NetComm NP508 User Manual
500Mbps Powerline Kit with
Dual Band WiFi
NP508
USER GUIDE
2
NP508 – 500Mbps Powerline Adapters User Guide
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Copyright
Copyright© 2014 NetComm Wireless Limited. All rights reserved.
The information contained herein is proprietary to NetComm Wireless. No part of this document may be translated, transcribed,
reproduced, in any form, or by any means without prior written consent of NetComm Wireless.
Please note: This document is subject to change without notice.
Save Our Environment
When this equipment has reached the end of its useful life, it must be taken to a recycling centre and processed separately from
domestic waste.
The cardboard box, the plastic contained in the packaging, and the parts that make up this device can be recycled in accordance
with regionally established regulations. Never dispose of this electronic equipment along with your household waste. You may be
subject to penalties or sanctions under the law. Instead, ask for disposal instructions from your municipal government.
Please be responsible and protect our environment.
This manual covers the following products:
NetComm Wireless NP508 500Mbps Powerline Kit with Dual Band WiFi
DOCUMENT VERSION
DATE
1.0- Initial document release
March 2014
Table 1 - Document Revision History
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Table of Contents
About the Product ......................................................................................................................................................................... 4
How Does It Work? ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Direct Connection .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
AC Passthrough ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Package Contents ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Interfaces and Indicators ................................................................................................................................................................................ 5
WiFi Adapter .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
AC Passthrough Adapter ....................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Creating a Powerline Network ................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Resetting the Private Network Password ................................................................................................................................................ 9
Joining an Existing Powerline Network .................................................................................................................................................... 9
Determining Connection Rate ...................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Power Saving Mode .................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Getting Started ............................................................................................................................................................................ 12
Plan Your Network ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
The Web User Interface ............................................................................................................................................................... 14
Accessing the Web User Interface ................................................................................................................................................................ 14
Status page ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Network page ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Management page ............................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Upgrading the firmware of the Powerline adapter .......................................................................................................................................... 19
Restarting the Powerline adapter .................................................................................................................................................................. 19
Restoring factory defaults ............................................................................................................................................................................ 20
To change the Private Network Password .................................................................................................................................................... 20
Changing the Remote Private Network Password ......................................................................................................................................... 21
Powerline Utility ........................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Requirements .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 22
Installation ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Opening Powerline Utility ............................................................................................................................................................................. 22
Powerline Utility User Interface ................................................................................................................................................... 23
Home .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Private Network Name ................................................................................................................................................................................. 24
Quality of Service ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 26
Devices ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27
Firmware Upgrade ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 28
Legal & Regulatory Information................................................................................................................................................... 29
Product Warranty ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 29
Limitations of Warranty ................................................................................................................................................................................ 29
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NP508 – 500Mbps Powerline Adapters User Guide
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About the Product
Powerline adapters are ready to use out of the box and do not require the installation of driver software to work. They can be
connected to computers, routers, gaming consoles, hubs, IPTV set-top boxes, and other Ethernet devices regardless of operating
system.
How Does It Work?
Powerline adapters utilise the existing electrical wiring in the house as a path to create a secured network of computers and
Ethernet devices. With a maximum data rate of up to 500 Mbps, Powerline adapters can reliably handle high requirement
applications like broadband Internet, high definition video streaming, and Voice over IP.
Powerline adapters convert digital signals to a complex analog signal that traverses along the electrical wires. When receiving the
analog signal, the Powerline adapters convert the analog signal back to digital. To make the signal secure, a 128-bit AES encryption
is applied.
A Powerline device can only communicate with other Powerline devices that use the same Private Network Password. The Private
Network Password can be changed manually using the Powerline adapter utility software on a computer with a Windows operating
system. When you use the software, you have to manually type the Private Network Password for the device. Another way to
change the Private Network Password is to use the Simple Connect button. Simple Connect automatically creates an encrypted
Private Network Password. It can also be used to reset the Private Network Password or to add a device into an existing Powerline
network.
Note: Powerline adapters are pre-configured to use a common Private Network Password unique for that pair and are
ready to use.
When a Powerline adapter communicates with another device, the Powerline Activity LED colour indicates the connection speed:
red means good; amber means better; and green means best.
Direct Connection
For best performance, connect Powerline adapters directly to a wall outlet. Avoid connecting them to a power strip where other
electrical devices are connected. Other devices create electrical noise that may affect the performance of Powerline adapters.
AC Passthrough
One of the Powerline adapters in the kit comes with built in AC pass-through. With this unit you are conveniently able to use the
same power point to plug in other electrical appliances. All you have to do is connect the electrical appliance into the built-in passthrough socket and it will have power as if it was connected directly into the wall. This will eliminate the need to connect your
Powerline adapter to a power board which will improve your networking performance.
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NP508 – 500Mbps Powerline Adapters User Guide
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Package Contents
The package contains the following items:
2 x Powerline adapters (1 x WiFi Adapter, 1 x AC Passthrough Adapter)
2 x Ethernet cables
Quick Start Guide
If any of these items are missing or damaged, please contact NetComm Wireless Support immediately by visiting the NetComm
Wireless Support website at: http://support.netcommwireless.com
Interfaces and Indicators
WiFi Adapter
A
F
E
B
C G D
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NP508 – 500Mbps Powerline Adapters User Guide
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LABEL
STATUS
DESCRIPTION/FUNCTION
A
WPS Button / Wireless LED
Off
No power
On
Press for 2 seconds to trigger the WPS function.
Press for more than 5 seconds to reset the device.
When the wireless LED is steady it means that the Wireless Function is enabled.
B
Power LED
Off
No power
On
When Simple Connect is pressed for more than 10 seconds, this LED turns OFF and turns
ON to confirm the Private Network Password reset.
After Simple Connect is pressed for 2 seconds, this LED blinks to confirm the button press.
C
Powerline Activity
Off
An Ethernet device is not connected.
On
When Simple Connect is pressed for more than 10 seconds and PLC is enabled, this LED
turns OFF to confirm the Private Network Password reset. If PLC is disabled, this LED
remains off.
This LED is steady in colour when the device is part of a network.
The LED colours represent the connection rate within the network whether it is good (red),
better (amber), or best (green).
D
Ethernet Activity
Off
An Ethernet device is not connected.
On
This LED is steady when an Ethernet device is connected.
The LED flashes to indicate Ethernet activity.
E
Ethernet Port
Accepts either cross or straight Ethernet cable.
F
Simple Connect Button
Press to create or join a network.
When Simple Connect is pressed for more than 10 seconds, the Private Network Password is
randomized.
Then Press for 2 seconds to pair the device.
G
Dual Band Switch (2.4GHz/5GHz)
This allows you to manually switch to either 2.4 Ghz or 5 Ghz frequency band.
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AC Passthrough Adapter
LABEL
STATUS
DESCRIPTION/FUNCTION
Power
Off
No power
On
Powerline adapter is in Power Saving Status when LED is blinking slowly.
When Simple Connect is pressed for 5-8 seconds, this LED will turn OFF and turn ON once
to confirm the Private Network Password reset.
After Simple Connect is pressed for 2-4 seconds, this LED will blink to confirm the button
press.
Powerline Activity
Off
Device is not connected to a Powerline adapter network.
On
When Simple Connect is pressed for 5-8 seconds, this LED will turn OFF to confirm the
Private Network Password reset.
This LED is steady in color when the device is part of a Powerline adapter network.
The LED colors represents the connection rate within the Powerline adapter network
whether it is good (red), better (amber), or best (green).
Ethernet Activity
Off
An Ethernet device is not connected.
On
When Simple Connect is pressed for 5-8 seconds, this LED will turn OFF to confirm the
Private Network Password reset.
This LED is steady in colour when the device is part of a Powerline adapter network.
The LED colours represent the connection rate within the Powerline adapter network
whether it is good (red), better (amber), or best (green).
Ethernet Port
Accepts either crossover or straight-through Ethernet cable.
Simple Connect Button
/ Reset Button
Press to create or join a Powerline adapter network. It can also be used to reset the Private
Network Password to a random key.
When Simple Connect is pressed for 5-8 seconds, it will randomize the Private Network
Password.
Press for 10-13 seconds to reset to the factory default settings. When you reset to the
factory default, all your configuration changes are removed.
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NP508 – 500Mbps Powerline Adapters User Guide
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How to Use Simple Connect
The Powerline Adapters that you have received are ready for use straight out of the box. They require no initial set-up or
configuration. All you need to do is connect them as detailed in the Quick Start Guide. The following instructions about using the
Simple Connect button to configure your network are only applicable if you want to change the default private network password or
add more adapters on the same Powerline network.
Simple Connect provides a more convenient way of creating your Powerline network without the need to open the Powerline Utility
software from a computer. The button has three main functions which include:
Creating a Powerline Network
Resetting the Private Network Password
Joining an existing Powerline Network
Creating a Powerline Network
To create a Powerline network, you need at least two Powerline devices using random Private Network Passwords. When you
press Simple Connect on both devices, a common Private Network Password will be automatically generated to enable them to
communicate with each other.
Note: New Powerline adapters can already communicate with each other out of the box. However, if you intend to create a
new Private Network Password using Simple Connect for both devices, you must reset their Private Network Passwords to
a random key before proceeding.
To create a Powerline network using Simple Connect:
1. Plug your Powerline adapters side-by-side where you can easily observe the LED behaviour. Upon connection, the LEDs
will blink simultaneously and then the Power LED remains on steadily.
Adapter X Adapter Y
2. Press Simple Connect for two seconds on Adapter X. After you release the button, the Power LED will blink. If the Power
LED did not blink, press Simple Connect again for two seconds.
3. Press Simple Connect for two seconds on Adapter Y. After you release the button, the Power LED will blink. If the Power
LED did not blink, press Simple Connect again for two seconds. Make sure to press Simple Connect on Adapter Y within
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NP508 – 500Mbps Powerline Adapters User Guide
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two minutes after you press Simple Connect on Adapter X. The LEDs on both devices will switch off and on twice to signify
that they are searching for another device with which to pair.
4. To confirm the connection was established, check the LEDs. If a connection is made successfully the Power LEDs and the
Powerline Activity LEDs on both adapters are on. If the Powerline Activity LED on either Adapter X or Adapter Y is off, this
means the pairing was not successful. In this case, please repeat the process as outlined from step 1.
5. Unplug the Powerline adapters and then connect them to your Ethernet devices using the Ethernet cables from the product
package. After connecting the Ethernet cable, plug the adapters directly to a wall outlet in the room to which you would like
to provide network access. Keep in mind that only the WiFi Adapter has a WiFi radio, so choose a location for it that
provides WiFi coverage for the desired area.
Note: Powerline adapters work best when connected directly to a wall socket. Avoid plugging them into a power strip or
power extension. Other electrical devices in the power strip produce electrical noise that may affect the performance of the
adapter.
Resetting the Private Network Password
The Simple Connect button allows you to reset the Powerline adapter’s Private Network Password to a random key. When a
Powerline adapter is reset to a random key, it will not be able to communicate with any other device.
Note: The Simple Connect button has multiple functions depending on the length of time it is depressed. Resetting the
Private Network Password is not the same as restoring factory default settings.
To reset the Private Network Password using the Simple Connect button:
1. On one Powerline adapter, press and hold the Simple Connect button down for 11-13 seconds, wait for the Power LED
and Ethernet LED to turn off, and then release. The Powerline Activity LEDs of both units turn OFF.
2. On the second adapter, press the Simple Connect button for 2 seconds and then press the Simple Connect button on the
first Powerline adapter to pair the devices. The Power LED blinks to indicate that the button is pressed.
Joining an Existing Powerline Network
The Simple Connect feature enables a new device to join an existing network by copying the Private Network Password of the
existing network to the new Powerline adapter.
To join an existing secured Powerline network using the Simple Connect button:
1. Plug Powerline adapter Z beside one of your existing Powerline adapter devices. Make sure you can observe the LED
behaviour. Upon connection, Powerline adapter Z’s LEDs blink simultaneously and then the Power LED remains on
steadily. If there is an Ethernet link, the Ethernet LED will be on.
2. On Powerline adapter Z, press the Simple Connect button for 5-8 seconds. When you release the button, the Power LED
and Ethernet LED will turn off and on again.
3. On the existing Powerline device, press the Simple Connect button for 1-3 seconds. When you release the button, the
Power LED blinks continuously. If the Power LED did not blink, press the Simple Connect button again for 1-3 seconds.
4. Within the next 2 minutes, press the Simple Connect button on Powerline adapter Z again for 1-3 seconds.
5. Confirm that the connection was established successfully. To do this, check that the Power LEDs and Powerline Activity
LEDs on all Powerline adapters are on. If the Powerline Activity LED on adapter Z is off, the pairing was not successful and
you must repeat the process.
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