How to properly configure your Helix Wi-Fi

After reading these tips, you’ll know your Wi-Fi network like the back of your hand. With the Helix Fi app, you can manage connected devices, create profiles, pause devices, and set up Parental Control according to your preferences and your family’s needs.

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When a device first connects to your network, the default name of the device, which is either the manufacturer-set name (host name or MAC address) or the one you gave the device when you first set it up (e.g., Isabelle's iPod), will be displayed on the screen.

If you don't recognize a detected device:

1. Go to the Helix Fi app's Devices section, select the device from the list, then Device Details to see the manufacturer.
2. There will be a green dot next to the device's name if it's connected to your home network, which may help you identify which device it is.
3. If you still can't identify the device, go to its settings to see its host name or MAC address.

You can rename devices, add an icon and assign them to a profile. The Devices section will show you the number of devices that need to be personalized. Select Personalize to finish personalizing them.

You’ll see indicators on the device icons:

• A green dot indicates the device is currently connected to your home network.
• A pause symbol indicates the device is currently paused and cannot access your home network.
• A crescent moon symbol indicates the device is currently in Bedtime Mode and cannot access your home network.
• A grayed-out device icon indicates the device is not currently connected to your home network.

1. Go to the Devices section and select the name of the device you want to remove.
2. Select Device Details, then Forget Device. This will remove the device from the list and unassign it from the profile it was assigned to. It will also delete its entire network activity history. If the device reconnects to your network, it will appear as a new device.

Pausing a device blocks it from accessing the Internet when connected to your home network. Paused devices may still access local network peripherals (like printers), cellular data connection and other wireless Internet networks.

Pausing a device:

1. Go to Devices and select the device you want to pause.
2. Select Pause Device. You can pause it for a specific amount of time (e.g., 30 minutes or an hour) or indefinitely until you choose to unpause the device manually.

Unpausing a device

1. Go to Devices and select Paused.
2. Select the device, then select Unpause Device.
3. If the device is paused because it’s in Bedtime Mode, select Wake Up. This will unpause all devices in Bedtime Mode assigned to this profile.

Pausing a device:

1. Go to Devices and select the device you want to pause.
2. Select Pause Device. You can pause it for a specific amount of time (e.g., 30 minutes or an hour) or indefinitely until you choose to unpause the device manually.

Unpausing a device:

1. Go to Devices and select Paused.
2. Select the device, then select Unpause Device.
3. If the device is paused because it's in Bedtime Mode, select Wake Up. This will unpause all devices in Bedtime Mode assigned to this profile.

You can easily block all the devices linked to an account from accessing the Internet by selecting Pause All, for a specific amount of time (e.g., 30 minutes or an hour) or indefinitely, until you unpause them manually.

You can manage the devices connected to your home network more efficiently by assigning them to a profile created for a person (e.g., Charlotte, Mom, etc.) or a group (e.g., Kids).

Creating a profile

1. Go to the People section and select Create Profile.
2. After that, it's easy to monitor device activity, pause Wi-Fi access, set a bedtime and enable Parental Control for each profile.

Your app is preset with two useful profiles: Household and Guests. These profiles will only appear if a device is assigned to them and cannot be deleted.

• Household profile: This profile is intended for smart home devices used by all family members (e.g., smart TV, thermostats, security system and door locks).
• Guest profile: This profile is intended for visitors’ devices that you'd like to keep track of.

Active Time Alerts help your family be more mindful of its Internet usage habits. When enabled, you will receive a notification (text, email or phone notification) when a profile's devices have almost reached the active time limit that you have set. You can then decide if you want to pause the profile's devices or not.

Enabling an Active Time Alert

1. Go to People and select a profile.
2. Select Edit next to Active Time Alert, and choose Weekdays or Weekends.
3. Adjust the bar to set the Internet time limit. The counter will reset every night at midnight.

“Active” time includes streaming music and videos, browsing, shopping, gaming and downloading books, pictures and videos. Other activities that are running in the background may count toward “active” time, like an app downloading an update.

Internet access using cellular data, a public Helix Wi-Fi hotspot or other available Wi-Fi networks will not count toward active time.

You can automatically pause the Wi-Fi access of specific devices during scheduled times. For example, you can pause kids’ Wi-Fi access at dinnertime and bedtime, with a different schedule for weekdays and weekends.

Programming Bedtime Mode:

1. Go to People and select a profile.
2. Select Edit next to Bedtime Mode.
3. Select the days on which Bedtime Mode will be enabled and set the sleep and wake times. This will apply to all devices linked to the profile. Keep in mind that to enable Bedtime Mode on a device, you must assign it to a profile.

Protect your children from inappropriate content by setting Parental Control on your Wi-Fi network, which enables the following settings for the selected profiles:

• Google SafeSearch: On
• Bing SafeSearch: Strict
• YouTube Restricted Mode: On

These protective settings help reduce the risk of children accessing potentially explicit content on websites and the Google and YouTube apps.

Setting up Parental Control:

1. Create a profile for your children and assign their devices to it.
2. Go to People and select the children’s profile.
3. Next to Parental Control, select Edit.
4. Select On to only allow access to content deemed appropriate for all ages.

Managing your Wi-Fi network performance

To optimize your Wi-Fi network performance, check out our Wi-Fi tips and tricks.

You can easily access your Gateway’s advanced settings from the Helix Fi app or the online portal. Here’s an overview of the network settings you can customize.

Options you can find in Connection > See network

1. Change your network's name and password — You can rename your Wi-Fi network, change the password and choose whether the network name is visible or not.    
2. View the status of the Gateway and pods — See if the Gateway is offline or online. If you have Wi-Fi pods, you can also see their status, remove them or rename them.

Options you can find in Connection > See network > Advanced settings

• Port Forwarding - Allows incoming Internet traffic to be routed to a specific device connected to the home network.
• LAN and WAN - Configure your local network (LAN) and get the IP address of your wide area network (WAN).  
• DNS Server - Displays the domain name system (DNS) configuration of your home network.
• DMZ -Activates a demilitarized zone (DMZ) for a given device to help solve communication problems with an online application. Enabling the DMZ poses a security risk; instead, it is recommended to adapt the port forwarding.
• Hardware Information - Displays technical information about your terminal, including model, cable modem MAC address and firmware.
• Data Usage - Provides a monthly summary of your network's data usage.

There are different types of Wi-Fi security modes that offer different levels of protection.

• WiFi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) — Offers the greatest protection, since it uses Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).
• WiFi Protected Access (WPA) — Uses the Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP), which protects and authenticates data.
• Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) — Uses a privacy protocol that provides minimal security.
• Open Security Mode — No security settings are enabled. Anyone within range of your network can access it without a password. This puts your private information at risk and is not recommended.

Changing your Wi-Fi security mode from the Helix Fi app

1. Open the Helix Fi app or sign in to the online portal.
2. Go to Network, then select Edit Wi-Fi to change the security mode.

Changing the security mode using the Admin Tool

1. Connect to your Wi-Fi network.
2. In a Web browser, type http://10.0.0.1 in the address bar and sign in.
3. Go to Gateway > Connection > Wi-Fi, then select Edit to change the security mode.
4. Click Save Settings to complete the changes.

How to connect your devices to the Wi-Fi  

How to configure your Helix Wi-Fi  

How to fix Internet connection issues