Short answer: Install HashWatcher, a free app for iPhone, Android and Mac. On your home Wi-Fi it finds your Bitaxe through the AxeOS open API and shows live hashrate, chip temperature, power, fan speed and pool status. To see the same data away from home, add HashWatcher Hub ($60) or the free Desktop Gateway on an always-on computer. No port forwarding or VPN needed.
That is the whole setup. The rest of this page explains how each piece works, what you can and cannot do remotely, and where the Bitaxe web page still fits.
How it works, part 1: local monitoring on your network
Every Bitaxe runs AxeOS, which serves a small web page and an open API on your local network. The web page is what you see when you type the miner's IP into a browser. The API is what apps like HashWatcher read.
When you open HashWatcher on the same Wi-Fi as your miners, tap Scan Network and the app looks for supported devices. Your Bitaxe shows up with its name, IP and live stats. You can also add a miner by IP if you prefer.
What you see for each Bitaxe:
- Live hashrate, with a short sparkline so a drop is easy to spot
- Chip temperature and VR temperature
- Power draw and efficiency
- Fan speed
- Pool connection, shares and best difficulty where AxeOS reports them
- Uptime
Newer boards that use the same AxeOS endpoints, including NerdQ-class devices, show up the same way. If your board speaks the standard AxeOS API, HashWatcher can usually read it.
This part is local-first. Your phone talks directly to the miner on your network. Nothing about your Bitaxe has to leave the house for basic monitoring.
How it works, part 2: remote access without port forwarding
Here is the catch. Your Bitaxe lives on your home network, and your phone leaves it every time you walk out the door. Once you are on cellular or someone else's Wi-Fi, the miner's local IP means nothing.
There are three common ways people try to fix that.
Port forwarding
You open a port on your router so the AxeOS page is reachable from the internet. It is quick, but AxeOS was built for a trusted home network, not the public internet. Exposing it is a security risk, and each new miner means another router rule.
A home VPN
Safer, but it is a project. Router support, client apps, certificates and dynamic IPs all need to keep working, including on the day you are traveling.
A gateway that does it for you
This is the path we built. You put a small, always-on device on your home network. It gives the HashWatcher app a secure route back to your miners, so the app looks the same at the coffee shop as it does on the couch. You can pick from:
- HashWatcher Hub ($60). A small plug-in gateway. Connect it to your network, give it USB power, and finish setup in the app in about a minute. It is live on our shop and ships with the OS preloaded.
- Desktop Gateway (free). If you already keep a Mac or Windows computer on at home 24/7, it can do the same job. If that computer sleeps or travels with you, Hub is the more reliable choice.
- Braiins Deck. A desk display that runs the HashWatcher widget and adds remote access through Tailscale. A fuller setup if you also want your fleet on a screen at home.
All three work with the same app. More detail is on our remote monitoring page, and our post on monitoring miners away from home walks through Hub and Deck side by side.
How it works, part 3: alerts while you are away
Checking in from your phone is nice. Getting told when something is wrong is better, because you are not going to stare at a hashrate chart all day.
In HashWatcher you can set:
- Temperature alerts per miner. Pick the chip temp that worries you for each Bitaxe. A Bitaxe in a warm closet may need a different number than one on a cool desk.
- Offline and pool alerts. Hear about it when a device stops hashing or loses its pool connection.
- Best difficulty and block found alerts. These are the fun ones for solo-style Bitaxe owners.
Alerts are most useful with remote access in place, since the app needs a path to your miners to see what changed. With Hub or Desktop Gateway running, a hot board at 2 p.m. reaches you at 2 p.m., not when you get home that night.
Where AxeOS allows it, you can also act from the app: change fan speed, apply an overclock tune and watch how it performs, or make pool changes. It is not just a readout.
Phone app vs browser tab: which approach fits?
The Bitaxe web page is good at what it was designed for. HashWatcher covers the gaps.
| Need | AxeOS web page in a browser | HashWatcher app |
|---|---|---|
| First setup, Wi-Fi, pool entry | Built for this | Works alongside it |
| One miner, at home | Fine | Fine |
| Several miners at once | One tab per device | One fleet list with totals |
| Away from home | Port forwarding or your own VPN | Hub, Desktop Gateway or Deck |
| Alerts | Not built in | Temps, offline, pool, best diff |
| Mixed hardware | Bitaxe only | Bitaxe, Braiins OS, Avalon, LuxOS, VNish and more |
If you run one Bitaxe and only check it from the couch, the browser may be all you need. Once you want to check from work, or you add a second or third miner, an app with a gateway is less work.
Frequently asked questions
Can I monitor my Bitaxe without being on my home Wi-Fi?
Yes, with a gateway. HashWatcher reads your Bitaxe locally on your network. To see it from anywhere else, add HashWatcher Hub ($60), the free Desktop Gateway on an always-on Mac or Windows computer, or Braiins Deck. None of them require port forwarding.
What does HashWatcher show for a Bitaxe?
Live hashrate, chip and VR temperature, power, efficiency, fan speed, uptime, and pool status, plus shares and best difficulty where AxeOS reports them. You can set temperature alerts per miner and get notified when a device goes offline or loses its pool.
Does HashWatcher work on iPhone, Android and Mac?
Yes. HashWatcher is free to download on the App Store for iPhone and Mac and on Google Play for Android. Premium is optional ($2.99 a month, $19.99 a year, or $39.99 lifetime). The app is rated 4.9 stars, with more than 1,200 ratings across both stores.
Does it replace the Bitaxe web interface?
No. They work together. AxeOS is still the place for first setup and deep settings. HashWatcher reads the same open API so you can watch every miner in one list, get alerts, and check in remotely. You can keep using the web page any time.
Does it work with boards other than the original Bitaxe?
Boards that use the same AxeOS API endpoints, including NerdQ-class devices, generally show up the same way. HashWatcher also supports Braiins OS, Canaan Avalon and Nano, LuxOS and VNish, so mixed fleets live in one list.
Get started
- Download HashWatcher (free): App Store (iPhone and Mac) ยท Google Play
- Scan your network at home to add your Bitaxe.
- Set a temperature alert for each miner.
- Add remote access when you want it: HashWatcher Hub, $60, Desktop Gateway, or Braiins Deck.
Free to download. Rated 4.9 stars with 1,200+ ratings across the App Store and Google Play.
Questions? Find us on X at @HashWatcher.