Check out the Helium FAQs below to address our most commonly asked questions. For anything not listed (or if you want more information), please contact us at support@mosolabs.com
Orders
For any questions regarding your MosoLabs order that are not answered on this page, please send us an email at support@mosolabs.com to create a support ticket. We’ll get back to you ASAP to help you out.
We have a 15-day return policy, which means you have 15 days after receiving your item to request a return.
To be eligible for a return, the product must be:
- In the same condition that you received it, UNUSED, not damaged, and in its original package.
- Never onboarded to the Helium blockchain (Gateways Only).
- You’ll also need to provide receipt or proof of purchase.
- Shipping and handling charges are not refundable.
- A 15% restocking / reimaging fee applies to all returns.
- MosoLabs is not responsible for the cost of return shipping.
A return authorization may be requested from our customer service team within 15 days from the day you receive your order.
To request a refund or exchange, please contact our customer service team at support@mosolabs.com.
All orders are shipping in 1-2 business days. You will receive a shipping confirmation and tracking number via email.
Currently, no. CBRS is a spectrum that is only allowed to operate in the US. We cannot ship products anywhere but the US today.
Yes, if your order has not yet shipped, please contact us at support@mosolabs.com so we can review the order and provide a refund. For orders that have shipped, please review our refund policy here.
For bulk order inquiries, please reach out to us at sales@mosolabs.com
Please contact support@mosolabs.com, mention “Warranty
Claim” in the title and provide the issues encountered, device serial numbers,
and contact information.
General
Check out the Helium website here: Helium 5G
More here on the Helium MOBILE Earnings as well: Helium MOBILE
Send us an email at support@mosolabs.com with details on your question/issue to create a support ticket. We will get back to you ASAP.
This will depend on whether you are connected to Helium or Pollen Mobile and is related to the project-specific token rewards structure. It will also depend on the location where you install your small cell and how much network activity there is in your area.
Yes, every MosoLabs small cell needs a connection back to the internet. Most people will use their home/business internet wired connection. For Helium, You will connect the gateway to your router and the small cell will connect to the gateway.
The MosoLabs indoor and outdoor small cells support up to 220Mbps download and 28Mbps upload. If your internet speeds are lower than the small cell capability, you will see lower throughput for devices connected to the small cells and could affect mining capability.
FreedomFi gateways do include LoRAWAN radios and will support mining MOBILE and IOT (on the Helium blockchain).
For detailed setup instructions as well as troubleshooting help for the FreedomFi gateway, check out their comprehensive setup guide and FAQs here: FreedomFi Gateway Setup Guide | FreedomFiFAQ | FreedomFi
CBRS Small Cells
MosoLabs small cells are certified to work with FreedomFi gateways as well as “Powered by FreedomFi” certified gateways.
12 months after the activation of your MosoLabs CBRS Small Cell you will have to pay a recurring monthly fee for as long as you keep and operate your small cell.
Per FCC mandate, operators of CBRS cellular devices are required to pay a recurring fee to Spectrum Access System (SAS) providers. The cost for the first year is on us.
It depends. Both indoor and outdoor small cells will earn you Helium MOBILE tokens following HIP-51 and HIP-53. Your decision comes down to where you want to install the devices and the coverage you want for your setup.
The MosoLabs indoor small cell is simpler to install and is perfect for covering indoor spaces. A small cell that is mounted indoors can provide limited outdoor coverage similar to a high-power WiFi access point.
The MosoLabs outdoor small cell requires a bit more effort to install and must be mounted outside per federal regulations.
Both indoor and outdoor small cells will need a GPS signal to operate – outdoor needs a clear view of the sky while the indoor uses an external GPS antenna that must be mounted on or adjacent to a window.
The MosoLabs indoor small cell is a category A device and the MosoLabs outdoor small cell is category B device according to federal regulations.
The related regulations are part of the Code of Federal Regulations:
47 CFR § 96.43 - Additional requirements for category A CBSDs
(a) Category A CBSDs shall not be deployed or operated outdoors with antennas exceeding 6 meters height above average terrain. CBSDs deployed or operated outdoors with antennas exceeding 6 meters height above average terrain will be classified as, and subject to, the operational requirements of Category B CBSDs.
All MosoLabs small cells today work on the Citizen Broadband Radio Service spectrum (CBRS) which is only allowed for operation in the US. Future products may support cellular bands in other parts of the world.
Your range will depend on the type of small cell you purchase, your installation, and the small cell power capability.
Outdoor small cells are designed with higher power output compared to indoor small cells.
Outdoor small cell antennas are generally more directional because they have higher gain while indoor small cell antennas are usually omni-directional.
Typically, the best location is as high up as you can get with as clear a view to the area you want to cover.
Earnings depend on the type of small cell installed, location of install, your device being consistenyly online, number of other cells on the network, and how much network activity there is in your area.
Devices will connect to your small cell if they have a Helium network compatible SIM card. Helium is constantly updating their network partners. FreedomFi offers Helium network compatible SIMs. Please see the Helium website for further information.
It is not recommended to install your indoor small cell outdoors. The MosoLabs outdoor small cell is specifically designed for outdoor environments and is also able to transmit at a higher power.
Yes. GPS is used to confirm the location of your small cell for spectrum allocation and also used for timing.
MosoLabs indoor small cells are certified for installation without a CPI.
MosoLabs outdoor small cells require CPI installation. CPI requirements for outdoor small cells are met via remote certification that happens during the FreedomFi plug-and-play setup process. No on-site CPI presence will be required.
Any mobile device with a SIM card from Helium network partners like GigSky or FreedomFi will be able to connect to the Helium CBRS network.
Helium MOBILE Genesis has already started. Earnings will start as soon as your radio is online and has a SAS grant.
Learn more about MOBILE Genesis here: https://www.helium.com/summer
Find out more on the future of Helium here: https://www.helium.com/chapter2
Installation
Check out our install guide here: Indoor Small Cell Install Guide
Check out our install guide here (there are two parts):
Both the indoor and outdoor small cells are certified plug-and-play with the FreedomFi gateway. You will follow the installation guide for gateway setup and then the small cell.
Indoor is very simple. Just be prepared for it to take a bit of time while the systems synchronize and acquire your grant to transmit on the regulated frequencies.
The outdoor small cell is a bit more complex as you must install the small cell outside and the gateway inside. You must confirm installation location and specific parameters following the FreedomFi plug-and-play process.
FreedomFi provided an update to their gateways in late August 2022 (firmware version 1.12.7+) that allows up to three small cells to be connected without any additional hardware (active ports are eNB1, eNB2, and eNB3).
To connect more than three CBRS radios to your FreedomFi Gateway you will need a network switch (sold separately) to extend your eNB1 port (or other eNB2 and eNB3 port).
Here are some recommendations below:
NETGEAR 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch (GS108)
Linksys LGS108: 8-Port Business Desktop Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch
D-Link EasySmart 8-Port Gigabit PoE Switch
Follow the steps below to connect your devices if using a switch).
1) Connect your FreedomFi Gateways eNB1 port directly to your switch's #1 port.
2) Connect your CBRS radios via their WAN port directly to any available port on the switch.
Once you have connected your CBRS radios via your networking switch, you can refer back to your FreedomFi Gateway local dashboard, which can be found at: http://freedomfi-gateway.local/from there navigate to your radio dashboard by clicking on “Radio Dashboard”
Notice: The throughput of all the radios combined is limited to 1 Gbps or your internet speed, whichever is lower. In short, a max of 4 radios can be supported before we see limited throughput.
Your MosoLabs CBRS small cell uses GPS for network timing data. It also uses GPS to assert its location when requesting approval to transmit from the FCC-regulated Spectrum Access System (SAS). You will need to place your small cell somewhere that allows you to run the GPS antenna to a position with good GPS reception (i.e. near a window). Make sure to point your GPS antenna toward the sky, your small cell must receive a signal directly from the GPS satellites overhead.
Mobile phones use “assisted” location technology, such as WiFi, which does not provide the same timing information your small cell needs. Just because your phone shows it has a location does not mean the GPS signal is necessarily good.
Your small cell must receive a signal directly from the GPS satellites overhead in order to get the information it needs work.
When first booting up your device it may take several hours for the LTE LED to turn solid blue. This is due to the time it takes for the small cell to register with the SAS (Spectrum Access Server) and receive approval to transmit at its installed location. Some locations have restrictions due to prioritized users (such as the Navy).
You can find out more here: https://support.google.com/sas/answer/9539490?hl=en&ref_topic=9455755
It is recommended you allow 24 hours for the SAS grant to be received (however, in some cases it can be significantly faster).
GPS STATUS
Trying = looking for satellites
Locked = synced
CORE STATUS
Trying = not connected due to GPS or SAS not yet green
Connected = connected
SPECTRUM ACCESS STATUS
Trying = waiting for GPS to lock
Success = GPS Locked, SAS is Reachable and registered
Authorized = Authorized to transmit
None = Issue
ON AIR STATUS
OFF = Radio is not transmitting
ON = Radio is transmitting