How to Set Up Your Manaia Home Lite

Setting up your Manaia Home Lite takes under 5 minutes. Connect it to your router, open the Manaia app, and follow the guided setup. No technical knowledge required.

What You'll Need

Your Manaia Home Lite device

An Ethernet cable (included in the box)

The USB-C power cable (included)

Your Manaia account (sign up at manaia.io if you haven't already)

The Manaia app on your phone

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Unbox your Home Lite

Remove the Home Lite, the Ethernet cable, and the USB-C power cable from the box.

2. Connect to your router

Plug the Ethernet cable from the Home Lite into a spare port on your router.

3. Power on

Connect the USB-C power cable to the Home Lite and plug it in. The indicator light will turn on — wait about 30 seconds for it to boot.

4. Open the Manaia app

Open the Manaia app on your phone. It will detect the Home Lite automatically and guide you through the remaining setup steps. Just enter your activation code and you're done — no router settings to change.

5. Done

Once the app confirms setup is complete, your entire home is protected. All devices on your network are now filtered through Manaia.

Works With Any Router

The Home Lite works with every Australian ISP and router brand:

Telstra Smart Modem (Gen 2 & Gen 3)

NBN-supplied routers (all types)

TP-Link (Archer series and others)

Netgear (Nighthawk, Orbi)

ASUS routers

Google Nest WiFi / Google WiFi

Mesh systems (Eero, Ubiquiti, Linksys Velop)

The Manaia app detects your router model and provides specific instructions.

Verifying It Works

After setup:

1. Open your Manaia dashboard at app.manaia.io

2. Browse to any website on a device connected to your WiFi

3. Check the Activity tab — you should see the query appear within seconds

4. Try visiting a known test domain (your dashboard has a "Test Protection" button)

If queries aren't appearing:

Restart your router: Unplug your router for 10 seconds, then plug it back in

Check cable connections: Make sure the WAN and LAN cables are firmly plugged in to the correct ports on the Home Lite

Wait 2 minutes: Some devices cache network settings and need time to pick up the new route

Troubleshooting

"My internet stopped working after plugging in the Home Lite"

Check that the Ethernet cables are in the correct ports — WAN port connects to your modem, LAN port connects to your router

Try swapping the Ethernet cables in case one is faulty

Unplug the Home Lite and plug your modem directly back into your router to confirm your internet is working, then try again

"Some devices aren't being filtered"

Some devices (especially Android phones) have built-in "Private DNS" that routes around your home network. Disable Private DNS in your phone's settings.

Devices using a VPN will bypass your home network protection entirely.

Smart TVs and gaming consoles might need a restart to pick up the new network route.

What About Devices Outside Your Home?

At home, the Home Lite protects devices on your home WiFi. But what about school, mobile data, or public WiFi?

All plans include roaming protection via the Manaia app. The app routes DNS queries through Manaia's servers regardless of network, so your family stays protected on mobile data, school WiFi, and public hotspots.

Need help? Our support team can walk you through setup. Visit manaia.io/support or check your dashboard for live chat.

How to Set Up Your Manaia Home Lite (Step-by-Step)