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Use this document to set up the FamilyMode Home Base to your wireless network.

IMPORTANT: Home Base device no longer usable

The HomeBase device is now an End of Life (EOL) product and will no longer be usable. T-Mobile has discontinued support as of 2022. This document is only to be used as a reference to the HomeBase device.

About FamilyMode Home Base

  • Home Base allows you to manage every connected device on your wireless network at home.
  • Home Base works by pairing directly with your router and inspecting all the data that comes through your home network.
  • The FamilyMode app is needed to control all connected devices. 
  • Has the ability to control laptops, smart TVs, game consoles and anything else connected to your wireless network.
  • The Home Base device. On top, there is a Power button. In the middle, there is a USB Power Port. Below the USB Power Port, there is an LED Power Indicator. On the bottom of the device, there is an Ethernet Port under a flap.

 

Setup

Set up the Home Base to your wireless network to begin monitoring all devices that are connected and using your wireless internet.

  1. Ensure your router is compatible with Home Base.
  2. Connect the Home Base to a power supply, then connect to the wireless router.
  3. Open the FamilyMode app, then select Menu.
  4. Select Set up Home Base.
  5. Make sure the device is connected to the same wireless router as the Home Base, then select Continue.
  6. Follow the additional prompts on the device to pair the Home Base with the wireless network.

 

Wireless devices

When you set up the Home Base, you’ll have access to a whole new group of connected devices to manage with FamilyMode app.

Wi-Fi Devices Are Unmanaged By Default

Wi-Fi devices discovered by Home Base will be set to Unmanaged when they join, meaning that FamilyMode won’t interact with their Internet connection at any point. If you assign one to a Profile, it’ll be managed just like your mobile devices on your home network.

The Home Profile

The Home Profile is where all shared family devices live. You set a baseline Filter, plus any OffTimes or BedTimes to apply to all these devices. You can use this Home Profile any way you’d like by assigning the devices that make sense for your home.

Network Gear & Smart Home Devices

Leave all network gear and smart home devices Unmanaged. Any interference with Home Base may cause unexpected issues with these utilities and services. So, make sure that mesh Wi-Fi extenders and network fabric, as well as Internet of Things (IoT) devices like smart appliances, are never assigned to a Profile.

 

LED indicators

  • Solid light: Home Base is on and paired with your device
  • Solid off: Home Base is not on
  • Slow blinking light: Home Base is powered on, but not paired to your device
  • Quick blinking light: Home Base either is resetting, has a low battery, or has other internal errors

 

Performing a factory reset

Make sure that Home Base is powered on, and then locate the power button. When you perform the steps on this page, make sure you hear, feel, or sense the power button click and then start your count for a full five seconds.

  1. Hold the Power button for five seconds
  2. Release the Power button.
  3. Hold the Power button for five seconds.
  4. Release the Power button.
  5. Press the Power button once and then release.

 

Guest networks, mesh networks, and Wi-Fi extenders

Guest networks

  • Many routers have the ability to broadcast the main network and a separate guest network. Guest networks are unique networks with their own names and passwords, though they originate from the same hardware.
  • The main benefit of using a guest network is that it allows you to provide guests with Internet access in a home, office, other location while also protecting the security of their normal network.
  • Because it is a totally separate network, those who join a guest network are isolated from the main network and won't be able to access devices or shared services (like printers) in use on the main network. Under most circumstances, you can still use your guest network with the Home Base paired to your main network. There are, however, a few things to keep in mind:
    • The Home Base will not manage the guest network. Because the guest network is totally separate, the Home Base will not access any Internet activity on that network.
    • Use a password to prevent getting around your Home Base. This will prevent unauthorized users from accessing your guest network without permission. Only give the guest network password to people who you don't want your Home Base to manage.
    • Some routers have guest networks that are incompatible with the Home Base. While many routers offer guest networks that work well with the Home Base paired with the main network, there are a few routers with known incompatibilities.
  • The Home Base is able to pair to a guest network that is broadcasted over the 2.4GHz band.
    • Some dual-band routers have the ability to broadcast guest networks on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, and your Home Base will be able to manage traffic over both bands. But, the Home Base will only pair with the 2.4GHz network.
    • The Home Base will not manage Ethernet connections if paired with a guest network.

Mesh networks

  • The Home Base works with a majority of mesh network systems, but occasionally they can create issues during setup.
  • When you're initially setting up the Home Base, you might need to separate the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands and power down your mesh network satellite units, while leaving the main gateway up. Your gateway unit is the one that is connected to your home's modem via an Ethernet cord.
  • Satellite units might connect to it via ethernet, or more likely, via a mesh wireless network. Pair your Home Base to the 2.4GHz network, and then plug it in via ethernet. Afterward, you can bring your satellite units back up. Just make sure to set them as "Unmanaged" if they appear in the FamilyMode app's device list.

Wi-Fi extenders

  • We do not recommend pairing the Home Base with an extender's Wi-Fi network if you have the option.
  • If you have an extender on your network and are having issues setting your Home Base up, try powering off the extender temporarily until your Home Base is paired. Then plug your Home Base directly into your router using the provided ethernet cord and power on the extender.
  • Don't pair your Home Base with a Wi-Fi network that has the same name as your normal network but with an added "_EXT". That's the extender's network, and pairing to that will mean your Home Base can't access the rest of your network.

 

Router compatibility

Listed are routers by the manufacturer which are compatible and incompatible with Family Mode, and those that require special handling/instructions.

 

Routers compatible with FamilyMode

 
Manufacturers and names of routers that are compatible with FamilyMode.
Router Manufacturer Router Name
Actiontec / Telus

C1000A

T1200 VDSL

T2200H VDSL

Amped

AC1750 (TAP-R3)

AC1750 (RTA1750)

Apple

Airport Express

Airport Extreme

Arris

DG2470A/NA

TG852G

Asus

AC1900 RT-AC68U

RT-AC3200

ZenWiFi AC (CT8)

ZenWiFi AX (XT8)

Belkin

N450 DB

N600 DB

AC750 DB

AC1200 DB

AC1750 DB

D-Link

AC750 DIR-810L

AC750 DIR-818L W/D

AC1200 DIR-842

AC1700 DIR-859

AC1700 DIR-868L

AC1900 DIR-879

AC1900 DIR-880L

Eero

Eero v2

Eero v3 - Wi-Fi 6

Google

Google Wi-Fi 1st Generation (AC1200 / AC-1304)

Google Nest Wi-Fi (AC2200)

Jensen Scandinavia

Airlink 1000AC

Airlink 3000DG

Airlink 59300

Lynx 5000

Lynx 7000

Lynx 9000

Linksys

AC1750 EA6500

AC1900 EA6900

AC5400 EA9500

AX4200 Velop MX4200

AX5300 Velop MX 5 and MX10 (Disable IPv6 if issues are identified)

AC5400 EA9500

N300 E1200

N750 E3500

WRT1200AC

WRT1900ACS

Motorola / Arris TG862G/CT (Comcast/Xfinity)
Netgear

N900 WNDR4500

AC750 R6050

AC1200 R6100/R6220

AC1750 R6300

AC1750 R6400

AC1750 Nighthawk R6700 v1/v3

AC1900 Nighthawk R7000/R6900P/R6900 

AC1900 C6900 cable modem and router

AC2300 Nighthawk R7000P

AC3000 Nighthawk X6 R7900 

AC3200 Nighthawk X8 R8000

AC3600 Nighthawk X6S R7960P

AX6000 WiFi Cable Modem Router (CAX80)

Orbi (Most models)

Orbi RBR750, RBK752, and RBK753

Orbi RBR850/RBS850, RBK852, and RBK853

TP-Link

N450 TL-WR1043ND

N600 TL-WDR3600

AC1300 Deco M5 

AC1750 Archer C7

AC1750 Archer C8

AC1900 Archer C9

AC2200 Deco M9 Plus

AC4000 Archer A20

AC5400 Archer C5400X

AX3000 Archer AX50

Ubee DDW365
Ubiquiti AmpliFi HD Mesh Router / System
Verizon G3100 - Fios Home Router
Zyxel C1100Z
 

Routers incompatible with FamilyMode

 
Manufacturers and names of routers that are not compatible with FamilyMode.
Router Manufacturer Router Name
Arris XB6/XB7 Wireless Gateway (Arris TG3482G/Technicolor CGM4140COM) 
Asus

AC2900 RT-AC86U

SRT-AC1900 AKA OnHub

Bell Home Hub 3000 / Sagemcom Fast 5566
BITDefender Bitdefender Box 2
D-Link DIR-853
Eero Eero v1
Google

TP-Link OnHub TGR-1900

ASUS OnHub SRT-AC1900

Huawei / Talk Talk

HG635

HG639

Netgear

AC1750 Nighthawk R6700 v2 and AC1750 Nighthawk R6800

AC3000 Nighthawk X6S R7900P and AC4000 Nighthawk X6S R8000P

Open Mesh

OM2P

OM2P-HS

Pace 5268AC
Technicolor TC-8715/8717
TP-Link OnHub TGR-1900
Ubee DDW36C
Ubiquiti

AmpliFi Alien

UniFi Dream Machine (UDM)

UniFi Dream Machine Pro (UDM-Pro)

 

Special handling/instructions required

 
Special handling for using the following routers with FamilyMode Home Base
Router Manufacturer Router Name Special Instructions
Actiontec / Telus

T3200 VDSL

T3200M

C3000A

May experience severe connectivity trouble. This is due to a feature that interferes with the operation called "Fast Path Packet Acceleration," which cannot be turned off in the router's configuration. 
Arris / Spectrum

Wave 2 Routers AKA RAC2V1A, RAC2V1K , RAC2V1S

 

Some customers may experience severe connectivity trouble. If this happens there isn't a workaround.
Asus

N600 RT-N56U

N900 RT-N66U

NAT Acceleration must be turned off.
Asus

RT-AC5300

GC-AC5300

Two-Way IPS, Infected Device Prevention and Blocking, and Game Boost all need to be off. They can be accessed from the router control panel.
Calix SRT-AC1900 (OnHub) Contact the manufacturer for assistance.
Calix Calix Gigacenter 844G / 844E Contact the manufacturer for assistance.
Cisco

DPC3941T

Security settings must be set to medium or low.
D-Link DIR-853 Make sure FamilyMode is set to the highest priority in the router's QOS Engine.
Hitron

Coda-4582 / 4582U

Must be connected over wireless.

Any devices assigned to a profile with a filter level of anything other than a “None” filter will be unable to access the Internet. In addition, "Unknown" devices may appear in the device list. Recommend that these be set to "Unmanaged". 

Linksys

AC1900 EA7500 V1

AC4000 EA9300

AC2600 Max-Stream EA8500

Velop Whole-Home Mesh Wi-Fi

  1. Connect a computer to a Wi-Fi network originating from your Linksys router.
  2. Open a web browser and log in to your router's management interface at linksyssmartwifi.com.
  3. Select Connectivity > Administration tab.
  4. Uncheck the Express Forwarding box, then select Apply.
  5. Wait for the router to reboot.
  6. After a few minutes, your router will be ready to work with Home Base.
Linksys AC1900 EA7500 V2 Update the router to the latest firmware.
Linksys AC2400 EA8350

Disable the 5ghz band on your router. For assistance disabling the 5GHz radio on your router please refer to the device manufacturer or your Internet Service Provider.

Set all Ethernet-connected devices to be "Unmanaged".

Linksys N600 EA2500 The guest network must be disabled.
Linksys AC2400 EA8350

Home Base will not properly function unless the 5GHz radio is disabled. Home Base can only manage wireless devices that are connected on the 2.4GHz band, and all devices connected over Ethernet must be assigned as Unmanaged Devices.

Motorola / Arris

TG3482G (Comcast/Xfinity XB6 Wireless Gateway)

Home Base will not properly function unless the 5GHz radio is disabled. Home Base can only manage wireless devices that are connected on the 2.4GHz band, and all devices connected over Ethernet must be assigned as Unmanaged Devices.
Motorola / Arris NVG589 Disable IP Passthrough and set up over Ethernet.
Netgear

AC1600 R6250

AC1750 R6400

N600 WNDR3400

The guest network must be disabled.
Netgear

AC2350 Nighthawk X4 R7500

AC2350 Nighthawk X4 R7800

Nighthawk XR500

Home Base will not properly function unless the 5GHz radio is disabled. Home Base can only manage wireless devices that are connected on the 2.4GHz band, and all devices connected over Ethernet must be assigned as Unmanaged Devices.
Netgear N600 WN3500RP Extender To ensure that FamilyMode gets and manages each device in your home properly, check for duplicates in your device list and ensure that both entries for each device are assigned to the appropriate profile.
Securifi Almond Must be set up as an extender.
Synology RT2600ac Home Base will not properly function unless the 5GHz radio is disabled. Home Base can only manage wireless devices that are connected on the 2.4GHz band, and all devices connected over Ethernet must be assigned as Unmanaged Devices.
Technicolor XB6/XB7 Wireless Gateway (Arris TG3482G/Technicolor CGM4140COM)

Set the IPv4 firewall in the modem to "Minimum Security".

Make sure that the 2.4 Ghz and the 5Ghz Wi-Fi networks have the same SSID name.

TP-Link

AC2600 Archer C2600

Talon AD7200

Home Base will not properly function unless the 5GHz radio is disabled. Home Base can only manage wireless devices that are connected on the 2.4GHz band, and all devices connected over Ethernet must be assigned as Unmanaged Devices.
Ubiquiti Ubiquiti AP

Disable Auto-Optimize feature on the router:

  1. Log into your Ubiquiti admin settings.
  2. Navigate to Settings > Site > Auto-Optimize Network.
  3. Disable Auto-Optimize Network.
Xfinity / Comcast XB6/XB7 Wireless Gateway (Arris TG3482G/Technicolor CGM4140COM) Home Base will not properly function unless the 5GHz radio is disabled. Home Base can only manage wireless devices that are connected on the 2.4GHz band, and all devices connected over Ethernet must be assigned as Unmanaged Devices.
Zyxel C3000Z Must be connected over Ethernet to the Home Base.

 

Multiple Home Base related products on the same network

The FamilyMode Home Base device that manages your home Wi-Fi is designed to work on its own. The presence of another Wi-Fi management device on the network that uses similar technology, such as Circle with Disney, Circle on NETGEAR, Circle Home Plus, or Sky Broadband Buddy can cause issues with the management of your network or impact the network's overall performance.

To address this issue, use the instructions listed to disable the other Wi-Fi management device to prevent it from negatively impacting your network.

 

Disable Circle with Disney devices

 
  1. Remove both the Ethernet and power cables from the Circle with Disney device.
  2. Hold the power button for around 10 seconds.
 

Disable Circle on NETGEAR routers

 

Contact NETGEAR for additional help enabling and disabling Circle on your NETGEAR router.

 

Disable Circle Home Plus devices

 
  1. Remove both the Ethernet and power cables from the Circle Home Plus device.
  2. Hold the power button for around 10 seconds.

Disable Sky Broadband Buddy

 
  1. Launch the Sky Broadband Buddy app.
  2. Go to Menu > Settings > Remove Broadband Buddy Hub.

If you want to use a different device to manage your home Wi-Fi network, you can disable your FamilyMode Home Base:

  1. Remove both the Ethernet and power cables from the FamilyMode Home Base device.
  2. Hold the power button for around 10 seconds.

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