 1/6/11 fixed, 20 MHz width, AP isolation off, MAC filtering off (or your full miner fleet whitelisted), BSSIDs of all mesh nodes documented in a text file, router-firmware up to date. Future NerdMiner / Bitaxe / NerdAxe / NerdQAxe additions plug into the same SSID without reconfiguration.