Linksys PLEBR10 User Manual

Instant PowerLineTMSeries

Use this guide to install the following products:
PLEBR10

PLUSB10

User Guide

EtherFast®10/100 Bridge &

U SBAdapter

COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARKS
Copyright © 2002 Linksys, All Rights Reserved. Instant PowerLine is a trademark of
Linksys. Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks and brand names are the property of their
respective proprietors.

LIMITED WARRANTY
Linksys guarantees that every Instant PowerLine EtherFast 10/100 Bridge and Instant
PowerLine USB Adapter will be free from physical defects in material and workmanship
for one year from the date of purchase, when used within the limits set forth in the
Specifications section of this User Guide. If the product proves defective during this war­ranty period, call Linksys Technical Support in order to obtain a Return Authorization
Number. BE SURE TO HAVE YOUR PROOF OF PURCHASE AND A BARCODE FROM
THE PRODUCT’S PACKAGING ON HAND WHEN CALLING. RETURN REQUESTS CAN­NOT BE PROCESSED WITHOUT PROOF OF PURCHASE. When returning a product,
mark the Return Authorization Number clearly on the outside of the package and include
a copy of your original proof of purchase. All customers located outside of the United
States of America and Canada shall be held responsible for shipping and handling
charges.

IN NO EVENT SHALL LINKSYS’S LIABILITY EXCEED THE PRICE PAID FOR THE PROD­UCT FROM DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAM­AGES RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THE PRODUCT, ITS ACCOMPANYING SOFT­WARE, OR ITS DOCUMENTATION. LINKSYS DOES NOT OFFER REFUNDS FOR ANY
PRODUCT. Linksys makes no warranty or representation, expressed, implied, or statuto­ry, with respect to its products or the contents or use of this documentation and all
accompanying software, and specifically disclaims its quality, performance, mer­chantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. Linksys reserves the right to revise or
update its products, software, or documentation without obligation to notify any individ­ual or entity. Please direct all inquiries to:

Linksys P.O. Box 18558, Irvine, CA 92623.
FCC STATEMENT

The Instant PowerLine EtherFast 10/100 Bridge and Instant PowerLine USBAdapterhave
been tested and complies with the specifications for a Class B digital device, pursuant to
Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses,
and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used according to the
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, ther e is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does
cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which is found by turning the
equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or
more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna

• Increase the separation between the equipment or devices

• Connect the equipment to an outlet other than the receiver’s

• Consult a dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for assistance

UG-PLEBR10PLUSB10-012602NC JL

EtherFast®10/100 Bridge and USB Adapter

Chapter 8: Connecting the USB Adapter 17

Chapter 9: Installing the Driver for the
USB Adapter 18

Overview 18
Windows 98 18
Windows 2000 22
Windows Millennium 23
Windows XP 24

Chapter 10: Using the Security
Configuration Utility 26

Overview 26
Setting Up Security on an Instant PowerLine Device 26

Appendix A: Troubleshooting 30

Common Problems and Solutions 30
Frequently Asked Questions 30

Appendix B: Glossary 32

Appendix C: IP Addressing 38

What’s an IP Address? 38
Static IP Addresses 38
Dynamic IP Addresses 38
DHCP (Dynamic Host Conf iguration Protocol) 38

Appendix D: Specifications for the EtherFast
10/100 Bridge 39

Environmental 40

Instant PowerLineTMSeries

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction to the EtherFast
10/100 Bridge 1

The Linksys EtherFast 10/100 Bridge 1
Features 1
Package Contents 2
System Requirements 2

Chapter 2: Introduction to the USB Adapter 3

The Linksys USB Adapter 3
Features 3
Package Contents 4
System Requirements 4

Chapter 3: Getting to Know the EtherFast
10/100 Bridge 5

The EtherFast 10/100 Bridge’s Ports 5
The EtherFast 10/100 Bridge’s Front Panel LEDs 6

Chapter 4: Getting to Know the USB Adapter 7

The USB Adapter’s Ports 7
The USB Adapter’s Front Panel LEDs 8

Chapter 5: Planning Your Powerline Network 9

Chapter 6: Using the Setup Utility CD-ROM 10

Overview 10
Running the InstallShield Wizard 10

Chapter 7: Connecting the EtherFast
10/100 Bridge 16

Chapter 1: Introduction to the
EtherFast 10/100 Bridge

r

The Linksys Instant PowerLine™ EtherFast®10/100 Bridge offers a complete
Internet connection solution for your home powerline network. The PowerLine
Bridge makes sharing your broadband access easier than ever. Build a strong
and simple-to-use home network by taking advantage of the most pervasive
home networking medium—powerlines.

The PowerLine Bridge is ideal for users who already have a router. It can be
plugged into an Ethernet port on a router to equip a network with powerline
capabilities and take advantage of the router’s features. The PowerLine Bridge
can also plug directly into a cable or DSL modem to allow Internet access and
data transfer rates up to 14Mbps over home powerlines.

With the PowerLine Bridge, create a network in no time at all to share an
Internet connection (a router may be required), files, and printers, or even play
multi-user network games at blazingly fast speeds. It’s easy, convenient, and
cost-effective.

• Connects 10/100 Ethernet Network to Powerline Network for Seamless
Integration

• Share Internet Access Across Your Entire Home Powerline Network*

• Up to 14Mbps Data Transfer Over Powerlines

• Bridges Cable or DSL Modem Connection and HomePlug Connection

• Fully HomePlug 1.0 Compliant

• No New Wires™ Approach

• PowerPacket™ Technology Facilitates Efficient Packet Transmission

• 56-Bit Data Encryption to Ensure Data Security and Reliability

• Easy-to-Read LED indicators

• Easy Installation—No Software Required

• Free Technical Support—24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week, Toll-Free US Calls

• 1-Year Limited Warranty

* Router may be required

Instant PowerLineTMSeries

EtherFast®10/100 Bridge and USB Adapter

Appendix E: Specifications for the USB Adapter 41

Environmental 42

Appendix F: Warranty Information 43

Appendix G: Contact Information 44

1

The Linksys EtherFast®10/100 Bridge

Features

EtherFast®10/100 Bridge and USB Adapter

Chapter 2: Introduction to the
U SBAdapter

The newest and fastest way to network your PCs is through powerline net­working, which allows you to turn the powerlines in your home into your net­work cable. The easiest way to integrate any PC or laptop into such a powerline
network is with the Linksys Instant P owerLine™ USB Adapter . Use your e xist­ing USB port with your existing powerlines! The Plug-and-Play USB Adapter
connects directly to virtually any USB-ready PC—just plug it in and you’re
ready to share data, printers, or high-speed Internet access over your existing
powerline network. For desktop installation, you don’t have to open your PC’s
case. With user-friendly software, it’s simple to set up.

Not only is the Instant PowerLine USB Adapter easy to install and use, but it’s
also powerful. You can send and receive data at speeds of up to 12Mbps. It’s
also versatile. Need to use it temporarily on another PC? No problem. Plug it
into the USB port; set it up, and you’re ready to go.

So for full desktop and notebook PC flexibility and powerline convenience, the
Instant PowerLine USB Adapter provides the perfect solution!

• Up to 12Mbps High-Speed Data Transfer Rate

• Share Internet Access Across Your Entire Home Powerline Network

• Fully HomePlug 1.0 Compliant

• Provides Powerline Connectivity Through Your USB Port—No Additional
Wiring Needed

• PowerPacket™ Technology Facilitates Efficient Packet Transmission

• PowerLine Products Integrate with Your Existing Network

• Can Be Used with Multiple PCs to Reduce Networking Costs

• 56-Bit Data Encryption to Ensure Data Security and Reliability

• Easy-to-Read LED indicators

• Compatible with Windows 98, Millennium, 2000, and XP

• Plug-and-Play Operation Provides Easy Setup

• Works with Virtually All Standard Internet Applications

• Free Technical Support—24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week, Toll-Free US Calls

• 1-Year Limited Warranty

3

Instant PowerLineTMSeries

• One Instant PowerLine EtherFast 10/100 Bridge

• One Power Cord

• One Setup Utility CD-ROM

• One User Guide

• Quick Installation and Registration Card (not shown)

• Existing Ethernet/Fast Ethernet Network or an Existing Ethernet/Fast
Ethernet Network Adapter and Network Cable

• TCP/IP Protocol

• CD-ROM Drive

2

Package Contents

System Requirements for the EtherFast®10/100 Bridge

Features

The Linksys USB Adapter

Figure 1-1

EtherFast®10/100 Bridge and USB Adapter

Chapter 3: Getting to Know the
EtherFast 10/100 Bridge

Powerline The Powerline Port is where you will connect your power

cord.

10/100 RJ-45 The 10/100 RJ-45 Port is where you will connect your UTP

Category 5 cable.

5

• One Instant PowerLine USB Adapter

• One Power Cord

• One USB Cable

• One Setup Utility CD-ROM

• One User Guide

• Quick Installation and Registration Card (not shown)

• Pentium-Class 90MHz or Higher

• Minimum 32MB RAM

• USB-Ready PC

• Windows 98, Millennium, 2000, or XP

• CD-ROM Drive

Package Contents

Instant PowerLineTMSeries

4

System Requirements

The EtherFast 10/100 Bridge’s Ports

Figure 2-1

Figure 3-2

Figure 3-1

EtherFast®10/100 Bridge and USB Adapter

Chapter 4:Getting to Know the
U SBAdapter

Powerline The Po werline Port is

where you will con­nect your power
cord.

USB The USB Port is

where you will con­nect your USB cable.
To work with USB
ports, your computer
must be running
Windows 98, 2000,
Millennium, or XP.

The USB icon shown in Figure 4-2 marks a USB port on a
PC or device.

Your USB Adapter comes with a USB cable that has tw o dif ferent types of con­nectors. Type A, the master connector, is shaped like a rectangle and plugs into
your computer’s USB port. Type B, the slave connector, resemb les a square and
connects to the USB port on the USB Adapter.

7

Instant PowerLineTMSeries

PowerLine Status

Power Green. The Power LED will light up when the PowerLine

Bridge is powered on.

Link Green. The Link LED will light up when the PowerLine

Bridge is powered on.

Activity Green. The Activity LED will light up when there is power-

line network traffic.

Collision Orange. The Collision LED flashes when there is a collision.

Ethernet Status

Link Green. The Link LED will be lit steadily when there is a

physical LAN connection.

100 Green. The 100 LED will be lit steadily when there is a

physical 100Mbps LAN connection.

Activity Green. The Activity LED will light up when there is LAN

traffic.

6

The EtherFast 10/100 Bridge’s Front Panel LEDs

The USB Adapter’s Ports

Figure 4-1

Figure 4-2

Figure 3-3

Important: Windows 95 and NT do not support the USB Adapter.

USB Type A

USB Type B

Figure 4-4

Figure 4-3

EtherFast®10/100 Bridge and USB Adapter

Chapter 5:Planning Yo ur
Powerline Network

With the Instant PowerLine products, a network can be created using home
pow erlines. Computers can be networked ov er powerlines using a USB Adapter
or an EtherFast 10/100 Bridge. Use the USB Adapter for a USB-enabled com­puter, or use the 10/100 Bridge for an Ethernet-enabled computer.

The 10/100 Bridge is also ideal for any user who already has a router and w ants
to share high-speed Internet access across the powerline network. Connect the
Bridge to the router after you have conf igured the Bridge using the Security
Configuration Utility. Connect a straight-through UTP Category 5 cable to the
uplink port of the router, or connect a crossover UTP Category 5 cable to a
LAN port on the router.

98

PowerLine Status

Power Green. The Power LED will light up when the PowerLine

USB Adapter is powered on.

Link Green. The Link LED will light up when the Po w erLine USB

Adapter is powered on.

Activity Green. The Activity LED will light up when there is power-

line network traffic.

Collision Orange. The Collision LED flashes when there is a collision.

EtherFast®10/100 Bridge

The USB Adapter’s Front Panel LEDs

Figure 4-5

Figure 5-1