NETGEAR XAVB1501 User manual

350 East Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
USA
February 2011
202-10641-01
v1.0
Powerline AV+ 200 Adapter
Kit XAVB1501
User Manual

2|
Powerline AV+ 200 Adapter Kit XAVB1501
©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): See 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.

Contents |3
Contents
Chapter 1 Getting Started
Hardware Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Product Details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Powerline Adapter in a Home Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Powerline Network Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Use the Security Button to Set the Encryption Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Chapter 2 Powerline Utility
Install the Powerline Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Device Settings Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Add a Device to a Powerline Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Change the Network Encryption Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Set Up a Custom Network Encryption Key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Return to the Default Network Encryption Key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Quality of Service (QoS). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Prioritize by General Application Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Diagnostics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Factory Reset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Chapter 3 Troubleshooting
Basic Functioning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Troubleshooting Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
LEDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
If You Do Not See All Your Devices with the Powerline Utility. . . . . . . . . .23
Appendix A Supplementary Information
Technical Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Appendix B Notification of Compliance

Chapter 1. Getting Started |4
1
1. Getting Started
This chapter describes your Powerline AV+ 200 Adapter Kit XAVB1501, and how your adapters
can fit into a home network.
Hardware Features
The package includes two adapters and two Ethernet cables. The appearance of your
adapter depends on the country in which it was sold.
Y
our adapters may look like one of these:
Figure 1. Adapters can vary in appearance

Chapter 1. Getting Started |5
Powerline AV+ 200 Adapter Kit XAVB1501
Product Details
The following figure shows the adapter in detail:
Power
Filtered
Security/Power
Factory Reset
Ethernet port
AC Socket
Powerline LED
LED
Ethernet LED
Figure 2. Adapter filtered AC socket, LEDs, and buttons
Filtered AC Socket
The filtered AC socket can remove some electrical noise that can affect Powerline
performance. Plugging the power plugs of nearby devices into the filtered AC socket may
improve performance.
Buttons
Two buttons are located on the side of the adapter:
• Security/Power. This button serves a dual function:
-Set the Power Mode: The Powerline adapter’s normal state is Power On. When you
first plug it into an electrical outlet, it is in Power On mode. To go to Power Off (power
saving mode), press and hold the button for 5 – 10 seconds. Pressing the button
again for less than 2 seconds returns it to Power On. You can also unplug and plug in
the adapter to restore it to Power On.
-Set Security: Press and hold this button for 2 – 4 seconds. If you are setting up two
XAV1501 devices, press the button on each device for 2 – 4 seconds within 2
minutes. The two devices connect automatically and the Power LED starts blinking.
• Factory Reset. Press the Factory Reset button for 1 second, then release to return the
Powerline adapter to its factory default settings.

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Powerline AV+ 200 Adapter Kit XAVB1501
LEDs
Item Description
Power LED • Solid green. The electrical power is on.
• Blinking green. The adapter is in the process of restarting or setting up security.
• Amber. The adapter is in power saving mode.
• Off. There is no electrical power.
Powerline
LED • Solid. The adapter is connected to a Powerline network.
• Blinking. The adapter is sending or receiving data.
• Off. The adapter has not found any other compatible Powerline devices using the same
encryption key.
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 (best) Amber: Link rate > 50 and < 80 Mbps
(better)
Red:
Link rate < 50 Mbps (good)
Ethernet LED • Solid. The Ethernet port is linked, but there is no activity.
• Blinking. There is traffic on the Ethernet port.
• Off. There is no Ethernet connection.
Powerline Adapter Label
The product label shows unique details specific to your adapter. The product label is located
on the back:
Product name and model
MAC address
Serial number
Password
Figure 3. Adapter product label

Chapter 1. Getting Started |7
Powerline AV+ 200 Adapter Kit XAVB1501
Powerline Adapter in a Home Network
You can use Powerline Adapters to extend your Ethernet network anywhere in your home
using your existing electrical power lines.
Ethernet
cables
Here, an Ethernet cable connects
the router to the
Powerline network.
In another room, an Ethernet cable connects
a gaming console to the Powerline network.
Powerline communication
Figure 4. Powerline network with two Powerline adapters
For best performance, plan the location of your Powerline devices (to make a Powerline
network, you need at least two 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 plug in Powerline products to a power strip, extension cord, or surge protector as
this might prevent them from working correctly, or reduce the network performance.
• Avoid plugging Powerline products into electrical outlets located near an appliance that
uses a lot of power, such as a washer or dryer, or a refrigerator. This could potentially
prevent the adapters from working correctly, or reduce network performance.
Different Powerline adapter models can share the network. All Powerline NETGEAR AV
products (models XAV101, XAV1004, XAV2001, XAV2501, and XAVN2001) are compatible.

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Powerline AV+ 200 Adapter Kit XAVB1501
To set up your Powerline network:
1. Make sure that your home router is up and running and that Ethernet wired connections
are working.
2. Install the first Powerline adapter based on the installation instructions that came in the
package.
3. Install the second Powerline adapter, which finds the adapter you just installed. The two
Powerline devices form a Powerline network.
4. Install any additional Powerline adapters that you plan to use.
5. Test to make sure that the computer or peripheral can access the Powerline network.
For example, on a computer, use the Internet. Another way to test this is to install the
Powerline Utility and use it to view all devices on the Powerline network.
6. NETGEAR recommends that you secure your Powerline network from unauthorized access,
especially in settings such as apartment buildings. See Powerline Network Security .
Powerline Network Security
A Powerline network consists of two or more Powerline adapters using the same network
encryption key. Securing your network protects the information you send over the Powerline
network 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.
There are two ways to secure your Powerline network.
• Use the Security button to automatically generate a random encryption key.
• Use the Powerline Utility to specify an encryption key for your Powerline network. If you
already have a Powerline network, you need to use the Powerline Utility, which is located
on your Resource CD. See Chapter 2, Powerline Utility.
• To return the Powerline Adapter to its factory default settings, press its Factory Reset
button for 1 second, then release.
Use the Security Button to Set the Encryption Key
Note: An adapter can generate a private key only once. If you want to
replace a private key, first reset the adapters to their factory settings.
To do this either press the Factory Reset button for 1 second, then
release, or use the Powerline Utility factory defaults feature (see
Return to the Default Network Encryption Key on page 17).

Chapter 1. Getting Started |9
Powerline AV+ 200 Adapter Kit XAVB1501
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.
1. Verify that all the Powerline adapters to be configured are plugged in.
WARNING!
Do not press the Security button on the Powerline adapter until
installation is complete and all adapters on your network are
plugged in and communicating with each other. Pressing the
Security button too soon can temporarily disable Powerline
communication. If this should occur, reset the Powerline adapter
to its factory default settings (press the Reset button for 1 second,
then release).
2. Press the Powerline adapter Security button for 2 seconds.
• The Power LED starts blinking after you release the button.
• The adapter automatically creates a new, randomly generated network encryption key
that each Powerline adapter on the network 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 Powerline adapter, press the
Security button on the second adapter for 2 seconds.
In order to pair the devices, you need to press both buttons within 2 minutes.
This securely configures your Powerline network with the same network encryption key.
4. If your network has more than two adapters, press the Security button on the next adapter
for 2 seconds, then press the Security button on any additional adapters in your network for
2 seconds. The adapters retain security settings even if they are unplugged.

Chapter 2. Powerline Utility |10
2
2. Powerline Utility
This chapter explains how to install and use the Powerline Utility. The Powerline Utility works
with Powerline AV products model XAV101v2 and XAV1501. These Powerline models are
compatible and can share the same Powerline network.
You can use the Powerline Utility to access a local Powerline device that is connected to your
computer with an Ethernet cable and also to access remote Powerline devices. Remote devices
are on the Powerline network, but are not directly cabled to the computer on which you are using
the Powerline Utility.
You can use the NETGEAR Powerline Utility to:
• Set up encryption for your Powerline network
• Perform diagnostics and monitor performance
• Set up Quality of Service (QoS)
• Restore a device to default configuration settings

Chapter 2. Powerline Utility |11
Powerline AV+ 200 Adapter Kit XAVB1501
Install the Powerline Utility
This utility allows you to set your own unique Powerline network encryption key, and prioritize
traffic passing through your Powerline network.
All devices on a Powerline network can be managed from one computer. If you add another
Powerline device, you can install the Powerline Utility on the computer connected locally to
the new adapter, or open the utility on the computer originally used to set up the Powerline
network encryption key. You can use any computer to manage the network, but this section
assumes that you are working from the computer that is connected to a Powerline adapter.
To download and install the Powerline Utility:
1. From your browser, go to this URL link:
http://kb.netgear.com/app/products/model/a_id/17963 to display the following screen:
Download the
Powerline utility
2. Click the link and followi the instructions to download and install the Powerline utility.
3. Follow the wizard prompts, and click Finish when the wizard is done.

12 |Chapter 2. Powerline Utility
Powerline AV+ 200 Adapter Kit XAVB1501
4. There are two ways to launch the XAVB1501 Powerline Utility:
Desktop
Shortcut Icon
PowerlineUtilityLanding
Page
• Click the XAVB1501 Powerline Utility shortcut icon located on your desktop.
• Navigate to Start > Programs > NETGEAR > NETGEAR Powerline Utility.
Device Settings Tab
When launched, the Powerline Utility opens to the Device Settings tab. If all devices are not
shown, click the Refresh button to detect all Powerline adapters on your network.
4
You might see a message at the bottom of the screen regarding the power saving feature. If
the unit goes into power saving mode, the Powerline Utility does not find it. Keeping a
connected Ethernet cable plugged into the device keeps it active.
By clicking the LED status light you can toggle the LED between on and off.

Chapter 2. Powerline Utility |13
Powerline AV+ 200 Adapter Kit XAVB1501
The following table describes the features on the Device Settings Tab.
Table 1. Powerline Utility Device Settings Tab
Field or Button Description
Device Names This lists the Powerline devices detected on the network after the utility
completes a scan for devices. The device name is initially set by the utility, but
can be changed to reflect your specific adapter. For example, “Office” or “Master
Bedroom”.
Model This identifies the model number of the Powerline Adapter.
MAC Address The MAC address for the Powerline device. This is also on the product label,
which might not be visible when the device is plugged in.
Quality (Mbps) This indicates the type of traffic that can be handled smoothly and the link rate
for each Powerline device: HD Video, SD/DVD Video, or Data.
• HD Video. The device can handle high-definition video traffic smoothly. This
status will be shown if the transmit and receive link speed is greater than
80 Mbps.
• SD/DVD Video. The transmit and receive link speed is greater than 50 Mbps
or less than 80 Mbps.
• Data. The device cannot handle video data smoothly. This status will be
shown if the transmit or receive link speed is less than 50 Mbps.
LED On/Off button Enable or disable the LEDs for a Powerline device.The LEDs are enabled by
default.
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. See Adding
Adapters to Your Network on page 6.
• You can use the XAVB1501 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 XAVB1501 Powerline Utility is connected directly to the new adapter (local) or is
connected to a different device in the Powerline network (remote).
To add a local Powerline device:
A local Powerline device is connected to your computer with an Ethernet cable.
1. Plug the new 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.

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Powerline AV+ 200 Adapter Kit XAVB1501
3. Start the Powerline Utility. This displays the Device Settings tab. Wait for the utility to detect
the new device.
4. Select the Advanced tab, and click the Security arrow.
5. From the Device Name column select the device.
6. Type the network encryption key into the Create a New Encryption Key field.
7. Click the Apply Security to Selected Devices button.
8. Select the Device Settings tab to perform a scan.
Verify that the devices in the Powerline network appear in the device list. It may take a
minute or two for all devices in the network to be detected.
To add a remote Powerline device:
Remote devices are on the Powerline network, but are not directly cabled to the computer on
which you are using the Powerline Utility.
If you are using a custom network encryption key, set all the devices to the default network
encryption key of HomePlugAV so that they can communicate with each other. Then set all
the devices to the network encryption key that you want to use.
1. To change the encryption key for a remote device, you must enter the password for the
device. The password is printed on the product label.
2. Click the device name for a remote Powerline device to highlight it in blue.
Note: Be sure to change the password of remote devices before changing
it on the local device so that you can maintain connectivity
throughout this process.
3. Click Enter Password.
4. Enter the device password, and then click OK.
The device password is located on the product label.
5. From the Device Name column, select the device.
6. Type the network encryption key into the Apply the Encryption Key field.
7. Click the Apply Security to Selected Devices button.
8. Select the Device Settings tab. This will perform a automatic scan.
Verify that the devices in the Powerline network appear in the device list. It may take a
minute or two for all devices in the network to be detected.

Chapter 2. Powerline Utility |15
Powerline AV+ 200 Adapter Kit XAVB1501
Security
Click the Advanced Settings tab to display the following screen:
From this screen you can perform a number of security tasks, such as:
• Change the network encryption key
• Set up a custom network encryption key
• Return to the factory default network encryption key
• Change the network encryption key for one unit at a time
Change the Network Encryption Key
You can specify the network encryption key from the Security tab.
1. Select Advanced Settings > Security.
When all the devices are set to the default network encryption key and are plugged in,
they are listed on the Device Settings tab.
2. Select the check box for each device name that you want to add encryption for.
Here you have two options:
a. Use the Default Encryption Key option
When you click this option, the factory default encryption key of HomePlugAV is
automatically put into the field.
b. Create your own Encryption Key
This option lets you set your own network encryption key. Type your network
encryption key in the field provided.

16 |Chapter 2. Powerline Utility
Powerline AV+ 200 Adapter Kit XAVB1501
3. 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.
4. Click OK.
Set Up a Custom Network Encryption Key
When all the devices are set to the default network encryption key and are plugged in, they
are listed on the Device Settings tab.
To set up a custom network encryption key for all the Powerline devices:
1. Select the Device Settings tab to automatically perform a scan to detect the adapter
status.
Wait for the new device to be listed. A new device can be identified by its MAC address.
2. Select Advanced Settings > Security, and select the check boxes next to each device in
the Device Name column.
3. Type your network encryption key in the Create a New Encryption Key field.
4. Click Apply Security to Selected Devices.
The utility displays a message indicating that the operation was successful.
5. Select the Device Settings tab to perform a scan.
Verify that all devices are detected with your network encryption key.
Note: If one or more of your Powerline devices are not listed, see Quality
of Service (QoS) on page 18.

Chapter 2. Powerline Utility |17
Powerline AV+ 200 Adapter Kit XAVB1501
Return to the Default Network Encryption Key
1. Plug the new device into an AC power outlet.
2. Start the Powerline Utility
• Wait for the utility to detect the devices in your Powerline network.
• Check that all the devices in the established network are displayed on the Device
Settings tab.
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. Select Advanced Settings > Security, and in the Device Name column, select the check
box next to each device you want to set.
4. Click the Use Default Encryption Key button.
The default encryption key, HomePlugAV, displays in the encryption field.
5. Click Apply Security to Selected Devices.

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Powerline AV+ 200 Adapter Kit XAVB1501
Quality of Service (QoS)
Select Advanced Settings > QoS (Quality of Service) to go to the QoS screen to prioritize
your Powerline network traffic.
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.
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 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 XAVB1501 Powerline Utility and wait for the utility to detect the adapters
connected to the network.
2. Select Advanced Settings > QoS (Quality of Service).

Chapter 2. Powerline Utility |19
Powerline AV+ 200 Adapter Kit XAVB1501
3. To set the traffic prioritization rule into the selected adapter device, specify the priority in the
QoS Setup section of the screen.
4. Click Apply.
Note: QoS settings are applied only to the device that is selected on the
QoS tab.
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.

20 |Chapter 2. Powerline Utility
Powerline AV+ 200 Adapter Kit XAVB1501
Diagnostics
Select Advanced Settings > Diagnostics to display the diagnostics to help you diagnose and
troubleshoot performance issues. Using this feature you can delete a device from the device
history, save a report, or print a report.
Factory Reset
The Factory Reset option returns the network encryption key to its factory default setting of
HomePlugAV. Only one device at a time can be reset.
1. Select Advanced Settings > Factory Reset to display the following screen: