<p>If you use a light wallet like Electrum, definitely not.  But even if you run a full node, it is unlikely.  You could also use a web-based wallet like blockchain.info which would mean that nothing at all is running on your local computer and you can access it from anywhere.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-11-27T00:36:16.770Z
OP is not asking about running a wallet, but about mining he could probably benefit from knowing statistics on bandwidth utilization.
Mark S.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-11-27T00:26:51.827Z
2013-11-27T00:26:51.827Z
RentFree
<p>If you mine with a pool, your actual internet activity will be fairly small.  I just took a look at my network statistics and BFGMiner used 9MBytes down and 11 MBytes up over the previous 24-hour period.</p>

<p>The Bitcoin-Qt application on the other hand maxes out my upload bandwidth since I always seem to get 2-3 peers who want to download the entire 12 GB blockchain from me.  Other than that, the main Bitcoin-Qt network usage occurs when you are receiving or relaying the latest block (blocks are typically 100-400 KBytes).</p>

<p>Since you have limited internet bandwidth, your best bet would be to run a lightweight client such as Electrum or Multibit.  If you are mining in a pool, you don't need a local Bitcoin-Qt.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-11-27T01:30:42.083Z
2013-11-27T01:30:42.083Z
ScripterRon
<p>I have a limited amount of data included in my internet plan. If I exceed that limit I get charged extra. So, before signing up for Bitcoin, I'd like to know whether Bitcoin mining causes a lot of internet traffic. Does it involve a lot of downloading and uploading throughout the day?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-11-27T00:48:11.923Z
Will you be solo mining or joining a pool?
Nate Eldredge
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-11-27T01:39:04.937Z
If you make enough from mining you might still make a profit and be able to pay for the extra charges :p
Broseph
<network><bandwidth>
How much data traffic does participating in Bitcoin mining cause?
user9417
# How much data traffic does participating in Bitcoin mining cause?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-11-27)

I have a limited amount of data included in my internet plan. If I exceed that limit I get charged extra. So, before signing up for Bitcoin, I'd like to know whether Bitcoin mining causes a lot of internet traffic. Does it involve a lot of downloading and uploading throughout the day?

**Tags:** network, bandwidth

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Will you be solo mining or joining a pool?  
> **username_2**: If you make enough from mining you might still make a profit and be able to pay for the extra charges :p  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2013-11-27. Score: -3 | Accepted answer

If you use a light wallet like Electrum, definitely not. But even if you run a full node, it is unlikely. You could also use a web-based wallet like blockchain.info which would mean that nothing at all is running on your local computer and you can access it from anywhere.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: OP is not asking about running a wallet, but about mining he could probably benefit from knowing statistics on bandwidth utilization.  

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### Answer by username_5 on 2013-11-27. Score: 5

If you mine with a pool, your actual internet activity will be fairly small. I just took a look at my network statistics and BFGMiner used 9MBytes down and 11 MBytes up over the previous 24-hour period.

The Bitcoin-Qt application on the other hand maxes out my upload bandwidth since I always seem to get 2-3 peers who want to download the entire 12 GB blockchain from me. Other than that, the main Bitcoin-Qt network usage occurs when you are receiving or relaying the latest block (blocks are typically 100-400 KBytes).

Since you have limited internet bandwidth, your best bet would be to run a lightweight client such as Electrum or Multibit. If you are mining in a pool, you don't need a local Bitcoin-Qt.


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