Vnish Firmware Guide: Installation, Configuration & Advanced Tuning

VNish Firmware: The Overclocker’s Firmware for ASIC Miners

Stock Bitmain firmware treats your ASIC miner like a sealed appliance — see our Antminer firmware update guide for a general firmware overview. Fixed frequencies. Fixed voltages. No per-chip control. No power scheduling. No immersion mode. No way to disable a single failed chip to keep a hashboard running. And if you mine Scrypt on an L3+ or L7 — stock firmware offers you nothing beyond what Bitmain decided was acceptable at the factory. VNish exists to tear open that locked box and hand you every control lever.

VNish is a commercial ASIC firmware platform developed by a Russian engineering team with over eight years in the mining firmware space. Where Braiins OS+ emphasizes watt-level power targeting and Stratum V2, and LuxOS focuses on Luxor pool integration — VNish is the firmware built for miners who want maximum granular control. Per-chip frequency adjustment. Per-chip voltage tuning. The ability to disable individual dead or degraded chips while keeping the rest of the hashboard operational. Aggressive overclock profiles that push hardware to its silicon limits. Immersion cooling mode that eliminates fan checks entirely. Auto-scheduling that shifts hashrate profiles based on time-of-day electricity rates. And critically for Scrypt miners — full support for the L3+, L7, and L9 series that neither Braiins OS+ nor LuxOS covers at all.

The VNish philosophy is simple: your hardware, your rules. If you want to push an S19j Pro to 120 TH/s and accept the thermal tradeoff, VNish lets you. If you want to undervolt an aging S9 to 800W for a space heater build, VNish lets you. If you want to run an S21 submerged in dielectric fluid with no fans at 250+ TH/s, VNish’s immersion mode was built precisely for that scenario. No other firmware gives you this breadth of hardware control across both SHA-256 and Scrypt mining platforms.

This guide is the definitive resource for installing, configuring, and optimizing VNish firmware on your Antminer hardware. We cover every supported model, every installation method (SD card, Hashcore Toolkit, SSH), auto-tuning and manual per-chip overclocking, immersion mode configuration, Scrypt mining optimization, fleet management with ANTHILL, troubleshooting, and a full comparison with Braiins OS+, LuxOS, and stock firmware. Whether you are squeezing a few extra terahashes from a home space heater or deploying across a fleet of immersion-cooled S21s, this manual has you covered.

What Is VNish?

VNish is a commercial replacement firmware for Bitmain Antminer ASIC miners, developed by a Russian engineering team that has been building mining firmware since the early days of SHA-256 ASIC mining. The name has become synonymous with aggressive performance tuning — among professional miners, “running VNish” is shorthand for squeezing maximum hashrate from hardware.

Core Features

Per-Chip Auto-Tuning. When first installed, VNish runs an automatic tuning cycle that tests every individual ASIC chip on every hashboard. It sends progressively higher frequencies to each chip, identifies the stable operating ceiling, determines optimal voltage, and creates a chip-level performance map. High-quality silicon gets pushed harder. Weaker chips get conservative settings. The result is a custom frequency/voltage profile unique to your specific machine — because no two miners are identical at the chip level, even when they rolled off the same Bitmain production line.

Manual Per-Chip Frequency & Voltage Control. This is where VNish separates itself from every competitor. While Braiins OS+ gives you a watt-level power target and lets the autotuner handle the rest, VNish hands you the controls directly. You can set the frequency and voltage for each individual ASIC chip on each hashboard. If chip #47 on hashboard 2 runs hot, you can drop its frequency by 25 MHz while keeping every other chip at full speed. No other production firmware offers this level of granularity. For advanced overclockers, this is the difference between squeezing out an extra 5-10% hashrate and leaving performance on the table.

Chip Throttling (Dead Chip Bypass). This is VNish’s most underrated feature — and arguably its most valuable for miners running older or repaired hardware. If an ASIC chip fails or becomes unstable, stock firmware typically shuts down the entire hashboard. VNish lets you disable individual bad chips while the rest of the chain keeps hashing. A hashboard with 3 dead chips out of 76 still runs at approximately 96% capacity instead of sitting idle in your rack. For miners with aging S17s, repaired S19s, or any hardware with partial chip failure, this feature alone justifies the firmware switch.

Power Capping. Set a maximum wattage ceiling and VNish automatically adjusts chip frequencies to stay within the limit. Similar in concept to Braiins OS+ power target mode, but VNish approaches it as a hard cap rather than a target — the firmware will never exceed the configured wattage, even temporarily during tuning. Useful for home miners on limited circuits and for operators managing electrical capacity across a facility.

Auto-Scheduling. VNish includes a time-based profile scheduler that automatically switches between overclock, normal, and efficiency modes based on time of day. If your electricity rate is $0.06/kWh overnight and $0.12/kWh during peak hours, you can configure VNish to push maximum hashrate at night and drop to efficiency mode during the day — or shut down entirely during peak pricing. The miner handles the transitions automatically with no manual intervention.

Immersion Mining Mode. VNish provides a dedicated immersion cooling mode that disables fan speed monitoring, fan error alerts, and fan-dependent thermal shutdowns. In immersion mode, the firmware relies entirely on chip temperature sensors for thermal management, with configurable temperature thresholds optimized for dielectric fluid cooling. This is essential for anyone running immersion — stock firmware will throw constant fan errors and refuse to operate without spinning fans.

Scrypt Algorithm Support. VNish supports both SHA-256 (Bitcoin) and Scrypt (Litecoin/Dogecoin) mining hardware. The L3+, L7, and L9 series are fully supported with auto-tuning, overclocking, and efficiency profiles. Neither Braiins OS+ nor LuxOS supports Scrypt hardware at all, making VNish the only serious custom firmware option for Scrypt miners.

AsicBoost. VNish implements version-rolling AsicBoost, the mining optimization technique that reduces the energy required per hash by exploiting properties of the SHA-256 algorithm. On supported hardware (S9 and newer), this provides a measurable efficiency improvement that stacks on top of per-chip tuning gains.

Dev Fee Model

VNish is free to download and install. There is no per-device license fee, no subscription, and no upfront cost. Revenue is collected through a developer fee (DevFee) — a percentage of your miner’s hashrate that is directed to VNish’s pool during operation. The dev fee varies by hardware model:

Volume discounts are available for large-scale deployments. Mining hotels and colocation providers can negotiate custom dev fee rates and add their own branding/logo to the firmware interface. Contact VNish directly for enterprise pricing.

The math on dev fees is the same as with any custom firmware: if VNish’s auto-tuning, overclocking, and efficiency features generate a 10-25% improvement in hashrate or efficiency, the 1.8-2.8% dev fee is a fraction of the performance gain. You come out substantially ahead compared to stock firmware.

Supported Hardware

VNish supports a broader hardware range than any competing custom firmware, including both SHA-256 and Scrypt ASIC miners. This is one of VNish’s key advantages — it covers models and control board types that Braiins OS+ and LuxOS cannot.

SHA-256 Models (Bitcoin)

Scrypt Models (Litecoin / Dogecoin)

Control Board Compatibility

One of VNish’s critical advantages over Braiins OS+ is control board breadth. The S17/T17 series was manufactured with two different control board types, and this matters enormously for firmware compatibility:

• Xilinx (Zynq) control board — Supported by VNish, Braiins OS+, and LuxOS.
• Amlogic control board — Supported by VNish ONLY. Neither Braiins OS+ nor LuxOS supports S17/T17 units with Amlogic boards. If you have an Amlogic-based S17 or T17, VNish is your only custom firmware option.
• CVITEK control board — Found on some newer S19/S21 variants. Supported by VNish with specific firmware builds.

To identify your control board type: access your miner’s web interface and check System > Overview, or physically inspect the control board for manufacturer chip markings. When downloading VNish firmware, you must select the correct control board version — installing the wrong build will fail.

Pre-Installation Checklist

Before you touch firmware, complete every step here. Skipping this checklist is how miners end up calling D-Central’s repair line with bricked hardware.

1. Backup Current Configuration

• Screenshot your entire web interface. Every page, every tab. Pool settings, network configuration, fan profiles, firmware version, miner status. On Windows: Win + Shift + S. On macOS: Cmd + Shift + 4.
• Export your configuration file if your current firmware supports it. On stock Bitmain firmware: System > Backup / Flash Firmware > Generate archive.
• Write down your pool settings manually. Pool URL, worker name, password, and any failover pool addresses. You will re-enter these in VNish.
• Record your miner’s MAC address and IP assignment. Navigate to System > Network and note whether the miner uses DHCP or a static IP. Static IP configurations need to be reconfigured after flashing.

2. Verify Your Exact Model & Control Board

• Confirm the exact model (e.g., S19j Pro, not just “S19”) from the miner’s web interface or from the physical label on the miner chassis.
• Confirm the control board type (Xilinx, Amlogic, or CVITEK) as described in the hardware section above.
• Note the current firmware version — you may need this if you ever want to revert to stock.

3. Download VNish Firmware

• Visit the official VNish website at vnish.com or vnish.group.
• Select your exact miner model and control board type.
• Download the correct firmware package. For SD card installation, download the SD recovery image. For Hashcore Toolkit installation, download the Toolkit Full Pack which includes all models and auto-detects your hardware.
• Verify the download by comparing the file’s SHA-256 checksum against the value published on the VNish download page. On Windows: certutil -hashfile filename.zip SHA256. On Linux/macOS: sha256sum filename.zip.

4. Prepare Installation Media

• SD card: Use a card no larger than 16 GB, formatted as FAT32. Larger cards or NTFS formatting will cause installation to fail.
• For Amlogic control boards: Use a USB flash drive with an OTG-USB adapter instead of an SD card. Amlogic boards use a Micro-USB port, not an SD card slot.
• Extract the downloaded firmware archive and copy all files to the root directory of the SD card or USB drive. Do not place files inside folders.

5. Electrical Safety

• Ensure your power supply is adequate for any planned overclocking. A stock APW12 handles 3,600W. Aggressive OC profiles on S19j Pro can push to 3,800W+ — verify your PSU and circuit capacity.
• If running at home, confirm your circuit breaker can handle the load. A 20A/240V circuit provides 4,800W max — leave at least 20% headroom.
• Ensure adequate ventilation or cooling capacity, especially if you plan to overclock.

Installation Methods

VNish supports three installation methods, each suited to different scenarios. The critical concept to understand is the difference between SD mode and NAND mode.

SD Mode vs. NAND Mode

This distinction is fundamental and unique to VNish’s installation approach:

D-Central’s recommendation: Always start with SD mode for your first VNish installation. Test auto-tuning, verify compatibility, confirm pool connections, and run for at least 24 hours before committing to NAND. Once you are confident VNish is stable on your hardware, move to NAND mode to eliminate the SD card as a potential point of failure.

Method 1: SD Card Flash (Recommended for First Install)

This is the safest and most forgiving installation method. The miner boots from the SD card while your original stock firmware remains untouched in NAND memory.

1. Power off the miner completely. Unplug the power supply. Wait 30 seconds for capacitors to discharge.
2. Insert the prepared SD card into the control board’s SD card slot. For Amlogic control boards, insert the USB drive into the Micro-USB port using an OTG adapter.
3. Power on the miner. The control board will detect the SD card and boot from it instead of the internal NAND.
4. Wait for the green LED on the front panel to light up and remain solid. This indicates VNish has successfully loaded. The process takes approximately 60 seconds.
5. Access the VNish web interface by navigating to your miner’s IP address in a browser. The default login is root / root (change this immediately).
6. Leave the SD card inserted. In SD mode, VNish runs from the card. If you remove the card and power cycle, the miner reverts to stock firmware.

Method 2: Hashcore Toolkit (Recommended for Fleet Deployment)

Hashcore Toolkit is VNish’s desktop application for managing firmware installations across one or many miners simultaneously. It installs VNish directly to NAND — no SD card required.

1. Download Hashcore Toolkit from the official VNish website. It is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android.
2. Install and launch the application on a computer connected to the same network as your miners.
3. Scan your network. Hashcore Toolkit will automatically discover all Antminer devices on the local network and display them in a list with model information, IP address, and current firmware version.
4. Select target miners. Click on individual miners or select all miners of a specific model for batch deployment.
5. Start installation. The toolkit identifies each miner’s model and control board type, selects the correct firmware build, and flashes it directly to NAND over the network. No physical access to the miner is required.
6. Monitor progress. The toolkit displays real-time installation progress for each miner. A typical NAND flash takes 3–5 minutes per device. The miner will reboot automatically after installation.

The Hashcore Toolkit Full Pack includes firmware for all supported Antminer models and control board types. If you are unsure of your hardware specifications, use the Full Pack — the toolkit will auto-detect and select the correct firmware during installation.

For large deployments, Hashcore Toolkit version 1.6.0 and later supports remote installation across IP ranges, eliminating the need for physical access or SD cards entirely. You can deploy VNish to hundreds of miners from a single workstation.

Method 3: SSH Installation (Advanced)

For miners comfortable with the command line, VNish can be installed via SSH. This method provides the most control over the installation process.

1. Enable SSH on your miner if it is not already enabled. On stock Bitmain firmware, SSH is typically accessible with default credentials (root / root or admin).
2. Connect via SSH: ssh root@<miner_ip>
3. Transfer the firmware file to the miner using SCP: scp vnish_firmware.tar.gz root@<miner_ip>:/tmp/
4. Extract and run the installer: Follow the specific installation commands provided in the VNish documentation for your model. The exact commands vary by control board type.
5. The miner will reboot into VNish after the installation completes.

SSH installation is best suited for advanced users, scripted deployments, or situations where the Hashcore Toolkit cannot reach a miner (e.g., behind a NAT or firewall). For most users, the SD card or Hashcore Toolkit methods are simpler and more reliable.

Post-Installation Configuration

After VNish is running, you need to configure the essentials before the miner starts earning. Access the VNish web interface by navigating to http://<miner_ip>/ in your browser.

1. Change the Default Password

The default login is root / root. Change this immediately. Navigate to System > Password and set a strong password. VNish also allows you to change or disable the SSH port for additional security.

2. Pool Configuration

Navigate to Miner > Pool Settings and configure your mining pools:

• Pool 1 (Primary): Your main mining pool URL, worker name, and password.
• Pool 2 (Failover): A backup pool that activates if Pool 1 goes down.
• Pool 3 (Failover): A second backup pool for maximum uptime.

For SHA-256 Bitcoin mining, use the stratum+tcp:// protocol prefix. For Scrypt mining (L3+, L7, L9), ensure your pool supports the Scrypt algorithm and that you are connecting to the correct port.

3. Auto-Tune Configuration

VNish’s auto-tune runs automatically on first boot, but you should configure its parameters:

• Target mode: Choose between preset performance profiles or manual target. VNish provides pre-tested profiles for each model (e.g., S17+ profiles at 55, 60, 62, 68, 74, 80, 88 TH/s).
• Power cap: Set a maximum wattage if you need to stay within circuit limits. VNish will auto-tune within this power envelope.
• Temperature limits: Set the critical chip temperature (default is typically 95-100 degrees Celsius for air-cooled). VNish will throttle or shut down individual hashboards if chips exceed this threshold.

Let auto-tune run for 1–4 hours without interruption. During this period, hashrate will fluctuate as VNish tests each chip’s frequency and voltage limits. Do not adjust settings during the auto-tune process. Once complete, VNish saves the chip profile and uses it for ongoing operation.

4. Fan Control

VNish provides granular fan speed control that stock firmware does not:

• Auto mode: VNish manages fan speed based on chip temperature, with configurable target temperatures. This is the recommended mode for most installations.
• Manual mode: Set a fixed fan speed percentage. Useful for noise management in home mining setups.
• Maximum fan speed limit: Cap the maximum RPM even in auto mode. Useful for noise-sensitive environments — set maximum to 60-70% for a significant noise reduction.
• Target chip temperature: VNish’s proprietary method adjusts fan speed to maintain a specific chip temperature rather than just reacting to overheating. This results in significantly lower average fan speeds compared to stock firmware’s reactive approach.

5. Network & Security Settings

• Configure a static IP if your network requires it (recommended for fleet management). Navigate to System > Network.
• Change or disable the SSH port if you do not need remote shell access.
• Set a strong web interface password. VNish supports password changes for all equipment on the network simultaneously via the Hashcore Toolkit.

Advanced Overclocking

This is VNish’s strongest territory. No other production firmware offers the same depth of manual overclocking control. But with great power comes the very real risk of damaging hardware through excessive voltage or thermal stress. Proceed with full understanding of what you are doing.

Preset Performance Profiles

VNish ships with pre-tested overclock profiles for each supported model. These profiles have been validated by VNish’s development team and represent safe operating parameters for miners with adequate cooling:

Efficiency mode is ideal for home miners and space heater operators — lower power, lower noise, better J/TH. Balanced mode matches or slightly exceeds stock performance with better efficiency. Max OC mode pushes silicon to its limits — use only with robust cooling, adequate PSU, and acceptance that hardware lifespan may be reduced.

Manual Per-Chip Frequency & Voltage Control

For miners who want to go beyond preset profiles, VNish exposes per-chip controls in the web interface. Navigate to Miner > Hashboards to see a detailed chip map for each hashboard.

Each chip displays:

• Chip number and position on the hashboard
• Current frequency (in MHz)
• Current voltage
• Temperature (from the nearest sensor)
• Error count — hardware errors generated by this chip
• Status — active, disabled, or flagged

You can adjust frequency and voltage for individual chips or groups of chips. The process:

1. Start from the auto-tuned baseline. Let VNish’s auto-tune complete first. This gives you a stable starting profile.
2. Identify strong chips. Chips with zero hardware errors and low temperatures are candidates for frequency increases. Raise frequency by 10-25 MHz increments.
3. Identify weak chips. Chips generating hardware errors or running hot should have their frequency reduced, or be disabled entirely if they are unstable.
4. Monitor for 30+ minutes after each adjustment. Watch hardware error rates, chip temperatures, and hashrate stability.
5. Iterate. Per-chip tuning is not a one-time operation — it is an ongoing optimization process. Ambient temperature changes, aging silicon, and seasonal variations all affect optimal settings.

Chip Throttling (Dead Chip Bypass)

One of VNish’s most valuable features for operators running repaired or aging hardware. When a single ASIC chip fails or becomes chronically unstable, VNish allows you to disable that specific chip while keeping the rest of the hashboard operational.

On stock firmware, a single failed chip often triggers hashboard shutdown — the entire board goes offline because of one bad chip out of 76+. With VNish chip throttling:

• Navigate to the hashboard chip map in the VNish web interface.
• Identify the failed or unstable chip (persistent high hardware errors, constant flagging by auto-tune).
• Disable the chip. VNish routes the hash chain around it.
• The hashboard continues operating at reduced capacity — typically 98-99% per disabled chip — instead of being completely offline.

VNish also automatically registers dead chips during the auto-tune process and can disable them without manual intervention. The firmware includes chip chain protection to prevent cascading failures when chips in the chain become unstable.

This feature is particularly valuable for:

• Hashboards that have been repaired — if the repair restored most but not all chips
• Aging S17/T17 hardware where individual chips are starting to fail
• Miners bought secondhand with partial chip damage
• Extending the operational life of hardware that stock firmware would consider non-functional

Auto-Scheduling (Time-Based Profile Switching)

VNish’s auto-scheduling feature lets you configure different performance profiles for different times of day, switching automatically based on a schedule you define:

• Night mode (off-peak rates): Run maximum overclock profile when electricity is cheapest.
• Day mode (peak rates): Switch to efficiency mode or completely pause mining when electricity costs spike.
• Weekend mode: Different schedules for weekends if your utility offers weekend rate structures.

Configuration is done through the VNish web interface under Settings > Scheduler. You set the time windows, select the profile for each window (including full shutdown as an option), and VNish handles the transitions automatically. The miner ramps frequency up or down without manual intervention, and the transition between profiles takes seconds.

For Canadian miners on time-of-use electricity billing (common in Ontario and Quebec), this feature can make the difference between profitable and unprofitable mining. Running an S19j Pro at maximum overclock during overnight rates ($0.04/kWh) and pausing during peak rates ($0.17/kWh) dramatically changes the profitability equation.

Immersion Mining Support

VNish was one of the first custom firmwares to build dedicated immersion cooling support, and it remains the most feature-complete option for immersion operators. If you are running Antminers submerged in dielectric fluid — whether single-phase or two-phase — VNish’s immersion mode is essential.

Enabling Immersion Mode

Navigate to Settings > Immersion Mode (labeled as “fan rpm check” in older VNish versions) and enable it. This single toggle changes several fundamental firmware behaviors:

• Fan error monitoring is disabled. Stock firmware (and VNish in normal mode) expects spinning fans and throws errors or shuts down if fans are absent or stalled. Immersion mode eliminates all fan-dependent checks.
• Fan speed control is disabled. The firmware no longer attempts to ramp fans for cooling, since cooling is handled by the dielectric fluid.
• Thermal management switches to chip sensors only. In immersion mode, VNish relies exclusively on chip temperature sensors for thermal protection. You configure the critical temperature threshold — typically set higher than air-cooled operation since dielectric fluid provides more uniform and effective cooling.
• Pause cooling period is adjusted. VNish fixes the prolonged cooling period issue that some firmware versions exhibited in immersion mode, ensuring faster ramp-up after pauses.

Recommended Immersion Settings

In a well-designed immersion system, chip temperatures are typically 10-20°C lower than air-cooled operation at the same hashrate, enabling more aggressive overclocking profiles. This is where immersion operators extract their competitive advantage — running S21s at 250+ TH/s with stable chip temperatures that would be impossible under air cooling.

Scrypt Mining with VNish

VNish is the only serious custom firmware option for Scrypt ASIC miners. Neither Braiins OS+ nor LuxOS supports Scrypt hardware — they are SHA-256 only. If you operate an L3+, L7, or L9, VNish is your path to performance tuning, overclocking, and efficiency optimization beyond what stock firmware offers.

Antminer L3+ / L3++ Optimization

The L3+ is the S9 of Scrypt mining — an older but still widely deployed machine, popular as a compact Scrypt miner and increasingly used for dual-mining Litecoin and Dogecoin via merged mining. VNish brings the L3+ back to life with features stock firmware never had:

• Overclocking: Stock L3+ runs at 504 MH/s. VNish can push to 650–700+ MH/s with adequate cooling and power supply.
• Per-chip frequency tuning: Same granular control as SHA-256 models — adjust individual chip frequencies to maximize hashrate from the silicon you have.
• Efficiency mode: Undervolt for lower power consumption at reduced hashrate — useful for space heater builds or when electricity costs are marginal.
• Custom profiles: Save and switch between profiles optimized for different operating conditions.

Antminer L7 Optimization

The L7 is the current workhorse of Scrypt mining, available in several variants from 9,050 MH/s to 9,500 MH/s. VNish adds:

• Auto-tune with thermal management: L7 miners generate significant heat, and VNish’s auto-tune takes thermal constraints into account during chip profiling.
• Overclock profiles: Push beyond stock hashrate with VNish-tested performance profiles.
• Chip throttling: Disable failed chips to keep hashboards running — critical for the L7 given the cost of replacement hashboards.
• Power scheduling: Time-based profile switching for operators on variable electricity rates.

Antminer L9 Optimization

The L9 represents the latest generation of Scrypt ASIC hardware, operating at 16–17.6 GH/s. VNish provides full feature parity with SHA-256 models: auto-tune, per-chip control, overclock profiles, immersion mode, and fleet management through ANTHILL.

Litecoin/Dogecoin Merge Mining

All Scrypt miners mine both Litecoin and Dogecoin simultaneously through merged mining — Dogecoin’s merge-mining support means your Scrypt hashrate secures both networks and earns both coins with no additional power consumption. VNish does not change the merge mining mechanism — it simply makes your Scrypt hardware more efficient and powerful, which directly increases earnings from both Litecoin and Dogecoin.

When configuring pool settings for Scrypt miners, ensure your pool supports merged mining and that you have configured a Dogecoin wallet address in addition to your Litecoin address. Most major Scrypt pools (ViaBTC, F2Pool, Litecoinpool.org) handle merge mining automatically.

Monitoring & Management

VNish provides multiple layers of monitoring and fleet management, from the single-miner web dashboard to enterprise-scale fleet management through ANTHILL.

VNish Web Dashboard

Every VNish-running miner exposes a web dashboard accessible at http://<miner_ip>/. The dashboard provides real-time information:

• Hashrate — Real-time and averaged, per-hashboard and total.
• Chip temperature map — Visual display of every chip’s temperature across all hashboards.
• Fan speed — Current RPM percentage and status.
• Power consumption — Real-time wattage draw.
• Hardware error rate — Per-chip and per-hashboard error counts.
• Pool status — Connection status, accepted/rejected shares, stale shares.
• VNish firmware version — Current build and update availability.
• Uptime — Time since last reboot.

VNish also provides built-in API access at http://<miner_ip>/docs/, which serves as a full documentation reference for programmatic access to miner data and configuration. This API can be used for custom monitoring scripts, data logging, or integration with third-party management platforms.

ANTHILL: Fleet Monitoring & Management

ANTHILL is VNish’s free cloud-based monitoring and management platform, available to anyone running official VNish firmware. It is designed for operators managing anything from a handful of miners to large-scale data center deployments.

Key ANTHILL features:

• Centralized dashboard: View hashrate, temperature, power consumption, and profitability for all VNish-running devices from a single interface.
• Individual device detail: Drill into any miner to see its model, firmware version, hashrate, temperature, fan speed, and power consumption.
• Alerting: Configure alerts for hashrate drops, temperature spikes, offline devices, and other critical events. Notifications can be sent via the dashboard, email, and Telegram.
• Historical data: View historical hashrate, temperature, and power consumption charts for trend analysis and performance tracking.
• Fleet statistics: Aggregate view of total hashrate, total power consumption, number of devices online, and overall fleet health.
• Profitability tracking: Calculate expected income based on current hashrate, power consumption, and configurable electricity costs.

To connect your miners to ANTHILL, navigate to Settings > ANTHILL in the VNish web interface and enable the connection. Each miner reports its status to ANTHILL’s cloud service, and you access the dashboard through the ANTHILL web portal.

Hashcore Toolkit: Fleet Operations

In addition to firmware installation, the Hashcore Toolkit serves as a fleet management tool for ongoing operations:

• Mass configuration changes: Update pool settings, power profiles, or fan configurations across all miners simultaneously.
• Bulk firmware updates: When VNish releases a new version, deploy the update to your entire fleet from a single interface.
• Network scanning: Discover all miners on your network, regardless of firmware, for initial fleet inventory.
• Configuration cloning: Copy the configuration from one miner and apply it to others of the same model.
• Real-time monitoring: Track hashrate, temperature, and power consumption with historical charts.

Hashcore Toolkit runs natively on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android, making it accessible from virtually any device on your network.

Telegram Bot Notifications

VNish includes a Telegram bot integration for real-time mobile notifications. When configured, the bot reports:

• Miner name, model, and firmware version
• Current hashrate, temperature, fan speed, and power consumption
• Alerts for offline miners, hashrate drops, and temperature warnings
• Status updates on schedule or on-demand

This is particularly valuable for home miners who want to monitor their miners remotely without running a dedicated monitoring system. Configure the Telegram integration through the VNish web interface under Settings > Notifications.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues & Solutions

Reverting to Stock Firmware

VNish provides multiple paths back to stock Bitmain firmware:

Method 1: Remove SD Card (SD Mode Only)

1. Power off the miner.
2. Remove the SD card.
3. Power on. The miner boots from its internal NAND, which still contains the original stock firmware.
4. You are back on stock firmware. No other action required.

Method 2: One-Click Revert (NAND Mode)

1. Access the VNish web interface.
2. Navigate to System > Backup & Restore.
3. Click Restore Factory Firmware. VNish restores the stock Bitmain firmware to NAND and reboots the miner.
4. The miner restarts running stock firmware.

Method 3: SD Card Recovery Flash (If Web Interface Unavailable)

1. Download the stock Bitmain firmware recovery image for your miner model from the official Bitmain support page.
2. Write the recovery image to an SD card (16GB or smaller, FAT32).
3. Insert the SD card into the powered-off miner.
4. Power on and wait for the green LED to indicate successful recovery. For Amlogic boards, use a USB drive with OTG adapter.
5. Remove the SD card and reboot. The miner runs stock firmware from NAND.

Auto-Tune Issues

• Auto-tune keeps restarting: This usually indicates a hardware issue — a marginal hashboard connection, failing chips, or inadequate power supply. Check physical connections and ensure the PSU can deliver the required wattage for the selected profile.
• Auto-tune completes but hashrate is low: This means VNish found that many of your chips cannot sustain higher frequencies. This is a hardware quality issue — the chips on your specific machine are lower-quality silicon. Try a less aggressive profile, or accept that this machine will perform below average.
• Red domain (TIMER) errors: VNish includes automatic red domain correction for S17/T17 series. If errors persist, reduce the overclock frequency or check for ambient temperature issues.

VNish vs. Braiins OS+ vs. LuxOS vs. Stock Firmware

Every custom firmware makes tradeoffs. Here is an honest comparison to help you choose the right firmware for your specific use case.

When to Choose VNish

• You want maximum manual control over chip frequency and voltage.
• You need to disable individual bad chips on hashboards with partial failures.
• You operate Scrypt miners (L3+, L7, L9) and want custom firmware tuning.
• You have S17/T17 miners with Amlogic control boards (VNish is your only option).
• You run immersion cooling and need a mature, dedicated immersion mode.
• You want time-based auto-scheduling to match variable electricity rates.
• You are an experienced miner who wants the deepest possible hardware control.

When to Choose Braiins OS+ Instead

• You want simple watt-level power targeting — set a wattage and walk away.
• You care about Stratum V2 and transaction selection sovereignty.
• You prefer open-source firmware you can audit.
• You want a set-it-and-forget-it experience with minimal manual tuning.
• You mine on Braiins Pool and want tight pool integration.

Many professional mining operations run VNish on some machines and Braiins OS+ on others, choosing the firmware that best fits each machine’s role. VNish on immersion-cooled overclockers, Braiins OS+ on air-cooled efficiency units. There is no rule that says your entire fleet must run the same firmware.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why D-Central for VNish Firmware Support

VNish gives you extraordinary control over your mining hardware — per-chip frequency tuning, dead chip bypass, immersion mode, aggressive overclock profiles. That control is powerful. It is also the kind of control that can turn a perfectly good miner into an expensive paperweight if applied without understanding the thermal, electrical, and silicon limits of the hardware.

D-Central Technologies has been flashing, configuring, and recovering miners since 2016. Our repair facility in Laval, Quebec handles the full spectrum of firmware operations:

• VNish installation and configuration — We flash VNish on customer hardware and configure auto-tune, overclock profiles, and immersion mode to match your specific operating environment and goals.
• Firmware recovery — If a firmware flash goes wrong — bricked control board, corrupted NAND, unresponsive miner — our technicians perform low-level recovery that requires specialized tools and expertise.
• Overclock optimization — We tune per-chip settings based on extensive experience with the silicon quality variations across different Antminer production batches.
• Hashboard repair — When overclocking does damage a chip, we perform chip-level hashboard repairs. ASIC chip replacement, domain repair, BGA rework — this is our specialty with 38+ model-specific repair pages on our site.
• Space heater builds — We build Bitcoin Space Heaters with custom firmware configurations optimized for quiet, efficient home operation.
• Immersion consulting — Planning an immersion cooling deployment? We advise on firmware configuration, thermal management, and hardware preparation.

Bitcoin mining runs on technology. Firmware is the software layer between your silicon and your sats. Getting it right means more hashrate, better efficiency, and longer hardware life. Getting it wrong means downtime, damaged hardware, and lost revenue. D-Central has been getting it right for thousands of miners since 2016.

Phone: 1-855-753-9997
ASIC Repair: d-central.tech/asic-repair
Bitcoin Space Heaters: d-central.tech/bitcoin-mining-heaters