NETGEAR XAV5601 User manual

Powerline AV+ 500 Nano XAV5601
Installation Guide

© 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.
DO NOT stack equipment, or place equipment in tight spaces or in drawers.
Be sure your equipment is surrounded by at least 2 in. of air space.
Technical Support
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product updates, or get support online, visit us at http://support.netgear.com.
Phone (US & Canada only): 1-888-NETGEAR
Phone (Other Countries): 
See http://support.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/984.
Trademarks
NETGEAR, the NETGEAR logo, and Connect with Innovation are trademarks and/or
registered trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or
other countries. Information is subject to change without notice. Other brand and product
names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders. © 2011
NETGEAR, Inc. All rights reserved.
Statement of Conditions
In the interest of improving 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.

3
Package Contents
Products sold in some
locations include a
Resource CD.
Ethernet cable
Powerline adapter
UK France Germany/Europe Australia
Your Powerline adapter might look like one of these:

4
Hardware Features
Filtered
AC socket
Power
LED
Powerline
LED
Ethernet
LED
Security button
Factory
Reset
button
Left view Right view

5
LEDs
The LEDS indicate the status of your Powerline adapter.
• When you plug in the adapter, the Power LED lights up and
turns green.
• The adapter is not active when no Ethernet link has occurred for
more than 10 minutes. The adapter enters power saving mode,
and the Power LED turns amber.
• The Ethernet LED lights up when you connect a powered-on
Ethernet device to at least one Ethernet port.
• The Powerline LED turns on when the adapter detects at least
one other compatible Powerline device.
The Pick A Plug diagnostic feature lets you pick the electrical
outlet with the strongest throughput, indicated by the color
displayed by the Powerline LED:
- Green: Link rate > 80 Mbps (Best)
- Amber: Link rate > 50 and < 80 Mbps (Better)
- Red: Link rate < 50 Mbps (Good)

6
Install Your Powerline Adapter
You can add the XAV5601 to an existing Powerline network, or install
it at the same time as a compatible Powerline device to set up a new
Powerline network. You need at least two compatible Powerline
adapters (including the XAV5601) to form a Powerline network.
Compatible Powerline and HomePlug AV certified devices include the
NETGEAR XAV101, XAV1501, XAV1004, XAV2001, XAV2501,
XAV2602 XAVN2001, XAV5001, XAV5004, and XAV5501. For a
complete list of HomePlug AV certified devices, go to
www.homeplug.org/certified_products.
To install your Powerline adapter:
1. Plug it into an electrical outlet.
2. Use the Ethernet cable to connect the Powerline adapter to your
router, computer, or other device.
The Powerline adapter attempts to detect and communicate with
compatible Powerline devices that are plugged in. The Powerline
LED lights up when this occurs.
At least one Powerline device has to be cabled to your router with an
Ethernet cable. The following illustrations show examples of the
XAV5601 connected to a router, and connected to gaming equipment.

7
Powerline Adapter Connected to a Router

8
Powerline Adapter Connected to Gaming Equipment
You can plug a
power strip into
the filtered outlet,
but do not plug
your Powerline
adapter into a
power strip.
The filtered AC
socket removes
some electrical
noise. Plugging
a nearby device
into the filtered
AC socket
improves
performance.

9
Secure Your Powerline Network
A Powerline network forms when at least two compatible Powerline
devices communicate. After the Powerline network is up and running,
you can use the Security buttons on the adapters to add encryption to
your Powerline network.
NETGEAR recommends that you secure your Powerline network to
protect your personal information and media from unwanted access.
If you do not set up security on your network, anyone nearby
with a Powerline network can potentially use his or her
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 populated areas.
CAUTION: Do not press the Security button until each adapter has
powered up and its Power LED is solid green. Pressing this
button too soon can temporarily disable Powerline
communication. If this occurs, use the Factory Reset button
to return the Powerline adapter to its factory settings.

10
To secure your Powerline network:
1. Make sure the Power LED is solid green. If it is amber, connect
a device to one of the Ethernet ports so the adapter exits power
saving mode.
2. On the first Powerline adapter, press its Security button for 2
seconds. The Power LED blinks green while you are setting up
security.
3. Within 2 minutes, go to the next Powerline adapter and press its
Security button for 2 seconds.
After security is set, the Power LED turns solid green. The
adapters can communicate over the network. The Powerline
LEDs are blinking or solid.