Helix with Wired-Only setup, or how to turn off WiFi

Question

A friend of mine just got off the phone with Videotron for Internet service but has yet to go with them until the below can be confirmed.

They only want wired Internet services (Internet-supplying coax and the ability to use RJ-45 ethernet). That means no WiFi RF transmission whatsoever from the Helix box. Most routers typically have this ability to shut off WiFi transmission.

My questions are the following:

- can advanced settings on the Helix box be accessed directly via web browser, as with other routers?

- can all WiFi transmission (e.g. 2.5 and 5 GHz) be turned off through this web interface?

- will the "WiFi Off" state persist through Helix reboots?

- how many ethernet ports are there on the Helix box?

Appreciate any confirmation.

joécl · Answer

Hello ,&nbsp;Most advanced settings can be accessed only through the Helix fi app, such as port redirection, but some settings can be accessed through the router page configuration. It's a case-by-case basis.&nbsp;Through the configuration page of the router, you can activate the Bridge mode which deactivates most Wi-fi networks, however the "Lost and found" network , necessary for the TV terminals to function properly, cannot be turned off by any means.&nbsp;This state persists through rebootsThere are two Ethernet ports on the first itteration of the Helix Fi gateway, and four on the second Helix Fi Gateway (the white one) .&nbsp;

zorg · Answer

For others wondering about this: I can confirm this is not possible. I talked to a Videotron tech representative last week who was sincerely trying to be helpful and told me (and I believe he believed it) that you can turn off the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz antennas via the web gateway (10.0.0.1).&nbsp;Believing this to be true, my friend got a subscription. Well, it turns out the WiFi antennas are not actually turned off (no RF transmission) when disabling WiFi (both the 2.4 AND 5 GHz individually) through the gateway. It was easy to verify this by using an RF metre, as someone else did on this forum a few years ago.&nbsp;The Helix box continues to put out RF radiation— 3 million microwatts / m^2, as it normally does when the WiFi is on.&nbsp;This is also the case if you put the Helix gateway in bridge mode (which is supposed to turn off WiFi antennas as explained to me by tech support last week).It's unfortunate. I was considering switching to Videotron (I'm with a different company that uses Videotron infrastructure, but uses routers where turning off the 2.4 and 5 GHz actually works). My friend will be returning the equipment and will be seeking Internet from another company as well. I'm surprised this problem has not been solved, some years after another customer reported it (see below).&nbsp;https://forum.videotron.com/t5/internet-telephony/wi-fi-seems-to-be-always-on/td-p/21988&nbsp;

mrbill · Answer

zorg&nbsp;Out of curiosity, why does it matter if the gateway puts out RF radiation&nbsp;when nobody can connect to the gateway through wi-fi? I doubt anyone could packet-sniff anything if that was the concern.

grixc · Answer

Hi,To answer you r question, for me (and many other persons), since I'm electro hypersensitive, it's important that there are no signal at all in the house. It's hard enough finding all the sources of RF without adding useless signals on top of it. Another point that most don't think about is the fact that if the Helix is transmitting for nothing, it is still using power so it's just wasting power for no reason (a good way to save the planet). And before you go on telling me that people with electro hypersensitivity are all kookoo in the head, you should know that it is part of environmental hypersensitivity in the "chartes des droits de la personne du Canada" and is consider a handicap. Also note that I have an official diagnostic from the CHUM.

pyko · Answer

If you own the Helix Fi box, I don’t see why you couldn’t open it up and remove the antennas. RF will be reduced to nothing.&nbsp;

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Helix with Wired-Only setup, or how to turn off WiFi

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