Bathrooms are masses of Wi-Fi deflectors because of the pipes and mirrors that lie in or on their walls. In addition, the mesh units are not really waterproof. We’d recommend skipping the bathroom.
FAQ
About Freedom Wi-Fi™
Our adaptive Wi-Fi is designed to spread out device connections throughout the home. We recommend no more than 45 devices per mesh unit in your home for maximum performance.
All of your Wi-Fi and Ethernet capable devices should work with Freedom Wi-Fi™. We have thoroughly tested the following smart home and media players and know that they are compatible. If you have issues connecting one of your devices please reach out to our Customer Support Team.
Smart Home / IoT
- Amazon Echo and Echo Dot
- Amcrest IP cameras
- Arlo Security Cameras
- Ecobee 3 Thermostat
- Ecobee 4 Thermostat
- Foscam FI8918W IP Camera
- Google Home
- Logitech Harmony Elite
- Neato Botvac
- Nest Cam Indoor
- Nest Learning Thermostat
- Nest Thermostat E
- Nest Protect Smoke + CO Alarm
- Ring Video Doorbell
- Ring Video Doorbell 2
- Roomba
Media Players
- Amazon Fire TV
- Amazon Fire TV Stick
- Apple TV
- Google Chromecast
- Playstation
- Roku 4
- Roku Streaming Stick
- Samsung Smart TVs
- Sonos Play 1, 3, 5 – When setup accordingly
- Sonos One – When setup accordingly
- Sonos Connect – When setup accordingly
- Sony Bravia TV XBR-65X810C
- Sony Playstation 4 CUH-1215a
- Vynl Trntble – When setup accordingly
The HomePass App walks you through creating your Freedom Wi-Fi™ Powered by Plume account with a simple setup process. The HomePass app is required to manage your network and gives you insight into the health of your home network. Using the HomePass app, you can do the following from anywhere you have internet access:
- Change and share your Wi-Fi name and passwords
- Manage your network from home or anywhere you have internet access
- Set your network to auto or router mode
- View the number of connected devices or people and their data usage
- View the connection status of your mesh units
- Add more mesh units to your network
- Remove mesh units from your network
In addition, the App includes the following features:
- Dynamic view of your network topology
- View and manage the devices connected to your network over Wi-Fi
- Rename your mesh units with our locator function
- Rename connected devices and assign them to people
- Freeze device internet access
- Run network speed tests
- Manage Guard features for your network and content filtering for people
- Receive notifications on system updates and newly released product features
We release updates to the App frequently, so check to make sure that you have the latest version downloaded.
Our App is compatible with iPhone 6s and above running iOS 12 and higher and with the most popular Android smartphones running Android 6 and higher. You can download the App from the Apple App and Google Play stores.
Basic Setup & Configuration
Follow the next steps to sign in to your HomePass App once your account has been set up.
- Tap on the Sign In option as is shown below
- Once you tap on sign in you will be requested to enter your email address that was used to set up the HomePass App.
- There are two ways in which we guarantee a secure Sign In:
- Sign in with Magic Link: This option will send a verification email with a temporary access token to sign in to your account.
- Enter your email address and click on Next
- Tap on the Open email App option to open your inbox.
- Find the email from Plume Support and tap on Verify Email. After this, you will be redirected to the HomePass App and Sing-in will be completed.
Note: This option is very helpful if you don’t remember your password.
- Sign in with Magic Link: This option will send a verification email with a temporary access token to sign in to your account.
- Sign in with a password: Tap on the Sign in with password option, then you will be prompted with a space to enter the password set up during the HomePass Onboarding. Once you enter the password, click on the sign-in option at the bottom of the screen.
- Sign in with a password: Tap on the Sign in with password option, then you will be prompted with a space to enter the password set up during the HomePass Onboarding. Once you enter the password, click on the sign-in option at the bottom of the screen.
If you are having trouble signing into your Freedom Wi-Fi™ HomePass app, try clearing the app’s data and cache. This can help resolve any issue with the app itself.
Follow these steps to clear the app’s data and cache:
Android Devices:
1. Go to Settings on your phone.
2. Scroll down to the option called Apps.
3. Find the HomePass App and tap on it.
4. Tap on the storage option
5. Tap on the option at the bottom of the screen that says: Clear Data
6. Launch the Home Pass app one more time and Sign in.
iOS Devices:
1. Go to the Home Screen and choose Settings.
2. Scroll down. Choose the HomePass app.
3. To delete the cache, turn on “Clear app cache on next launch”.
4. Launch the HomePass app one more time and Sign in.
If you continue to have issues after this please contact our Customer Support Team for further troubleshooting.
When it comes to getting the best performance out of your Freedom Wi-Fi™ network, mesh unit placement is everything! While every home has a unique size, shape, and Wi-Fi environment, here are some guidelines for maximizing your speeds.
We recommend one mesh unit for every two rooms. Mesh units should be spread evenly around the home, especially in rooms and open spaces where it is more common to use Wi-Fi. Typically, mesh units should be placed about 30-40 feet apart through walls and 60-80 feet apart for large open spaces (like a large living room).
Be sure to position mesh units in central locations along interior walls of your home to take advantage of the mesh units’ omnidirectional radios!
Additional Tips to Improve Coverage & Performance
Turn Off Additional Wi-Fi Networks
- Parallel networks from an upstream or additional router increase interference, dramatically decreasing your network’s performance
- If your secondary network shared an SSID and Password with your network, devices will often become confused and hop between the two networks, hurting their connectivity
Steer Clear of Furniture
- Dense padding and metal/wood framing in furniture can inhibit your Wi-Fi performance. Try placing your mesh unit in an open, exposed area to improve signal and show off your new hardware!
- Similarly to how mirrors reflect light, they also reflect Wi-Fi signal, decreasing signal strength. Try to position mesh units to connect around large mirrors and windows, rather than through.
Avoid Appliances
- TVs, refrigerators, subwoofers, and metals doors are Wi-Fi killers. Avoid placing mesh units too close to or behind these appliances.
- Devices like microwaves, baby monitors, and cordless phones often share the same frequency as your Wi-Fi networks, creating additional interference when placed too close together.
Work Around Your Home’s Construction
- Just like mirrors, energy-efficient windows can negatively impact your Wi-Fi signal.
- Metallic blinds/shades can also prevent your network from reaching balconies, terraces, or gardens.
- Foil-backed underfloor insulation can prevent Wi-Fi signals from passing between floors in your home. Try placing mesh units near stairs where they might have a more direct line of sight.
We recommend that you keep your mesh unit inside and away from rain or moisture. If you want to improve Wi-Fi coverage in your outdoor space, we suggest that you place a mesh unit just inside your door or take it outside only when you need it for a get-together.
Security
Starting with iOS 15, Apple updated the Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature which now automatically enables the additional privacy feature called Hide your IP from trackers. This change affects iOS, iPad OS, and MacOS devices.
The Hide your IP from trackers feature prevents known trackers from seeing your IP address, but it also prevents our Adblocking feature from blocking known advertising servers on your Apple device.
How to disable Hide your IP from trackers on iPhone or iPad.
- Navigate to Settings
- Scroll down and tap on Safari
- Scroll to Privacy & Security
- Tap on Hide IP Address
- Select option: Off.
How to disable Hide your IP from trackers on MacOS
- Open Safari
- Go to Settings
- Tap on the Privacy tab.
- Remove the check mark next to Hide IP address from trackers.
The HomePass app allows you to delete any past blocked events, similar to clearing your browser history.
- If you’d like to delete your past security events, open the More menu and then select the Guard option.
- On the bottom of the screen, you will find the Delete security events button.
- Simply tap the Delete Guard events button and confirm that you would like to Clear data.
- Note that once deleted, this data cannot be recovered
—————————— Before the new HomePass app release ——————————
The HomePass app allows you to delete any past blocked events, similar to clearing your browser history.
- If you’d like to delete your past security events, open the main menu and select the Guard tab.
- On the bottom of the screen, you will find the Delete security events button.
- Simply tap the button and confirm that you would like to Clear data.
- Note that once deleted, this data cannot be recovered
Enabling the Online Protection feature will protect your devices from malware sites, botnets, spyware, spam, phishing, keyloggers, monitoring, proxy avoidance, anonymizer, and other harmful attacks on your network.
How do I turn on Online Protection?
The feature is enabled on all devices by default but can be customized on the device or person level for an individualized experience. When this is enabled for a person, the Online Protection will automatically be turned on across all the devices assigned to that person.
Online Protection is controlled at the Network level in the Guard menu, while device and person settings can be modified from within their respective detail screens.
What is the experience when attempting to access a blocked site?
Content is restricted by our security feature whenever you see the “Access to this website is blocked” message displayed in the browser window.
Note: This only appears for HTTP sites; HTTPS sites prevent this and display the browser’s default “can’t be reached” message. HTTPS connections cannot be redirected to the HTTP-blocked page because it would break the secure trusted SSL connection.
——— Follow the instructions below if you are using a version of HomePass prior to 3.91 ———
How do I turn on Online Protection?
The feature is enabled on all devices by default but can be customized on the device or person level for an individualized experience. When this is enabled for a person, the Online Protection will automatically be turned on across all the devices assigned to that person.
Online Protection is controlled at the Network level in the Guard menu, while device and person settings can be modified from within their respective detail screens.
The security features have been designed with a privacy first mentality, ensuring we offer effective protection against today’s threats while respecting our users and their data privacy. Since security related features inherently require more information to protect your devices, users are in full control of enabling, disabling, and customizing the features.
Guard features monitor for device network metadata like DNS, IP address and packet sizes. It does not inspect any data packets or break open any SSL protected connections, meaning your privacy is preserved.
For more information, please visit our privacy policy.
Our Online Protection now supports Outbound IP Protection and Intrusion Prevention, the latest advancement of Plume Guard features! Previously, Online Protection worked by detecting only malicious DNS based threats. By now protecting devices from connecting to malicious sites using IP addresses (Outbound IP Protection) and DNS based lookups, your home is now more protected than ever!
Intrusion Prevention automatically blocks connections from high-risk IP addresses trying to remotely connect to your devices, keeping you and your family safe from online threats.
Another benefit of the IP based protection is that it enhances our Content Access feature by making it possible to block specific IP addresses in addition to domains manually.
Adblocking will help you block web and video advertisements and requests to known ad servers. You can enable this for a device, a person’s profile, or everyone. When you allow Adblocking for a person, this setting will be applied to all the devices assigned to that person.
- From the Home screen and tap on the Guard events button.
- The Protected tab will display all blocked events.
- You can sort the list of events shown below by type of event or by choosing a person.
- Simply tap on any event to add the site to the Approved list if you trust that it is actually safe.
——— Follow the instructions below if you are using a version of HomePass prior to 3.91 ———
- Open the main menu from the home screen and tap on the Guard tab.
- Tap on Manage Security Events.
- The Protected tab will display all blocked events.
- Simply tap on any event to add the site to the Approved list if you trust that it is actually safe.
Essential HomePass Features
HomePass gives you the ability to briefly freeze or pause internet access globally for multiple devices belonging to different people instantly through the Time Out feature. If you want to set a scheduled Internet break, consider our Device Freeze feature.
Setting a custom Time Out for multiple devices
- From the Home screen scroll to the Control section and find the Time out menu.
- Under Set time out, tap on the pencil icon to create your custom time out.
- Use the + or – buttons to modify the Time out period in 10-minute increments.
- Tap on the devices checkmark next to all the devices you want to be affected by this Time out.
- Tap on Save to return to the previous screen.
- Tap on the pause icon to activate the Time Out. All devices selected will now have Internet access blocked. The Time Out timer will count down until expiry.
- Use the +, – or x to modify the duration or cancel the Time Out.
Follow the instructions below if you are using a version of HomePass prior to 3.91
Setting a custom Time Out / Global Time Out (All people)
- From the home screen, tap on the global mesh unit icon and scroll down to the Time Out menu.
- Tap on the pencil icon to edit who will be put in a Time Out and the length of the Time Out.
- Use the + or – to modify the Time Out period in 10-minute increments.
- Under Devices belonging to, tap on the people individually or you can use the black checkmark to select everyone.
- Tap on Done to return to the previous screen.
- Tap on the pause icon to activate the Time Out. All devices assigned to the people selected will now have Internet access blocked. The Time Out timer will count down until expiry.
- Use the +, – or x to modify the duration or cancel the Time Out.
Setting a custom Time Out / Global Time Out (All devices)
- From the home screen, tap on the mesh unit icon and scroll down to the Time Out menu.
- Tap on the pencil icon to edit who will be put in a Time Out and the length of the Time Out.
- Use the + to increase the Time Out period in 10-minute increments. Use the – to reduce the duration.
- Under Devices at home, tap on the devices individually or you can use the black checkmark to select all devices.
- Tap on Done to return to the previous screen.
- Tap on the pause icon to activate the Time Out. All devices selected will now have Internet access blocked. The Time Out timer will count down until expiry.
- Use the +, – or x to modify the duration or cancel the Time Out.
mesh units
What is a Time Out?
A Time Out gives you the ability to briefly freeze or pause Internet access for a person or specific device with just a few taps. This lets you easily manage Internet access in real-time in addition to setting Device Freeze schedules. There are two ways to use a Time Out:
- Set a custom or global Time Out for all people or devices (any timeframe in 10-minute increments)
- Set a Time Out for select people or devices
What will the user see when in a Time Out?
When a device is frozen, it will not be able to access Internet content. When trying to load an HTTP site, they will be redirected to the captive screen (left). However, if it is an HTTPS site, the page will simply timeout or say it cannot be reached (right).
Non-browser devices like media players and game consoles will simply get an Internet connection error when they are in a Time Out.
HomePass’ content access feature will allow you to restrict content for a device or person. We have identified the most common content filtering categories that you can use when personalizing your online experience.
When setting up content filtering for a person or device, you can enable any of the four content filtering categories:
- No limits: You can access all types of content.
- Kids appropriate: Content that is tagged as NOT appropriate for kids will be filtered and inaccessible.
- Teenager friendly: Content that is tagged as NOT appropriate for teens will be filtered and inaccessible.
- No adult content: All content tagged as adult content will not be accessible.
Please note that all devices associated with a person will inherit the content access settings assigned to that corresponding person. Likewise, applying content access restrictions to a device assigned to a person will apply the same settings to that person. However, if the device is unassigned, the rule will only apply to the device.
Content access will not work if Privacy Mode has been enabled or if the device is using a Private/Random MAC Address.
What is seen by the end-user when their content is blocked?
Content that was restricted by our security feature whenever you see the “Access to this website is blocked” message displayed in their browser window.
Note: This only appears for HTTP sites; HTTPS sites prevent this and display the browser’s default “can’t be reached” message. HTTPS connections cannot be redirected to the HTTP blocked page because it would break the secure trusted SSL connection.
Nope!
Our team has completed extensive internal and external testing to verify that you won’t see any decrease in performance after enabling Adblocking, Online Protection, or any Content Access settings!
Adblocking, Online Protection, and any custom Approve / Block lists can only be configured on a location, person, or device level. Content Access (parental control) settings can be configured on a person and device level.
Location level: Applies to all devices connected to the network.
Person level: Applies to all devices assigned to a person.
Device-level: Applies only to the single device only if unassigned. If the device is assigned to a person, the Content Access rule will be applied to that person.
What happens if you have different settings configured on different levels for a device?
Priority is given to the most specific settings for a device. For example, if Online Protection is disabled on a location level and enabled for a device, the setting is turned on for the device.
Additionally, if a location has a setting enabled, any new devices and profiles added will inherit the same settings by default.
If should be noted that if a device is assigned to a person, Content Access rules will always be the same for a person and their associated devices.
For any additional questions, please contact our support staff for assistance.
——— Follow the instructions below if you are using a version of HomePass prior to 3.91 ———
Adblocking, Online Protection, and any custom Approve / Block lists can only be configured on a location, person, or device level. Content Access (parental control) settings can be configured on a person and device level.
Location level: Applies to all devices connected to the network.
Person level: Applies to all devices assigned to a person.
Device-level: Applies only to the single device only if unassigned. If the device is assigned to a person, the Content Access rule will be applied to that person.
But what happens if you have different settings configured on different levels for a device?
Priority is given to the most specific settings for a device. For example, if Online Protection is disabled on a location level and enabled for a device, the setting is turned on for the device.
Additionally, if a location has a setting enabled, any new devices and profiles added will inherit the same settings by default.
If should be noted that if a device is assigned to a person, Content Access rules will always be the same for a person and their associated devices.
For any additional questions, please contact our support staff for assistance.
Adblocking, Online Protection, and any custom Approve / Block lists can only be configured on a location, person, or device level. Content Access (parental control) settings can be configured on a person and device level.
Location level: Applies to all devices connected to the network.
Person level: Applies to all devices assigned to a person.
Device-level: Applies only to the single device only if unassigned. If the device is assigned to a person, the Content Access rule will be applied to that person.
What happens if you have different settings configured on different levels for a device?
Priority is given to the most specific settings for a device. For example, if Online Protection is disabled on a location level and enabled for a device, the setting is turned on for the device.
Additionally, if a location has a setting enabled, any new devices and profiles added will inherit the same settings by default.
If should be noted that if a device is assigned to a person, Content Access rules will always be the same for a person and their associated devices.
For any additional questions, please contact our support staff for assistance.
——— Follow the instructions below if you are using a version of HomePass prior to 3.91 ———
Adblocking, Online Protection, and any custom Approve / Block lists can only be configured on a location, person, or device level. Content Access (parental control) settings can be configured on a person and device level.
Location level: Applies to all devices connected to the network.
Person level: Applies to all devices assigned to a person.
Device-level: Applies only to the single device only if unassigned. If the device is assigned to a person, the Content Access rule will be applied to that person.
But what happens if you have different settings configured on different levels for a device?
Priority is given to the most specific settings for a device. For example, if Online Protection is disabled on a location level and enabled for a device, the setting is turned on for the device.
Additionally, if a location has a setting enabled, any new devices and profiles added will inherit the same settings by default.
If should be noted that if a device is assigned to a person, Content Access rules will always be the same for a person and their associated devices.
For any additional questions, please contact our support staff for assistance.
When it comes to getting the best performance out of your Plume network, mesh unit placement is everything! While every home has a unique size, shape, and Wi-Fi environment, here are some guidelines for maximizing your speeds.
We recommend one mesh units for every two rooms. Mesh units should be spread evenly around the home, especially in rooms and open spaces where is more common to use Wi-Fi. Typically, mesh units should be placed about 30-40 feet apart through walls and 60-80 feet apart for large open spaces (like a large living room).
Be sure to position mesh units in central locations along interior walls of your home to take advantage of the mesh units’ omnidirectional radios!
Additional Tips to Improve Coverage & Performance
Turn Off Additional Wi-Fi Networks
- Parallel networks from an upstream or additional router increase interference, dramatically decreasing your Plume network’s performance
- If your secondary network shared an SSID and Password with your Plume network, devices will often become confused and hop between the two networks, hurting their connectivity
Steer Clear of Furniture
- Dense padding and metal/wood framing in furniture can inhibit your Wi-Fi performance. Try placing your mesh unit in an open, exposed area to improve signal and show off your new hardware!
- Similarly to how mirrors reflect light, they also reflect Wi-Fi signal, decreasing signal strength. Try to position mesh units to connect around large mirrors and windows, rather than through.
Avoid Appliances
- TVs, refrigerators, subwoofers, and metals doors are Wi-Fi killers. Avoid placing pods too close to or behind these appliances.
- Devices like microwaves, baby monitors, and cordless phones often share the same frequency as your Wi-Fi networks, creating additional interference when placed too close together.
Work Around Your Home’s Construction
- Just like mirrors, energy-efficient windows can negatively impact your Wi-Fi signal.
- Metallic blinds/shades can also prevent your network from reaching balconies, terraces, or gardens.
- Foil-backed underfloor insulation can prevent Wi-Fi signals from passing between floors in your home. Try placing mesh units near stairs where they might have a more direct line of sight.
Adding people allows you to conveniently monitor and manage their WiFi access.
Adding a Person
- From the People screen, tap on the + button.
- Choose the Create a person option.
- Add a photo using the +, enter the Person name and Email (optional) and tap on Next.
- Set their Person profile information. This allows you to control Content access as well as their Guard settings for all their assigned devices while they are connected to the network.
- Tap on Done and the person will be added to the list of people.
- Use the Tap to assign device option under their card. The devices you select will apply the rules set in the previous step to those devices and allow you to monitor and manage the person’s Internet usage.
- Once all devices have been selected and you tap on Done, you will be prompted to assign a Primary device, which is used to determine if they are home. Be sure to choose a device that they will always take with them.
- Tap on Done once a primary device is chosen.
Please note that creating a person using the steps above does not give them the ability to manage the network. Click here if you want to Invite a person to help you manage the network.
Removing a Person
- From the person’s detail screen, tap the ⋮ on the top right-hand corner.
- Tap on Remove person which will remove the profile and historical data consumption information for that person. All previously assigned devices for that person will now be unassigned.
Note: This does not disable their access to the WiFi if they still have the password.
Internet Freeze allows you to easily manage how much time is spent on the internet by a device or person by using a Freeze schedule or as needed.
Schedule or Turn on Internet Freeze for a device
- Select the device in the app to access the device details page.
- Tap on Schedule Internet Freeze.
- Type in a name for this Freeze schedule.
- Tap on a day and enter the Freeze internet (start) time and Unfreeze internet (end) times.
- Choose the Repeat option if this schedule will be the same on multiple days or tap on another day to set different Freeze and Unfreeze times for that day.
- Choose a person if this Freeze schedule will be used for all of their devices.
- Tap on Save once your schedule is complete.
Schedule or Turn on Internet Freeze for a person
- Select the person from the People page.
- Tap on Schedule Internet Freeze.
- Type in a name for this Freeze schedule.
- Tap on a day and enter the Freeze internet (start) time and Unfreeze internet (end) times.
- Choose the Repeat option if this schedule will be the same on multiple days or tap on another day to set different Freeze and Unfreeze times for that day.
- Tap on Save once your schedule is complete and Apply to confirm.
Interrupt Internet Freeze
You will be able to interrupt the internet freeze by either choosing Unfreeze Until End of Day or Clear Internet Freeze to reset the freeze internet schedule.
What will the user see when frozen?
When a device is frozen, it will not be able to access content. How that is displayed depends on the content you are trying to access. If you try to load an HTTP site, you will be redirected to the captive portal screen. However, if it is an HTTPS site, the page will simply timeout or say it cannot be reached.
Plume also gives you the ability to pause internet access on a device or person instantly through the Time Out feature.
——— Follow the instructions below if you are using a version of HomePass prior to 3.91 ———
Internet Freeze allows you to easily manage how much time is spent on the internet by a device by using a schedule or as needed.
Schedule or Turn on Internet Freeze
- Select the device in the app to access the device details page.
- Tap on Schedule Internet Freeze.
- Select Until End of Day, School Night, Bedtime, Indefinitely or Custom.
- Set the start and end times using the slider if you selected School Night or Bedtime.
- You can set a different duration on each day when you choose the Custom scheduling option.
Interrupt Internet Freeze
You will be able to interrupt the internet freeze by either choosing Unfreeze Until End of Day or Clear Internet Freeze to reset the freeze internet schedule.
What will the user see when frozen?
When a device is frozen, it will not be able to access content. How that is displayed depends on the content you are trying to access. If you try to load an HTTP site, you will be redirected to the captive portal screen. However, if it is an HTTPS site, the page will simply timeout or say it cannot be reached.
Plume also gives you the ability to pause internet access on a device or person instantly through the Time Out feature.
If you accidentally assign a device to the wrong person, you can simply reassign it to another person’s profile (or create a new profile).
- Navigate to the incorrectly assigned device.
- Tap on the ⋮ on the upper right-hand corner to view the device menu and select Assign Device to…
- Select the appropriate profile to move the device to. You can also add a new person profile to your app at the same time!
- Your device will now appear under the new profile!
- Please note that any rules (Adblocking, Content Access, or Online Protection) will be reset to match the new profile.
——— Follow the instructions below if you are using a version of HomePass prior to 3.91 ———
If you accidentally assign a device to the wrong person, you can simply reassign it to another person profile (or create a new profile).
- Navigate to the incorrectly assigned device.
- Tap on the ⋮ on the upper right-hand corner to view the device menu and select Assign Device to…
- Select the appropriate profile to move the device to. You can also add a new person profile to your app at the same time!
- Your device will now appear under the new profile!
- Please note that any rules (Adblocking, Content Access, or Online Protection) will be reset to match the new profile.
You can approve a website for a person, the entire network, or a device if not assigned to a person. Up to 50 websites can be approved in total.
If you notice a website has been incorrectly blocked, please report it to support.
Approving Websites for Everyone
- From the Home page, tap on the Guard events.
- Go to Approve tab and tap on Approve..
- Choosing Approve Website allows you to enter the URL of the domain, while Approve IP Address allows you to enter the server IP address.
- Enter the URL or IP address and tap on Approve to save. Please note that the full domain name is required. For example; make sure to write “youtube.com” instead of “youtube”.
- Tap on Apply to confirm the changes.
- Additionally, you are able to view previously blocked sites under the Protected tab. Tap or swipe on the blocked event to start the approval flow.
Approve websites at a person or device level
- Navigate to the desired person or device
- Tap on Manage security events at the bottom of the page
- Tap on Approve
- Choosing Approve Website allows you to enter the URL of the domain, while Approve IP Address allows you to enter the server IP address.
- Based on your previous choice, enter the URL or IP address and tap the checkmark to save. The full domain name is required for websites. For example; make sure to write “youtube.com” instead of “youtube”.
- Tap on Approve to confirm your choice.
- If you are approving the site for a device that has been assigned to a person, the rule will also apply to the person. Likewise, approving a site for the person automatically applies that rule to all of their assigned devices. If the device is not assigned, the rule will only apply to the device.
You can also unblock a website from Protected list.
Simply swipe or tap to add a site to your Approved list
Confirm that the site is now Approved
Up to 50 total sites can be manually blocked at the network, person, and device levels combined. IP addresses can only be blocked if you have Outbound IP Protection and Intrusion Prevention enabled.
Blocking a website at the network level or the person level
- From the Home page, tap on the Guard events.
- Go to the Block tab and choose for whom you want to block the website.
- All – applies to all devices on the network.
- At home – applies to all devices not assigned to a person
- Person – applies to all devices assigned to that person
- Tap on Block.
- Choosing Block Website allows you to enter the URL of the domain, while Block IP Address allows you to enter the server IP address.
- Enter the URL or IP address and tap on Block. Please note that the full domain name is required. For example; make sure to write “youtube.com” instead of “youtube”.
- Tap on Apply to confirm the changes.
Blocking a website at a device Level
- Navigate to the desired device.
- Scroll down to Events at the bottom of the page and tap on View all.
- Go to Block tab and then tap on Block…
- Choose either Block Website or Block IP Address.
- Enter the URL or IP Address you wish to block and tap the checkmark to save. Please note that the full domain name is required for websites. For example; make sure to write “youtube.com” instead of “youtube”.
- Tap on Block to save.
Please remember that a website blocked for a person will automatically be blocked on all the devices assigned to that person and vice-versa.
Follow the instructions below if you are using a version of HomePass prior to 3.91
Blocking a Website for Everyone
- Tap on the Guard tab inside the main menu.
- Tap on Manage security events.
- Go to Block and then tap on Block… on iOS or the + if you are using Android.
- Choose either Block website or Block IP Address.
- Based on your previous choice, enter the URL or IP Address you wish to block. Please note that the full domain name is required for websites. For example; make sure to write “youtube.com” instead of “youtube”.
- Tap on Block to confirm
Blocking a Website at a Person or Device Level
- Navigate to the desired person or device.
- Tap on Manage security events at the bottom of the page.
- Go to Block and then tap on Block… on iOS or the + if you are using Android.
- Choose either Block Website or Block IP Address.
- Enter the URL or IP Address you wish to block and tap the checkmark to save. Please note that the full domain name is required for websites. For example; make sure to write “youtube.com” instead of “youtube”.
Please remember that a website blocked for a person will automatically be blocked on all the devices assigned to that person.
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Plume allows you to personalize your online experience with customizable Approved and Blocked lists. Up to 50 total sites can be manually blocked at the network, person, and device levels combined.
- To remove sites from the Approve or Block lists, tap on the Guard events on the home page.
- Choose the list level (All, At home, or the person profile) using the icons on top.
- Find the site under the appropriate Approve or Block tab.
- Tap on the options next to the entry you want to remove from the list.
- Tapping View will bring up the website in your browse.
- Depending on which list you are viewing, tap either remove from approved list or remove from blocked list.
How to block a specific website?
——— Follow the instructions below if you are using a version of HomePass prior to 3.91 ———
Plume allows you to personalize your online experience with customizable Approved and Blocked lists. Up to 50 total sites can be manually blocked at the network, person and device levels combined.
- To remove sites from the network level block or approved lists, go to the Guard tab from the main menu. Navigate to the person or device to remove sites from their blocked or approved lists.
- Navigate to the Manage security events option. This is accessible on the device, person, and at the network level as seen below.
- Find the site under the appropriate Approve or Block tab.
- Tap or swipe to remove the site from your list. Tapping View will bring up a web view of the site.
Common Issues
Some Windows computers ask for a router PIN instead of password if WPS is seen as an option for the Wi-Fi connection.
To connect these devices:
- Click ‘Connect using a security key instead’
- Enter the WiFi password you set up for your Plume network, to connect to the wireless network.
If you haven’t created the WiFi password for your Plume network, check out Create a new Wi-Fi Password for Home. - Press the “Next” or “Continue” button depending on your computer to finish the connection.
If you have received a notification that your mesh units are placed too far apart, simply move them closer together to help improve your network’s performance! We recommend placing mesh units 30-40 feet apart. Note that if you have particularly thick walls (brick, concrete, or large amounts of metal) or furniture blocking a mesh unit, you may need to reduce these distances. (Also see 5 things in your home that might be killing your WiFi.)
After rearranging your mesh unit[s], your network should begin to optimize and establish improved connections. Optimizations may take a few minutes to complete. Once finished, you can check your HomePass app to see if your mesh unit’s health has improved! You can also try running a speed test from your device to see the latest results.
If you received this notification, but haven’t noticed any issues with performance, you may not need to take any action. Many devices, especially IoT devices such as thermostats, smart plugs and lights don’t require much bandwidth to operate.
Nobody likes to be without a connection to the internet. Let’s find out what’s causing the problem.
- Verify that your device is connected to the Freedom Wi-Fi™ HomePass network by going to your device’s Wi-Fi connection settings.
- Check to see if you can connect to other sites. Open your device browser and go to any website such as www.plume.com. If you are able to access it, there must be something wrong with the site or app that you were trying to access.
- If you are unable to visit any website with your device, try to access the internet with another device, your computer or tablet. If you are able to connect other devices to the Wi-Fi network, restart your device and try to connect to the Wi-Fi network. If you are still unable to connect your device to the network, contact us for help.
- If you are unable to connect all devices to the internet via a Wi-Fi connection, connect your computer directly to the modem via Ethernet. You may need to reboot your modem. If you are unable to connect to the internet, contact your ISP.
- If you are able to connect your computer to the internet via Ethernet, verify that your Plume Service is working by following the steps listed here.
If only those mesh units could talk! There are many possible reasons why one or more of your mesh units would appear disconnected or offline.
Entire Network is Offline
If you have received a Plume alert stating your network is offline, follow these steps to bring it back up.
- Unplug the modem from power for at least 30 seconds.
- Unplug the mesh unit from power and unplug anything connected to it by Ethernet.
- Plug the Ethernet cables back into mesh unit and into the modem. Plug the unit back into power.
- Plug the modem back into power and wait until the modem is fully restarted and its LEDs indicate there is an internet connection.
- Wait at least 2 minutes until the unit’s LED stops blinking
- If the unit’s LED continues blinking and does not come back online, please contact support.
Single or a few mesh units are offline.
- The mesh unit is unplugged or is not receiving any power.
- Check if the outlet has power by plugging in another mesh unit or any other appliance to confirm. When mesh unit are first plugged in, the LED should always turn on solid briefly and then start to slowly pulse as it is trying to connect to the cloud. Once connected it will then turn off.
- If the outlet is switched, make sure no one else is turning it off by accident.
- If the outlet is okay and the mesh unit’s LED does not come on at all when it is first plugged in, this indicates there is likely something wrong with the mesh unit. The mesh unit is too far away from any other connected mesh unit.
- When offline, the LED will be slowly pulsing as it tries to connect to the cloud and will continue to do so if it cannot connect.
- Move the mesh unit closer to another mesh unit or in the same location as a known working mesh unit. The mesh unit should connect and the LED will turn off.
- Use the mesh unit health indicator to check signal quality. Poor signal is often a reason for mesh units intermittently going offline.
- If it is a range issue add another mesh unit to your network.
- There may be an unusual issue preventing your mesh unit from connecting to the rest of the network. Contact us at help@ideatek.com for assistance.
- If there is no reason the mesh unit cannot connect by wireless to another mesh unit, the mesh unit may defective.
If one of the mesh units happens to lose connection or is unplugged, the system will reconfigure itself or self-heal so you don’t lose Wi-Fi connection. Another path will be formed using your other mesh units to maintain coverage and network health. When the mesh unit is restored, it is automatically placed back into the network, and an optimization will take place.
If a mesh unit displays “Poor health” and you are noticing an impact, there are a few steps you can take to improve its health:
Move mesh units closer to each other
- Remember that mesh units work as a team, so they want to be close enough to communicate with one another. Consider distances of 30′-40′ for mesh units, which can still vary largely depending on the building materials used in your home.
- Homes with dense walls need mesh units closer together than those with lighter construction.
- Even moving a mesh unit to an opposite wall in the same room can sometimes help create a stronger and more reliable connection for that mesh unit.
- Place the mesh units on the inside walls of the home, to build a strong core network to improve performance.
Keep mesh units in the open and away from metallic objects
- Avoid metal or other reflective objects in between your mesh units.
- Avoid obstacles in the way of connecting mesh units (such as kitchen and laundry appliances, metallic piping, metallic waste bins, or large mirrors).
- No large furniture right in front of the mesh unit .
Eliminate sources of interference
- Find sources of interference and eliminate them. Consumer electronics like baby monitors, cordless phones, video senders, microwaves, etc. will cause interference on the same channels used by your Wi-Fi
- Ensure your old Wi-Fi is turned off.
- Move your mesh units further away from sources of interference.
If an issue arises with the connection health of one of your mesh units, you will be notified through the App. Otherwise, you can view the connection health of a mesh unit at any time by selecting any blank space of the App’s landing screen, followed by the mesh unit you’d like to check.
Here’s what could be slowing you down:
- One or more pods are too far away from another pod.
- Each Pod must not be more than 20 feet apart from each other. SuperPods should be no more than 40 feet from each other while PowerPods should be within 30 feet from each other.
- Ensure that you have a strong core network in your home, keeping pods in the center and not on exterior walls.
- Not enough pods are connected in your home.
- If your signal is constantly weak, this is an indicator.
- Additional pods can always be purchased through the HomePass app.
- One of your pods may be offline.
- Check if any of the LED of the pods is slowly pulsing, which means it is disconnected.
- You can go to the HomePass App, select Settings on the menu and check the status of each Pod.
- If one or more pods are offline, follow the steps described here to resolve the issue.
- Modem issues: Restart your modem to fix certain connection issues.
- Disconnect your modem’s power supply
- Wait 30 seconds
- Reconnect your modem to power
- Internet slowdown: Your ISP may be experiencing a service slowdown.
- These are usually temporary. You can contact your ISP to get more information.
- To find out who your ISP is, visit whoismyisp.org.
- Make sure your old Wi-Fi is disabled on your router.
- Click here for instructions on disabling your Wi-Fi on your router to eliminate interference.
- Multiple Wi-Fi networks are running in your area.
- Try moving your Pods away from the outside walls to avoid the additional interference and promote a stronger core network.
- Look for interference from other sources such as: cordless phones, baby monitors, video senders, microwave ovens and other electronics.
- Many of these devices use the same bands as your Wi-Fi and cause interference.
Why doesn’t my device connect to the closest mesh unit?
Many devices will connect to the closest mesh unit when first connecting to the network. After connecting, which mesh unit a device connects to is determined by two factors: the cloud and the device. Either the cloud determines the best connection, which may not be the closest mesh unit, or the device chooses where to connect. However, a device always has the final say on which mesh unit it will connect to.
How does a device decide where it should connect?
Mesh units and other Wi-Fi access points broadcast signals, called beacons, to tell devices that they are present. When connecting, a device may choose to connect to the first beacon it sees or the beacon with the strongest signal. This choice is based on the design of the device. Some older devices may also treat beacons from each mesh unit as a separate network.
After connecting, some devices that move around are designed to hold on to a Wi-Fi connection. This may be done by staying connected to the same mesh unit even after the connection becomes unusable. In some cases, a device may store information about the mesh units and always try to reconnect to the same mesh units. For devices that do roam between mesh units, turning the Wi-Fi off and on may connect the device to the nearest mesh unit until it is steered by the cloud.
How does the cloud decide where a device should connect?
Client Steering allows the cloud to connect a device to a specific mesh unit. The choice of where to steer a device is based on the speed of the connection. The cloud checks the entire path the data travels when choosing a device-to-mesh unit connection. Each Wi-Fi hop between mesh unit increases the time taken to send data, so eliminating extra hops will speed up the connection. This means the closest mesh unit will not always be the fastest connection.
The cloud also takes into account the number of devices and how much bandwidth is being used on each mesh unit. If too many devices or too much bandwidth is being used on a mesh unit, a device may be steered to another connection. Also, the maximum speed of the data path is also determined by the speed of the slowest hop on the path. All of these are taken into account by the cloud when a device is steered to a connection.
Why can’t I force my device to connect to a specific mesh unit?
Like optimizations, cloud-based steering takes into consideration many factors that a user may not even know about. Even for devices that do not move, changes in the Wi-Fi environment may change the best connection. The cloud can monitor all of this and make changes as soon as needed.
Wi-Fi devices
- Make sure Wi-Fi on your device is on and that you can see your Wi-Fi network name on your device. If you can’t find your Wi-Fi network name, please visit your HomePass App, go to Settings on the menu and verify your Wi-Fi network name. You can easily share this information with new devices that have an active internet or cellular connection.
- Make sure you enter the correct Wi-Fi password if prompted.
- Make sure that the gateway pod is connected to the modem and is functioning. Check to make sure that your Pods are online. You can always verify the status of your Pods in your HomePass App Settings.
- Turn the Wi-Fi on your device off and then back on. This will force the device to scan for available networks.
- Restart your device. Some always-on devices like thermostats and doorbells may not connect to the new network without a reboot.
- Check with your device manufacturer for any special requirements. For example, some devices will not connect to a network if the SSID and/or password have special characters.
- Reset network settings or forget the old network on your device. If your old Wi-Fi is still broadcasting, your device may be switching between networks.
- Check if other devices can connect to the Wi-Fi network. If not, contact your ISP for a potential internet outage or Plume Support if your Plume network is offline.
- Always make sure that the Wi-Fi on your old router has been turned off. Your device may have difficulty connecting to your Plume network if the old network is still broadcasting. Turning off the old Wi-Fi will also remove a potential source of interference from the environment.
Ethernet connected devices
- If your wired device is not connecting to the network, try power-cycling the pod while the device is still connected by Ethernet.
- Try another Ethernet cable. Ethernet cables will often fail, causing poor or unstable connections.
Other things to check
- Check your router settings. MAC filtering will prevent new devices from connecting to your network.
- Check the DHCP settings on your router, particularly for limitations set by your ISP. You may not have enough available IP addresses available for all your devices and pods.
About Us
We started in Buhler, Kansas in 1999. We’re owned by Kansans and our team is based in Kansas. Learn about our history here.
We pride ourselves not just on offering the fastest available internet, but also on our customer service. If you have a problem with our product (which we don’t anticipate) call 1-855-IDEATEK or 620-543-5555 to speak to one of our friendly customer service reps in Buhler, KS.
Check out our support page or contact us at 1-855-IDEATEK or help@ideatek.com.
Headquartered in Buhler, Kan., Ideatek is a broadband service provider with the mission of “fighting for INTERNET FREEDOM™.” IdeaTek uses a unique and innovative approach to deploy scalable, long-term fiber optic infrastructures, bridging the broadband gap in rural communities. IdeaTek has long been a state and national advocate for broadband equity policy and has built nearly 4,500 miles of fiber throughout Kansas. They were recently named to Inc. 5000’s list of fastest growing companies for the seventh time.
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