NETGEAR XAV5004 - POWERLINE AV 500 ADAPTER User manual

350 East Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
USA
February 2011
202-10705-02
v1.0
XAV5004 Powerline AV 500
Adapter
User Manual

2|
XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter User Manual
©2011 NETGEAR, Inc. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated
into any language in any form or by any means without the written permission of NETGEAR, Inc.
Technical Support
Thank you for choosing NETGEAR. To register your product, get the latest product updates, or get support online,
visit us at http://support.netgear.com.
Phone (US & Canada only): 1-888-NETGEAR
Phone (Other Countries): Check the list of phone numbers at
http://support.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/984
Trademarks
NETGEAR, the NETGEAR logo, ReadyNAS, ProSafe, Smart Wizard, Auto Uplink, X-RAID2, and NeoTV are
trademarks or registered trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, and Vista are
registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Other brand and product names are registered trademarks or
trademarks of their respective holders.
Statement of Conditions
To improve internal design, operational function, and/or reliability, NETGEAR reserves the right to make changes
to the products described in this document without notice. NETGEAR does not assume any liability that may occur
due to the use, or application of, the product(s) or circuit layout(s) described herein.
Revision History
Publication Part Number Version Publish Date Comments
202-10705-02 v1.0 February 2011 Added two steps to the
Installing the XAV5004
Powerline Utility section.
202-10705-01 v1.0 January 2011 First publication

Contents |3
Contents
Chapter 1 Installation and Basic Configuration
How the Powerline Adapter Fits in Your Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Powerline XAV5004 Adapter Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
XAV5004 Product Label. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
LED and Feature Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Installing Your Powerline XAV5004 Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Prepare for Installation: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Quality of Service (QoS). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Connecting Devices to the XAV5004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Understanding Powerline Network Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Set the Encryption Key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Chapter 2 Using the XAV5004 Powerline Utility
Installing the XAV5004 Powerline Utility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Powerline Utility Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Change the Name of a Powerline Device. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Turn LEDs On or Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Set Encryption Keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Set Up Quality of Service (QoS). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Reset a Device to Factory Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Add a Device to a Powerline Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Security Icon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Return to the Default Network Encryption Key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Chapter 3 Troubleshooting
Product Registration, Support, and Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Basic Functioning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Troubleshooting Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Problems after Changing the Network Encryption Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Appendix A Supplemental Information
Default Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Technical Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Appendix B Notification of Compliance

Chapter 1. Installation and Basic Configuration |4
1
1.
Installation and Basic Configuration
This chapter describes how to install and configure the XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter. It
also explains the security features and how to customize the encryption key for added security.
For more information on the topics covered in this manual, visit the Support website at
http://support.netgear.com.
How the Powerline Adapter Fits in Your Network
You can use the Powerline XAV5004 Adapter to implement or extend an Ethernet local area
network (LAN) anywhere in your house using your existing electrical power line in place of a
dedicated LAN wiring infrastructure. The following illustration shows an example of two
Powerline devices used in different rooms of the house (the XAV5004 Powerline adapter is
set up in Room 2):
Room 1 Room 2
Figure 1.

Chapter 1. Installation and Basic Configuration |5
XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter User Manual
Follow the instructions below to set up your Powerline adapter.
Powerline XAV5004 Adapter Features
The following illustration (Figure 2, XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter) shows the front and
back panels of the Powerline XAV5004 Adapter:
Ethernet ports Security
button Factory Reset
button
Powerline
LED
Ethernet
LED Power
LED
Figure 2. XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter
XAV5004 Product Label
The product label on the bottom panel of the XAV5004 looks like this:
This label contains the items listed below:
• Model number
• MAC address
• Serial number
• Device password

6|Chapter 1. Installation and Basic Configuration
XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter User Manual
LED and Feature Descriptions
The following table describes the buttons, status LEDs, and Ethernet ports on the XAV5004
Powerline Adapter.
Table 1. XAV5004 Features
Item Description
Ethernet LED • Solid. The Ethernet port is linked.
• Off. There is no Ethernet connection.
Powerline LED • Solid. The adapter is connected to a Powerline network.
• Off. The adapter has not found any other compatible Powerline devices using the same
encryption key, or has been turned off through the Powerline utility.
The Pick A Plug feature lets you pick the electrical outlet with the strongest link rate, indicated
by the color displayed by the LED:
Green: Link rate > 80 Mbps Amber: Link rate >50, < 80 Mbps Red: Link rate < 50 Mbps
(Best) – Good for HD video (Better) – Good for SD Video (Good) – Good for data
Power LED • Solid blue. The electrical power is on.
• Blinking blue.The adapter is in the process of restarting or setting up security.
• Solid amber. Power saving mode.
• Off. There is no electrical power.
Factory
Reset Press the Factory Reset button for 1 second, then release to return the Powerline adapter to
its factory default settings.
Security
Button If you set security on your other adapters, after you plug your new AV adapter into the wall socket, press its security button for 2 seconds; then press the Security button on any adapter
in your existing network for 2 seconds. Both buttons must be pressed within 2 minutes.
Note: The Security button does not work in power saving mode. The unit enters power saving
mode if the Ethernet port is not linked for more than 10 minutes.
Ethernet Ports Use an Ethernet cable (one is provided) to connect devices to the Ethernet ports of your
XAV5004. You can connect a router, a computer, or other peripheral device.

Chapter 1. Installation and Basic Configuration |7
XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter User Manual
Installing Your Powerline XAV5004 Adapter
Prepare for Installation:
1. Familiarize yourself with the Powerline XAV5004 Adapter.
The front panel has three LEDs: Ethernet, Powerline, and Power. The back panel has
four Ethernet ports, a Security button, and a Factory Reset button. See Figure 2 on
page 5.
2. Plan the location of your Powerline devices:
• Use an electrical outlet that is not controlled by a wall
switch to avoid someone unknowingly turning off the
power to the outlet.
• Do not connect the Powerline XAV5004 Adapter to a
power strip, extension cord, or surge protector as this
might prevent it from working correctly, or reduce the
network performance.
• Avoid using the Powerline XAV5004 Adapter in an
electrical outlet that is located near an appliance that
uses a lot of power, such as a washer or dryer, or a
refrigerator. This could potentially prevent the adapter
from working correctly, or reduce network
performance.

8|Chapter 1. Installation and Basic Configuration
XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter User Manual
Quality of Service (QoS)
The XAV5004 supports both Powerline network-based and port-based Quality of Service
(QoS). Powerline network-based QoS configures the priority of forwarded packets in the
network.
In port-based QoS, a different level of service and pre-assigned priority is offered on each
Ethernet port.
Figure 3. Ethernet Ports
• Port 1 (dark green) offers HIGH priority to provide uninterrupted service for any device
that is connected to it. If you are using a server-type device, such as a media server or
NAS storage device that would stream HD media, you would want to put this device on
Port 1.
• If you are not using any streaming media devices, you can use Port 1 for gaming, video,
or internet telephones, anything where you do not want a delay or interruption. Whatever
Port 1 doesn’t use is available for Port 2.
• Port 2 (light green) offers a MEDIUM priority quality of service, and gets the next priority
after Port 1. Use for gaming, video, or internet telephones.
• Ports 3 and 4 offer a LOW priority quality of service, and readily handle networking data
devices, such as printers.
For information on setting up QoS for your Powerline adapter, see Set Up Quality of Service
(QoS) on page 16.

Chapter 1. Installation and Basic Configuration |9
XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter User Manual
Connecting Devices to the XAV5004
You can connect multimedia devices, such as media servers, storage devices, gaming
consoles, video players, or internet telephones to the four Ethernet ports on the XAV5004.
When you are connecting peripheral devices to the XAV5004, keep in mind how the devices
will be used so that each device has the appropriate Quality of Service (QoS) priority (see
Set Up Quality of Service (QoS) on page 16).
To connect devices to your XAV5004, follow these steps:
1. Use an Ethernet cable to connect each peripheral device to an Ethernet port on the
XAV5004. One Ethernet cable is provided with your XAV5004.
Figure 4. Connecting devices to an XAV5004 Powerline adapter
2. When all peripheral devices are connected, connect the XAV5004 power cord into the unit
and into a power outlet.
3. Wait up to 80 seconds for the XAV5004 to be recognized by the Powerline network. Check
to see that:
a. The Power LED is solid green.
b. The Powerline LED is lit.
c. The Ethernet LED is on or blinks.

10 |Chapter 1. Installation and Basic Configuration
XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter User Manual
CAUTION:
NETGEAR recommends that you secure your Powerline network from
unauthorized access. This is especially relevant in settings such as
apartment buildings. See Understanding Powerline Network Security on
page 10.
Understanding Powerline Network Security
A Powerline network consists of two or more Powerline adapters using the same network
encryption key. Securing your network is crucial. By encrypting the information you send over
the Powerline XAV5004 Adapter, you help to keep it secure from hackers. If you do not set up
security on your network, anyone nearby with a Powerline network can potentially use their
connection to gain access to your network and information you send over the Internet. This is
especially relevant in settings such as apartment buildings, office buildings, dorm rooms, and
other more populated areas.
Powerline devices connected to the same network must use an identical encryption key. The
security used by Powerline XAV5004 Adapters is similar to the SSID and encryption keys
used in wireless networks, but you do not need software to configure Powerline XAV5004
Adapters.
There are two ways to secure your Powerline network.
• Use the Security button located on the Powerline adapter to automatically generate a
random encryption key. See Set the Encryption Key .
• Use the XAV5004 Powerline Utility to configure your Powerline network with an
encryption key that you specify. If you are already using Powerline or HomePlug devices
then you will need to use the Powerline Utility. If not already installed, the Powerline Utility
should be installed on your computer. See Installing the XAV5004 Powerline Utility on
page 12.
For information about using the XAV5004 Powerline Utility to configure Powerline security
or to prioritize Powerline network traffic using the Quality of Service (QoS) feature, see
Chapter 2.
Note: To return the XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter to its factory
default settings, see Reset a Device to Factory Settings on page 17.

Chapter 1. Installation and Basic Configuration |11
XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter User Manual
Set the Encryption Key
You can use the Security button to change the default encryption key and set a private
encryption key instead. The default encryption key is HomePlugAV.
Note: Before you change the Encryption key, you need to install the
Powerline adapters and get them up and running. Otherwise, they
might not be able to communicate with each other.
To set a private encryption key:
1. Verify that all the Powerline adapters to be configured are plugged in.
2. On the first Powerline XAV5004 Adapter, press its Security button for 2 seconds.
The power LED will start blinking after you release the button.
The adapter will automatically produce a new, randomly generated network encryption
key that each Powerline adapter will use.
At this point, the other adapters in your network cannot communicate with each other.
3. Within 2 minutes of pressing the Security button on the first adapter, press the Security
button on the second adapter for 2 seconds.
In order to pair the devices, both buttons must be pressed within 2 minutes.
This securely configures your Powerline network with the same network encryption key.
4. If your network has more than 2 adapters, press the Security button on the additional
adapter for 2 seconds, then press the security button on any additional adapters in your
existing network for 2 seconds. Both buttons must be pressed within 2 minutes. The
adapters retain security settings even if they are unplugged.
Note: An adapter can only generate a private key once. To replace a
private key, first reset the adapter back to its factory defaults, then
follow the procedure above. See Reset a Device to Factory Settings
on page 17.

Chapter 2. Using the XAV5004 Powerline Utility |12
2
2. Using the XAV5004 Powerline Utility
This chapter explains how to install and use the XAV5004 Powerline Utility. The Powerline Utility
works with all Powerline AV products. The models XAV101, XAV101v2, XAV1004, XAV1501,
XAV2001, XAV2501, XAVN2001, XAV5001, and XAV5501 are compatible and can share the
same powerline network.
Use the NETGEAR Powerline Utility to:
• Configure encryption for your Powerline network
• Perform diagnostics and monitor performance
• Set quality of service (QoS) features to prioritize Powerline network traffic
• Reset adapters to factory default settings
Installing the XAV5004 Powerline Utility
This utility allows you to set your own unique Powerline network encryption key, and prioritize
traffic passing through your Powerline network.
To install the XAV5004 Powerline Utility:
1. From your browser, go to this URL link:
http://support.netgear.com/app/products/model/a_id/18168
2. Under Product Quick Links, click Powerline Utility Version 2.0.0.8.
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the Powerline Utility Version 2.0.0.8 page, and right-click the
Right-click and Save to Download button.
4. On the pop-up menu, select Save Target As, and save the Powerline utility to the directory
of your choice.
5. Click the Run button when prompted.

Chapter 2. Using the XAV5004 Powerline Utility |13
XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter User Manual
The Welcome screen displays:
6. Click Next, follow the wizard prompts, and click Finish when the wizard is done.
The Powerline Utility shortcut icon appears on your desktop:
7. There are two ways to launch the Powerline Utility:
• Click the Powerline Utility shortcut icon located on your desktop.
• Navigate to Start > Programs > NETGEAR > NETGEAR Powerline Utility
Powerline Utility Screen
When launched, the Powerline Utility opens to a screen that shows all of the devices in your
Powerline network. If all devices are not shown, click the Refresh button to detect all
Powerline Adapters on your network.

14 |Chapter 2. Using the XAV5004 Powerline Utility
XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter User Manual
Figure 1.
Note: The Information box at the bottom of the screen provides tips and
information for using this utility page.
From the Powerline Utility screen, you can do the following:
• Change the Name of a Powerline Device
• Turn LEDs On or Off
• Set Encryption Keys
• Set Up Quality of Service (QoS)
• Reset a Device to Factory Settings
Change the Name of a Powerline Device
Powerline devices are shown in the Powerline network by the model number and name. Any
Powerline devices that are plugged in and connected are detected by the Powerline Utility,
and will be shown on the Powerline Utility main screen. If no name has been assigned to a
Powerline device, the device is shown as un-named

Chapter 2. Using the XAV5004 Powerline Utility |15
XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter User Manual
To name any Powerline device in your Powerline network:
1. From the Powerline Utility main screen, click the device you want to name, and the
following pop-up menu appears:.
2. Click Device Name. The utility will respond that connectivity will be temporarily lost if you
continue.
3. Click OK. The following window appears:
4. Enter a new name for the Powerline device, and click OK.
Turn LEDs On or Off
For each device in your Powerline network, you can turn LEDs on or off. To do this, follow
these steps:
1. Click the Powerline device icon on the Powerline Utility main screen.
2. On the pop-up menu, click Turn LED off.
Note: This function is a toggle. You can turn off LEDs if they are turned on,
or turn them on if they are currently turned off.
A message displays advising you that connectivity will be temporarily lost while the LEDs
are being reset.
3. Click OK, and the LEDs for the selected Powerline device are turned on or off.
Set Encryption Keys
By encrypting the information you send over the Powerline XAV5004 Adapter, you help to
keep it secure from hackers. If you do not set up security on your network, anyone nearby
with a Powerline network can potentially use their connection to gain access to your network.

16 |Chapter 2. Using the XAV5004 Powerline Utility
XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter User Manual
To set the Encryption Key for the Powerline network:
1. Click the Powerline device icon or the Security icon on the Powerline Utility main
screen.
2. On the pop-up menu, click Security. The following screen appears:
Figure 2. Security Screen
3. Select the check box for each Device Name for which you want to set encryption keys.
4. In Step 2 on your screen, you have two options:
a. Use the Default Encryption Key option.
When you click this option, the factory default encryption key is automatically
populated in the field. The default network encryption key is HomePlugAV.
b. Create a new Encryption Key.
This option lets you set your own network encryption key. Type your network
encryption key in the field.
5. In Step 3 on your screen, apply the changes by clicking the Apply Security to Selected
Devices button.
When completed, the utility displays a message indicating that the operation was
successful.
6. Click OK.
Set Up Quality of Service (QoS)
The Quality of Service (QoS) function helps you prioritize your Powerline network traffic.

Chapter 2. Using the XAV5004 Powerline Utility |17
XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter User Manual
By default, all types of traffic on the Powerline network are assigned the same priority. For
most applications, this works fine. However, there are situations where performance
improves if you assign a higher priority to certain types of traffic, such as multimedia files.
To prioritize by general application type:
If your network traffic is a mix of multimedia and document/database traffic you might want to
give priority to a particular traffic type. If it is important that your multimedia playback is
smooth, even while document files are being transferred over the network, then give priority
to multimedia traffic. Conversely, if it is more important for your network to be responsive to
database applications, give priority to this type of application over multimedia applications.
The Powerline adapter supports the following:
• MAC address
• IP port
• VLAN tags
• ToS bits (Type of Service routing)
To set the priority of data transfers by the type of protocol:
1. Start the XAV5001 Powerline Utility and wait for the utility to detect the Powerline
adapters connected to the network.
You can go to the QoS screen from either the Security icon menu or the Powerline
device pop-up menu.
2. From the pop-up menu, click QoS (Quality of Service).
Figure 3. QoS Setup screen

18 |Chapter 2. Using the XAV5004 Powerline Utility
XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter User Manual
3. To set the traffic prioritization rule into the selected Powerline adapter device, specify the
priority in the QoS Setup section of the screen.
4. Click Apply.
Note: QoS settings are applied only to the selected device.
These options only apply to QoS-configured business networks. IEEE 802.1p uses
prioritization bits in Layer-2 frames. Type of Service routing (ToS) uses prioritization bits
in Layer-3 IP packets. The deprecated ToS values range from 0 to 7.
Reset a Device to Factory Settings
The Factory Reset option returns the network encryption key to its factory default value of
HomePlugAV.
To reset to factory defaults:
1. On the Powerline Utility main screen, click the Powerline device icon or the Security icon
.
2. From the pop-up menu, click Factory Reset.
3. Click OK to reset the device. A message indicates whether or not the operation succeeded.
Note: If you customized your network encryption key, the local Powerline
device will be disconnected from the network when you reset it to the
factory default. To avoid this problem, reset all remote devices
before you reset the local device.
Add a Device to a Powerline Network
If you are adding a device to a Powerline network, and the network encryption key has been
left at its default setting, all you need to do is plug the new device into a power outlet.
If the network encryption key has been customized, there are two ways to set the security:
• You can use the Security button to add the new device to your network.

Chapter 2. Using the XAV5004 Powerline Utility |19
XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter User Manual
• You can use the XAV5004 Powerline Utility to add the new device to the network, as
described in the following sections.
The procedure for setting the network encryption key depends on whether the computer
running the XAV5004 Powerline Utility is connected directly to the new Powerline adapter
(local) or is connected to a different device in the Powerline network (remote).
To add a device from a locally connected computer
1. Plug the new Powerline adapter into an available AC power outlet.
2. Connect the Ethernet cable that came with the adapter to the adapter’s Ethernet port and an
Ethernet port on the computer.
3. Start the XAV5004 Powerline Utility, click the Refresh button, and wait for the utility to detect
the new device.
4. From the Device Name column select the device.
5. Re-name the device if you wish (see Change the Name of a Powerline Device on page 14).
6. Set the device’s Security option from the drop-down menu
7. Click the Apply Security to Selected Devices button.
8. Click Close.
9. Verify that the devices in the Powerline network appear in the device list by clicking the
Refresh button on the Powerline Utility main screen. It may take a minute or two for all
devices in the network to be detected.
Security Icon
By clicking the Security icon on the Powerline Utility main screen, you can perform a
number of security functions, such as:
• Setting up the network encryption key
• Setting Quality of Service (QoS)
• Viewing a list of Powerline devices in your Powerline network
When you click the Security icon , the following menu displays:
Figure 4. Security Icon Menu

20 |Chapter 2. Using the XAV5004 Powerline Utility
XAV5004 Powerline AV 500 Adapter User Manual
Return to the Default Network Encryption Key
1. Plug the new device into an AC power outlet.
2. Start the XAV5004 Powerline Utility, click the Refresh button, and wait for the utility to detect
the devices in your Powerline network.
Note: Before you can reset a remote device, you must enter its password.
The password is printed on the product label located on the back of
the adapter.
3. Click the Security icon and select Security from the pop-up menu.
4. Check the box next to any Powerline device you want to return to the default Encryption Key.
5. Click the Use Default Encryption Key button.
You will see the default encryption key, HomePlugAV, display in the encryption field.
6. Click Apply Security to Selected Devices.
When completed, the utility displays a message indicating that the operation was
successful.
Click OK.