FreedomFi Gateway Setup Guide

The FreedomFi Gateway is a multi-protocol miner for the Helium network. It comes with the ability to mine HNT for providing LoRa coverage, and is also expandable with plug-and-play support for Powered by FreedomFi certified Helium 5G  CBRS Small Cells to mine MOBILE for providing cellular coverage and data for the Helium 5G network.

We know you are excited, but please follow the setup steps carefully. Report any problems to our support team.

Guide Usage

It is highly recommended that you open this guide on a computer or tablet, or print this guide out instead of following it on the smart phone that you will use to run the app and onboard the gateway.

It is highly recommended that you open this guide on a computer or tablet, or print this guide out instead of following it on the smart phone that you will use to run the app and onboard the gateway.  

Start by downloading the Helium & FreedomFi apps

Step 1

Download & Install the Helium App & create your account. 

Step 2

Download & Install the FreedomFi App & link it with your Helium account

Step 3
Before you start the onboarding flow, find a good location to place the FreedomFi Gateway, ideally so it has a clear view of the sky!
Obstructions reduce the antenna’s ability to communicate with the LoRa network and can reduce earnings and coverage.
Step 4

Attach the included LoRa antenna to the FreedomFi Gateway.

Make sure FreedomFi Gateway is powered off when connecting the antenna. Connecting or disconnecting the antenna to a powered device can cause permanent damage.

Step 5

Plug an ethernet cable (CAT6 or CAT7 is recommended) from your internet router to the port labeled WAN on the FreedomFi Gateway. It needs to be able to get access to the internet and DHCP from your internet router to work.

Please ensure the ethernet cable actually provides an IP address via DHCP and gets to the Internet. A good test, take a laptop, plug in the same cable (make sure wifi is off) and test if you can Google your favorite meme.

Step 6

Next plug in the power supply into your wall outlet and the FreedomFi Gateway to power it on. A small red light will appear when it’s powered on.

DO NOT press the pairing button before the app tells you to. When you plug in power, the Gateway will automatically start booting without pushing the pairing button.

NOTE: The Pairing button light is always red… so red is good, it means the gateway is on!

In order to keep the FreedomFi Gateway quiet and remove the need for a fan for cooling, the aluminum case is designed to function as a heat sink, dissipating heat through the ribs on the top and sides. It is normal for the case to feel warm to the touch while the gateway is on.

Step 7
To link your gateway, open the FreedomFi App and click on Add Hotspot
Step 8
Click the Scan button to launch the camera app. (You may have to grant your phone permissions to the app to have access to the camera in order to scan the QR code).
Scan the QR code (containing the gateway serial number) which is printed on the underside of the FreedomFi Gateway and click Next button to continue.
Step 9

Confirm the Helium App Wallet ID and click the Next button to continue

Step 10

Once “Press the Pairing Button” appears on your phone as shown, quickly press and release the pairing  button and then click “Next.” 

Step 11

Wait until your Gateway is paired with your Helium Wallet and the “Authentication Successful” message is displayed.

Step 12

Now that you are successfully authenticated we will need to link your gateway, simply click on the “Link Gateway” button, confirm your Hotspot info and click next.

Step 13

Now we need to set up your hotspots location, you will need to provide the app with location services permissions, to do this simply click on “Ask for Permissions”. 

Step 14
Next you will need to confirm your Antenna details. If you are using the included antenna your TX/RX Gain should already be correctly configured by default at 1.2 dBi. If you are using an aftermarket antenna, refer to the documentation included with it to find its gain.
Additionally you will need to confirm the installation height of your antenna. This refers to the distance between the ground and your antenna.
Once complete, click next and you will be automatically redirected to the Helium App.
Step 15
Lastly, register your transaction, confirm that the Antenna gain, height and location is accurately set. Your initial registration & location fee of $10 has been prepaid, however in the future if you need to make updates, there will be a fee associated with this.
Step 16
Once redirected to the Helium App, confirm your gateway addition to the blockchain
Step 17
The FreedomFi Gateway is now being added to the Helium Network. It may take some time to appear in the Helium app and Helium Explorer as it goes through the Helium registration and synchronization process. Once added, the Gateway can be viewed and managed in your FreedomFi Hotspots list, as well as the Helium app directly.
Step 18
Ensure that you have installed the Helium Wallet App (Black Helium Logo) and linked your account.

This will allow you to utilize the Mobile Hotspot Cloud Dashboard and access your FreedomFi Gateway dashboard remotely from anywhere.

Head to https://hotspots.hellohelium.com/ and you will be provided with a QR code that you can scan directly from your phone to log into the Mobile Hotspot Cloud Dashboard from your wallet.

Once logged in you will be able to see a menu of all of your available gateways, along with their connected radios
Selecting your gateway will take you directly to that particular Gateways dashboard. This page provides you with an overall summary of your gateway, along with its current health and metrics.
Additionally, you can get an overview of all of the currently attached Radios on the selected gateway. Scrolling down provides you with a tab through list which you can utilize to review each radios status, as well as register any outdoor radios for CPI approval.
Step 19
Last but not least, you can also access your Gateways dashboard, if you are connected directly to the same local network as the gateway itself.
To access the FreedomFI Local Network Console WebUI, please connect to the following URL from a device on the same local network

FreedomFI Local Console WebUI: http://freedomfi-gateway.local/ 

*Please bookmark this page for diagnostics, as it also displays stats and important information about the device.  

*In the rare event that you are not able to access the WebUI with the mDNS name above. You can access it by getting the IP of the device and putting that IP in the browser. Please access your router settings to find the local IP of the gateway. Inside the router settings, there’s usually a page that lists all the devices, find the device named FreedomFi Gateway and you should see the IP.

Stuck? 

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

FCC Caution:

–Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the part responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
– FCC RF Radiation Exposure Statement Caution: This Transmitter must be installed to provide a separation distance of at least 20 cm from all persons.

FCC Statement:

“This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

– Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

– Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

– Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

– Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.”

IC statement:

This device complies with Industry Canada licence-exempt RSS standard(s).

Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device.

Le présent appareil est conforme aux CNR d’Industrie Canada applicables aux appareils radio exempts de licence. L’exploitation est autorisée aux deux conditions suivantes : (1) l’appareil ne doit pas produire de brouillage, et (2) l’utilisateur de l’appareil doit accepter tout brouillage radioélectrique subi, même si le brouillage est susceptible d’en compromettre le fonctionnement.

Cet émetteur doit être installé pour fournir une distance de séparation d’au moins 20 cm de toute personne.

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