Aztech HomePlug AV User manual

HomePlug AV with Simple Connect Button

User Manual
Page 2 of 40
Legal otice
2008 © All rights reserved. Version 1.1
o part of this document may be reproduced, republished, or retransmitted in any form or by any means
whatsoever, whether electronically or mechanically, including, but not limited to, by way of photocopying,
recording, information recording, or through retrieval systems without the express written permission. We
reserve the right to revise this document at any time without the obligation to notify any person and/or
entity. All other company or product names mentioned are used for identification purposes only and may
be trademarks of their respective owners.
LIMITATIO OF LIABILITY A D DAMAGES
THE PRODUCT A D THE SOFTWARES WITHI ARE PROVIDED "AS IS," BASIS. THE MA UFACTURER A D
MA UFACTURER’S RESELLERS (COLLECTIVELY REFERRED TO AS “THE SELLERS”) DISCLAIM ALL WARRA TIES,
EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, I CLUDI G WITHOUT LIMITATIO THE IMPLIED WARRA TIES OF O -
I FRI GEME T, MERCHA TABILITY OR FIT ESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR A Y WARRA TIES ARISI G
FROM COURSE OF DEALI G, COURSE OF PERFORMA CE, OR USAGE OF TRADE. I O EVE T WILL THE SELLERS
BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES OR LOSS, I CLUDI G BUT OT LIMITED TO DIRECT, I DIRECT, SPECIAL WILLFUL,
PU ITIVE, I CIDE TAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CO SEQUE TIAL, DAMAGES, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSI ESS
PROFITS, OR DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSI ESS OF A Y CUSTOMER OR A Y THIRD PARTY ARISI G OUT OF THE
USE OR THE I ABILITY TO USE THE PRODUCT OR THE SOFTWARES, I CLUDI G BUT OT LIMITED TO THOSE
RESULTI G FROM DEFECTS I THE PRODUCT OR SOFTWARE OR DOCUME TATIO , OR LOSS OR I ACCURACY OF
DATA OF A Y KI D, WHETHER BASED O CO TRACT, TORT OR A Y OTHER LEGAL THEORY, EVE IF THE PARTIES
HAVE BEE ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THE E TIRE RISK AS TO THE RESULTS A D
PERFORMA CE OF THE PRODUCT OR ITS SOFTWARE IS ASSUMED BY CUSTOMER. BECAUSE SOME STATES DO OT
ALLOW THE EXCLUSIO OR LIMITATIO OF LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATIO MAY OT APPLY
TO THE PARTIES. I O EVE T WILL THE SELLERS’ TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY OF EACH A D EVERY KI D I
RELATIO TO THE PRODUCT OR ITS SOFTWARE EXCEED THE AMOU T PAID BY CUSTOMER FOR THE PRODUCT.

User Manual
Page 3 of 40
Contents
About the Product ..................................................................... 5
How Does It Work?.........................................................................................................................5
For best Performance ....................................................................................................................6
Package Contents....................................................................................................... 7
Device Design............................................................................................................. 7
How to Use Simple Connect..........................................................................................................9
Creating a HomePlug AV etwork...........................................................................................9
Resetting the Private etwork ame ...................................................................................14
Joining an Existing HomePlug AV etwork...........................................................................15
Determining Connection Rate.....................................................................................................18
Getting Started........................................................................ 19
Plan Your Net ork ................................................................................................... 20
Local etwork...............................................................................................................................20
Gaming etwork ..........................................................................................................................20
Entertainment etwork...............................................................................................................21
Media etwork.............................................................................................................................21
Setup the HomePlug AVs.......................................................................................... 22
For Twin Pack................................................................................................................................22
For Single Pack .............................................................................................................................22
About HomePlug AV Utility ..................................................... 23
Requirements........................................................................................................... 23
Installation ............................................................................................................... 24
Opening HomePlug AV Utility................................................................................... 25
The User Interface .................................................................................................... 25
Home .............................................................................................................................................26
Private etwork ame................................................................................................................27
Local Private etwork ame..................................................................................................28
Remote Private etwork ame.............................................................................................28
Simulate Simple Connect Button ...........................................................................................29
Quality of Service .........................................................................................................................30
Devices ..........................................................................................................................................32

User Manual
Page 4 of 40
Firmware Upgrade .......................................................................................................................33
Appendix ................................................................................. 35
Frequently Asked Questions..................................................................................... 35
Regulatory Compliance Notices................................................................................ 39

User Manual
Page 5 of 40
About the Product
HomePlug AV Adaptor is ready to use out of the box and does not require the installation
of driver software to work. It can be connected to computers, routers, gaming consoles,
hubs, IPTV set-top boxes, and other Ethernet devices regardless of operating system.
How Does It Work?
HomePlug AV Adaptor utilizes the existing electrical wiring in the house as a path to
create a secured network of computers and Ethernet devices. With a maximum data rate
of up to 200 Mbps, HomePlug AV Adaptor can reliably handle high requirement
applications like broadband Internet, high definition video streaming, and Voice over IP.
HomePlug AV Adaptor converts digital signals to a complex analog signal that traverses
along the electrical wires. When receiving the analog signal, HomePlug AV Adaptor
converts the analog signal back to digital. To make the signal secured, a 128-bit AES
encryption is applied.
A HomePlug AV device can only communicate with other HomePlug AV devices that use
the same Private etwork ame. The Private etwork ame can be changed manually
using the HomePlug AV Utility software on a computer with a Windows operating system.
When you use the software, you have to manually type the Private etwork ame for
the device. Another way to change the Private etwork ame is to use the Simple
Connect button . Simple Connect automatically creates an encrypted Private etwork
ame. It can also be used to reset the Private etwork ame or to add a device into an
existing HomePlug AV network.
ote:
ote:ote:
ote: HomePlug AV devices from the Twin Pack are already configured to use a common Private etwork
ame unique for that pair and are ready to use. The HomePlug AV from a Single Pack, on the other hand,
uses a random Private etwork ame. You still need to change its Private etwork ame to allow it to
communicate with an existing HomePlug AV network.

User Manual
Page 6 of 40
When a HomePlug AV device communicates with another device, the Powerline Activity
LED color will give you an idea about the connection rate: red means below 40 Mbps;
amber means 40 to 105 Mbps; and green means more than 105 Mbps.
For best Performance
For best performance, connect HomePlug AV Adaptor directly to a wall outlet. Avoid
connecting it to a power strip where other electrical devices are connected. Other devices
create electrical noise that may affect the performance of HomePlug AV Adaptor.

User Manual
Page 7 of 40
Package Contents
The package contains the following items:
• 1 HomePlug AV Adaptor for Single Pack or 2 HomePlug AVs for Twin Pack
• 1 Ethernet cable for Single Pack or 2 Ethernet cables for Twin Pack
• Resource CD that contains the HomePlug AV Utility installer and the User Manual.
• Easy Start Guide
Device Design

User Manual
Page 8 of 40
Label
LabelLabel
Label Status
StatusStatus
Status Description/ Function
Description/ FunctionDescription/ Function
Description/ Function
A
Simple Connect
Press to create or join a HomePlug AV network. It can also
be used to reset the Private etwork ame to a random
key.
Off o power. B
Power
On • After Simple Connect is pressed for two
seconds, this LED will blink to confirm the button
press.
• When Simple Connect is pressed for at least 10
seconds, this LED will blink to confirm the Private
etwork ame reset.
Off Device is not connected to a HomePlug AV network. C
Powerline Activity
On • This LED remains on when the device is part of a
HomePlug AV network.
• The LED colors represents the connection rate
within the HomePlug AV network whether it is
good (red), better (amber), or best (green).
• The LED flashes to indicate network activity.
Off An Ethernet device is not connected. D
Ethernet Activity On • An Ethernet device is connected.
• The LED flashes to indicate Ethernet activity.
E Ethernet Port Accepts either cross or straight Ethernet cable.
F Reset to Factory Default Press for 2 seconds to reset to the factory default settings.
When you reset to the factory default, all your
configuration changes will be removed.

User Manual
Page 9 of 40
How to Use Simple Connect
Simple Connect provides a more convenient way of creating your HomePlug AV
network without the need to open the HomePlug AV Utility software from a computer.
The button has three main functions which includes:
• Creating a HomePlug AV etwork
• Resetting the Private etwork ame
• Joining an existing HomePlug AV etwork
Creating a HomePlug AV etwork
To create a HomePlug AV network, you need at least two HomePlug AV devices using
random Private etwork ames. When you press Simple Connect on both devices, a
common Private etwork ame will be automatically generated to enable them to
communicate with each other.
ote:
ote:ote:
ote: ew HomePlug AVs from a Twin Pack can already communicate with each other out of the box.
However, if you intend to create a new Private etwork ame using Simple Connect for both devices, you
need to reset their Private etwork ames to a random key before proceeding.
Simple
Connect
Button

User Manual
Page 10 of 40
To create a HomePlug AV net ork using Simple Connect:
Step 1
Plug your HomePlug AVs side by side where
you can easily observe the LED behavior.
Upon connection, the LEDs will blink
simultaneously and then the Power LED
lights on steadily.
Step 2
Press Simple Connect for two seconds on
HomePlug X. After you release the button,
the Power LED will blink. If the Power LED
did not blink, press Simple Connect
again for two seconds.
ote:
ote:ote:
ote: Do not press Simple Connect for more than 2
seconds.