====== Settings ======

Settings is where you tell the router what kind of stream rig you have. It also holds the guided setup, dashboard login, backups, updates, header chips, quick links and community help.

Open **Settings** from the gear icon in the dashboard. Most sections are folded cards. Open the card you need, change the fields, then press **Save settings**.

===== Start with Guided setup =====

Press **Guided setup** if you are not sure which boxes matter. On a brand new router the dashboard opens **Set up your stream** first instead of dropping you into the full Settings page.

The wizard asks one plain question at a time:

  - **What sends the video to this router?** Choose **Android devices with the StreamHelpers.com Companion app**, **A phone or a camera on its own**, **A Director Mini**, or **A computer running OBS**.
  - **Where does your location come from?** This appears unless the Companion is already your director. Choose Companion GPS, a USB GPS receiver, or no GPS for now.
  - **How should your connections be used?** Choose **SRTLA** or **Just one connection**.
  - **Do you want OBS in the middle?** Choose **No, keep it simple** or **Yes, run it through OBS**.
  - **Where does your stream end up?** Choose Restream.io, your own Restreamer, both, or straight to one platform.
  - **Tailscale on this router.** This is an instruction screen, not a saved setting. It shows whether Tailscale is running and how to switch it on.
  - **The machine at the far end.** This appears only when your answers need one: SRTLA, self-hosted Restreamer, or both. Choose **Set one up now** or **I already have one**.
  - **AI assistant.** Optional. Pick a provider and key, or leave it off.
  - **Here's your setup.** Check the summary, then press **Save my setup**.

Use **Back**, **Next**, **Skip, I'll use Settings** and **Save my setup** at the bottom. After saving, use **Open the dashboard**, **All settings** or **Run it again**.

The wizard merges into your existing setup. It does not erase settings it never asked about. A blank password or API-key field means "keep what is already saved", not "clear it".

==== The server command and code ====

If the wizard says you need a receiver or Restreamer, it gives you one command:

''%%wget -qO- https://streamhelpers.com/receiver | sh%%''

Paste it into the server or machine you will use. It asks nothing, installs the receiver, Restreamer, backup stream and Tailscale together as one container, and prints the address of the receiver's own settings page. Add a Tailscale key on that page and it shows one line starting ''%%IRLCFG-%%'' (on a machine that already has a receiver, the command prints that line straight away). Paste the line into the wizard and press **Apply**. It fills in the receiver address, Restreamer API address, port and login. The full guide is [[receiver:cloud-server|Your own streaming server]].

The SRTLA receiver address must be a real public address. Do not use a Tailscale address for bonded video. Restreamer's API address is the opposite: use its Tailscale address when you can, because that is only a control link.

===== Tailscale =====

The **Tailscale — reach this rig from anywhere** card does not save anything into the dashboard. It reads the router's own Tailscale state and tells you how to turn it on.

Use it for:

  * opening the dashboard from your phone over mobile data;
  * giving a remote producer a private Tailscale share;
  * reaching cameras that are not on this router's Wi-Fi;
  * reaching your Restreamer and receiver from the road;
  * reaching OBS on another computer.

The card shows a copyable dashboard address when Tailscale is running. Press **Copy** to copy it.

To switch Tailscale on:

  - Create a free Tailscale account.
  - Open the router's admin page.
  - Go to **Applications → Tailscale**.
  - Switch it on and press **Apply**.
  - Press **Device Bind Link**, sign in, and press **Connect**.
  - Reload Settings.

Tailscale is for dashboard controls, Restreamer controls and remote cameras. Your bonded video still goes to the receiver's public address. A tunnel would collapse all modems into one path and defeat bonding.

===== Menu bar =====

The **Menu bar** card chooses which tabs appear. Turning a tab off removes it from the dashboard. It does not stop that feature if it is already running.

Some tabs also need settings before they appear:

^ Tab or feature ^ Setting that controls it ^ Also needs ^
| Router | **Show the Router tab** | A router address is present. |
| Bonding / Stream Input | **Show the Bonding tab** | Always has something to show. If bonding is set to none, it becomes stream input help. |
| GPS | **Show the GPS tab** | A GPS tab URL exists in the dashboard defaults. |
| Weather | **Show the Weather tab** | GPS/weather support in the dashboard. |
| Clock | **Show the Clock tab** | Nothing else. |
| DJI | **Show the DJI camera tab** | A DJI setup. |
| SJCAM | **Show the SJCAM camera tab** | An SJCAM setup. |
| Phone | **Show the Phone tab** | Nothing else. Not needed for the Companion app. |
| Timer | **Show the Timer tab** | Nothing else. |
| Theme parks | **Show the Theme parks tab** | Turn it on only if you use ThemeParks.wiki data. |
| Trivia | **Show the Trivia tab** | AI helps write questions; Pro Chat helps score chat answers. |
| Polls | **Show the Polls tab** | Pro Chat is needed to count votes from chat. |
| Jokes | **Show the Jokes tab** | AI is optional for writing jokes. |
| Overlays | **Show the Overlays tab** | Usually useful when this dashboard controls overlays, not when the Director Mini GFX buttons do. |
| Diagnostics | **Show the Diagnostics tab** | AI is optional for explanations. |

**Go Live** and **Settings** cannot be hidden.

===== Feature cards =====

These cards describe the equipment and services the dashboard can control.

==== Chat ====

**Pro multi-platform chat** shows the Chat tab for Pro Chat. It is only the router-side switch. Finish platform sign-in inside the Chat tab. See [[dashboard:premium-chat|Pro Chat]].

==== OBS Studio ====

Fill **OBS computer address**, **OBS WebSocket port** and **OBS WebSocket password** to show the OBS tab. In OBS, use **Tools → WebSocket Server Settings → Show Connect Info**.

The address must be reachable from the device viewing the dashboard. A phone on this router's Wi-Fi may not be able to reach an OBS computer on another network unless you use Tailscale.

==== Magewell Director Mini ====

Fill **Director Mini IP** to show the Director Mini tab. Use **Auto-scan network** or press **Find it** in the setup wizard if you do not know the address. The username defaults to **Admin**. Leave the password blank only if the Mini still uses its built-in default.

==== StreamHelpers.com Companion ====

Tick **Use Android devices with the StreamHelpers.com Companion app** to show the Companion tab. The app finds the router by itself once the Android device is on the router's Wi-Fi.

**What the devices do** chooses between:

  * **GPS + connection sharing - the Director Mini or OBS still does the video**.
  * **Director - one device takes cameras in over RTMP, adds the overlay, sends HEVC over SRT; the rest are failover encoders**.

**Bluetooth for the cameras** chooses whether a USB Bluetooth dongle or a Companion device handles camera Bluetooth setup.

See [[companion:start|Companion]] and [[companion:choosing-a-phone|choosing a phone]].

==== Bonding ====

**How are your modems bonded?** is either **SRTLA - built in, free** or **No bonding - single connection**.

SRTLA splits video across all usable uplinks. It needs a receiver at the far end. **No bonding** still leaves the Bonding tab available as a place to find the router's SRT and RTMP input addresses. See [[dashboard:router-and-bonding|Router and Bonding]].

==== Publishing ====

**Where does your stream go?** decides which publishing tabs appear:

  * **Not set** — no Restreamer or Restream.io tab.
  * **Self-hosted Restreamer (datarhei) - your own server** — shows Restreamer when a Core API address or Web UI URL is filled.
  * **Restream.io - cloud multistreaming** — shows Restream.io.
  * **Both - Restreamer on your server, fanning out through Restream.io** — shows both. Your encoder should still point at one place: Restreamer.

Use **Sign up for Restream.io** if you need a Restream account. See [[dashboard:publishing|Publishing]].

==== Restreamer (self-hosted) ====

**Core API address** is the API the router talks to. Do not include ''%%/ui%%'' at the end. The Tailscale picker can fill it as ''%%http://TAILNET-IP:8080%%''.

**Username** and **Password** are the Restreamer login. **Web UI URL** is usually the same address with ''%%/ui/%%'' added, and is what appears inside the dashboard. **Allow high-resolution server preview decoding** is only for high-resolution sources when the receiver has enough decoding power.

==== Restream.io ====

Most people leave **Client ID**, **Client secret** and **Redirect URI** alone. Restream.io sign-in now happens from the Publishing tab with a Connect button. These fields remain for streamers who already use their own Restream developer application.

==== AI assistant ====

**AI provider** turns on AI buttons. **API key** is your own key from that provider. **Model** can be left blank or filled after **Load models**. **API URL** is only for **Other (OpenAI-compatible)**.

The same key powers Diagnostics **Ask AI**, GPS place explanations, AI trivia writing, jokes and other AI features. You pay the provider directly. The key is stored on the router and is only sent to the provider when you press an AI button.

==== Extra embeds ====

**Spare tab URL** and **Spare tab label** add one extra iframe tab for something you already host elsewhere, such as a scoreboard.

==== Links tab ====

The **Links tab** card builds the dashboard's Links tab. The tab appears only when **Quick links** or **Buttons that ask first** has at least one line.

Write one button per line:

''%%Label | https://example.com/%%''

**Quick links** open directly. The default list includes **YouTube Studio**, **Twitch**, **Kick**, **Facebook Live**, **Rumble**, **X Producer** and **Instagram**.

**Buttons that ask first** use the same format but show a yes/no box before opening. Use those for links that do something as soon as they load, such as a webhook or crew alert.

===== Dashboard login =====

The dashboard ships with the login off. On a private router Wi-Fi that is convenient. If you share the dashboard, turn it on first.

In **Dashboard login**:

  - Type a **Username**.
  - Type a **Password**.
  - Type **Password again**.
  - Usually leave **Don't ask on the router's own WiFi** ticked.
  - Press **Save settings**.

Any password is accepted. Clearing the username switches the login off. Changing the password signs out every device that chose **Stay signed in on this device**.

When the login is on, the sign-in page asks for **Username**, **Password**, and **Stay signed in on this device**, then uses **Sign in**. Remembered sign-ins last for 30 days unless you change the password.

The login is skipped on the router's own LAN only when **Don't ask on the router's own WiFi** is ticked. It is still required over Tailscale, public share links and anything not on the router's own network.

For the security rules behind this, see [[dashboard:security|Keeping your rig secure]].

===== Share links =====

Settings does not create share links directly, but it points you at the two places that do.

==== Whole dashboard public link ====

Open the Router tab and use **Share with someone not on your Tailscale**. Press **Create a public link**. If Tailscale Funnel is not approved yet, press **Turn on Funnel for this router** first, then come back and press **Create a public link** again.

Use **Copy public link** to hand the address to a helper. Use **New link — cuts off the old one** to replace it, or **Stop sharing** to turn it off.

This link gives full dashboard access to anyone who has it. Set a dashboard password first. See [[dashboard:router-and-bonding|Router and Bonding]].

==== Trivia, Polls and Jokes helper link ====

Open the Trivia, Polls or Jokes tab and use **Share with a helper**. Press **Turn on**. The card gives one link that opens **Trivia**, **Polls** and **Jokes** only. The helper can write questions, run polls and fire jokes. They do not get your AI key, overlay builders or the rest of the dashboard.

Use **Copy**, **Email** or **Send…** to share it. Use **Turn off** to cut helpers off at once, or **New link** to kill the old link and make a fresh one.

See [[dashboard:audience-games|Audience games]].

===== StreamHelpers Pro =====

The **StreamHelpers Pro** card opens **Pro status, pair or manage…**.

On the Pro page:

  * **Pair this router** opens StreamHelpers in a new tab so you can approve pairing.
  * **Resume pairing** appears if a pairing is waiting for you to finish.
  * **Manage on StreamHelpers** opens your Pro account page.
  * **Unpair this router** switches Pro features off on this router. Your subscription and platform accounts stay on StreamHelpers.
  * **Learn more about Pro** opens the Pro feature list.

Pro can enable Pro Chat, the hosted live map, removing the StreamHelpers.com overlay mark, Motion & g-force, Pro Companion layouts and talkback. See [[pro:features|Pro features]].

===== Header chips =====

The **Header chips** card opens **Choose header chips…**. Chips are the readings across the top of every tab. See [[dashboard:header|Header chips]].

===== Backup and restore =====

Use **Backup & restore** before updates, before experiments and before moving to another router.

Press **Download backup** to save one JSON file. By default, passwords and API keys are left out, so the file is safer to keep in cloud storage or send to a helper.

Tick **Include passwords and API keys** only when you understand the risk. A backup with secrets should be treated like a password.

Press **Restore from a backup…** to import a file. Restoring overwrites this router's settings. Redacted secrets in the file leave the router's current secret values alone.

The backup includes the Settings screen, SRTLA receiver/interface choices, timer design, theme-park settings, overlay builder preferences, hidden-overlay choices, header chips, overlay designs, and your [[dashboard:macros|macros]] with the Macros tab's settings. It does not include the router's own internal login signing key, Moblink pairing, the fixed SRT input port, or live timer state.

To move a setup to another router:

  - On the old router, open **Settings → Backup & restore**.
  - Press **Download backup**.
  - If you want passwords and API keys moved too, tick **Include passwords and API keys** before downloading and store the file carefully.
  - On the new router, install the dashboard.
  - Open **Settings → Backup & restore**.
  - Press **Restore from a backup…** and choose the file.
  - Check the Dashboard login, Tailscale, receiver address, camera addresses and overlays before going live.

===== System update =====

The **System update** card shows **Installed**, **Latest** and **Checked**. It also shows release highlights, **Full release notes**, **Check now**, **Update now** and **Tell me when there is a new version**.

Always download a backup first. Then see [[dashboard:updating|Updating the dashboard]] for the full update steps.

If a tab sends you to Settings with a repair request, the same card may show **Reinstall now** even when you are already up to date. Reinstalling the same version puts missing helper files back and keeps your settings.

===== Help and community =====

The **Help & community** card has **Wiki** and **Community support**.

Questions, bug reports and feature requests go through the StreamHelpers Discord from the support page. There is no live, phone or email support, including for Pro subscribers.

===== Credits and licences =====

**Credits & licences…** opens the credits page. The router also ships the licence notices in its licences folder.