Bitcoin Mining Network: A High Schooler's Endeavor (help me, please)

[bitcointycoon]

I am trying to set up a computer network to mine bitcoins. The computer network is my school division's. I understand the electricity costs will likely exceed the profit from bitcoins created, that is not an issue. Overall, I want to download some bitcoin mining program and the bitcoin wallet program on all the computers in the network. I would then want all of the bitcoins mined by the computers to be forwarded to one central computer that would store them. Besides my specific questions, if you have any input, advice or ideas please let me know!! Any answers to any questions will be much appreciated! My specific questions are:

1. What mining software do you recommend? (The computers aren't fancy, just regular one's you'd find in a public high school)

2. How would I send a command to hundreds of computers on the whole school system's network to have all the computers download that software? (So I don't have to go computer to computer downloading the software)

3. Would a standard virus scan of the software be enough to convince the school systems IT people the software is safe?

4. How would I set the computers to mine from 4:00pm to 6:00am every day when they're not being used by someone?

5. Would this likely overload the school system's network and how do I find out if it will or not?

6. Should I set up a bitcoin mining pool instead of having the computers mine individually? How would I set a mining pool up? Would it be more profitable than the computers mining individually?

 

[rgd1101]

2) you need to talk to your network administrator.

 

[allennnn]

It would earn the school more to turn off the computers between 4:00pm to 6:00am.

 

[bitcointycoon]

I know that. I clearly stated that wasn't a concern. It's a personal project. And it's so the school division can brag they're students are awesome

 

[USAFRet]

I know that. I clearly stated that wasn't a concern. It's a personal project. And it's so the school division can brag they're students are awesome

The power consumption is a concern.
There are other distributed applications that would demonstrate the same networking concepts, and actually help in the sciences.
Cancer/Alzheimers/Parkinsons research, for instance.

Your teachers and the IT people would be FAR more likely to authorize one of those, rather than bitcoin mining.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

All those school computers are going to be mining with their CPUs. Colossal waste of time and energy. If you aren't mining with an ASIC you are wasting time. Even high end graphics cards are not profitable anymore.

No school network admin in their right mind are going to allow you to mine from a school's computers. Bitcoins themselves are a legal grey area depending on what country you are in
.
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Myths

" In March 2013, the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issues a new set of guidelines on "de-centralized virtual currency", clearly targeting Bitcoin. Under the new guidelines, "a user of virtual currency is not a Money Services Businesses (MSB) under FinCEN's regulations and therefore is not subject to MSB registration, reporting, and record keeping regulations." Miners on the other hand, might need to register, if they sell bitcoins for "real currency or its equivalent".[1] "

I really doubt your school's accounting department wants to deal with this on top of their regular duties.

All these rather basic question you have? You should really know this stuff or you are really not competent to be trying to do this.

Hate to rain on your parade but it sounds to me like the powers that be have either not been informed of this little project or they are ignorant of the risk vs the rewards.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

I know that. I clearly stated that wasn't a concern. It's a personal project. And it's so the school division can brag they're students are awesome

The power consumption is a concern.
There are other distributed applications that would demonstrate the same networking concepts, and actually help in the sciences.
Cancer/Alzheimers/Parkinsons research, for instance.

Your teachers and the IT people would be FAR more likely to authorize one of those, rather than bitcoin mining.

I totally agree. Folding at home is an endeavor worthy of a school network.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folding@home

 

[k1114]

Seems like you don't even know what mining is. I would agree folding would be better. Would sound much better that you helped cure some disease by folding vs wasting time mining.