Support

Yes, if you are notified of an update, it’s recommended for best performance that you update the app. 

• If you have automatic app updates set on your device, the app will automatically pull in any new versions. 
• If you do not have this set up, you can manually check for an update. 
• Finally, you can uninstall the current app, find it in the app store and install the newest version.

Download the Blackfoot Connect app from either the Google Play store or Apple App Store. Search for “Blackfoot Connect” to find the app.

Your WiFi (SSID) name should be something unique and that you can remember. This is also likely not something you’ll want to change often, as you’ll have to reconnect all the devices in your home after changing the WiFi network name or password.

Yes, WiFi SSID names are case sensitive.

Simply turn the WiFi off on your phone and wait for it to connect to your cellular network. You can then open the app and select the check mark icon to turn your profile back on. 

We would also recommend that you remove your phone from the profile if you do not want to accidentally turn yourself off.

The app version can be viewed by selecting Settings and is shown at the bottom of the screen.

Yes. From the settings menu, select Set Passcode. This will allow you to set a PIN that must be entered any time the app is launched. The PIN must be a minimum of 4 characters. Once a PIN has been configured, it can be enabled or disabled from the Settings menu.

PPPoE is a network protocol for encapsulating PPP frames inside Ethernet frames. To obtain PPPoE credentials, you must call our customer service as an authorized user on the account.

Please note: We do not provide support for third-party equipment due to limited visibility and knowledge of devices beyond what we officially support.

Any router that supports PPPoE (Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet) can be used.

Please note: We do not provide support for third-party equipment due to limited visibility and knowledge of devices beyond what we officially support.

When your laptop (or other device) can’t access your home WiFi network, you have to find out if the problem is your device or your modem.

The first thing you should try is testing the wireless network without the computer/laptop. Try any device that uses WiFi such as a smartphone or tablet. If that other device can access your WiFi, the problem is with your laptop.  If it is an older laptop/device it may not support the latest wireless encryption (WPA2). Blackfoot modem default settings have the wireless security at the highest level, but can be adjusted to allow older devices to connect by changing the encryption to WPA/WPA2 PSK if needed.

Make sure that the laptop’s WiFi is turned on. There’s probably a little hardware switch somewhere. Find it, and switch it. Windows will tell you if you turned it off or on. If you turned it off, try turning it back on.If that doesn’t fix the problem, try to reboot your device.

That didn’t fix it, either? Okay, time to make sure you’re connecting to the correct wireless network and using the correct password. Click the WiFi icon in the notification area on your laptop for a list of available networks. You should see BlackfootXXX. Attempt to connect to the wireless network making sure you have the correct password found on the bottom of your modem.

When typing the password, be careful about letters and numbers that look alike. It’s easy to mistake the number 1 with a lowercase L or an uppercase I. And an uppercase O can be mistaken for the number 0.

A few other things you can try:

• Look at the bars next to the network’s name to make sure you have a strong signal from the modem. If you don’t, try moving to a room near the modem.
• Make sure you have the latest wireless network card drivers loaded  (Windows update or Manufacturers driver support site).
• Use Windows’ diagnostics. Right-click the network icon in notification area and select Troubleshoot problems. Then go through the wizard.
• Turn off your firewall—temporarily, of course—and try again. If it works, figure out what’s wrong with your firewall settings.

If the DSL light is green and flashing, then the modem isn’t detecting the Blackfoot network.

• Inspect the phone cord that goes directly from the wall jack to the modem. Look for the following:
  • Look at the phone cord and make sure it is free of nicks, cuts or kinks. If you’re not sure, replace it with a new phone cord.
  • Make sure the phone cord is completely plugged into the wall jack and the modem. If you’re not sure, unplug the cord at both ends and plug it back in.
  • Is the phone cord plugged into the correct modem port? It should be plugged into the port labeled DSL.
  • Is the phone cord from the modem plugged into a filter? If so, remove it and plug the phone cord into the wall jack.
  • Is the phone cord plugged into a phone jack splitter? If so, remove it and plug the phone cord into the wall jack.
  • Is the phone cord plugged into a power strip or surge protector with phone jacks? If so, remove it and plug the phone cord into the wall jack.
• If you have both our phone and Internet service, does your phone have dial tone?
  • No dial tone: Not having dial tone can impact your Internet service and indicate other problems. If you have no dial tone please follow these steps. (Hyperlink to No dial tone TS)
  • Dial tone: If you have dial tone but your DSL light isn’t lit up, we need to look elsewhere for the problem.

Additional Troubleshooting

• Try to “power cycle” the modem.
  • Unplug the power cord from the back of the modem.
  • Unplug all devices plugged into any and all phone jacks in the house (e.g., modem, telephones, answering machines, automatic water meter, fax machine, credit card machine and satellite receivers).
  • Reconnect the phone cord going directly from the wall phone jack to the modem jack labeled, DSL or LINE. Be sure there’s no DSL filter, phone jack splitter or power strip/surge protector with a phone jack built-in on this line.
  • Reconnect the power cord to the modem and allow the modem to go through its boot up / restart process.
• If the DSL light is still blinking, there could be a problem with the phone cord or wall jack.
  • Try using a different cord and /or a different jack. (Note: It might seem obvious but things happen so it’s good to check…If a technician has recently been at your home, make sure you’re plugging the modem into the jack the tech recommended.)
  • If you have tried these steps and the DSL light won’t stay solid green, contact Blackfoot’s technical support for help.

In 2016, Blackfoot began an extensive multi-year, multi-million dollar project to replace the aging copper portions of our network with fiber optics, ensuring the long-term availability of high speed broadband, voice and other advanced services for decades to come. This project will also guarantee our Cooperative customers have access to just as good of broadband and voice services ⁠— if not better ⁠— as those living in Montana’s larger cities. For more information and to follow our progress, visit our Network Upgrades page.

To guide you through setting up your new Calix GigaSpire router from Blackfoot, view our step-by-step video here. 

To guide you through setting up your new Calix GigaSpire router + Zyxel modem from Blackfoot, view our step-by-step video here. 

Your phone and Internet use the same line. DSL filters split the signal coming into your home so both your phone and Internet service can share that line. Incorrectly connected and/or damaged DSL filters can cause noise on your line.

• Confirm that your DSL filters are properly connected. Every electronic device that’s plugged into a phone jack – except your DSL modem – needs a filter. If you only have one wall jack and your phone and DSL modem need to plug into it together, use a DSL dual filter.
• This includes: cordless phones, satellite receivers, computers (modem or power strip), caller id boxes, fax machines, answering machines and alarm/security systems.

To test your DSL filter and check if you have a problem:

1. Leave your corded telephone and your modem attached to the phone line.
2. Disconnect all other devices from their phone jacks.
3. One at a time, reattach each device and filter to its phone jack and check the phone for noise again after plugging in each device.
4. If you find that the sound gets bad after reattaching a device, replace that filter.

When you have Internet and telephone service provided on the same line, you need to use filters. DSL filters separate the incoming signal, so you can be online and still use your phone, DVR and other devices.

When devices aren’t connected to a filter, or filters are installed incorrectly, you can experience:

• Static or a hissing sound on your telephone line
• Slow Internet speeds
• Intermittent connection to the Internet
• No connection to the Internet

Which devices do I need a DSL filter for? 

Every device that connects to your phone line – except your modem – needs a DSL filter. For example: Telephones, caller ID units, answering machines, satellite TV receivers, cable boxes, DVRs, TiVos, fax machines, security systems and automatic water meters.

How do I install a DSL filter?

You should have received 2 filters from Blackfoot along with your modem – one that is single port and one that is dual port.

Filters are plugged in between your jack and your device. To install one, plug the filter into a wall jack, and then plug a phone cord or other device into the other end.

If you only have one wall jack for the phone and the modem you can use the dual port filter provided to you with your modem. Make sure to plug the filter into the wall jack and the modem and phone into the filter.

Need additional filters? Please contact our Technical Support Team.

What if I have a wall mounted phone?

A wall mounted filter can be used for wall-mounted phones that a wall jack filter can’t fit behind. You can purchase these at any electronics store.

We do our best to limit the amount of downtime our customers experience, however there are times when we need to update, upgrade or otherwise provide maintenance on customer-impacting systems.

Our typical window of time for these maintenance periods is 11:00 PM MT – 5:00 AM MT, Monday through Friday.

Montana: http://montanadirectory.blackfoot.com/

Idaho: http://idahodirectory.blackfoot.com/

https://www.blackfoot.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Calling-Feature-Instructions.pdf

Try the following troubleshooting tips:

• Look to see if your ringer on your phone is off.
• Make sure your phone is not on “Do Not Disturb” (DND).
• Test with a corded phone at the NID.  If you have Dial Tone at the NID, there is a problem inside the home. If there is no Dial Tone at the NID, there is an issue with the phone line coming up to the home.
• If you don’t have a corded phone, you can still test at the NID if you have a power source close enough to your NID to plug your phone base in at the NID and at the power source.

When your phone has no Dial Tone, before you call for help, try the following troubleshooting tips:

• Make sure no other extensions, in the home or off premise, are off the hook.
• Sometimes, especially after a power outage or power surge, a piece of your equipment may seize your line. That may “busy up” some, or all equipment, connected to a phone jack and the power it’s hooked up to. When this happens, you won’t have Dial Tone on your phone. You can often times fix the problem if you follow these few instructions:
  • Unplug all equipment from phone jacks in the home and any off premise jacks.If a piece of the equipment you unplugged from a jack is also plugged into power, disconnect from the power source as well as from the jack. Remember to include the modem and any other computers, DSL, Satellite dish, etc.
  • Once everything is unplugged, plug one phone back into a jack. If you have an old corded phone, try that one. If not, you will have to plug in the base for the cordless phone and try one of those.
  • Check to see if there is dial tone. You should hear a clear, strong dial tone when you test each jack. If you don’t, make a note of location of the jack and what you heard when you tested there. If there is dial tone, you can plug the other devices in, one at a time, and make sure the dial tone is still good after each device is plugged back in.
• Test with a phone at the NID (box on the side of the home that contains your phone service wiring; see help file for NID).
  • If you have Dial Tone at the NID, there is a problem inside the home.
  • If there is no Dial Tone at the NID, there is an issue with the phone line coming up to the home.
• If you don’t have a corded phone, you can still test at the NID if you have a nearby power source. Simply plug your cordless phone base into power and then connect the cord you normally plug into the phone jack inside your house, into the jack in the NID.

Check Your Calling Features

If the problem happens on all calls and all phones, the issue be with one of your calling features. It’s easy to misinterpret normal call waiting and voice mail tones/beeps as repair issues.

Voice Mail

When you’re home and have a new voice mail message, you’ll hear a stuttered (or interrupted) dial tone when you pick up the receiver to make a call. This is normal. Simply check your messages, and the special tone will go away.

Call Waiting

If you have call waiting, are already on a call, and receive another call, you will hear a beep in your ear. The person you’re speaking to won’t hear the beep, but you will. In fact, the beep might cause you to miss a bit of the conversation. However, you are still connected to the person you called, and the beep isn’t noise on the line.

When you hear the beep, quickly press and release the hook switch to put the first call on hold and answer the second call. Press the hook switch again to switch between calls.

If you’re making a call that you don’t want to be interrupted, you can temporarily turn OFF call waiting. Simply press *70, wait for the dial tone to come back and then dial the number you want to call. (Call waiting automatically reactivates when you hang up.)

If you’re hearing static or other noise on your phone, make sure the signal coming to your home is clear, all your phone-related equipment is working properly, no random household devices are interfering with your reception, and all your DSL filters are correctly installed if you have Internet.

If you hear noise on your line, isolate the source of the problem by checking the signal outside your home and the equipment inside your home. To test the signal coming to your home, you need to locate your NID and plug in a corded phone. If the signal coming to your home is clear and strong, keep reading.

Look for Simple Fixes 

• Does your phone get noisy when your move the cord? If yes, check that the cord is it snug, both going into the handset and at the wall. If not, unplug and then re-plug the cord at both ends.
• Check your phone cords for damage. Even small nicks and cuts can cause noise on your line. Replace any damaged cords.
• If the problem only happens with one phone, try plugging a different phone into that phone’s jack. Next, place a call from the new phone to see if the issue is resolved. If there is no more noise on the line, it indicates a problem with the phone itself and you may need to replace it. If there is still noise try plugging the phone into a different wall jack. If the trouble is only on one wall jack please contact our technical support team for help in getting a technician dispatched.
• If you have Internet service, unplug your modem and then check if you still have noise on your line. If you don’t, examine your DSL filters, making sure they’re connected and installed correctly.

Seek Out Interference 

Basically, any piece of equipment plugged into your phone jacks can act as an antenna and pick up broadcasting frequencies creating noise on your line.Cordless phones are notorious for picking up other people’s conversations as well as radio signals. If you don’t have a cordless phone, do you have a satellite TV receiver, answering machine, caller id box, fax machine or alarm/security system plugged into a phone jack? If so, any (or all) of them could be interfering with your reception.

To test your equipment:

1. Unplug any corded phones from the wall jack.
2. Unplug any cordless phone from the wall jack AND the electrical outlet.
3. Unplug any other equipment that plugs into a wall jack.
   After you’ve unplugged all your equipment, wait 1 minute and then plug a corded phone into each outlet. Test one jack at a time. Do not plug in any other equipment until you have tested all wall jacks with the corded phone.You should hear a clear, strong dial tone when you test each outlet. If you don’t, make a note of location of the jack and what you heard when you tested the outlet.

If you have tested all of the wall jacks with a corded phone and you don’t hear noise on the line, start plugging in your equipment one piece at a time and checking the corded phone after each is plugged in until you find the offender causing the noise.

If you don’t want to unplug the offending piece of equipment, try installing a filter on your line. This equipment is easy to install and can be purchased at most electronic stores.

If you have tried all of the steps above and still have noise on the line, please contact our Technical Support Team.

You can prevent any company from changing your Long Distance service provider(s) to another provider with a PIC freeze on your Blackfoot services at no charge.

A PIC freeze protects your service from getting slammed, i.e. having one of your chosen Long Distance service providers changed without your permission.

A PIC does not prohibit you from making changes to your Long Distance providers at any time. You may remove a PIC freeze at no charge by contacting Blackfoot directly with a verbal, written or electronically signed authorization. Once a PIC freeze is effective, authorization given to others, even in writing or verified by a third party will not be enough to change Long Distance provider.

Call Blackfoot at 866-541-5000 to speak with a Customer Care Consultant who can assist you.

Receiving a phone call from a telemarketer is often inconvenient and annoying. Here are four tips to help reduce or stop those annoying calls.

• Register your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry at 888-382-1222 or visit www.donotcall.gov.
• Add our free Call Guardian service. Call Guardian prevents calls originating from computerized auto-dialers, automatically blocking known spammers, fraudulent callers, and other nuisance callers from reaching you on your home phone.
• Sign up for Blackfoot’s Caller ID feature so you can view the caller’s name and phone number before you answer. (Note, you’ll need a Caller ID compatible phone.)
• Sign up for Blackfoot’s Anonymous Call Rejection feature that allows you to block callers who block their name and number from appearing on your Caller ID display.

Let’s try some basic troubleshooting steps to test your cordless phone:

• Make sure your cordless phone base is not sharing a power outlet with any other types of electronic equipment.
• Make sure the cordless phone base power adapter is not plugged into a multi outlet power plug.
• Make sure the cordless base phone cord is not plugged into a splitter, fax, computer or remote answering machine.
• Check to see if the cordless phone cord is plugged in properly to the base. Unplug the cord and then reset it, listen for the click as you plug it back in.
• Check to see if the cordless base power adapter has been properly plugged in and the outlet is on and working.
• Plug a different phone into the phone jack to make sure phone jack is working.
• Make sure you are using the original power adapter that came with the cordless phone.
• Make sure the phone battery is installed and plugged in correctly and that the cordless handset if fully charged.
• Disconnect power adapter and reconnect it after 60 seconds.

The FCC adopted a new three-digit suicide prevention hotline number, 988. With the introduction of 988, the United States will require 10-digit dialing. This means that all local calls will require parties to dial 10-digits. Under that dialing approach, you will dial the (area code) – (prefix) – (last four digits). (Long distance calls will continue to require 1+ dialing.) Start practicing your 10-digit dialing and updating stored numbers in your devices today!

10-digit dialing will be required starting October 24, 2021.

For more information, please visit the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) website.

Blackfoot implemented a new call blocking service called Call Guardian that now identifies calls using this call screening software. “Potential Spam/Scam” calls are typically from telemarketers or other nefarious callers who are trying to take advantage of you.

If you are experiencing issues receiving calls on your home phone, here are some potential causes:

• The phone is not plugged in, or the power outlet is not functioning.
• The phone line is not connected properly.
• The phone service is out of service or suspended.
• The phone’s ringer or volume is turned off or set to low.
• The phone’s battery is dead or low.
• The phone’s screen is locked.
• The call blocking feature has been enabled and needs to be removed for that number.
• There is an inside wiring issue.

Outside of physical issues listed above, there could be causes that are outside Blackfoot’s control:

• The caller dialed the number incorrectly or has a wrong number.
• You placed your number on the Do Not Call List and the caller is one who must abide by your preference.
• The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) has ordered service providers to block calls from a particular service provider for failure to comply with the FCC’s rules.
• The calling phone number is flagged as a Robocall and is being blocked.
• The caller’s originating or intermediate service provider(s) have routing in place creating call completion or call quality problems known as Rural Call Completion issues.

For more information about Rural Call Completion please visit the FCC’s website.

Your phone and Internet use the same line. DSL filters split the signal coming into your home so both your phone and Internet service can share that line. Incorrectly connected and/or damaged DSL filters can cause noise on your line.

• Confirm that your DSL filters are properly connected. Every electronic device that’s plugged into a phone jack – except your DSL modem – needs a filter. If you only have one wall jack and your phone and DSL modem need to plug into it together, use a DSL dual filter.
• This includes: cordless phones, satellite receivers, computers (modem or power strip), caller id boxes, fax machines, answering machines and alarm/security systems.

To test your DSL filter and check if you have a problem:

1. Leave your corded telephone and your modem attached to the phone line.
2. Disconnect all other devices from their phone jacks.
3. One at a time, reattach each device and filter to its phone jack and check the phone for noise again after plugging in each device.
4. If you find that the sound gets bad after reattaching a device, replace that filter.

When you have Internet and telephone service provided on the same line, you need to use filters. DSL filters separate the incoming signal, so you can be online and still use your phone, DVR and other devices.

When devices aren’t connected to a filter, or filters are installed incorrectly, you can experience:

• Static or a hissing sound on your telephone line
• Slow Internet speeds
• Intermittent connection to the Internet
• No connection to the Internet

Which devices do I need a DSL filter for? 

Every device that connects to your phone line – except your modem – needs a DSL filter. For example: Telephones, caller ID units, answering machines, satellite TV receivers, cable boxes, DVRs, TiVos, fax machines, security systems and automatic water meters.

How do I install a DSL filter?

You should have received 2 filters from Blackfoot along with your modem – one that is single port and one that is dual port.

Filters are plugged in between your jack and your device. To install one, plug the filter into a wall jack, and then plug a phone cord or other device into the other end.

If you only have one wall jack for the phone and the modem you can use the dual port filter provided to you with your modem. Make sure to plug the filter into the wall jack and the modem and phone into the filter.

Need additional filters? Please contact our Technical Support Team.

What if I have a wall mounted phone?

A wall mounted filter can be used for wall-mounted phones that a wall jack filter can’t fit behind. You can purchase these at any electronics store.

We do our best to limit the amount of downtime our customers experience, however there are times when we need to update, upgrade or otherwise provide maintenance on customer-impacting systems.

Our typical window of time for these maintenance periods is 11:00 PM MT – 5:00 AM MT, Monday through Friday.

https://guides.myonlinehelp.net/docs/blackfoot.net/spam-to-junk_update

Access your Blackfoot email account anytime from our website, blackfoot.com. Navigate to Check Email at the top of the page which will take you to your Email portal. Here you can update recovery options, change your password and access your email.

Access your email directly at: webmail.blackfoot.net

Incoming Servers
POP Server Settings:
• Server: mail.blackfoot.net
• Port: 995
• SSL: Enabled
• Username: user@blackfoot.net

IMAP Server Settings:
• Server: mail.blackfoot.net
• Port: 993
• SSL: Enabled
• Username: user@blackfoot.net

Outgoing Server
SMTP Server Settings:
• Server: smtp.blackfoot.net
• Port: 465
• SSL: Enabled
• Username: user@blackfoot.net
User/Pass Authentication Required

If you know your password and want to change it, navigate to https://userportal.blackfoot.net/login and login. Click on the icon that says ‘Change E-mail Password’. You will be required to enter your old password and then you can enter a new one.

If you don’t know your password, you will need to call into support at 1-877-881-1155.

Navigate to https://userportal.blackfoot.net/login and login. Click on the icon that says ‘Manage Account Recovery’. A new tab will open and you will be able to add a phone number, secondary e-mail address and/or security questions. Once you have done that, click on “Update Recover Information” at the bottom of the page.

It is highly recommended that you set up at least one recovery option in the event that you forget your password.

https://guides.myonlinehelp.net/docs/blackfoot.net/thunderbirdnew

https://guides.myonlinehelp.net/docs/blackfoot.net/outlook2019

https://guides.myonlinehelp.net/docs/blackfoot.net/macMailnew

If you have forgotten or need to reset your password, please contact Blackfoot’s 24/7 Technical Support at 1-877-881-1155.

In order to setup an email account in Outlook use the following instructions:

• Open the Control Panel and click on Mail
• Click on Email Accounts
• Click on New
• Click Manual setup or additional server types and click Next
• Select POP or IMAP and click Next.
• Enter your name, email address, mail servers and username and password
• Click on More Settings and then the Outgoing Server tab and check “My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication” and leave “Use same settings as my incoming server” selected
• Click on the Advanced tab and change the Outgoing server (SMTP) port to 587
• Click OK and then click Next.
• Outlook will check to make sure it can connect to the incoming and outgoing mail servers.

• Access your Blackfoot email account anytime from our website, blackfooot.com. Navigate to My Account at the top of the page and then select Check Email.
• Visit My Account directly at: blackfoot.com/myaccount 
• Access your email directly at: webmail.blackfoot.net

Check out our helpful Tech Tips for information on how to protect yourself online: www.blackfoot.com/resources/tech-tips

We do our best to limit the amount of downtime our customers experience, however there are times when we need to update, upgrade or otherwise provide maintenance on customer-impacting systems.

Our typical window of time for these maintenance periods is 11:00 PM MT – 5:00 AM MT, Monday through Friday.

Tax exemption forms can be found in our Forms library here: https://blackfootcommunications.com/legal-tariff-forms/

Certification for tax exemption benefits is required and must be updated on an annual basis.We undertake an annual re-certification effort in October/ November of each year. If we do not have forms on file for your business, then all appropriate taxes will appear on your next invoice.

To start or continue with benefits, please download forms that pertain to any service which you qualify for exempt status and submit the completed forms via email to exempt@blackfoot.com or fax them to 406-541-5144.

In addition to the annual re-certification effort, we do accept certification forms throughout the year.

For questions related to your tax exemption options, call our Customer Care Team at 866-541-5000.

Please visit our forms library at https://blackfootcommunications.com/legal-tariff-forms/ to access Blackfoot’s forms for business, customer service, tax exemption and wholesale needs.

Your payment is applied immediately to your account when using a credit card. It can take up to 48 hours if a check is used for payment.

Interested in signing up for E-bill? Create a new account here.

Lifeline is a federal benefit that lowers the monthly cost of phone or internet service for qualifying customers. Blackfoot offers this program, administered by the Universal Service Administration Company (USAC) and the National Verifier, to help make communications services more affordable. You can use Lifeline for either phone or internet service. Click below to access the National Verifier Customer Portal to apply online or view additional resources.

National Verifier Customer Portal »
How to Use the National Verifier »
Lifeline Rules and Rights »

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved an increase in this rate from 31.8% to 33.4% for the monthly interstate access charges for residential and business services beginning on or after April 1, 2021. 

The FUSC amount on your bill depends on the services you order.

All providers of telecommunications services contribute to the support of rural telephone consumers, low-income households, schools, libraries and rural health providers, which is funded by this charge.

The charge is set by the FCC and is adjusted on your bill quarterly as the needs of the fund change.

For questions, please contact our Customer Care Team at 866-541-5000.