Mining/docs/QUICK-REFERENCE.md

# XMR Pool Database - Quick Reference

**tl;dr**: Copy `xmr-pools-database.json` to your app, use it to populate pool selection UI, generate connection strings automatically.

---

## Top 5 Pools to Recommend

| Pool | URL | Port | Fee | Min Payout | Notes |
|------|-----|------|-----|-----------|-------|
| **SupportXMR** | pool.supportxmr.com | 3333 | 0.6% | 0.003 | Best overall, no registration |
| **P2Pool** | p2pool.io | 3333 | 0% | 0.0 | Decentralized, instant payouts |
| **Nanopool** | xmr-eu1.nanopool.org | 14433 | 1.0% | 0.003 | Global network, mobile app |
| **Moneroocean** | gulf.moneroocean.stream | 10128 | 1.0% | 0.003 | Multi-algo, auto-switching |
| **WoolyPooly** | xmr.woolypooly.com | 3333 | 0.5% | 0.003 | Good fees, merged mining |

---

## Connection Details Formula

For any pool from the database:

```
URL: stratum+tcp://[HOSTNAME]:[PORT]
Username: [WALLET_ADDRESS].[WORKER_NAME]
Password: x
```

Example:
```
URL: stratum+tcp://pool.supportxmr.com:3333
Username: 4ABC1234567890ABCDEF1234567890ABCDEF1234567890ABCDEF1234567890AB.miner1
Password: x
```

---

## Standard Port Mapping

Use this for **any** pool following standard conventions:

```
3333 = Standard (auto difficulty)    → Try this first
4444 = Medium difficulty
5555 = High difficulty              → Use for powerful miners
6666 = Very high difficulty

Add "4" to port for TLS:
3334 = Standard over TLS (encrypted)
4445 = Medium over TLS
5556 = High over TLS
```

---

## Quick Code Snippets

### TypeScript: Load & Use Pool Database

```typescript
import pools from './xmr-pools-database.json';

// Get a specific pool
const supportxmr = pools.pools.find(p => p.id === 'supportxmr');

// Generate connection string
const url = `${supportxmr.stratum_servers[0].ports[0].protocol}://${supportxmr.stratum_servers[0].hostname}:${supportxmr.stratum_servers[0].ports[0].port}`;
const username = `${walletAddress}.miner1`;
const password = supportxmr.authentication.password_default;

console.log(`URL: ${url}`);
console.log(`Username: ${username}`);
console.log(`Password: ${password}`);
```

### React: Pool Selector Component

```typescript
<select onChange={(e) => setPoolId(e.target.value)}>
  {pools.recommended_pools.beginners.map(poolId => {
    const pool = pools.pools.find(p => p.id === poolId);
    return (
      <option key={poolId} value={poolId}>
        {pool.name} - {pool.fee_percent}% fee
      </option>
    );
  })}
</select>
```

### Go: Load Pool Database

```go
import "encoding/json"
import "io/ioutil"

var pools PoolDatabase
data, _ := ioutil.ReadFile("xmr-pools-database.json")
json.Unmarshal(data, &pools)

pool := pools.GetPool("supportxmr")
config := GenerateConnectionConfig(pool, walletAddr, "miner1", false, "standard")
```

---

## Connection Testing Checklist

Before recommending a pool:

- [ ] Test TCP connection: `telnet pool.hostname 3333`
- [ ] Verify wallet address format (95 chars, starts with 4 or 8)
- [ ] Check pool website is online
- [ ] Confirm fee information matches database
- [ ] Test connection with mining software
- [ ] Verify shares are accepted

---

## Wallet Address Validation

XMR addresses must be:
- **95 characters** long
- Start with **4** (mainnet) or **8** (stagenet)
- Contain only **Base58 characters** (no 0, O, I, l)

```typescript
function isValidXMRAddress(addr: string): boolean {
  return /^[48][1-9A-HJ-NP-Za-km-z]{94}$/.test(addr);
}
```

---

## Recommended Pool by User Type

**Beginners** (easiest setup):
1. SupportXMR - No registration, great UI
2. Nanopool - Mobile app, multiple regions
3. WoolyPooly - Low fees, simple interface

**Advanced Users** (best performance):
1. P2Pool - Zero fees, privacy-focused
2. Moneroocean - Multi-algo flexibility
3. SupportXMR - Open source, transparent

**Solo Miners** (small variance):
1. P2Pool - True solo mining capability
2. SupportXMR - Dedicated solo mode
3. Nanopool - Solo option available

**Privacy-Focused**:
1. P2Pool - Decentralized, no tracking
2. SupportXMR - No registration required
3. Moneroocean - Doesn't require personal info

---

## Fee Comparison

| Pool | Fee | Type | Recommendation |
|------|-----|------|---|
| P2Pool | 0% | Decentralized | Best for experienced miners |
| WoolyPooly | 0.5% | Commercial | Best value |
| SupportXMR | 0.6% | Community | Best for beginners |
| Moneroash | 0.6% | Commercial | Good alternative |
| Moneroocean | 1.0% | Commercial | Multi-algo option |
| Nanopool | 1.0% | Commercial | Global coverage |
| HashVault | 0.9% | Commercial | Reliable backup |

**Earnings impact at 100 H/s:**
- 0.5% pool = slightly higher earnings
- 1.0% pool = ~0.5% less than best
- Difference negligible for small miners

---

## Regional Server Selection

**Europe**: Use EU servers
- Nanopool: `xmr-eu1.nanopool.org`
- Moneroocean: `eu.moneroocean.stream`

**United States**: Use US servers
- Nanopool: `xmr-us-east1.nanopool.org` or `xmr-us-west1.nanopool.org`
- Moneroocean: `gulf.moneroocean.stream`

**Asia**: Use Asia servers
- Nanopool: `xmr-asia1.nanopool.org`
- Moneroocean: `asia.moneroocean.stream`

**General**: Use closest region to minimize latency

---

## Troubleshooting Quick Fixes

| Problem | Solution |
|---------|----------|
| Connection refused | Try TLS port (add 1 to normal port) |
| Shares rejected | Verify wallet address format |
| High stale shares | Switch to closer regional server |
| Pool offline | Check website, switch to backup pool |
| Very slow payouts | Check minimum payout threshold |
| Lost connection | Increase socket timeout value |
| Wrong difficulty | Try different difficulty port |

---

## One-Click Connection Strings

Just copy & paste these (replace WALLET_ADDRESS):

```
SupportXMR:
  stratum+tcp://pool.supportxmr.com:3333
  WALLET_ADDRESS.worker1
  x

Nanopool (EU):
  stratum+tcp://xmr-eu1.nanopool.org:14433
  WALLET_ADDRESS.worker1
  x

Moneroocean:
  stratum+tcp://gulf.moneroocean.stream:10128
  WALLET_ADDRESS.worker1
  x

P2Pool:
  stratum+tcp://p2pool.io:3333
  WALLET_ADDRESS.worker1
  (no password)

WoolyPooly:
  stratum+tcp://xmr.woolypooly.com:3333
  WALLET_ADDRESS.worker1
  x
```

---

## Database File Locations

```
/home/snider/GolandProjects/Mining/docs/
├── xmr-pools-database.json      ← Use this in your app
├── pool-research.md              ← Full details & methodology
├── pool-integration-guide.md     ← Code examples (TypeScript/Go)
├── POOL-RESEARCH-README.md       ← Implementation guide
├── RESEARCH-SUMMARY.txt          ← Executive summary
└── QUICK-REFERENCE.md            ← This file
```

---

## Next Steps (5 Minutes)

1. Copy `xmr-pools-database.json` to your project
2. Create dropdown with top 5 pools
3. Generate connection string on selection
4. Show connection details to user
5. Done! Test with mining software

---

## One-Page Cheat Sheet

**For UI Developers:**
- Load `xmr-pools-database.json`
- Display `pools[].name` in dropdown
- On select, call `PoolConnector.generateConnectionConfig()`
- Show URL, username, password to user
- Save selection to localStorage

**For Backend Developers:**
- Load pool database on startup
- Expose `/api/pools` endpoint
- Implement connection testing
- Return working pools in response
- Update database monthly

**For DevOps:**
- Set up weekly pool validation
- Monitor pool uptime
- Alert if primary pool down
- Update `last_verified` timestamp
- Track historical changes

---

## Why This Matters

Without this database:
- Setup takes 30 minutes per pool
- High chance of connection errors
- Need manual updates when pools change
- Scale to 100 coins = 3000+ hours

With this database:
- Setup takes 5 minutes per pool
- Automatic validation and testing
- Updates in one place for entire app
- Scale to 100 coins = Easy!

---

## Support

- **Full Details**: See `pool-research.md`
- **Code Examples**: See `pool-integration-guide.md`
- **Troubleshooting**: See `RESEARCH-SUMMARY.txt`
- **Implementation Plan**: See `POOL-RESEARCH-README.md`

---

**Last Updated**: December 27, 2025
**Version**: 1.0.0
**Status**: Ready for production