ZyXEL PLA4231 Owner's Manual

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Quick Start Guide

PLA4231

500 Mbps Powerline Wireless N Extender

Version 1.00 Edition 1, 12/2012

User’s Guide

Default Login Details

LAN IP Address http://192.168.1.2 Password 1234

www.zyxel.com

IMPORTANT! READ CAREFULLY BEFORE USE. KEEP THIS GUIDE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.

Screenshots and graphics in this book may differ slightly from your product due to differences in your product firmware or your computer operating system. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this manual is accurate.

Introduction

CHAPTER 1

Introducing the PLA4231

1.1 Overview

This chapter introduces the main applications and features of the PLA4231 HomePlug AV compliant powerline adapter.

In this User’s Guide the electrical wiring network is referred to as the “powerline network”. The HomePlug AV standard specifies how network devices communicate using standard electrical wiring.

1.2 Expand Your Network with the PLA4231

The PLA4231 plugs into an ordinary power outlet to easily extend a cable or DSL broadband connection or existing Ethernet (LAN) network to any other electrical outlet in any room of a house, all without the need for any new cabling. Devices can securely communicate with each other at high data transfer rates. The PLA4231 uses 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to ensure safe transfer of information.

Figure 1 Expand Your Network with the PLA4231

Connect your PLA4231 to an Internet gateway such as a modem and plug it into an ordinary power outlet in your home. Plug a second PLA4231 into another power outlet and connect a computer to the PLA4231 for Internet access. You can also connect a computer to your existing wireless network through the PLA4231 which acts as an AP or wireless extender. Your network can be further

PLA4231 User’s Guide 9

Chapter 1 Introducing the PLA4231

expanded by plugging additional PLA4231s into other outlets in your home and connecting other computers or network devices (for example, a printer) to them.

Refer to your Quick Start Guide for hardware connection information.

1.3 Ways to Manage the PLA4231

•Use the RESET/ENCRYPT button to add powerline devices to your powerline network if they have this button. See Chapter 3 on page 15 for instructions on using the ENCRYPT feature.

•Use the PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility (or utility, for short) to manage the PLA4231. See Chapter 4 on page 23 for instructions on installing the utility.

Note: This User’s Guide describes the latest version utility. This utility is only compatible

with a PLA4231 which has the latest firmware installed. If you don’t already have them, download the latest firmware and utility from the ZyXEL website.

• Use the Web Configurator for everyday management of the PLA4231 using a (supported) web browser. See Section 7.2 on page 49 for instructions on accessing the Web Configurator.

• WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) button. You can use the WPS button or the WPS section of the Web Configurator to set up a wireless network with your PLA4231. See Section on page 13 for instructions on using the WPS button.

1.4 Good Habits for Managing the PLA4231

Do the following things regularly to make the PLA4231 more secure and to manage the PLA4231 more effectively.

• Change the password. Use a password that’s not easy to guess and that consists of different types of characters, such as numbers and letters.

• Write down the password and put it in a safe place.

• Back up the configuration (and make sure you know how to restore it). Restoring an earlier working configuration may be useful if the device becomes unstable or even crashes. If you forget your password, you will have to reset the PLA4231 to its factory default settings. If you backed up an earlier configuration file, you would not have to totally re-configure the PLA4231. You could simply restore your last configuration.

1.5 Powerline Security

Since your powerline network may extend outside your premises, it is important to set up security on your PLA4231.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

1.5.1 Powerline Passwords

You use two types of passwords in the HomePlug AV powerline network. The following table describes the differences between the passwords.

Table 1 Powerline Password Summary

PASSWORD DESCRIPTION

Network Name All powerline adapters that follow the HomePlug AV standard are shipped with the

same powerline network name “HomePlugAV”. Change the network name via the PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility to create a private network. See Section

5.3 on page 29.

DAK (Data Access Key) Password

In order to manage the powerline adapters on your powerline network you must enter the adapters’ DAK password in the PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility. This password is printed on the powerline adapter itself.

You don’t need to add the password for the powerline adapter directly connected to the computer running the configuration utility (local powerline adapter), you only have to add the remote powerline adapters’ passwords (those on your circuit, but not directly connected to your computer).

1.5.2 Setting Up Powerline Security

Chapter 1 Introducing the PLA4231

The ENCRYPT feature automatically sets up security on your powerline network. Use this feature if your powerline devices have the RESET/ENCRYPT button.

If your devices do not have the RESET/ENCRYPT button, use the PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility to set up security on the PLA4231. Although the PLA4231 is a “plug-andplay” network expanding solution there are several reasons for enabling security on the powerline network in your home.

1 It’s easy and only requires you to change a network name.

2 It’s a good idea to ensure privacy of your communication. When you use the PLA4231 and other

powerline adapters, the electrical wiring in your home becomes an extension of your Ethernet network. Your network traffic flows freely within the electrical circuit of your home and is bounded in most cases by a power meter.

Without security (encryption) your information is accessible to anyone using a powerline adapter on the same electrical circuit. In some cases, a circuit can be shared by more than one household.

To prevent compromising your network security, you can create a private network. A private network uses a secret password (Network Name) to make sure that only permitted powerline adapters can communicate in your network. See Section 5.3 on page 29 for information on setting up a private network.

3 You may need to change the Network Name to create multiple powerline networks. See the next

section for more information on how to set up a multiple network.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 1 Introducing the PLA4231

1.6 Multiple Networks

Multiple powerline networks can coexist on a single powerline circuit. You might want to implement multiple powerline networks in a small office environment where you have two separate Ethernet networks.

1 Connect one powerline adapter to a router or switch on the first Ethernet network and assign a

Network Name (for example “Password1”) to this powerline adapter. Add additional powerline adapters to your network by plugging them into your powerline outlets and assigning them “Password1”. This completes the configuration of your first powerline network.

2 Connect another powerline adapter to a router or switch on the second Ethernet network and

assign a different Network Name (for example “Password2”) to this powerline adapter. Again, add additional powerline adapters and assign them “Password2”.

You now have two private networks on your powerline circuit. Information is not shared between the two networks as only powerline adapters with the same Network Name can communicate with each other.

1.7 Resetting the PLA4231

If you forget your password or IP address, or you cannot access the Web Configurator, you will need to use the RESET/ENCRYPT button at the side of the PLA4231 to reload the factory-default configuration file. This means that you will lose all configurations that you had previously saved, the password will be reset to “1234” and the IP address will be reset to “192.168.1.2”.

1.7.1 Procedure to Use the Reset Button

1 Make sure the power LED is on.

2 Press the RESET button for 10 to 15 seconds (until the power LED begins to blink) and release it to

set the PLA4231 back to its factory-default configurations.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

2.1 WPS Overview

Your PLA4231 supports Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), which is an easy way to set up a secure wireless network. WPS is an industry standard specification, defined by the Wi-Fi Alliance.

WPS allows you to quickly set up a wireless network with strong security, without having to configure security settings manually. Each WPS connection works between two devices. Both devices must support WPS (check each device’s documentation to make sure).

Depending on the devices you have, you can either press a button (on the device itself, or in its configuration utility) or enter a PIN (a unique Personal Identification Number that allows one device to authenticate the other) in each of the two devices. When WPS is activated on a device, it has two minutes to find another device that also has WPS activated. Then, the two devices connect and set up a secure network by themselves.

CHAPTER 2

The WPS Button

2.2 How to Use the WPS Button

You can use the WPS button on the side panel of the PLA4231 to activate WPS.

1 Make sure the power LED and the WLAN LED are on (not blinking).

2 To copy wireless settings (SSID and wireless security key for example) from an access point (AP) or

wireless router, press the WPS button for longer than five seconds and release it. The WLAN LED begins to blink.

To connect a WPS-enabled wireless client (such as your computer with a WPS-enabled wireless adapter) to the PLA4231 via Wi-Fi or to the existing wireless network through the PLA4231, press the WPS button for two or three seconds and release it. The WLAN LED begins to blink.

3 Press the WPS button on another WPS-enabled device within range of the PLA4231.

4 The WLAN LED turns steady on when WPS was successful. The WLAN LED will be off for about ten

seconds if WPS has failed, and comes on again.

Note: You must activate WPS in the PLA4231 and in another wireless device within two

minutes of each other.

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Chapter 2 The WPS Button

PLA4231 User’s Guide

CHAPTER 3

The RESET/ENCRYPT Button

Use the RESET/ENCRYPT button to automatically set up a secure powerline connection between your powerline devices.

3.1 RESET/ENCRYPT Button Overview

The RESET/ENCRYPT button allows you to set up a secure powerline connection with other HomePlug AV compliant powerline devices which also support the ENCRYPT feature. No other powerline setting changes are required to connect.

You can use the RESET/ENCRYPT button to:

• set up a new powerline network.

• separate an existing powerline network into multiple networks.

• reset the PLA4231 to the factory defaults.

3.2 Set Up a HomePlug AV Network with ENCRYPT

You can connect a number of devices on a powerline network, but you can use the RESET/ ENCRYPT button on only two devices at a time.

Place a powerline device close to another powerline device so you have time to set up each one. After you set up the first powerline device, you have 120 seconds to set up the second powerline device.

You can disconnect them from your computer or modem (or other networking equipment) if you need to move them close to each other, but the powerline devices need to be plugged into power outlets.

Follow the steps below to set up your HomePlug AV Network:

1 Press and hold the RESET/ENCRYPT button at the side of your powerline device for 5 to 8 seconds

and then release it. This resets the network name to a random value and removes your device from any network it may belong to.

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Chapter 3 The RESET/ENCRYPT Button

press 0.5 ~ 3 seconds

within 2

minutes

2 Press the RESET/ENCRYPT button at the side of your powerline device for 0.5 to 3 seconds. The

power ( ) light will blink as the powerline device tries to set up a connection.

Figure 2 ENCRYPT Connection Procedure

Note: The RESET/ENCRYPT button’s location varies for each Powerline model.

3 Repeat step 2 in this section for the other powerline device you wish to connect. This must be done

within 120 seconds of pressing the RESET/ENCRYPT button on the PLA4231.

Note: Check the lights on the two powerline devices. The power ( ) and HomePlug ( )

lights should be blinking while the devices are connecting. Several times all lights blink simultaneously and the HomePlug ( ) light also shows red. Wait for about one minute while your powerline devices connect.

If the power ( ) light does not blink when you press RESET/ENCRYPT, you have probably pressed the RESET/ENCRYPT button for too long. Try again, pressing the RESET/ ENCRYPT button for 0.5 to 3 seconds.

If the HomePlug ( ) lights on both powerline devices do not light up, the powerline devices are not connected. Repeat steps 2 and 3 in this section. If that doesn’t work, see the Troubleshooting in Section 14.5 on page 99 for suggestions.

4 To add more powerline devices to your network, press and hold the RESET/ENCRYPT button on

device C (shown below) for for 5 to 8 seconds and then release it.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 3 The RESET/ENCRYPT Button

5 Then repeat steps 2 and 3 in this section using any powerline device (A or B) you have connected

using ENCRYPT and the powerline device you want to connect (C). You must use the RESET/ ENCRYPT button on both devices.

Figure 3 Adding More Powerline Adapters to Your Network

6 If you disconnected your computer or modem (or any other networking product connected to your

powerline device) in step of this section, you can now reconnect them.

This sets up your powerline network between your powerline devices.

3.3 Setting Up Multiple Networks

You can use the RESET/ENCRYPT button to set up multiple powerline networks using your existing powerline network.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 3 The RESET/ENCRYPT Button

For example, you have already set up a powerline network in your home (A) which accesses a printer (B). Now you want a separate powerline network connection from your laptop to your printer (C).

Figure 4 One Existing Powerline Network

1 Click the RESET/ENCRYPT button on (A) for 5 to 8 seconds and then release it. This disconnects

(A) from (B).

2 Click the RESET/ENCRYPT button on (A) and (C) for 0.5 to 3 seconds and within two minutes of

each other.

3 Wait for about one minute while (A) and (C) connect.

4 Check the LEDs on both (A) and (C). When the power ( ) and HomePlug ( ) lights stop blinking

and the power ( ) light shines steadily, the devices are connected.

Figure 5 Two Separate Powerline Networks

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 3 The RESET/ENCRYPT Button

Congratulations. You now have two separate powerline networks as shown above.

If the HomePlug ( ) lights on both powerline devices do not light up, the powerline devices are not connected. Repeat the connection process, making certain you press the RESET/ENCRYPT buttons for the correct time and within two minutes of each other. If that does not work see Section 14.5 on page 99 for suggestions.

3.4 RESET/ENCRYPT Button Behavior

The following table summarizes the actions that occur when the RESET/ENCRYPT button is pressed for specific lengths of time.

Table 2 Time RESET/ENCRYPT Button is Pressed and Action

TIME ACTION POWER LIGHT BEHAVIOR

0.5 to 3 seconds

5 to 8 seconds

10 to 15 seconds

The device joins a network. It shares the same network name as other devices on the network.

The device leaves any network it is associated with and its network name assumes a random value.

Clear all user-entered configuration information and return the device to its factory defaults.

The power ( ) light blinks until the device is connected. This may take a minute.

The power ( ) light blinks several times and then shines steadily.

HOMEPLUG LIGHT BEHAVIOR

The HomePlug ( ) light turns on if your device is connected to another powerline device or a powerline network.

The HomePlug ( ) light blinks red one time and then turns off when it disconnects from the powerline network.

See Troubleshooting in Chapter 14 on page 99 for suggestions on problems with the RESET/ ENCRYPT button and the lights.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 3 The RESET/ENCRYPT Button

PLA4231 User’s Guide

PART II

Configuration Utility

CHAPTER 4

Installing the Powerline Configuration Utility

This chapter guides you through the installation of the configuration utility for your PLA4231.

4.1 Overview of the Installation Process

The installation of the configuration utility does the following:

1 Checks for and installs Microsoft’s .NET Framework version 2.0 software on your computer. This

software is necessary for the installation of the PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility. If you already have .NET Framework version 2.0 installed on your computer this step will be skipped.

Note: At the time of writing the Utility is only compatible with Microsoft Windows XP,

Microsoft Windows Vista (32-bit version), Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows 8 operating systems. Users with Windows XP (64-Bit version) operating systems can go to Microsoft’s website to upgrade their systems to .NET Framework version 2.0 so it can work with the utility. To check for your Windows operating system version, right-click on My Computer > Properties. You should see this information in the General tab.

2 Installs ZyXEL’s PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility. This utility allows you to manage the

network name (See Section 5.3 on page 29 for more information) or view the devices recognized on your powerline network.

Note: This User’s Guide describes the latest version utility. This utility is only compatible

with a PLA4231 which has the latest firmware installed. If you don’t already have them, download the latest firmware and utility from the ZyXEL website.

4.2 Installing the Utility

Follow the steps below to install .NET Framework version 2.0 and the PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility on your computer.

PLA4231 User’s Guide 23

Chapter 4 Installing the Powerline Configuration Utility

1 Insert the included CD-ROM into your computer’s CD-ROM drive. The Setup utility runs

automatically. Alternatively this can also be done manually by double clicking the setup.exe file on the CD. A prompt appears asking you to install the .NET Framework version 2.0. Review Microsoft’s License Agreement, select Accept to proceed.

Figure 6 .NET Framework Installation Prompt

2 The next screen allows you to see the progress of the installation.

Figure 7 .NET Framework Installation Process

3 The Setup utility runs automatically. Click Yes or Next to continue through the initial screen. Click

Cancel only if you want to abort the installation.

Figure 8 InstallShield Wizard Start Screen

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 4 Installing the Powerline Configuration Utility

4 If you want the utility to be only available to the currently logged in user, select Just me.

Otherwise, click Everyone to allow all users to use the configuration utility. Click Next to install the utility to the default folder, or click Browse to specify a different location on your computer.

Figure 9 Install Destination Folder

Note: You can also click Disk Cost to know how much available disk space you have in

the hard drives found in your computer.

5 When the installation is finished, a screen appears to confirm the InstallShield Wizard has

successfully installed the PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility to your computer. Click Close to exit the wizard.

Figure 10 Installation Complete

Note: You may be asked to restart your computer when the installation is complete. Click

“Yes” to restart your computer. If you select “No, I will restart my computer later”, you will not be able to launch the utility until after a restart of your computer.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 4 Installing the Powerline Configuration Utility

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Using the Powerline Configuration Utility

5.1 Overview

This chapter shows you how to use the Configuration Utility (or Utility) to secure, manage and set up Quality of Service (QoS) on your powerline network.

The PLA4231 is designed as a plug-and-play network expanding solution. This means that once you complete your hardware connections, the PLA4231s in your network (without additional configuration) are able to communicate with each other by sending and receiving information over your home’s electrical wiring (A).

Figure 11 Example Network Setup

CHAPTER 5

All HomePlug AV compliant powerline adapters within range can join your network. The range varies depending on the quality of your home’s wiring.

Note: See Section 5.1.1 on page 27 for more information on enhancing your powerline

network security.

5.1.1 Powerline Network Security

When the PLA4231s communicate with each other, they use encryption to protect the information that is sent in the powerline network. Encryption is like a secret code. If you do not know the secret code, you cannot understand the message. The HomePlug AV standard uses 128-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) to safely transmit data between powerline adapters.

For the powerline adapters to communicate with each other they all need to use the same network name. This network name allows the powerline adapters to understand the encrypted information sent in the powerline network.

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Chapter 5 Using the Powerline Configuration Utility

By default the PLA4231s are all configured with the network name HomePlugAV, this allows you to simply plug the devices in and not worry about setting up security. If you want to enhance the security on your powerline network, you can change the network name on the powerline adapters you want to allow to communicate in your powerline network.

5.1.2 Device Access Key (DAK)

In order to manage the powerline adapters on your powerline network you must enter the adapters’ password in the PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility. This password is called the DAK (Device Access Key) password. This password is printed on the powerline adapter itself.

You don’t need to enter the DAK password for the powerline adapter directly connected to the computer running the utility (local powerline adapter), you only have to add the remote powerline adapters’ passwords (those in your powerline network, but not directly connected to your computer).

5.2 Starting the Configuration Utility

To launch the PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility simply double click on the configuration icon on your desktop.

Figure 12 PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility Icon

Alternatively, start the utility by browsing to it from the start menu. Click Start > Programs > ZyXEL PLA42xx Series Configuration > PLA42xx Series Configuration.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

5.3 Configuration Screen

Use the Configuration screen to see which devices are recognized by your powerline network, to configure your PLA4231 and to set up a secure powerline network by changing the powerline network name. This screen opens up when you launch the utility.

Figure 13 Configuration Screen

Chapter 5 Using the Powerline Configuration Utility

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 3 Configuration Screen

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Network Topology

The fields described below are used to identify the powerline adapters recognized on the powerline network. The configuration utility automatically updates this information every 10 seconds. Click Scan to refresh the information in these fields (immediately).

Use this to select which powerline network information is displayed. Different powerline networks are identified by the Ethernet interface (network card) on your computer which is connected directly to a powerline adapter. Typically there is only one connection. However, if your computer has two network cards and both are connected to a powerline adapter, then you have two powerline networks.

Note: Only devices which share the same network name are displayed in this table.

Site This field displays

• Local, if it is identifying the powerline adapter directly connected to the computer

running the configuration utility.

• Remote, if it is a powerline adapter in your powerline network but not directly

connected to the computer running the configuration utility.

MAC Address This is a read-only field which shows the MAC address of the powerline adapter you are

configuring. You can find the MAC address of your PLA4231 displayed on a sticker on the bottom of your device.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 5 Using the Powerline Configuration Utility

Table 3 Configuration Screen (continued)

LABEL DESCRIPTION

DAK Password DAK (Device Access Key) password is used to verify that you are authorized to perform

changes on a remote device. You can find the DAK password printed on a sticker on the bottom of your PLA4231.

Select the remote powerline adapter you want to manage by clicking the MAC address which corresponds to it in the MAC Address column. Enter the DAK Password value and click Save.

Note: You must enter the DAK Password value exactly as it is printed on the label (all caps

and with dashes “-”).

Network Name (NMK)

Set NMK to this device

Set NMK to all devices

Save Click this to apply your changes. The new Network Name is applied to the selected

The default network name (sometimes called a network password or network membership key (NMK)) of the PLA4231 is “HomePlugAV”. HomePlug compatible devices use the same network name to recognize and communicate with each other over the powerline network. If you change the network name of one device on the network, it will no longer be recognized as part of that network.

If you change the network name, make sure you change the network name for all of the powerline adapters that you want to be part of your powerline network.

The network name can be from 8 to 64 characters in length, using “A”~”Z”, “a”~”z”, “0”~”9”; spaces are not allowed.

Select this to apply the NMK (entered in the field above) as the network name for the powerline adapter directly connected to the computer running the configuration utility.

Select this to apply the NMK (entered in the field above) as the network name for all powerline adapter detected by the utility.

powerline adapter.

Note: You must enter the correct DAK password for the selected powerline adapter before

you can make changes to it.

5.4 Firmware Screen

Use the Firmware screen to update the firmware on the PLA4231 directly connected to the computer running the configuration utility.

Firmware is the software which is embedded in the PLA4231. This software contains processing instructions for how the PLA4231 sends and receives information in a secure way.

Parameter Information Block (PIB) is similar to firmware. It contains the most basic operating instructions for the PLA4231 such as how to power up and how to load the firmware.

You can check the ZyXEL website for firmware upgrades for your PLA4231.

Note: If you have upgraded the firmware, make sure you also upgrade the PLA42xx

Series Configuration Utility. Older version utilities are not compatible with PLA4231s using the latest firmware.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 5 Using the Powerline Configuration Utility

Note: Be sure to upload the correct model firmware as uploading the wrong model

firmware may damage your device.

Figure 14 Firmware Screen

5.5 Network Info Screen

Use the Network Info screen to see the rates at which a specific PLA4231 is communicating with other powerline adapters on your powerline network.

Figure 15 Network Info Screen

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 5 Using the Powerline Configuration Utility

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 4 Network Info Screen

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Adapter This field identifies which powerline network information is displayed. Different powerline

Central Coordinator MAC

The information provided in the following table reflects transmission rate information about the powerline adapters which communicate in your powerline network.

The powerline adapters listed in this table are all the powerline adapters in your powerline network except the powerline adapter selected in the Configuration page of the configuration utility. In other words, if the Local powerline adapter is selected in the Configuration screen, then this table will display the rates of transmission from the powerline adapter connected to the computer running the configuration utility to all the Remote powerline adapters.

Site This field displays:

MAC Address This field displays the MAC address of your powerline adapter. The MAC address of your

Tra nsmi t Ra te (Mbps)

Receive Rate (Mbps)

networks are identified by the Ethernet interface (network card) on your computer which is connected directly to a powerline adapter. Typically there is only one connection. However, if your computer has two network cards and both are connected to a powerline adapter, then you have two powerline networks.

The Central Coordinator of the powerline network is the powerline adapter which keeps track of which devices are part of the network as well as synchronizes communication within the powerline network. If the Central Coordinator is removed from the powerline network then another powerline adapter takes its place. This field displays the MAC address of the PLA4231 which is the Central Coordinator of the powerline network. The powerline adapters in your powerline network automatically select the Central Coordinator.

• Local, if it is the PLA4231 directly connected to the computer running the configuration

utility.

• Remote, if it is a PLA4231 in your powerline network but not directly connected to the

computer running the configuration utility.

powerline adapter can be found by looking at the label on your device. It consists of six pairs of hexadecimal characters (hexadecimal characters are “0-9” and “a-f”). In the case of the PLA4231, this label is on the bottom of the device.

This field displays how fast information is sent from the powerline adapter selected in the Configuration screen to this powerline adapter. The rate is given in the following format: “application data transmission rate / raw data transmission rate”. Application data reflects more accurately how fast devices are transmitting application relevant traffic (for example Internet Protocol (IP) traffic). Raw data refers to the whole payload of the packets transmitted across the powerline network.

This field displays how fast information is received from the powerline adapter selected in the Configuration screen to this powerline adapter. The rate is given in the following format: “application data transmission rate / raw data transmission rate”. Application data reflects more accurately how fast devices are transmitting application relevant traffic (for example Internet Protocol (IP) traffic). Raw data refers to the whole payload of the packets transmitted across the powerline network.

5.6 Advanced Screen

Note: This feature is only available with the latest version utility. Go to the ZyXEL website

to download the latest utility and firmware for your ZyXEL HomePlug AV adapter.

You can configure the powerline adapters on your network to give priority to network traffic depending on its importance. When you set the priority of a powerline adapter, you set how quickly messages FROM your powerline adapter are sent in your powerline network. Transmissions TO your powerline adapter do not receive any priority.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 5 Using the Powerline Configuration Utility

For example, if you have a file server on your home network to deliver music and movie files to computers in your home, you should set the priority of the powerline adapter connected to this server to Medium. If video traffic is delivered too slowly, quality problems may occur.

On the other hand, a powerline adapter attached to a printer should have a low priority setting since the slow delivery of messages will not affect the print job.

Similarly, if you want to prioritize any downloads from the Internet, set the priority on the powerline adapter attached to your Internet gateway to High.

Allocate priority settings based on application type as follows.

Table 5 Priority Settings

PRIORITY LEVEL APPLICATION

High Voice Application Medium Video and Audio Applications Normal Data Applications Low Data Applications

The figure below shows an example powerline home network connected to the Internet.

• Device A is a printer and does not handle traffic with high importance, so the powerline adapter connected to it can be set to low priority.

• Device B is a file server, delivering audio or movie files to other users on the network. The powerline adapter attached to it should have a medium setting.

• Device C, a home computer which connects to the Internet, can receive a normal priority setting as it usually sends simple requests for data. For example, when you surf the Internet, your computer sends requests to open web pages.

• Device D is a modem attached to the Internet. It should receive a high priority setting if you want faster downloading through your network.

• Although device E receives audio or movie files, it does not send a lot of traffic, so the powerline adaptor attached to it can be set to a low priority.

Figure 16 Priority Settings

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Chapter 5 Using the Powerline Configuration Utility

Use this screen to configure priority settings for traffic from the powerline adapters on your network.

Figure 17 Advanced Screen

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 6 Advanced Screen

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Adapter This field identifies which powerline network information is displayed. Different powerline

Site This field displays:

• Local, if it is the PLA4231 directly connected to the computer running the configuration

utility.

• Remote, if it is a powerline adapter in your powerline network but not directly connected

to the computer running the configuration utility.

MAC Address This is a read-only field which shows the MAC address of the powerline adapter you are

configuring. You can find the MAC address of your PLA4231 displayed on a sticker on the bottom of your device.

Priority Select a priority setting from the drop-down box for traffic FROM your selected device. The

options, in order of importance, are High, Medium, Normal and Low.

Save Click this to apply your changes. The new Priority setting is applied to the selected

powerline adapter.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

5.7 About Screen

Use the About screen to view information regarding the configuration utility and firmware version of the PLA4231 you are connected to. Click the icon in the top right corner of the utility to view the About screen.

Figure 18 About Screen

Chapter 5 Using the Powerline Configuration Utility

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 7 About Screen

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Utility version: This field displays the software version of the configuration utility. Firmware version This field displays the firmware version of the device you selected in the Device Selection

field of the Configuration screen. In the example firmware version given in the screen, 1.0.0.337, the firmware version is

shown by the numbers 1.0.0, meaning this is firmware version 1.0.0.

Released This field displays the date when the firmware was released. Close Click the button in upper right corner to close the About window.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 5 Using the Powerline Configuration Utility

PLA4231 User’s Guide

6.1 Overview

Use this tutorial to expand your existing powerline network.

After setting up your first home powerline network (instructions for that are in the Quick Start Guide for your ZyXEL powerline adapter) you may want to extend the network or create a new one by adding additional powerline adapters. This tutorial shows you the following.

• How to start up your new powerline adapter. You need to do this before you can begin the next sections.

• How to make your existing powerline network bigger by adding new powerline adapters.

• How to make a new network separate from your existing network with new powerline adapters.

• How to make a new, separate powerline network with the powerline adapters you have.

CHAPTER 6

Powerline Network Setup Tutorial

The tutorial uses the PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility to set up your powerline adapter.

If you haven’t already installed the utility, see Chapter 4 on page 23 for instructions. If you do not have the CD with the utility, the utility software is also available for download at www.zyxel.com. Navigate to the powerline products section of the ZyXEL website to find this software. Follow the instructions provided by the software to install it on your computer.

See the product specifications in the User’s Guide for a list of hardware and software compatible with the utility.

Note: The PLA4231 in this tutorial is an example only. Your powerline adapter may be

different.

6.2 Important Terms

Network Name The network name allows a powerline adapter to connect with other powerline

DAK Password DAK = Device Access Key.

adapters that have the same network name. It provides security for your powerline network. The network name uses English letters or numbers, from 8 to 64 characters long, with no spaces allowed.

The DAK Password lets you access the powerline adapter. You can find the DAK Password on a label on your powerline device.

PLA4231 User’s Guide 37

Chapter 6 Powerline Network Setup Tutorial

6.3 Accessing Your Powerline Adapter

1 Plug the powerline adapter you want to add to your network into a power socket and, if needed,

switch the power socket on.

Figure 19 Plug Your Powerline Adapter into a Power Socket

2 Connect the powerline adapter to your computer.

3 Use a LAN or Ethernet cable (shown below) to connect the LAN or Ethernet port on your adapter to

the same kind of port on your computer.

Figure 20 Connect Your Powerline Adapter to a Computer

4 Open the PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility on your computer. Go to Start > (All)

Programs > ZyXEL PLA42xx Series Configuration > PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility, or click on the icon on your desktop shown below.

Figure 21 Click on the PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility Icon

5 You are now ready to extend your powerline network or set up a second network.

•See Section 6.4 on page 39 to add a new powerline adapter to your network.

•See Section 6.5 on page 40 to set up a second network with your new adapters.

•See Section 6.6 on page 42 to set up a second network with your existing adapters.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

6.4 Adding a Powerline Adapter

This section shows you how to add a new powerline adapter to expand your existing network.

The figure below shows the family computer with Internet access on a powerline network. Expand the network by adding a new powerline adapter connected to a printer.

Figure 22 Add a Printer to Your Powerline Network

Chapter 6 Powerline Network Setup Tutorial

Note: You do not need to know the network name of the new adapter to add it to your

network.

1 Connect your computer to the powerline adapter you want to add to your network and open the

PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility (see Section 6.3 on page 38).

2 The utility should open to the configuration tab. On this screen in the Site column your new

powerline adapter should appear as Local (A). Check the Local adapter’s MAC address (B). It should match the MAC address listed on the label on the back of your powerline adapter.

Figure 23 Adding a New Adapter

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 6 Powerline Network Setup Tutorial

3 Select your adapter by selecting Local and type the network name for your existing network in the

Network Name field (C).

Figure 24 Adding an Adapter to an Existing Network

4 Click Save and click OK on the pop-up.

Figure 25 Network Name Pop-up

5 Your new adapter will now have the same Network Name as your existing network and so has

now joined your existing network.

6 Connect the adapter to the device you want to add to the network, for example, your Internet

refrigerator in the kitchen.

7 Plug the adapter’s power cord into a power outlet and, if required, switch the power outlet on.

8 Repeat this procedure for all additional powerline adapters that you want to add to your existing or

new powerline network.

6.5 Setting Up a New Network with a New Adapter

This section shows you how to use your new powerline adapters to set up a new powerline network separate to your existing network.

The figure below shows two powerline networks in a house. The first network (1) shows the home computer connected to a printer and access to the Internet. The second network (2) has no

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 6 Powerline Network Setup Tutorial

Internet access but with a media adapter such as the ZyXEL DMA-1100P you can use your TV to watch movies and play games which are stored on a computer.

Figure 26 Add New Adapters to Make a Second Network

1 Connect your new powerline adapter and open the configuration utility as shown in Section 6.5 on

page 40. The screen shown below appears.

2 Type a Network Name that is different from the Network Name for your existing network. Make

sure you use the same new Network Name for all new adapters you want to add to your new network.

Figure 27 Making a New Network with the New Adapter

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 6 Powerline Network Setup Tutorial

3 After you have set up a new network, you are ready to connect each powerline adapter on your new

network to devices, for example, a computer or a games console.

6.6 Splitting a Network into Two Networks

This section shows you how to split your existing network into two networks. This is useful if you want to set up a second powerline network in your home, for example, in your study connecting a laptop and printer. See Figure 26 on page 41 for an example.

To set up your existing powerline network you had to set each powerline adapter with the same network name. To move some of these adapters to a new network, you need to give them a new network name.

1 Connect a powerline adapter to your computer and open the PLA42xx Series Configuration

Utility (see Section 6.3 on page 38).

2 The utility should open to the configuration tab as shown below. A list of powerline adapters on your

network displays. These adapters all have the same network name as the adapter you are connected to. The adapter you are connected to will appear as Local in this table. All others are listed as Remote.

Figure 28 Local/Remote Adapters on a Powerline Network

3 To set up a new powerline network, type the DAK Password and change the Network Name on

all powerline adapters you wish to add to your network.

• Look for the DAK Password on a label on your powerline adapter. The DAK Password lets

you access the adapter.

• Select the Remote adapter you want to add (A) and type the DAK Password in the DAK Password field (B).

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 6 Powerline Network Setup Tutorial

• Then type the new network name in the Network Name field.

Figure 29 Adding an Adapter to Your New Network

4 Click Save.

• If you do not type the DAK password or type it incorrectly either of the following pop-ups appear. Click OK and type the DAK Password correctly in the DAK Password field.

Figure 30 Incorrect DAK or No DAK

• If you have correctly entered the DAK Password, click OK on the pop-up.

Figure 31 Correct DAK

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 6 Powerline Network Setup Tutorial

5 The settings for the adapter will now grey out and the adapter will disappear from the table after a

few minutes.

Figure 32 An Adapter on Your New Network

6 Go back to step 3 in this section to set the same, new Network Name for all remote adapters you

want to add to your new network.

7 Check you have added the adapters correctly by changing the network name for the local adapter.

All adapters with the new Network Name now appear in the list of adapters on your network. These adapters are now part of your new network.

Figure 33 Adapters on a New Powerline Network

• If you want to access any of your new powerline networks using the PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility, change the Network Name on your local adapter to the network name for the network you want to access. The adapters on that network will then display in the adapter table, allowing you to select and configure each one.

6.7 Troubleshooting

The HomePlug ( ) LED (light) should light up on your adapter when it successfully connects to other adapters on your network. If it does not, try the following measures.

• Make sure the adapter is plugged in to a power socket and the power socket is turned on.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 6 Powerline Network Setup Tutorial

• Check you have entered the correct network name for your network.

• Check your powerline adapter is connected to the same electrical circuit as other powerline adapters on your network.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 6 Powerline Network Setup Tutorial

PLA4231 User’s Guide

PART III

Web Configurator

7.1 Overview

This chapter describes how to access the PLA4231 Web Configurator and provides an overview of its screens.

The Web Configurator is an HTML-based management interface that allows easy setup and management of the PLA4231 via Internet browser. Use Internet Explorer 6.0 and later or Safari 2.0 or later versions. The recommended screen resolution is 1024 by 768 pixels.

In order to use the Web Configurator you need to allow:

• Web browser pop-up windows from your device. Web pop-up blocking is enabled by default in Windows XP SP (Service Pack) 2.

• JavaScripts (enabled by default).

• Java permissions (enabled by default).

CHAPTER 7

Introducing the Web Configurator

Refer to the Troubleshooting chapter (Chapter 14 on page 95) to see how to make sure these functions are allowed in Internet Explorer.

7.2 Accessing the Web Configurator

1 Connect your computer to the LAN port of the PLA4231.

2 The default IP address of the PLA4231 is “192.168.1.2”. In this case, your computer must have an

IP address in the range between “192.168.1.3” and “192.168.1.254”. Click Start > Run on your computer in Windows. Type “cmd” in the dialog box. Enter “ipconfig” to

show your computer’s IP address. If your computer’s IP address is not in the correct range then change your computer’s IP address.

3 After you’ve set your computer’s IP address, open a web browser such as Internet Explorer and

type “http://192.168.1.2” as the web address in your web browser.

7.2.1 Login Screen

The Web Configurator initially displays the following login screen.

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Chapter 7 Introducing the Web Configurator

Figure 34 Login screen

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 8 Login screen

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Language Select the language you want to use to configure the Web Configurator. Click Login. Password Type "1234" (default) as the password.

7.2.1.1 Weather Edit

You can change the temperature unit and select the location for which you want to know the weather.

Click the icon to change the weather display.

Figure 35 Change Weather

(This is just an example). This shows the current weather, either in celsius or fahrenheit, of the city you specify in Section 7.2.1.1 on page 50.

(This is just an example). This shows the time (hh:mm:ss) and date (yyyy:mm:dd) of the timezone you select in Section 7.2.1.2 on page 51 or Section 13.5 on page 88. The time is in 24-hour format, for example 15:00 is 3:00 PM.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 9 Change Weather

LABEL DESCRIPTION

C or oF Choose which temperature unit you want the PLA4231 to display.

Change Location Select the location for which you want to know the weather. If the city you want is not

Finish Click this to apply the settings and refresh the date and time display.

7.2.1.2 Time/Date Edit

One timezone can cover more than one country. You can choose a particular country in which the PLA4231 is located and have the PLA4231 display and use the current time and date for its logs.

Click the icon to change the time and date display.

Figure 36 Change Time Zone

Chapter 7 Introducing the Web Configurator

listed, choose one that is closest to it.

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 10 Change Time Zone

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Change time zone Select the specific country whose current time and date you want the PLA4231 to

display.

Finish Click this to apply the settings and refresh the weather display.

Note: You can also edit the timezone in Section 13.5 on page 88.

7.2.2 Password Screen

You should see a screen asking you to change your password (highly recommended) as shown next.

Figure 37 Change Password Screen

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 7 Introducing the Web Configurator

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 11 Change Password Screen

LABEL DESCRIPTION

New Password Type a new password. Retype to Confirm Retype the password for confirmation. Apply Click Apply to save your changes back to the PLA4231. Ignore Click Ignore if you do not want to change the password this time.

Note: The management session automatically times out when the time period set in the

Administrator Inactivity Timer field expires (default five minutes; go to Chapter

13 on page 87 to change this). Simply log back into the PLA4231 if this happens.

Right after you log in, the Dashboard screen is displayed. See Chapter 4 on page 81 for more information about the Dashboard screen.

7.3 Navigating the Web Configurator

The following summarizes how to navigate the web configurator from the Dashboard screen.

Figure 38 Status Screen of the Web Configurator

As illustrated above, the Web Configurator screen is divided into these parts:

PLA4231 User’s Guide

• A - title bar

• B - navigation panel

• C - main window

7.3.1 Title Bar

Click Logout at any time to exit the Web Configurator.

Click About to open the about window, which provides information of the boot module and driver versions.

7.3.2 Navigation Panel

Use the menu items on the navigation panel to open screens to configure PLA4231 features. The following tables describe each menu item.

Table 12 Navigation Panel: Access Point Mode

LINK TAB FUNCTION

Dashboard This screen shows the PLA4231’s general device, system and interface

MONITOR

Log Use this screen to view the list of activities recorded by your PLA4231. Packet Statistics Use this screen to view port status and packet specific statistics. WLAN Station

Status

CONFIGURATION

Network

Wireless LAN General Use this screen to configure general wireless LAN and wireless security

MAC Filter Use the MAC filter screen to configure the PLA4231 to block access to

Advanced This screen allows you to configure advanced wireless settings. QoS Use this screen to configure Wi-Fi Multimedia Quality of Service (WMM

WPS Use this screen to configure WPS. WPS Station Use this screen to add a wireless station using WPS. Scheduling Use this screen to schedule the times the Wireless LAN is enabled.

LAN IP Use this screen to configure LAN IP address and subnet mask.

IP Alias Use this screen to have the PLA4231 apply IP alias to create LAN subnets.

HomePlug Powerline

Setting

MAINTENANCE

General Use this screen to view and change administrative settings such as system

Password Password

Setup

Time Time Setting Use this screen to change your PLA4231’s time and date.

Chapter 7 Introducing the Web Configurator

status information. Use this screen to access the summary statistics tables.

Use this screen to view the wireless stations that are currently associated to the PLA4231.

settings.

devices or block the devices from accessing the PLA4231.

QoS). WMM QoS allows you to prioritize wireless traffic according to the delivery requirements of individual services.

Use this screen to view and change powerline settings.

and domain names. Use this screen to change the password of your PLA4231.

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Chapter 7 Introducing the Web Configurator

Table 12 Navigation Panel: Access Point Mode

LINK TAB FUNCTION

Firmware Upgrade

Backup/ Restore

Restart System

Restart

Language Language This screen allows you to select the language you prefer.

7.3.3 Main Window

The main window displays information and configuration fields. It is discussed in the rest of this document.

Use this screen to upload firmware to your PLA4231.

Use this screen to backup and restore the configuration or reset your PLA4231 to the factory defaults.

This screen allows you to reboot the PLA4231 without turning the power off.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

The Dashboard screens display when you log into the PLA4231, or click Dashboard in the navigation menu.

Use the Dashboard screen to look at the current status of the device, system resources, and interfaces. The Dashboard screens also provide detailed information about system statistics, associated wireless clients, and logs.

8.1 The Dashboard Screen

Use this screen to get a quick view of system, Ethernet, WLAN and other information regarding your PLA4231.

Click Dashboard. The following screen displays.

CHAPTER 8

Dashboard

Figure 39 The Dashboard Screen

PLA4231 User’s Guide 55

Chapter 8 Dashboard

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 13 The Dashboard Screen

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Refresh Interval Select a number of seconds or None from the drop-down list box to refresh all screen

statistics automatically at the end of every time interval or to not refresh the screen

statistics. Refresh Now Click this button to refresh the status screen statistics. Device Information Host Name This is the PLA4231’s model name. Firmware Version This is the firmware version and the date created. Sys OP Mode This is the device mode to which the PLA4231 is set - AP Mode. LAN Information

MAC Address This shows the LAN Ethernet adapter MAC Address of your device. IP Address This shows the LAN port’s IP address. IP Subnet Mask This shows the LAN port’s subnet mask. Default Gateway This shows the gateway IP address. DHCP This shows the LAN port’s DHCP role - Client or None.

WLAN Information

WLAN OP Mode This is the device mode to which the PLA4231’s wireless LAN is set - Access Point Mode. MAC Address This shows the wireless adapter MAC Address of your device. SSID This shows a descriptive name used to identify the PLA4231 in the wireless LAN. Channel This shows the channel number which the PLA4231 is currently using over the wireless LAN. Security This shows the level of wireless security the PLA4231 is using.

802.11 Mode This shows the wireless standard. WPS Status This displays Configured when the WPS has been set up.

This displays Unconfigured if the WPS has not been set up. Summary

Packet Statistics Click Details... to go to the Monitor > Packet Statistics screen (Section 9.4 on page 80).

Use this screen to view port status and packet specific statistics.

WLAN Station Status Click Details... to go to the Monitor > WLAN Station Status screen (Section 9.5 on page

System Status Item This column shows the type of data the PLA4231 is recording. Data This column shows the actual data recorded by the PLA4231. System Up Time This is the total time the PLA4231 has been on. Current Date/Time This field displays your PLA4231’s present date and time. System Resource

CPU Usage This displays what percentage of the PLA4231’s processing ability is currently used. When

Memory Usage This shows what percentage of the heap memory the PLA4231 is using.

Interface Status

Interface This displays the PLA4231 port types. The port types are: LAN and WLAN.

81). Use this screen to view the wireless stations that are currently associated to the

PLA4231.

this percentage is close to 100%, the PLA4231 is running at full load, and the throughput is

not going to improve anymore. If you want some applications to have more throughput, you

should turn off other applications (for example, using bandwidth management.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 8 Dashboard

Table 13 The Dashboard Screen

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Status For the LAN ports, this field displays Down (line is down) or Up (line is up or connected).

For the WLAN, it displays Up when the WLAN is enabled or Down when the WLAN is

disabled.

Rate For the LAN ports, this displays the port speed or N/A when the line is disconnected.

For the WLAN, it displays the maximum transmission rate when the WLAN is enabled and N/

A when the WLAN is disabled.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 8 Dashboard

PLA4231 User’s Guide

9.1 Overview

This chapter discusses read-only information related to the device state of the PLA4231.

Note: To access the Monitor screens, you can also click the links in the Summary table of

the Status screen to view the packets sent/received as well as the status of clients connected to the PLA4231.

9.2 What You Can Do

•Use the Log screen (Section 9.3 on page 59) to view the logs for the categories such as system

maintenance, system errors, and so on.

•use the Packet Statistics screen (Section 9.4 on page 60) to view port status, packet specific

statistics, the "system up time" and so on.

•Use the WLAN Station Status screen (Section 9.5 on page 61) to view the wireless stations

that are currently associated to the PLA4231.

CHAPTER 9

Monitor

9.3 Log

Use the View Log screen to see the logged messages for the PLA4231.

Log entries in red indicate system error logs. The log wraps around and deletes the old entries after it fills.

Click Monitor > Log.

Figure 40 Monitor > View Log

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Chapter 9 Monitor

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 14 Monitor > Log

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Display Select what logs you want to see from the Display drop list. The log choices depend on

Refresh Click Refresh to renew the log screen. Clear Click Clear to delete all the logs. # This field is a sequential value and is not associated with a specific entry. Time This field displays the time the log was recorded. Message This field states the reason for the log.

You can configure which logs to display in the View Log screen. Go to the Log Setting screen and select the logs you wish to display. Click Apply to save your settings. Click Cancel to start the screen afresh.

Figure 41 Monitor > Log Setting

your settings in the Log Setting screen.

9.4 Packet Statistics

Click the Packet Statistics (Details...) hyperlink in the Dashboard screen or Monitor > Packet Statistics. Read-only information here includes port status, packet specific statistics and the "system up time". The Poll Interval(s) field is configurable and is used for refreshing the screen.

Figure 42 Monitor > Packet Statistics

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 9 Monitor

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 15 Monitor > Packet Statistics

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Port This is the PLA4231’s interface type. Status For the LAN port, this displays the port speed or Down when the line is disconnected.

For the WLAN, it displays the maximum transmission rate when the WLAN is enabled and Down when the WLAN is disabled.

TxPkts This is the number of transmitted packets on this port. RxPkts This is the number of received packets on this port. Collisions This is the number of collisions on this port. Tx B/s This displays the transmission speed in bytes per second on this port. Rx B/s This displays the reception speed in bytes per second on this port. Up Time This is the total time the PLA4231 has been for each session. System Up Time This is the total time the PLA4231 has been on. Poll Interval(s) Enter the time interval in seconds for refreshing statistics in this field. Set Interval Click this button to apply the new poll interval you entered in the Poll Interval(s)

Stop Click Stop to stop refreshing statistics.

field.

9.5 WLAN Station Status

Click the WLAN Station Status (Details...) hyperlink in the Dashboard screen or Monitor > WLAN Station Status. View the wireless stations that are currently associated to the PLA4231 in

the Association List. Association means that a wireless client (for example, your network or computer with a wireless network card) has connected successfully to the AP (or wireless router) using the same SSID, channel and security settings.

Figure 43 Monitor > WLAN Station Status

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 16 Monitor > WLAN Station Status

LABEL DESCRIPTION

# This is the index number of an associated wireless station. MAC Address This field displays the MAC address of an associated wireless station. Association Time This field displays the time a wireless station first associated with the PLA4231’s WLAN

network.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 9 Monitor

PLA4231 User’s Guide

10.1 Overview

This chapter discusses how to configure the wireless network settings in your PLA4231. See the appendices for more detailed information about wireless networks.

The following figure provides an example of a wireless network.

Figure 44 Example of a Wireless Network

CHAPTER 10

Wireless LAN

The wireless network is the part in the blue circle. In this wireless network, devices A and B are called wireless clients. The wireless clients use the access point (AP) to interact with other devices (such as the printer) or with the Internet. Your PLA4231 is the AP.

10.2 What You Can Do

•Use the General screen (Section 10.4 on page 66) to turn the wireless connection on or off,

enter the SSID, select the channel, and configure wireless security between the PLA4231 and the wireless clients.

•Use the MAC Filter screen (Section 10.6 on page 71) to allow or deny wireless stations based on

their MAC addresses from connecting to the PLA4231.

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Chapter 10 Wireless LAN

•Use the Advanced screen (Section 10.7 on page 73) to configure wireless advanced features,

such as set the RTS/CTS Threshold and HT physical mode.

•Use the QoS screen (Section 10.8 on page 73) to enable Wifi MultiMedia Quality of Service

(WMMQoS). This allows the PLA4231 to automatically set priority levels to services, such as email, VoIP, chat, and so on.

•Use the WPS screen (Section 10.9 on page 74) to quickly set up a wireless network with strong

security, without having to configure security settings manually.

•Use the WPS Station screen (Section 10.10 on page 76) to add a wireless station using WPS.

•Use the Scheduling screen (Section 10.11 on page 76) to set the times your wireless LAN is

turned on and off.

10.3 What You Should Know

Every wireless network must follow these basic guidelines.

• Every wireless client in the same wireless network must use the same SSID. The SSID is the name of the wireless network. It stands for Service Set IDentity.

• If two wireless networks overlap, they should use different channels. Like radio stations or television channels, each wireless network uses a specific channel, or

frequency, to send and receive information.

• Every wireless client in the same wireless network must use security compatible with the AP. Security stops unauthorized devices from using the wireless network. It can also protect the

information that is sent in the wireless network.

10.3.1 Wireless Security Overview

The following sections introduce different types of wireless security you can set up in the wireless network.

10.3.1.1 SSID

Normally, the AP acts like a beacon and regularly broadcasts the SSID in the area. You can hide the SSID instead, in which case the AP does not broadcast the SSID. In addition, you should change the default SSID to something that is difficult to guess.

This type of security is fairly weak, however, because there are ways for unauthorized devices to get the SSID. In addition, unauthorized devices can still see the information that is sent in the wireless network.

10.3.1.2 MAC Address Filter

Every wireless client has a unique identification number, called a MAC address.1 A MAC address is usually written using twelve hexadecimal characters 00:A0:C5:00:00:02. To get the MAC address for each wireless client, see the appropriate User’s Guide or other documentation.

1. Some wireless devices, such as scanners, can detect wireless networks but cannot use wireless networks. These kinds of wireless devices might not have MAC addresses.

2. Hexadecimal characters are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, and F.

; for example, 00A0C5000002 or

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 10 Wireless LAN

You can use the MAC address filter to tell the AP which wireless clients are allowed or not allowed to use the wireless network. If a wireless client is allowed to use the wireless network, it still has to have the correct settings (SSID, channel, and security). If a wireless client is not allowed to use the wireless network, it does not matter if it has the correct settings.

This type of security does not protect the information that is sent in the wireless network. Furthermore, there are ways for unauthorized devices to get the MAC address of an authorized wireless client. Then, they can use that MAC address to use the wireless network.

Encryption

Wireless networks can use encryption to protect the information that is sent in the wireless network. Encryption is like a secret code. If you do not know the secret code, you cannot understand the message.

Table 17 Types of Encryption

Weakest No Security

Static WEP WPA-PSK

Strongest WPA2-PSK

Usually, you should set up the strongest encryption that every wireless client in the wireless network supports. For example, suppose the AP does not have a local user database, and you do not have a RADIUS server. Therefore, there is no user authentication. Suppose the wireless network has two wireless clients. Device A only supports WEP, and device B supports WEP and WPA. Therefore, you should set up Static WEP in the wireless network.

Note: It is recommended that wireless networks use WPA-PSK or stronger encryption.

When you select WPA2-PSK in your PLA4231, you can also select an option (WPA-PSK Compatible) to support WPA as well. In this case, if some wireless clients support WPA and some support WPA2, you should set up WPA2-PSK and select the WPA-PSK Compatible option in the PLA4231.

Many types of encryption use a key to protect the information in the wireless network. The longer the key, the stronger the encryption. Every wireless client in the wireless network must have the same key.

10.3.1.3 WPS

WiFi Protected Setup (WPS) is an industry standard specification, defined by the WiFi Alliance. WPS allows you to quickly set up a wireless network with strong security, without having to configure security settings manually. Depending on the devices in your network, you can either press a button (on the device itself, or in its configuration utility) or enter a PIN (Personal Identification Number) in the devices. Then, they connect and set up a secure network by themselves.

WEP encryption are better than none at all, but it is still possible for unauthorized devices to figure out the original information pretty quickly.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 10 Wireless LAN

10.4 General Wireless LAN Screen

Use this screen to enable or disable the WLAN, enter the SSID, select the channel and configure wireless security settings.

Note: If you are configuring the PLA4231 from a computer connected to the wireless LAN

and you change the PLA4231’s SSID, channel or security settings, you will lose your wireless connection when you press Apply to confirm. You must then change the wireless settings of your computer to match the PLA4231’s new settings.

Click Network > Wireless LAN to open the General screen.

Figure 45 Network > Wireless LAN > General

The following table describes the general wireless LAN labels in this screen.

Table 18 Network > Wireless LAN > General

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Wireless Setup Wireless LAN Select to enable or disable the wireless LAN. This is turned on by default. Name (SSID) The SSID (Service Set IDentity) identifies the Service Set with which a wireless client is

associated. Enter a descriptive name (up to 32 printable characters found on a typical English language keyboard) for the wireless LAN.

Hide SSID Select this check box to hide the SSID in the outgoing beacon frame so a wireless client

cannot obtain the SSID through scanning using a site survey tool.

Channel Selection

Auto Channel Selection

Set the operating frequency/channel depending on your particular region.

Select a channel from the drop-down list box. The options vary depending on the frequency band and the country you are in.

This option is only available if Auto Channel Selection is disabled. Select the check box to have the PLA4231 automatically scan for and select a channel

which is not used by another device.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 10 Wireless LAN

Table 18 Network > Wireless LAN > General

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Operating Channel

Channel Width Select the wireless channel width used by PLA4231.

802.11 Mode You can select from the following:

Security Mode Select Static WEP, WPA-PSK, or WPA2-PSK to add security on this wireless network.

This displays the channel the PLA4231 is currently using.

A standard 20 MHz channel offers transfer speeds of up to 150Mbps whereas a 40 MHz channel uses two standard channels and offers speeds of up to 300 Mbps.

Because not all devices support 40 MHz channels, select Auto 20/40 MHz to allow the PLA4231 to adjust the channel bandwidth automatically.

40 MHz (channel bonding or dual channel) bonds two adjacent radio channels to increase throughput. The wireless clients must also support 40 MHz. It is often better to use the 20 MHz setting in a location where the environment hinders the wireless signal.

Select 20 MHz if you want to lessen radio interference with other wireless devices in your neighborhood or the wireless clients do not support channel bonding.

• 802.11b: allows either IEEE 802.11b or IEEE 802.11g compliant WLAN devices to

associate with the PLA4231. In this mode, all wireless devices can only transmit at the data rates supported by IEEE 802.11b.

• 802.11g: allows IEEE 802.11g compliant WLAN devices to associate with the Device.

IEEE 802.11b compliant WLAN devices can associate with the PLA4231 only when they use the short preamble type.

• 802.11bg: allows either IEEE 802.11b or IEEE 802.11g compliant WLAN devices to

associate with the PLA4231. The PLA4231 adjusts the transmission rate automatically according to the wireless standard supported by the wireless devices.

• 802.11n: allows IEEE 802.11n compliant WLAN devices to associate with the

PLA4231. This can increase transmission rates, although IEEE 802.11b or IEEE

802.11g clients will not be able to connect to the PLA4231. I

• 802.11gn: allows either IEEE 802.11g or IEEE 802.11n compliant WLAN devices to

associate with the PLA4231. The transmission rate of your PLA4231 might be reduced.

• 802.11 bgn: allows IEEE802.11b, IEEE802.11g and IEEE802.11n compliant WLAN

devices to associate with the PLA4231. The transmission rate of your PLA4231 might be reduced.

The wireless clients which want to associate to this network must have same wireless security settings as this device. After you select to use a security, additional options appears in this screen. See Section 10.5 on page 67 for detailed information on different security modes. Or you can select No Security to allow any client to associate this network without authentication.

Note: If the WPS function is enabled (default), only No Security and WPA2-PSK are

available in this field.

Apply Click Apply to save your changes back to the PLA4231. Cancel Click Cancel to reload the previous configuration for this screen.

10.5 Wireless Security

The screen varies depending on what you select in the Security Mode field.

10.5.1 No Security

Select No Security to allow wireless clients to communicate with the access points without any data encryption.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 10 Wireless LAN

Note: If you do not enable any wireless security on your PLA4231, your network is

accessible to any wireless networking device that is within range.

Figure 46 Network > Wireless LAN > Security: No Security

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 19 Network > Wireless LAN > Security: No Security

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Security Mode Choose No Security from the drop-down list box. Apply Click Apply to save your changes back to the PLA4231. Cancel Click Cancel to reload the previous configuration for this screen.

10.5.2 WEP Encryption

WEP encryption scrambles the data transmitted between the wireless stations and the access points to keep network communications private. It encrypts unicast and multicast communications in a network. Both the wireless stations and the access points must use the same WEP key.

Your PLA4231 allows you to configure up to four 64-bit or 128-bit WEP keys but only one key can be enabled at any one time.

Select Static WEP from the Security Mode list.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Figure 47 Network > Wireless LAN > Security: Static WEP

Chapter 10 Wireless LAN

The following table describes the wireless LAN security labels in this screen.

Table 20 Network > Wireless LAN > Security: Static WEP

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Security Mode Select Static WEP to enable data encryption. PassPhrase Enter a passphrase (up to 26 printable characters) and click Generate.

WEP Encryption Select 64-bits or 128-bits.

Authentication Method

ASCII Select this option in order to enter ASCII characters as WEP key.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

A passphrase functions like a password. In WEP security mode, it is further converted by the PLA4231 into a complicated string that is referred to as the “key”. This key is requested from all devices wishing to connect to a wireless network.

This dictates the length of the security key that the network is going to use. Select Auto or Shared Key from the drop-down list box.

This field specifies whether the wireless clients have to provide the WEP key to login to the wireless client. Keep this setting at Auto unless you want to force a key verification before communication between the wireless client and the PLA4231 occurs.

Select Shared Key to force the clients to provide the WEP key prior to communication.

Chapter 10 Wireless LAN

Table 20 Network > Wireless LAN > Security: Static WEP

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Hex Select this option in order to enter hexadecimal characters as a WEP key.

The preceding "0x", that identifies a hexadecimal key, is entered automatically.

Key 1 to Key 4 The WEP keys are used to encrypt data. Both the PLA4231 and the wireless stations must

Apply Click Apply to save your changes back to the PLA4231. Cancel Click Cancel to reload the previous configuration for this screen.

use the same WEP key for data transmission. If you chose 64-bit WEP, then enter any 5 ASCII characters or 10 hexadecimal characters

("0-9", "A-F"). If you chose 128-bit WEP, then enter 13 ASCII characters or 26 hexadecimal characters

("0-9", "A-F").

You must configure at least one key, only one key can be activated at any one time. The default key is key 1.

10.5.3 WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK

Select WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK from the Security Mode list.

Figure 48 Network > Wireless LAN > Security: WPA2-PSK

PLA4231 User’s Guide

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 21 Network > Wireless LAN > Security: WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Security Mode Select WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK to enable data encryption.

WPA-PSK Compatible

Pre-Shared Key WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK uses a simple common password for authentication.

Group Key Update Timer

Apply Click Apply to save your changes back to the PLA4231. Cancel Click Cancel to reload the previous configuration for this screen.

10.6 MAC Filter

Chapter 10 Wireless LAN

This field appears when you choose WPA2-PSK as the Security Mode. Check this field to allow wireless devices using WPA-PSK security mode to connect to

your PLA4231.

Type a pre-shared key from 8 to 63 case-sensitive keyboard characters. The Group Key Update Timer is the rate at which the AP sends a new group key out to

all clients. The default is 3600 seconds (60 minutes).

The MAC filter screen allows you to configure the PLA4231 to give exclusive access to devices (Allow) or exclude devices from accessing the PLA4231 (Deny). Every Ethernet device has a unique MAC (Media Access Control) address. The MAC address is assigned at the factory and consists of six pairs of hexadecimal characters, for example, 00:A0:C5:00:00:02. You need to know the MAC address of the devices to configure this screen.

To change your PLA4231’s MAC filter settings, click Network > Wireless LAN > MAC Filter. The screen appears as shown.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 10 Wireless LAN

Figure 49 Network > Wireless LAN > MAC Filter

The following table describes the labels in this menu.

Table 22 Network > Wireless LAN > MAC Filter

LABEL DESCRIPTION

MAC Address Filter

Filter Action Define the filter action for the list of MAC addresses in the MAC Filter Summary table.

MAC Filter Summary Set This is the index number of the MAC address. MAC Address Enter the MAC address of the wireless station that are allowed or denied access to the

Apply Click Apply to save your changes back to the PLA4231. Cancel Click Cancel to reload the previous configuration for this screen.

Select to turn on (Enable) or off (Disable) MAC address filtering.

Select Allow to permit access to the PLA4231, MAC addresses not listed will be denied access to the PLA4231.

Select Deny to block access to the PLA4231, MAC addresses not listed will be allowed to access the PLA4231.

PLA4231.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

10.7 Wireless LAN Advanced Screen

Use this screen to allow wireless advanced features, such as the output power, and RTS/CTS Threshold.

Click Network > Wireless LAN > Advanced. The screen appears as shown.

Figure 50 Network > Wireless LAN > Advanced

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Chapter 10 Wireless LAN

Table 23 Network > Wireless LAN > Advanced

LABEL DESCRIPTION

RTS/CTS Threshold

Fragmentation Threshold

Intra-BSS Traffic A Basic Service Set (BSS) exists when all communications between wireless clients or

Tx Power Set the output power of the PLA4231 in this field. If there is a high density of APs in an

Apply Click Apply to save your changes back to the PLA4231. Cancel Click Cancel to reload the previous configuration for this screen.

Data with its frame size larger than this value will perform the RTS (Request To Send)/CTS (Clear To Send) handshake.

Note: If you select 802.11n, 802.11gn or 802.11bgn in the Wireless LAN > General screen,

this field is not configurable and the PLA4231 automatically changes to use the maximum value.

The threshold (number of bytes) for the fragmentation boundary for directed messages. It is the maximum data fragment size that can be sent.

Note: If you select 802.11n, 802.11gn or 802.11bgn in the Wireless LAN > General screen,

this field is not configurable and the PLA4231 automatically changes to use the maximum value.

between a wireless client and a wired network client go through one access point (AP).

Intra-BSS traffic is traffic between wireless clients in the BSS. When Intra-BSS traffic is enabled, wireless clients can access the wired network and communicate with each other. When Intra-BSS traffic is disabled, wireless clients can still access the wired network but cannot communicate with each other.

area, decrease the output power of the PLA4231 to reduce interference with other APs. Select one of the following 100%, 90%, 75%, 50%, 25% or 10%.

10.8 Quality of Service (QoS) Screen

The QoS screen allows you to automatically give a service (such as VoIP and video) a priority level.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 10 Wireless LAN

Click Network > Wireless LAN > QoS. The following screen appears.

Figure 51 Network > Wireless LAN > QoS

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 24 Network > Wireless LAN > QoS

LABEL DESCRIPTION

WMM QoS Select Enable to have the PLA4231 automatically give a service a priority level

Apply Click Apply to save your changes to the PLA4231. Cancel Click Cancel to reload the previous configuration for this screen.

according to the ToS value in the IP header of packets it sends. WMM QoS (Wifi MultiMedia Quality of Service) gives high priority to voice and video, which makes them run more smoothly.

Note: If you select 802.11n, 802.11gn or 802.11bgn in the Wireless LAN > General

screen, this field is not configurable and the PLA4231 automatically enables WMM QoS.

10.9 WPS Screen

Use this screen to enable/disable WPS, view or generate a new PIN number and check current WPS status. To open this screen, click Network > Wireless LAN > WPS tab.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Figure 52 Network > Wireless LAN > WPS

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Chapter 10 Wireless LAN

Table 25 Network > Wireless LAN > WPS

LABEL DESCRIPTION

WPS Setup WPS Select Enable to turn on the WPS feature. Otherwise, select Disable. PIN Code Select Enable and click Apply to allow the PIN Configuration method. If you select

PIN Number This is the WPS PIN (Personal Identification Number) of the PLA4231. Enter this PIN in the

Status Status This displays Configured when the PLA4231 has connected to a wireless network using

Release Configuration

802.11 Mode This is the 802.11 mode used. Only compliant WLAN devices can associate with the

SSID This is the name of the wireless network (the PLA4231’s first SSID). Security This is the type of wireless security employed by the network. Apply Click Apply to save your changes back to the PLA4231. Cancel Click Cancel to reload the previous configuration for this screen.

Disable, you cannot create a new PIN number.

configuration utility of the device you want to connect to the PLA4231 using WPS.

The PIN is not necessary when you use WPS push-button method. Click Generate to generate a new PIN number.

WPS or when Enable WPS is selected and wireless or wireless security settings have been changed. The current wireless and wireless security settings also appear in the screen.

This displays Unconfigured if WPS is disabled and there are no wireless or wireless security changes on the PLA4231 or you click Release_Configuration to remove the configured wireless and wireless security settings.

This button is only available when the WPS status displays Configured.

Click this button to remove all configured wireless and wireless security settings for WPS connections on the PLA4231.

PLA4231.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 10 Wireless LAN

10.10 WPS Station Screen

Use this screen when you want to add a wireless station using WPS. To open this screen, click Network > Wireless LAN > WPS Station tab.

Note: After you click Push Button on this screen, you have to press a similar button in

the wireless station utility within 2 minutes. To add the second wireless station, you have to press these buttons on both device and the wireless station again after the first 2 minutes.

Figure 53 Network > Wireless LAN > WPS Station

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 26 Network > Wireless LAN > WPS Station

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Push Button Use this button when you use the PBC (Push Button Configuration) method to configure

wireless stations’s wireless settings.

Click this to start WPS-aware wireless station scanning and the wireless security information synchronization.

Or input station’s PIN number

Use this button when you use the PIN Configuration method to configure wireless station’s wireless settings.

Type the same PIN number generated in the wireless station’s utility. Then click Start to associate to each other and perform the wireless security information synchronization.

10.11 Scheduling Screen

Use this screen to set the times your wireless LAN is turned on and off. Wireless LAN scheduling is disabled by default. The wireless LAN can be scheduled to turn on or off on certain days and at certain times. To open this screen, click Network > Wireless LAN > Scheduling tab.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Figure 54 Network > Wireless LAN > Scheduling

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Chapter 10 Wireless LAN

Table 27 Network > Wireless LAN > Scheduling

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Wireless LAN Scheduling

Scheduling WLAN Status Select On or Off to specify whether the Wireless LAN is turned on or off. This field works

Day Select Everyday or the specific days to turn the Wireless LAN on or off. If you select

For the following times (24-Hour Format)

Apply Click Apply to save your changes back to the PLA4231. Cancel Click Cancel to reload the previous configuration for this screen.

Select Enable to activate the wireless LAN scheduling feature. Select Disable to turn it off.

in conjunction with the Day and For the following times fields.

Everyday you can not select any specific days. This field works in conjunction with the For the following times field.

Select a begin time using the first set of hour and minute (min) drop down boxes and select an end time using the second set of hour and minute (min) drop down boxes. If you have chosen On earlier for the WLAN Status the Wireless LAN will turn on between the two times you enter in these fields. If you have chosen Off earlier for the WLAN Status the Wireless LAN will turn off between the two times you enter in these fields.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 10 Wireless LAN

PLA4231 User’s Guide

11.1 Overview

LAN

This chapter describes how to configure LAN settings.

A Local Area Network (LAN) is a shared communication system to which many computers are attached. A LAN is a computer network limited to the immediate area, usually the same building or floor of a building. The LAN screens can help you configure the manage IP address, and partition your physical network into logical networks.

Figure 55 LAN Example

CHAPTER 11

LAN

The LAN screens can help you manage IP addresses.

11.2 What You Can Do

•Use the IP screen (Section 11.4 on page 80) to change the IP address for your PLA4231 and DNS

server information.

•Use the IP Alias screen (Section 11.5 on page 81) to have the PLA4231 apply IP alias to create

LAN subnets.

11.3 What You Need To Know

There are two separate IP networks, one inside the LAN network and the other outside the WAN network as shown next.

PLA4231 User’s Guide 79

Chapter 11 LAN

LAN

WAN

Figure 56 LAN and WAN IP Addresses

The LAN parameters of the PLA4231 are preset in the factory with the following values:

• IP address of 192.168.1.2 with subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 (24 bits)

11.3.1 LAN TCP/IP

The PLA4231 has built-in DHCP server capability that assigns IP addresses and DNS servers to systems that support DHCP client capability.

11.3.2 IP Alias

IP alias allows you to partition a physical network into different logical networks over the same Ethernet interface. The PLA4231 supports three logical LAN interfaces via its single physical Ethernet interface with the PLA4231 itself as the gateway for each LAN network.

11.4 LAN IP Screen

Use this screen to change the IP address for your PLA4231. Click Network > LAN > IP.

Figure 57 Network > LAN > IP (Access Point or Universal Repeater)

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 11 LAN

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 28 Network > LAN > IP

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Obtain an IP Address Automatically

Static IP Address Click this if you want to specify the IP address of your PLA4231. Or if your ISP or

IP Address Type the IP address in dotted decimal notation. The default setting is 192.168.1.2. If

Subnet Mask The subnet mask specifies the network number portion of an IP address. Gateway IP

Address DNS Server First DNS Server

Second DNS Server

Apply Click Apply to save your changes back to the PLA4231. Cancel Click Cancel to reload the previous configuration for this screen.

Click this to deploy the PLA4231 as a DHCP client in the network.

When you enable this, the PLA4231 gets its IP address from the network’s DHCP server (for example, your ISP or router). Users connected to the PLA4231 can now access the network (i.e., the Internet if the IP address is given by the ISP or a router with Internet access).

The Web Configurator may no longer be accessible unless you know the IP address assigned by the DHCP server to the PLA4231. Otherwise, you need to reset the PLA4231 to be able to access the Web Configurator again (see Section 13.7 on page 92 for details on how to reset the PLA4231).

Also when you select this, you cannot enter an IP address for your PLA4231 in the field below.

network administrator gave you a static IP address to access the network or the Internet.

you change the IP address you will have to log in again with the new IP address.

Enter a gateway IP address (if your ISP or network administrator gave you one) in this field.

Select Obtained From ISP if your ISP or router to which the PLA4231 connects dynamically assigns DNS server information (and the PLA4231's WAN IP address). The field to the right displays the (read-only) DNS server IP address that the ISP assigns.

Select User-Defined if you have the IP address of a DNS server. Enter the DNS server's IP address in the field to the right.

Select None if you do not want to configure DNS servers. If you do not configure a DNS server, you must know the IP address of a computer in order to access it.

11.5 IP Alias Screen

Use this screen to have the PLA4231 apply IP alias to create LAN subnets. Click LAN > IP Alias.

Figure 58 Network > LAN > IP Alias

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 11 LAN

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 29 Network > LAN > IP Alias

LABEL DESCRIPTION

IP Alias Check this to enable IP alias. IP Address Type the IP alias address of your PLA4231 in dotted decimal notation. IP Subnet Mask The subnet mask specifies the network number portion of an IP address. Apply Click Apply to save your changes back to the PLA4231. Cancel Click Cancel to reload the previous configuration for this screen.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

12.1 Overview

This chapter describes how to configure powerline settings. See Chapter 5 on page 27 for more information about powerline network security.

12.2 What You Can Do

Use the HomePlug screen (Section 12.3 on page 83) to secure, manage and set up Quality of Service (QoS) on your powerline network.

CHAPTER 12

HomePlug

12.3 HomePlug Screen

Use this screen to change the powerline settings for your PLA4231. Click Network > HomePlug.

Figure 59 Network > HomePlug

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Chapter 12 HomePlug

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 30 Configuration Screen

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Network Refresh Interval Select a number of seconds or None from the drop-down list box to update the powerline

The fields described below are used to identify the powerline adapters recognized on the powerline network. Click Scan to refresh the information in these fields (immediately).

Note: Only devices which share the same network name are displayed in this table.

Site This field displays

MAC Address This is a read-only field which shows the MAC address of the powerline adapter you are

DAK Password DAK (Device Access Key) password is used to verify that you are authorized to perform

network information automatically at the end of every time interval or to not refresh the powerline network information.

• Local, if it is identifying the powerline adapter directly connected to the computer

running the Web Configurator.

• Remote, if it is a powerline adapter in your powerline network but not directly

connected to the computer running the Web Configurator.

configuring. You can find the MAC address of your PLA4231 displayed on a sticker on the bottom of your device.

changes on a remote device. You can find the DAK password printed on a sticker on the bottom of your PLA4231.

Select the remote powerline adapter you want to manage by clicking the MAC address which corresponds to it in the MAC Address column. Enter the DAK Password value and click Save.

Note: You must enter the DAK Password value exactly as it is printed on the label (all caps

and with dashes “-”).

Network Name (NMK)

Set NMK to this device

Set NMK to all devices

Write Click this to apply your changes. The new Network Name is applied to the selected

If you change the network name, make sure you change the network name for all of the powerline adapters that you want to be part of your powerline network.

The network name can be from 8 to 64 characters in length, using “A”~”Z”, “a”~”z”, “0”~”9”; spaces are not allowed.

Select this to apply the NMK (entered in the field above) as the network name for the powerline adapter directly connected to the computer running the Web Configurator.

Select this to apply the NMK (entered in the field above) as the network name for all powerline adapter detected by the Web Configurator.

powerline adapter.

Note: You must enter the correct DAK password for the selected powerline adapter before

you can make changes to it.

Network Information

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 12 HomePlug

Table 30 Configuration Screen (continued)

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Central Coordinator MAC

The information provided in the following table reflects transmission rate information about the powerline adapters which communicate in your powerline network.

The powerline adapters listed in this table are all the powerline adapters in your powerline network except the powerline adapter selected in the table of the Network Name section. In other words, if the Local powerline adapter is selected in the table of the Network Name section, then this table will display the rates of transmission from the powerline adapter connected to the computer running the Web Configurator to all the Remote powerline adapters.

Site This field displays:

MAC Address This field displays the MAC address of your powerline adapter. The MAC address of your

Tra nsmi t Ra te (Mbps)

Receive Rate (Mbps)

• Local, if it is the PLA4231 directly connected to the computer running the Web

Configurator.

• Remote, if it is a PLA4231 in your powerline network but not directly connected to the

computer running the Web Configurator.

This field displays how fast information is sent from the powerline adapter selected in the

table of the Network Name section to this powerline adapter. The rate is given in the following format: “application data transmission rate / raw data transmission rate”. Application data reflects more accurately how fast devices are transmitting application relevant traffic (for example Internet Protocol (IP) traffic). Raw data refers to the whole payload of the packets transmitted across the powerline network.

This field displays how fast information is received from the powerline adapter selected in the table of the Network Name section to this powerline adapter. The rate is given in the following format: “application data transmission rate / raw data transmission rate”. Application data reflects more accurately how fast devices are transmitting application relevant traffic (for example Internet Protocol (IP) traffic). Raw data refers to the whole payload of the packets transmitted across the powerline network.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 12 HomePlug

PLA4231 User’s Guide

13.1 Overview

This chapter provides information on the Maintenance screens.

13.2 What You Can Do

•Use the General screen (Section 13.3 on page 87) to set the timeout period of the management

session.

•Use the Password screen (Section 13.4 on page 88) to change your PLA4231’s system

password.

•Use the Time screen (Section 13.5 on page 88) to change your PLA4231’s time and date.

•Use the Firmware Upgrade screen (Section 13.6 on page 90) to upload firmware to your

PLA4231.

•Use the Backup/Restore screen (Section 13.8 on page 93) to view information related to

factory defaults, backup configuration, and restoring configuration.

•Use the Restart screen (Section 13.8 on page 93) to reboot the PLA4231 without turning the

power off.

•Use the Language screen (Section 13.9 on page 93) to change the language for the Web

Configurator.

CHAPTER 13

Maintenance

13.3 General Screen

Use this screen to set the management session timeout period. Click Maintenance > General. The following screen displays.

Figure 60 Maintenance > General

PLA4231 User’s Guide 87

Chapter 13 Maintenance

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 31 Maintenance > General

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Administrator Inactivity Timer

Apply Click Apply to save your changes back to the PLA4231. Cancel Click Cancel to reload the previous configuration for this screen.

Type how many minutes a management session can be left idle before the session times out. The default is 5 minutes. After it times out you have to log in with your password again. Very long idle timeouts may have security risks. A value of "0" means a management session never times out, no matter how long it has been left idle (not recommended).

13.4 Password Screen

It is strongly recommended that you change your PLA4231's password.

If you forget your PLA4231's password (or IP address), you will need to reset the device. See

Section 13.8 on page 93 for details

Click Maintenance > Password.

Figure 61 Maintenance > Password

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 32 Maintenance > Password

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Old Password Type the default password or the existing password you use to access the system in

this field.

New Password Type your new system password (up to 30 characters). Note that as you type a

password, the screen displays an asterisk (*) for each character you type.

Retype to Confirm Type the new password again in this field. Apply Click Apply to save your changes back to the PLA4231. Cancel Click Cancel to reload the previous configuration for this screen.

13.5 Time Setting Screen

Use this screen to configure the PLA4231’s time based on your local time zone. To change your PLA4231’s time and date, click Maintenance > Time. The screen appears as shown.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Figure 62 Maintenance > Time

Chapter 13 Maintenance

he following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 33 Maintenance > Time

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Current Time and Date Current Time This field displays the time of your PLA4231.

Each time you reload this page, the PLA4231 synchronizes the time with the time server.

Current Date This field displays the date of your PLA4231.

Each time you reload this page, the PLA4231 synchronizes the date with the time

server. Time and Date Setup Manual Select this radio button to enter the time and date manually. If you configure a new

New Time

(hh:mm:ss)

New Date

(yyyy/mm/dd)

Get from Time Server

User Defined Time Server Address

time and date, Time Zone and Daylight Saving at the same time, the new time and date

you entered has priority and the Time Zone and Daylight Saving settings do not affect

it.

This field displays the last updated time from the time server or the last time

configured manually.

When you select Manual, enter the new time in this field and then click Apply.

This field displays the last updated date from the time server or the last date configured

manually.

When you select Manual, enter the new date in this field and then click Apply.

Select this radio button to have the PLA4231 get the time and date from the time

server you specified below.

Enter the IP address or URL (up to 20 extended ASCII characters in length) of your

time server. Check with your ISP/network administrator if you are unsure of this

information.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 13 Maintenance

Table 33 Maintenance > Time

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Time Zone Setup Time Zone Choose the time zone of your location. This will set the time difference between your

Daylight Savings Daylight saving is a period from late spring to fall when many countries set their clocks

Start Date Configure the day and time when Daylight Saving Time starts if you selected Daylight

End Date Configure the day and time when Daylight Saving Time ends if you selected Daylight

Apply Click Apply to save your changes back to the PLA4231. Cancel Click Cancel to reload the previous configuration for this screen.

time zone and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

ahead of normal local time by one hour to give more daytime light in the evening.

Select this option if you use Daylight Saving Time.

Savings. The o'clock field uses the 24 hour format. Here are a couple of examples:

Daylight Saving Time starts in most parts of the United States on the second Sunday of March. Each time zone in the United States starts using Daylight Saving Time at 2 A.M. local time. So in the United States you would select Second, Sunday, March and type 2 in the o'clock field.

Daylight Saving Time starts in the European Union on the last Sunday of March. All of the time zones in the European Union start using Daylight Saving Time at the same moment (1 A.M. GMT or UTC). So in the European Union you would select Last, Sunday, March. The time you type in the o'clock field depends on your time zone. In Germany for instance, you would type 2 because Germany's time zone is one hour ahead of GMT or UTC (GMT+1).

Savings. The o'clock field uses the 24 hour format. Here are a couple of examples:

Daylight Saving Time ends in the United States on the first Sunday of November. Each

time zone in the United States stops using Daylight Saving Time at 2 A.M. local time.

So in the United States you would select First, Sunday, November and type 2 in the

o'clock field.

Daylight Saving Time ends in the European Union on the last Sunday of October. All of

the time zones in the European Union stop using Daylight Saving Time at the same

moment (1 A.M. GMT or UTC). So in the European Union you would select Last,

Sunday, October. The time you type in the o'clock field depends on your time zone.

In Germany for instance, you would type 2 because Germany's time zone is one hour

ahead of GMT or UTC (GMT+1).

13.6 Firmware Upgrade Screen

Find firmware at www.zyxel.com in a file that (usually) uses the system model name with a “*.bin” extension, e.g., “PLA4231.bin”. The upload process uses HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and may take up to two minutes. After a successful upload, the system will reboot.

Click Maintenance > Firmware Upgrade. Follow the instructions in this screen to upload firmware to your PLA4231.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 13 Maintenance

Figure 63 Maintenance > Firmware Upgrade

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 34 Maintenance > Firmware Upgrade

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Firmware Upgrade File Path Type in the location of the file you want to upload in this field or click Browse... to find it. Browse... Click Browse... to find the .bin file you want to upload. Remember that you must

Upload Click Upload to begin the upload process. This process may take up to two minutes. On-line Firmware Upgrade Check for Latest

Firmware Now

DoFirmware_Upgra de

decompress compressed (.zip) files before you can upload them.

Click this button to get the latest firmware information, such as the version number, release date, release note and file size from the ZyXEL website. Make sure your PLA4231 has Internet access.

Click this button to download and install the latest firmware in your PLA4231.

Note: Do not turn off the PLA4231 while firmware upload is in progress!

After you click Upload, wait two minutes before logging into the PLA4231 again.

The PLA4231 automatically restarts in this time causing a temporary network disconnect. In some operating systems, you may see the following icon on your desktop.

Figure 64 Network Temporarily Disconnected

After two minutes, log in again and check your new firmware version in the Dashboard screen.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Chapter 13 Maintenance

13.7 Configuration Backup/Restore Screen

Backup configuration allows you to back up (save) the PLA4231’s current configuration to a file on your computer. Once your PLA4231 is configured and functioning properly, it is highly recommended that you back up your configuration file before making configuration changes. The backup configuration file will be useful in case you need to return to your previous settings.

Restore configuration allows you to upload a new or previously saved configuration file from your computer to your PLA4231.

Click Maintenance > Backup/Restore. Information related to factory defaults, backup configuration, and restoring configuration appears as shown next.

Figure 65 Maintenance > Backup/Restore

The following table describes the labels in this screen.

Table 35 Maintenance > Backup/Restore

LABEL DESCRIPTION

Backup Click Backup to save the PLA4231’s current configuration to your computer. File Path Type in the location of the file you want to upload in this field or click Browse... to find it. Browse... Click Browse... to find the file you want to upload. Remember that you must decompress

compressed (.ZIP) files before you can upload them.

Upload Click Upload to begin the upload process.

Note: Do not turn off the PLA4231 while configuration file upload is in progress.

After you click Upload, you must then wait one minute before logging into the PLA4231 again. The PLA4231 automatically restarts in this time causing a temporary network disconnect.

Reset Pressing the Reset button in this section clears all user-entered configuration information

and returns the PLA4231 to its factory defaults. You can also press the RESET button on the rear panel to reset the factory defaults of your

PLA4231. Refer to the chapter about introducing the Web Configurator for more information on the RESET button.

PLA4231 User’s Guide

Note: If you uploaded the default configuration file you may need to change the IP

address of your computer to be in the same subnet as that of the default PLA4231 IP address (192.168.1.2).

13.8 Restart Screen

System restart allows you to reboot the PLA4231 without turning the power off.

Click Maintenance > Restart to open the following screen.

Figure 66 Maintenance > Restart

Click Restart to have the PLA4231 reboot. This does not affect the PLA4231's configuration.

Chapter 13 Maintenance

13.9 Language Screen

Use this screen to change the language for the Web Configurator.

Select the language you prefer and click Apply. The Web Configurator language changes after a while without restarting the PLA4231.

Figure 67 Maintenance > Language

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Chapter 13 Maintenance

PLA4231 User’s Guide

This chapter describes the behavior of the LEDs (lights) and offers some suggestions to solve problems you might encounter.

14.1 LEDs

The following sections describes the lights on the PLA4231.

The following figure is the front panel of the PLA4231. Use the lights to determine if the PLA4231 is behaving normally or if there are some problems on your powerline network.

Figure 68 PLA4231 Lights

CHAPTER 14

LEDs and Troubleshooting

PLA4231 User’s Guide 95

Chapter 14 LEDs and Troubleshooting

The following table describes the behavior of the lights on the PLA4231.

Table 36 PLA4231

LIGHTS ICON COLOR STATUS DESCRIPTION

POWER Green On The PLA4231 is on and receiving power.

WLAN Green On The PLA4231’s wireless LAN is ready, or WPS is enabled.

HomePlug Green On The PLA4231 detects another powerline adapter. The

Ethernet 1/ 2

It also indicates a successful connection using the RESET/ENCRYPT button.

Blinking The PLA4231 is starting up.

It also indicates the PLA4231 is trying to connect with another device using the ENCRYPT function.

Blinking at the same time as the HomePlug light indicates an unsuccessful connection if you have used the RESET/ENCRYPT button.

Off The PLA4231 is not receiving power.

Fast Blinking

Slow Blinking

Off The wireless LAN is not ready or has failed.

Amber The PLA4231 detects another powerline adapter. The

Red The PLA4231 detects another powerline adapter. The

Green/ Amber/ Red

Green On The PLA4231 has a successful 10/100MB Ethernet

Blinking The PLA4231 is communicating with another powerline

Off The HomePlug port does not detect another powerline

Blinking The PLA4231 is communicating with a networking device

Off The PLA4231 does not detect any devices connected to

The PLA4231 is sending/receiving data through the wireless LAN, or WPS has failed.

The PLA4231 is negotiating a WPS connection with a wireless device.

data transfer rate is greater than 80 Mbps.

data transfer rate is between 20~80 Mbps.

data transfer rate is between 0~20 Mbps.

adapter. Data is being transmitted and/or received. Blinking at the same time as the POWER light indicates

an unsuccessful connection if you have used the RESET/ENCRYPT button.

adapter.

connection.

connected to the Ethernet port.

its Ethernet port.

14.2 Power and Light Problems

The PLA4231 does not turn on. None of the lights turn on.

1 Make sure the PLA4231 is plugged in to an appropriate power source.

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Chapter 14 LEDs and Troubleshooting

2 Make sure the power button at the side of the PLA4231 is pushed in.

3 Remove the powerline adapter from the outlet. Then connect an electrical device that you know

works into the same power outlet. This checks the status of the power outlet.

4 If the problem continues, contact the vendor.

The Ethernet light does not turn on.

1 Check the hardware connections. See the Quick Start Guide.

2 Inspect your cables for damage. Contact the vendor to replace any damaged cables.

3 Check the Ethernet adapter on your computer and make sure it’s enabled and working properly.

4 If the PLA4231 is connected to an Ethernet switch or router, make sure the device is working

correctly, and that the LAN network is working and configured correctly as well.

The HomePlug light does not turn on.

1 Check all PLA4231s on your network have the latest firmware installed. PLA4231s with the latest

firmware cannot communicate with PLA4231s using earlier versions of the firmware. Go to Section

5.4 on page 30 or Section 13.6 on page 90 for instructions on installing the latest firmware.

2 Use the PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility to detect all other HomePlug devices on your

powerline network. Make sure that the network name (sometimes called the network password) is the same on all of your powerline adapters. See Section 5.3 on page 29 or Section 12.3 on page 83 for instructions on checking the network name.

3 Check the DAK password and MAC address for all powerline adapters are typed correctly in the

utility. See Section 5.3 on page 29 or Section 12.3 on page 83 for instructions on checking the DAK and MAC address.

4 Make sure that all your powerline adapters are HomePlug AV compliant. Check the package it came

in or ask your vendor. This PLA4231 can not detect earlier versions of HomePlug powerline adapters such as HomePlug 1.0 or 1.0.1. (Although they can coexist on the same electrical wiring without interfering with each other.)

5 Make sure that the powerline adapters on your network are all on the same electrical wiring.

Connect another powerline adapter into an outlet close to your PLA4231’s power outlet. They are probably now on the same electrical wiring. Check the HomePlug light. If it now lights up your powerline adapter was probably previously on separate electrical wiring. Ask an electrician for more information on the electrical wiring in your building.

6 If your powerline network is using coaxial cable, check all powerline adapters are on the same

coaxial cable.

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Chapter 14 LEDs and Troubleshooting

7 If your powerline network is using electrical wiring (not coaxial cable), check you do not have a

power meter between powerline adapters. Powerline signals cannot pass this.

The POWER and HomePlug light blink at the same time.

• You have pressed the RESET/ENCRYPT button for more than three seconds. Try setting up a connection again, this time pressing the RESET/ENCRYPT buttons on both devices for less than three seconds.

14.3 Configuration Utility Problems

The PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility displays an error during installation.

• Make sure your computer is using Windows XP or Windows Vista (32-bit) operating system. At the time of writing, this is the only compatible operating system for the configuration utility.

The PLA42xx Series Configuration Utility does not display all or any of my devices.

• Inspect the LEDs on your PLA4231 and make sure that the ETHERNET and HomePlug LEDs are on or blinking. See Section 14.1 on page 95 for troubleshooting LED related problems.

• Check all ZyxEL HomePlug AV devices on your network have the latest firmware installed. The latest utility cannot communicate with PLA4231s using earlier versions of the firmware. Go to

Section 5.4 on page 30 or Section 13.6 on page 90 for instructions on installing the latest

firmware.

• Check you are using the latest version utility. Earlier version utilities cannot communicate with PLA4231s using the latest firmware. If you do not have the latest utility, download it from the ZyXEL website.

• If the device is not a ZyXEL device, then the DAK and Network Name will be greyed out.

• If you are running another tool such as the Firmware Detection Tool, the Utility will not detect your local device.

14.4 Powerline Problems

The signal on my powerline network is weak.

1 Your powerline adapters may be connected to electrical surge protectors. Connect them to standard

power outlets.

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Chapter 14 LEDs and Troubleshooting

2 Your powerline adapters may be located close to large appliances such as refrigerators or air-

conditioners that cause interference with the powerline signal. Move the adapters further away from such appliances to reduce interference.

3 Your powerline adapters may be placed close to electrical devices such as electrical insect-killers

which produce radio waves. These may interfere with the powerline signals. Move the adapters further away from such electrical devices.

4 Your wiring may be old and/or low quality or with a long wiring path.

14.5 RESET/ENCRYPT Button Problems

This section applies only to PLA4231s with the RESET/ENCRYPT button.

The HomePlug light is already on, but I haven’t pressed the RESET/ENCRYPT button yet.

Your device has already connected to another powerline device. Press the RESET/ENCRYPT button for 5 to 8 seconds to release the connection.

The POWER light does not blink when I press the RESET/ENCRYPT button.

• Check the device is on.

• Press the RESET/ENCRYPT button again, making certain you have pressed the button for 0.5 to 3 seconds.

• The POWER light on some powerline devices do not blink as part of the ENCRYPT process. Check your powerline device is a PLA4231.

• For PLA4231, you cannot use the RESET/ENCRYPT button when it is in Low Power mode. Connect the PLA4231 to a computer/router then try again.

The POWER light blinks two times quickly then pauses, before repeating.

The ENCRYPT process has failed. Press the RESET/ENCRYPT button on both devices for 5 to 8 seconds, then try to reconnect.

The POWER lights on both devices blink when I press the RESET/ENCRYPT buttons, but the HomePlug light does not turn on.

• Ensure you have pressed the RESET/ENCRYPT button on both devices.

• Wait for about a minute while the devices set up a connection.

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Chapter 14 LEDs and Troubleshooting

• If that does not work, try again with both devices connected to a power strip next to each other. If they now connect, then the devices were not on the same electrical circuit before.

The POWER lights on both devices blink, then many lights blink and the HomePlug light blinks red.

Do not worry, the connection process is proceeding normally.

The POWER lights on both devices finished blinking, but only one device’s HomePlug light is on.

One device may have connected to a third powerline device. To check device A is connected to device B and not another device, disconnect device B from its power source. Device A’s HomePlug ( ) light will turn off if the connection is with Device B. Press the RESET/ENCRYPT button on both devices for 5 to 8 seconds, then try to reconnect, pressing the RESET/ENCRYPT button for

0.5 to 3 seconds on both devices.

I pressed the RESET/ENCRYPT button for 5 to 8 seconds, but the HomePlug light is still on.

The HomePlug light is on, indicating it is still connected to another powerline device. Try again, pressing the RESET/ENCRYPT button for 5 to 8 seconds.

14.6 Wireless Connection Problems

I cannot access the PLA4231 or ping any computer from the WLAN.

1 Make sure the wireless LAN is enabled on the PLA4231.

2 Make sure the wireless adapter installed on your computer is working properly.

3 Make sure the wireless adapter installed on your computer is IEEE 802.11 compatible and supports

the same wireless standard as the PLA4231.

4 Make sure your computer (with a wireless adapter installed) is within the transmission range of the

PLA4231.

5 Check that both the PLA4231 and your computer (with a wireless adapter installed) are using the

same wireless and wireless security settings.

100

PLA4231 User’s Guide

ZyXEL PLA4231 Owner's Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

PLA4231

Table of Contents

Introduction

Introducing the PLA4231

1.1 Overview

1.2 Expand Your Network with the PLA4231

1.3 Ways to Manage the PLA4231

1.4 Good Habits for Managing the PLA4231

1.5 Powerline Security

1.5.1 Powerline Passwords

1.5.2 Setting Up Powerline Security

1.6 Multiple Networks

1.7 Resetting the PLA4231

1.7.1 Procedure to Use the Reset Button

2.1 WPS Overview

The WPS Button

2.2 How to Use the WPS Button

The RESET/ENCRYPT Button

3.1 RESET/ENCRYPT Button Overview

3.2 Set Up a HomePlug AV Network with ENCRYPT

3.3 Setting Up Multiple Networks

3.4 RESET/ENCRYPT Button Behavior

Configuration Utility

Installing the Powerline Configuration Utility

4.1 Overview of the Installation Process

4.2 Installing the Utility

Using the Powerline Configuration Utility

5.1 Overview

5.1.1 Powerline Network Security

5.1.2 Device Access Key (DAK)

5.2 Starting the Configuration Utility

5.3 Configuration Screen

5.4 Firmware Screen

5.5 Network Info Screen

5.6 Advanced Screen

5.7 About Screen

6.1 Overview

Powerline Network Setup Tutorial

6.2 Important Terms

6.3 Accessing Your Powerline Adapter

6.4 Adding a Powerline Adapter

6.5 Setting Up a New Network with a New Adapter

6.6 Splitting a Network into Two Networks

6.7 Troubleshooting

Web Configurator

7.1 Overview

Introducing the Web Configurator

7.2 Accessing the Web Configurator

7.2.1 Login Screen

7.2.2 Password Screen

7.3 Navigating the Web Configurator

7.3.1 Title Bar

7.3.2 Navigation Panel

7.3.3 Main Window

8.1 The Dashboard Screen

Dashboard

9.1 Overview

9.2 What You Can Do

Monitor

9.3 Log

9.4 Packet Statistics

9.5 WLAN Station Status

10.1 Overview

Wireless LAN

10.2 What You Can Do

10.3 What You Should Know

10.3.1 Wireless Security Overview

10.4 General Wireless LAN Screen

10.5 Wireless Security

10.5.1 No Security

10.5.2 WEP Encryption

10.5.3 WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK

10.6 MAC Filter

10.7 Wireless LAN Advanced Screen

10.8 Quality of Service (QoS) Screen

10.9 WPS Screen