PTCI WiFi App
Select an FAQ below.
- If you subscribe to ProtectIQ Network Security from PTCI it is working quietly in the background on your GigaSpire to provide an extra layer of protection against malicious traffic
- Data coming into your network will be scanned for viruses and other malicious content and you will receive a notification if content was blocked for some reason. This will show as a notification within the ProtectIQ main menu item in your app
- No action is needed when you receive an alert. These threats are automatically blocked from entering your network.
- To view your security status, select “My Network” from the dashboard. Select “Networks” and your home network. On the Security tab, you will see the last update
- Select “Security” to view the latest results. You can also select Options including:
- Trusted List shows items you have selected as trusted in your notifications screen
- Skipped Devices allows you to select devices that will be skipped during security scans
- Intrusion Settings allow you to enable an added layer of protection. Enable both options for the ultimate protection
- Additional Details provides additional information including packets analyzed and the total number of threats detected and blocked
- From any profile or the Things tab, tap into a device to access Network Priority to view activity and device prioritization settings
- By default, activity priorities on the WiFi network are organized according to a combination of common activities. You can prioritize the activities by ordering them from top to bottom with the most important activities on top. Once set, My Priorities will do all the work to prioritize traffic to your activities
- You can schedule an alternative activity list during certain times and days of the week. Up to three different schedules are supported
- Prefer to prioritize by device regardless of what activity those devices are performing? By tapping Devices, you can select up to 5 devices to prioritize over all others on the WiFi. You can even set a timer to reset the priority once the time is expired. For example, if you want to use your Sonos surround sound while you stream Netflix on your smart TV for family movie night, you can set priority to just those devices
- Device prioritization can also be made permanent. Device priorities work in conjunction with the activity priorities and share the fastest network traffic queue. This means you get the most bandwidth and lowest latency on the devices and activities you set
- If you subscribe to ExperienceIQ from PTCI, you’ll have additional functionality to help manage access to the Internet within your home
- Start by selecting the “People” tab from the home dashboard and then tapping into the People section. Next, create a profile. You’ll be able to assign a name to the profile and assign the devices you want attached to the profile. You can also select the photo icon to add a picture to represent this profile. After selecting “Done” those devices selected are now assigned to the profile you have created. You can remove a device by selecting Edit, and then selecting the “-“ sign next to the device
- If you want to manually pause all devices assigned to this profile, toggle the Internet Access button to OFF
- Select “Time Limits” to set time limits for all devices connected to the profile
- Restrictions allow you to restrict access to specific content, applications and websites and enable Safe Search and YouTube restrictions
- Parental controls work while devices are connected to WiFi
- Restrictions allow you to restrict access to specific content, applications and websites for a profile you have set up
- Safe Search blocks harmful or offensive content when searching Google, Bing and YouTube
- YouTube Restriction also blocks all comments on videos which often include inappropriate language
- Content Restrictions allow you to block content by age or specific categories such as violence
- Applications allows you to block access, approve access or set time limits for specific applications by entering the name of the application
- Websites allows you to allow or block specific websites
When you select the “My Network tab” from the main dashboard and then tap into “Services” you will see a list of applications that are eligible for download into your PTCI WiFi App
-
- Select an item and simply follow the instructions to add the functionality
- Conversely, when you select Disable Application, you will see a list of applications that are currently running on your app that you can disable. Select an item that you would like to disable and follow the instructions to remove the functionality
- Contact PTCI for more details on the applications that are available to be added in the app
The easiest way to run a bandwidth test is by tapping into “My Network” and then “Bandwidth Test” icon. Then tap the Run Test button. The speed test will run between the GigaSpire and the Internet and then will conduct a speed test between any mesh units and the GigaSpire. Results will show as a notification and update at this location.
From the dashboard, you can select “My Network”. This will show any GigaSpire or mesh units connected to your network. Next tap into your WiFi network from the Networks tab. From here, tap into the “Map” section to view devices connected to your system. You can tap on the Mesh icon to get performance information and devices connected at that Mesh unit
Network Usage is organized by device. From this view, you can see basic information about usage from each WiFi connected device on your network, including:
-
- Device identification and whether the device is connected to WiFi
- What network device it is connected to
- Network usage
- The amount of data that has been used by this device
- The Device details screen will show the device name at the top of the screen followed by a chart that indicates the amount of data that was used by the device over a period of time.
- By tapping into the edit function in the upper right hand corner, you can rename the device to something easier for you to identify
- You can also change the category for this device by selecting the drop down button found within “Additional Details”
- Data usage shows data used by this specific device
- The bottom box shows additional connection details for this device
- By toggling the On/Off button in the Internet Access section you can turn off or on WiFi for this device
- Network Priority is available with ExperienceIQ and allows you to prioritize traffic and devices on your network
Things allows you to see the devices connected to your network. You can add a device to your device list by clicking the plus icon. Tap on device to see additional details including:
-
- Device name
- Signal strength
- Internet usage
When you tap the My Network section from the top of the main menu you will have the option to create a guest network by selecting Networks. In the Add Network screen, do the following:
-
- Set the name of the wireless guest network as you want it to appear for your guests
- In the drop down box, you can choose to set a password for this guest network, which is highly recommended to keep your network safe
- This will bring up additional boxes for you to set and confirm your password
- If you set this network to Endless, it will stay available
- The alternative is to set a Start and End time for this guest login to be valid
- Once you have set the parameters for your guest network, select “Done” at the top of the screen
- Press “Done” to complete setup. You have the option to share your new network with your guests via text, email or other messaging service
- To edit your guest network, select “My Network” from the home screen. Select “Networks” and select the network you wish to edit or delete
- To create a parental control profile:
- From the home screen, select the “People” tab to create a new profile
- Enter the name for the profile in the box and select the devices you would like to add to this profile
- Select “Done” (at the top of the screen)
- Once the profile is created you can do the following:
- Tap “Edit” in the profile and add a picture if desired
- Swipe the Internet Access toggle off to pause all devices connected to this profile
- Set time limit schedules to turn internet access off for all devices in a profile during specific times and days
- To bring devices back online swipe the toggle back on
- Tap “Edit” and “Add” to add more devices to this profile
- Tap the red minus icon to remove devices from this profile
- People – Connect your Things (devices) with people in your home network. This allows you to set parental controls, content filters, time limits, and so much more
- Places – Places are a great way to tailor your WiFi devices connecting to a specific area in your home like an office, media room, patio or game room. This allows you to optimize your WiFi performance by being able to pause internet access to devices in locations that don’t need to be on
- Things – You can easily find your network details here to connect a new device to your WiFi
- Network – Add a guest network at anytime and keep your main WiFi network and data safe while you have guests over. You can set a duration and even text the WiFi network name and password to your visitors
- Mesh (SAT) – Extend the reach of your WiFi network by connecting a new mesh
- Service – Use this screen to enable additional services if they were not already enabled by your service provider
- ExperienceIQ: Parental Controls (Enhanced) – Provides the ability to set profiles, assign devices, schedule offline time, add content filters, app filters and website filters, and view profile usage
- ProtectIQ: Network Security – Provides network level protection against malware, viruses, etc.
- Account Name – This will allow you to update the name shown on your app and the login password
- Language – Choose your preferred language
- Alerts – To receive notifications from the app, leave this in the ON position
- Set Passcode – You can set a PIN in lieu of an app login password
- Contact Support – Gives you quick access to support contact details
- Terms & Conditions – Provides the terms and conditions you acknowledge by using the app
- Privacy Policy – Provides the Privacy Policy of the app
- About – Provides a brief summary of what the app does
- Logout – Provides the ability to log out of the app
- Your App Version will show in the about tab
- The Dashboard gives you complete control over the devices in your home. From the Dashboard you can
- Create profiles for people and places in your home
- Connect new devices
- Set up a guest network
- Enable new services like Alexa, ProtectIQ Network Security, ExperienceIQ, and more!
- The My Network at the top of the dashboard is where you can:
- Access your WiFi network settings
- Run a bandwidth test
- View all connected devices
- Disable services
- View device usage
- You can also access a list of these connected devices, by selecting “Things” from the main dashboard or in the tool bar at the bottom.
Select “Let’s Get Started”. Enter your basic personal information. The password you enter here will be the password you use to login to the app. Now, plug in your new router into the power outlet. It may take several minutes for the unit to be ready. You’ll know once the light turns solid blue. Next, find the metal plate on the side or bottom of the router. Tap the camera icon on your phone and scan the QR code found on the metal plate. Alternatively, you can enter the MAC address and serial number also found on the metal plate. After you select “Ok”, you may be asked to enter your account number. If you are setting up your home network for the first time, you can assign a name and password to your WiFi network.
The app comes free with PTCI’s Whole Home WiFi. Once you have Whole Home WiFi installed, you can download the PTCI WiFi App for free on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
The PTCI WiFi App helps keep your family safe by letting you see threats that your PTCI WiFi blocked, and giving you full control over your WiFi network.
The PTCI WiFi App is an official PTCI app that works in conjunction with Whole Home WiFi. You can download the PTCI WiFi App on the Apple App Store or on the Google Play Store for free. The PTCI WiFi App allows you to control your home WiFi network from your phone and also alerts you of security threats that ProtectIQ blocks.