Connecting your existing Wi-Fi to Helium Plus is not just about installing software. The core task is turning your router into a Passpoint hotspot that can recognize carrier SIM identities. It will not affect your normal Wi-Fi use, but your equipment must meet a few basic requirements.
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First check if your Wi-Fi equipment can do it
Not every router can connect to Helium Plus. The most important requirement is Passpoint (Hotspot 2.0) support.
Helium's official documentation clearly states that your existing Wi-Fi network must have an access point (AP) that supports Passpoint. Common supported brands include Ubiquiti, Cisco, Aruba, MikroTik, and Juniper Mist. If you are using a regular home router, such as consumer models from TP-Link or Xiaomi, it most likely does not have this feature.
The way to check is simple: log in to your router's admin panel and look for options related to Passpoint, Hotspot 2.0, WPA3-Enterprise, or RADIUS in the wireless settings. If you do not see them, this path will not work and there is no need to keep trying.
Core deployment: RadSec tunnel
Helium Plus authentication relies on RADIUS over TLS (RadSec). Traditional RADIUS is unencrypted and can only run inside a carrier's internal network. To connect to Helium's AAA server over the public internet, you must use RadSec to encrypt the traffic.
This creates two practical options:
If your AP natively supports RadSec, such as Juniper Mist, you can simply enter Helium's server address in the admin panel. The official documentation provides the specific RadSec server IP and port 2083.
If your AP does not support RadSec, such as MikroTik, you need to deploy a separate RadSecProxy container on your local network. The AP first connects to the local RadSecProxy using normal RADIUS, and the RadSecProxy then connects to the Helium cloud through an encrypted tunnel. Helium provides a Docker image and configuration file. The key step is placing the three certificates issued by Helium (ca.pem, cert.pem, key.pem) into the container.
Two paths to connect: self-serve vs official Helium Plus
There is an easy point of confusion here. Helium offers two Wi-Fi onboarding options:
Self-serve path: You generate your own Hotspot key through the Helium Wallet CLI, create a Rewardable Entity NFT, and then configure the certificates yourself. This path currently only rewards Helium Mobile traffic and does not handle offload data from other carriers. Also, each network shows as only one point on the coverage map, even if you have many APs.
Official Helium Plus path: This is suitable for commercial scenarios or high-traffic deployments. You contact the Helium Plus team, and they provide certificates and onboarding support. The network metadata records the actual number of APs, and it can handle traffic from more carriers. According to the official blog, Helium Plus is positioned as a way to "monetize existing Wi-Fi infrastructure without buying new hardware."
If you are using existing commercial Wi-Fi for serious offload income, the official Helium Plus path is more suitable. The self-serve path is better for small-scale testing or handling only Helium Mobile traffic.
Cost: currently zero
Helium launched a No Fee Program in August 2026. According to the official blog, Helium Plus deployers no longer pay any connect fee. Whether you choose to receive payments in HNT, USD, or USDC, there are no handling fees. The one-time onboarding fee is also waived.
This policy took effect on August 18, 2026, and will "continue until further notice." Before that, deployers had to pay a connect fee. The current zero-fee status lowers the cost of testing, but the policy is "until further notice" and is not a permanent promise.
Revenue settlement and OKX payment verification
Helium Plus rewards are paid in HNT. There is one detail you must verify: HNT has migrated to the Solana blockchain.
OKX completed the HNT token swap in 2023. According to OKX's official announcement, OKX no longer supports HNT-Helium deposits and only supports HNT-Solana. If you transfer HNT to OKX from a Helium wallet or another source, you must confirm that you are using the Solana network.
Verification path: On the OKX deposit page, select HNT and the system will show the supported Network. If only Solana is shown, that means it is the only supported chain. When withdrawing from the Helium side, confirm that the receiving address is the HNT-Solana deposit address provided by OKX.
If you cannot find the HNT deposit option on OKX, it may be because your region does not support trading or deposits for that token. OKX feature availability depends on your region, account status, and identity verification status. What you actually see in your account is the final authority.
One risk to keep in mind
Helium Plus official documentation, in the Juniper Mist configuration guide, specifically reminds users: it is recommended to place Helium clients in a separate VLAN or subnet, isolated from your main Wi-Fi. This is to prevent Passpoint anonymous authentication traffic from mixing with your internal network.
If you are not familiar with VLAN configuration, at least make sure your router supports guest network isolation and place the Helium-related SSID in an isolated network segment. This is a security hardening step, not a hard requirement for onboarding, but it is worth handling during deployment.
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References
- Helium Official Documentation · Helium Plus Mobile Official Description, page publication or update date: no update date indicated on page; verification date: 2025-06-20.
- Helium Official Documentation · Helium Plus Juniper Mist Configuration Guide, page publication or update date: no update date indicated on page; verification date: 2025-06-20.
- Helium Official Documentation · Helium Plus MikroTik Configuration Guide, page publication or update date: no update date indicated on page; verification date: 2025-06-20.
- Helium Official Documentation · Wi-Fi Conversion Onboarding Guide, page publication or update date: no update date indicated on page; verification date: 2025-06-20.
- Helium Official Blog · Introducing Helium Plus: Monetize Existing Wi-Fi and Join the People's Network, page publication or update date: no update date indicated on page; verification date: 2025-06-20.
- Fierce Network · Report on Helium simplifying DEWI network usage, page publication or update date: no update date indicated on page; verification date: 2025-06-20.
- Helium Official Blog · Helium Plus No Fee Program Announcement, page publication or update date: no update date indicated on page; verification date: 2025-06-20.
- OKX Help Center · OKX Completed HNT Token Migration Announcement, page publication or update date: no update date indicated on page; verification date: 2025-06-20.
- OKX Help Center · OKX to Support HNT Token Migration Announcement, page publication or update date: no update date indicated on page; verification date: 2025-06-20.
