Hele FAQs

General

  1. Is it really unlimited?
  2. How does this work with Wi-Fi hot spots or my cable/wired broadband in my house?
  3. How does the Hele speed compare with the commercial Wi-Fi speeds I can get at coffee shops, bookstores, hotels, or other locations?
  4. How does Hele speed compare with those I get at my home?

Service Plan

  1. Where is service available?
  2. Does it work inside of buildings?
  3. Does the service include email accounts?
  4. Can I use my existing email account with it?
  5. How do I use my existing email or corporate email with Hele?
  6. Do I get an internet home page?
  7. What content is offered?
  8. Can it be put on a family plan?
  9. Can I send/receive text messages?
  10. Is there data roaming on the mainland?

Operational/Connection

  1. What computers can this be used on?
  2. How do I activate service?
  3. What are the speeds?
  4. Can it be moved between computers?
  5. How do I know if I have service in an area?
  6. Will it work with VPNs?
  7. Is it secure?
  8. I can connect to the internet, but my connection is slow, how can I speed it up?
  9. Can I limit what my children access?
  10. Can Handsets browse the internet using EV-DO?
  11. What happens if I leave an area with EV-DO coverage and enter an area with 1xRTT coverage?
  12. What happens if I leave an area with 1x coverage and enter an area with EV-DO coverage?
  13. What happens in a weak signal area?
  14. What affects the speed of the connection?

Data Card

  1. How do I know if the data card will work on my computer?
  2. Why is my LED light blinking Red (or Green)?
  3. What is the warranty?
  4. How do I install the hardware?
  5. What happens if I lose my card?
  6. Can my PDA or handset be used as a modem?
  7. What do the icons mean on the Connection Manager?
  8. Why is my modem running warm?
  9. Can I use the data card from another service provider on the Hele network?

Router

  1. How can multiple persons use it at the same time?
  2. Does the speed change depending on how many people are using it through the router?
  3. Will the router work with other Wi-Fi enabled devices (TiVo, printer, etc.)

Answers

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General

  1. Is it really unlimited?
  2. Hele provides true unlimited use for personal web access such as Internet browsing, e-mail and intranet access (for examples, corporate intranet, e-mail and individual applications.) There are uses that are considered abusive and significantly diminishes the availability of the service to other customers such as continuously transmitting large amount of data over the Internet (for example, a continuous web camera feed) or use the Service for automated file sharing. It is also an abuse to use the Service in violation of any laws or regulations (for example, illegal downloading of copyrighted material and unsolicited commercial email or SPAM).

  3. How does this work with Wi-Fi hot spots or my cable/wired broadband in my house?
  4. You don't need them! Hele replaces all of them. You no longer have to go to a specific spot or business in order to get broadband connection. Anywhere you go within the Mobi PCS network you can get access.

  5. How does the Hele speed compare with the commercial Wi-Fi speeds I can get at coffee shops, bookstores, hotels, or other locations?
  6. The Hele speed is about the same as you would get in those locations.

  7. How does Hele speed compare with those I get at my home?
  8. Depending on what level of service you purchase from your wired/fixed home broadband provider, the speed is about the same to about 50% higher on the download, but you can't take it with you!

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Service Plan

  1. Where is service available?
  2. Wireless broadband is available across the island of Oahu. EVDO speeds are available across the island except for the area from Haleiwa to Kahuku. Review the coverage map on helebroadband.com or in our stores.

  3. Does it work inside of buildings?
  4. Yes, if you have service on your Mobi PCS phone in that location, you will also have broadband service. Locations deep in a building with concrete walls can reduce the signal and coverage will vary. Check our coverage map and remember you have a free trial period to try the service where you would normally use it and you can return it and get a refund during that trial period if it doesn't work out for you.

  5. Does the service include email accounts?
  6. Hele does not believe in limiting the number of email addresses you can have or giving you an email address that you can only use on our service. You can get free email accounts from many sources such as Gmail, Hotmail, etc. that all work with Hele. Typically these base packages are free and there is a monthly charge for more features or storage room. These usually include spam filters and virus protection also. Through Hele you can access email through their web page, or for a richer experience, you can sign up for a POP/IMAP account and access it through programs such as Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora or Pegasus for Windows platforms, or Apple's Mail application on the Mac platform. Public email providers: Windows Live Hotmail: www.hotmail.com Gmail: www.gmail.com Yahoo!: www.yahoo.com .

  7. Can I use my existing email account with it?
  8. The email accounts from other wireless or fixed wireless service providers cannot be used under other service providers including Hele. Mobi believes in the use of publicly available email accounts which can be used on any network and taken with you wherever you go.

  9. How do I use my existing email or corporate email with Hele?
  10. Hele provides the user with internet access to personal and/or corporate email. If you do not currently have an email address you can get a free one from several public email providers. These email addresses are yours to keep regardless of what internet access provider you are using and can stay with you regardless of where you live.

    Current email address
    If you are currently using a public email provider such as Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo or others, you can continue to use this with Hele. If you currently have an email address with an internet service provider, such as Roadrunner, they do not allow you to transfer that email address and you may lose it when you terminate service with that provider. Some will continue to allow you to access email through a web site. Contact your current internet service provider for information.

    Corporate email
    If you have a corporate email address that requires connection through a VPN, you must establish your internet connection on your Hele card and then connect to your corporate VPN. Your company must provide you with a VPN connection program with User ID and password. After connection to the VPN, open your email application, such as Microsoft Outlook.

  11. Do I get an internet home page?
  12. Hele does not have its own internet home page but you can set whatever home page you want such as Yahoo.com. Home pages are set on your computer. On Windows, go to Internet Explorer and select Tools>Internet Options.

  13. What content is offered?
  14. Hele is a wireless broadband access service which gives you direct access to the internet and the entire World Wide Web. There is no Hele specific content.

  15. Can it be put on a family plan?
  16. A Hele line can be added to a family plan account but it must be paid for separately from the family plan payment.

  17. Can I send/receive text messages?
  18. Hele does not have text messaging capabilities. No messages will be received to warn you of monthly payments due so be sure to pay attention of your monthly due date. We recommend that you make your payments via Automatic Bill Payment so that you are always connected.

  19. Is there data roaming on the mainland?
  20. Wireless broadband is only available on the island of Oahu. Data cannot be accessed on the mainland.

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Operational/Connection

  1. What computers can this be used on?
  2. Hele can be used on desktop or laptop computers running Windows 2000/XP/Vista or Mac OS X operating system.

  3. How do I activate service?
  4. See the activation instructions.

  5. What are the speeds?
  6. Average download speeds are 600kbps-1.3Mbps. Average uplink speeds are 300-700kbps.

  7. Can it be moved between computers?
  8. Yes, Hele dashboard can be loaded on multiple computers and be moved between the computers as needed.

  9. How do I know if I have service in an area?
  10. If you have a Mobi phone and it has service in the area, you should also have broadband access. Once your data card is plugged into your computer and your connection manager is started the RF signal strength meter will be seen along with whether it is connected at slower 1x or faster EV-DO (EV) speeds.

  11. Will it work with VPNs?
  12. Hele Broadband service works seamlessly with most VPN applications. Simply connect to the internet via Hele, then start your VPN connection. Your company must provide you with the VPN connection software and/or User ID and password. Certain CISCO VPN clients are not yet supported. Please Consult a Mobi Store or Customer Care for more info.

  13. Is it secure?
  14. The data sent over the Hele broadband network is secure and encrypted, unlike public Wi-Fi hotspots.

  15. I can connect to the internet, but my connection is slow, how can I speed it up?
  16. On the USB modem you can use the dual USB port Y connector to increase power to the modem. An external antenna can also be used.

  17. Can I limit what my children access?
  18. There is no application included with Hele to patrol the use of any user. Parents are responsible for monitoring the use of their children. One very popular program for ensuring a family-friendly web experience is Net Nanny.

  19. Can Handsets browse the internet using EV-DO?
  20. Some of the higher end handsets are EV-DO capable. A data plan with Mobile Web Access or the add on feature is required to access data.

  21. What happens if I leave an area with EV-DO coverage and enter an area with 1xRTT coverage?
  22. The handover is seamless and you will normally not drop your connection. You will notice that the coverage icon will change from EV to 1x and the speed will drop from EV speeds to 1x speeds.

  23. What happens if I leave an area with 1x coverage and enter an area with EV-DO coverage?
  24. The connection will be broken. The connection manager will automatically reconnect the data card connection but you will have to click refresh or you may have to close the browser and then open it back up to get it to reconnect.

  25. What happens in a weak signal area?
  26. The connection speed will slow down in a weak signal area and may drop back to 1x speed.

  27. What affects the speed of the connection?
  28. A lower RF signal strength, multiple users downloading at the same time.

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Data Card

  1. How do I know if the data card will work on my computer?
  2. Essentially all desktop and laptop computers made in the last 5 years have a USB slot on them. Look for a slot on the computer that is about 1/2" wide and 1/4" high and has a symbol:


    usb

  3. Why is my LED light blinking Red (or Green)?
  4. See the LED description.

  5. What is the warranty?
  6. There is a one year manufacturer's warranty on the card. You can come into any Mobi PCS store, we will inspect the card and if covered under warranty then we will swap out immediately expedite fee of $25.

  7. How do I install the hardware?
  8. See installation instructions.

  9. What happens if I lose my card?
  10. Your USB modem can be used by another person if they find it. If your card is lost or stolen, call Mobi PCS to have the account suspended until you can get down to Mobi to purchase a new card. Be sure to put Handset Protection Program on your card when you purchase it so that if you do lose or damage your card you can get a new one by just paying the deductible.

  11. Can my PDA or handset be used as a modem?
  12. This is not supported at this time.

  13. What do the icons mean on the Connection Manager?
  14. See Connection Manager icon description

  15. Why is my modem running warm?
  16. If you are doing a lot of downloading or uploading it is normal that the USB modem will become warm. Contact customer care if the modem becomes extremely hot to the touch.

  17. Can I use the data card from another service provider on the Hele network?
  18. Not at this time. Cards from other service providers are "locked" and cannot be reconfigured.

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Router

  1. How can multiple persons use it at the same time?
  2. With the broadband router you can connect the Hele card into the router and multiple people can access the internet via a Wi-Fi connection to it.

  3. Does the speed change depending on how many people are using it through the router?
  4. The bandwidth is split between all the computers accessing the single card at the same time, which can cause a slower access speed for all the computers. At Hele costs though everyone should have their own!

  5. Will the router work with other Wi-Fi enabled devices (TiVo, printer, etc.)
  6. Any devices with a Wi-Fi connection can access the router the same way.