PlugLink HD AV Adapter User’s Guide PL9661-G1 QUICKFIND LOCATOR Contact Information Getting Help Table of Contents Installation 66‐0379‐01Rev.
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Contact Information For more information about the PlugLink HD AV Adapter or any of Asoka’s other leading-edge solutions, please contact us using any of the following methods: z z z z Voice calls: We welcome your calls Monday through Friday, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Pacific Time at (408) 550-8167. Voice mail is available during nonbusiness hours. Email: If you prefer, you can send information requests to our e-mail address: sales@asokatech.com.
Table of Contents 1 Simple Installation ............................................................................. 5 Package Contents....................................................................................................... 5 Types of Connections ................................................................................................. 5 Simple Connection (Peer to Peer)................................................................................. 6 Simple Broadband Connection .....
Simple Installation Congratulations on your purchase of the PlugLink HD AV Adapter ! This adapter allows you to network your home or office by plugging directly into an electrical outlet. With your PlugLink HD AV Adapter, you can easily share your highspeed Internet, mp3s, video, and gaming throughout the home or office. This manual describes how to connect your PlugLink HD AV Adapter to a PC or cable/DSL Router.
Simple Connection (Peer to Peer) To share a simple connection between computers, attach one PL9661-G1 device to each computer. NOTE: Do not connect the PlugLink HD AV Adapter into a power strip, extension cord, un-interruptible power supply (UPS), or surge protector. This may prevent the unit from working properly or degrade the network performance.
Other Connections You can also use the PlugLink HD AV Adapter with other Ethernet enabled devices, such as IP Cameras, IP set top box, game consoles, etc. “Up to eight (8) PL9661 can be placed on the same PLC (Powerline Communication) network.” Finding a Suitable Location Find a suitable location to install your PlugLink HD AV Adapter. Where you install the units can affect their performance. Find a location that is: z z z Acceptable temperature and humidity ranges.
Advanced Configuration (Expert Users Only) This chapter provides information on installing and setting up the PlugLink HD AV Adapter. NOTE: Do not connect the PlugLink HD AV Adapter into a power strip, extension cord, un-interruptible power supply (UPS), or surge protector. This may prevent the unit from working properly or degrade the network performance. Installing the Software Following are software installation procedures for advanced users.
3. In the Start screen, click Install Driver to start the installation. 4. In the Welcome screen of the screen of the wizard, click Next to begin the installation.
5. Read the End User Software License Agreement, and if you agree, click the Agree button to continue the installation. 6. To change the name of the PlugLink AV unit, select Yes, and enter a name in the text field. Otherwise, select No. Click Next to advance to the next screen.
NOTE: All devices on your network must share the same password to communicate. Use care when changing the network password. The default password is HomePlug AV. 7. Select the location where you want to install the drivers and software and click the Install button. 8. When the installation of the PlugLink drivers and software is complete, you can use Power Manager Utility for advanced configuration of your PL9661 unit. Click Finish to finish the installation wizard.
Network Management The PlugLinkAV Power Manager utility software allows you to manually configure a PlugLink HD AV Adapter that is directly connected to your Personal Computer or to any PlugLinkAV Adapters that are remotely residing on your PlugLinkAV Home network. NOTE: The Power Manager Utility software is for all Asoka PlugLinkAV devices.
Profile Screen Changing your device Name and Network Encryption Key (NEK) Use the Device(s) Screen to change your local and remote device name, also to change your local and remote device Network Encryption Key (NEK) (also known as the Network Password).
DEVICE NAME Changing your local device name: 1. Connect your PlugLinkAV adapter to your PC. For instructions on how to connect your PlugLinkAV to your PC, please refer to page 7 (Installing the Hardware). 2. Run the PlugLinkAV Power Manager software. If you have not installed the PlugLinkAV Power Manager software onto a PC, please refer to page 8 (Installing the Software). 3. From the Power Manager main menu, click “Device(s)”. 4.
Changing your remote device name: 1. Connect your PC to one of your PlugLinkAV adapters. For instructions on how to connect your PlugLinkAV to your PC, please refer to page 7 (Installing the Hardware). 2. Run the PlugLinkAV Power Manager software. If you have not installed the PlugLinkAV Power Manager software onto a PC, please refer to page 8 (Installing the Software). 3. From the Power Manager main menu, click “Device(s)”. 4.
DEVICE NETWORK ENCRYPTION KEY (NEK) Understanding the Network Encryption Key: The Network Encryption Key (NEK) is similar to a domain name or work group. Only those devices encrypted with the same domain name or work group, will have access to your Powerline Network. All Asoka PlugLinkAV adapters are encrypted with the same default Network Encryption Key. The default Network Encryption Key is: HomePlugAV.
5. Select your local device, by clicking on the first device MAC Address from the list. Make sure that the device selected is highlighted in yellow. IMPORTANT: You must check the box to the left of the Device Name. 6. Enter the new Network Encryption Key (NEK) in the New Network Password field. The new Network Password must be at least 8 characters long and can not have spaces. 7. Click “Update” to update the new Network Password. 8.
Changing your remote device Network Encryption Key (NEK): WARNING: If you change your remote device Network Encryption Key (Network Password) your remote device will no longer be able to communicated with all your other PlugLinkAV adapters. You must change the Network encryption key on all your PlugLinkAV adapters to the new Network Encryption Key in order for them to communicate. NOTE: When changing your remote device NEK, you will be prompted to enter the selected device 16-digit Password at least once.
8. If the new Network Password was accepted, the message “Network Encryption Key is successfully changed. The utility will now scan the Powerline network” will appear. 9. Congratulations, you have successfully changed your local device Network Password.
Resetting and Upgrading the PlugLink HD AV Adapter Run the PlugLinkAV Power Manager and use the Upgrade screen to: z z z Reset your PlugLink HD AV Adapter to Factory Defaults Reset (Reboot) your PlugLink HD AV Adapter Upgrade the Firmware How to reset your PlugLink HD AV Adapter to its Factory Defaults, reboot and Upgrade the firmware. 1. Connect your PC to one of your PlugLinkAV adapters. For instructions on how to connect your PlugLinkAV to your PC, please refer to page 7 (Installing the Hardware). 2.
Prioritizing the Network Traffic Use the QoS screen to prioritize your traffic through the device. QoS requirements are different for various data types such as streaming video or music, voice and raw data. To provide higher QoS for streaming data, priority levels can be set using tags at the beginning of data frames. The QoS level settings are: CAP3: Highest CAP2: Medium and CAP1: Lowest.
Viewing the Network Statistics screen The Statistics screen shows information on HomePlug packets that are transmitted and received by the devices in your network. To enable this function, click Enable Statistics. The value shown by the Power Manager is a cumulative total of the packet data that was collected from the start of the “Enabled Statistics” button. Statistics screen Viewing the Link screen The Link Screen has two sub-screens that provide information about your Ethernet and HomePlug connection.
Link Screen; Ethernet Sub-Screen Statistics Sub Screen: Use the Statistics sub screen to view statistical information about your connection between a source device and a specific destination device in your network. Click the Retrieve button to start accumulating the statistical information.
Viewing the LED screen This is the LED Manager tab. It allows you to configure the LED functionality threshold. IMPORTANT: YOU CAN ONLY ENTER WHOLE NUMBERS DIVISIBLE BY 4. Example: 100, 80, 60 (no odd numbers) etc. If you enter a value that is not divisible by 4; then you will get the message: “The value Yellow or Green must divide by 4!” LED screen Rescanning your Powerline Network Use the Rescan button to scan for your Powerline devices under the same Network Password in your HomePlug network.
Manually Resetting the Firmware and Network ID (NID) You can use the buttons on your PlugLinkAV device to reset the firmware back to its factory defaults, and to create or associate your PlugLink HD AV Adapter to a randomized Powerline Network. For details on how to use the buttons on your PlugLinkAV adapter, please refer to page 33 of this manual. Note: The PlugLinkAV device must be plugged into an electrical outlet when using these buttons.
Troubleshooting Following are solutions to a few situations you might encounter. If you do not find a solution in this chapter, contact Asoka USA Technical Support by phone at (408) 550-8173 or through email at support@asokatech.com. Symptom: I can't connect to anything and there are no lights activated on my PL9661-G1. Solution: 1. Unplug the device from the electrical outlet in question. 2. Locate another available outlet in your home. 3.
Solution #2: The Network Encryption Key (NEK) may not be correct on your devices. 1. Reset the Network Encryption Key using the Factory Reset button located on the bottom of your PL9661-G1 device. This will reset the NEK back to the default of HomePlug. 2. Test your connection again. If this still does not work, perform the factory reset on all of your other PL9661-G1 devices in your network. Solution #3: It is possible some outlets in your home are not connect together. 1.
Specifications This appendix lists the specifications for your PL9661-G1. Standards Compliance: •HomePlug® AV • IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3x, IEEE 802.
Environmental • Operating temperature: 32°F to 113°F (0°C to 45°C) • Operating humidity: 10% to 85% Specifications: Non-condensing • Storage temperature: -4°F to 158°F (-20°C to 70°C) • Storage humidity: 5% to 90% Non-condensing Quality of Service: •ToS • 802.
Components Front Panel Use the status lights on the front panel to verify connections.
The following table describes the status light functions in the front panel: Status Light Power State Illuminated Off Red and Green illuminate alternately PLC Activity Device is powered on Devices has no power Stand by mode (After 3 minutes no link) Blinking Red Low connection Blinking Yellow Good connection Blinking Green Excellent connection Off Eth Link Indication Illuminated Blinking No connection Ethernet connectivity Ethernet traffic Off No Ethernet connectivity Bottom Panel The bottom
Note: Write this information down in your Warranty Support Information card for future reference. Buttons The PlugLink HD AV Adapter device has two hardware push buttons: • FW RST (Firmware Default Reset ) button – Resets the PlugLink HD AV Adapter back to factory default settings. Press and hold the button with a pin or sharp object for about 2 seconds until you see the lights on the device flash briefly.
b. IMPORTANT: If the POWER light is not blinking green, repeat Step “a” until the power light blinks green. c. This unit is now ready to create a new randomized NEK (Net Encryption Key) network. This unit will remain in this “adder” mode for about 2 minutes. 2. Select another PlugLink HD AV Adapter (Device B) and plug into a second outlet. a. Press the SECURITY button BRIEFLY (1 second) and release. The POWER light should now be blinking green. b.
2. If you disconnect power from any device, its NEK value will remain and will not default back to “HomePlugAV” NEK. 3. An adapter can only generate a private key once. To replace a private key, first reset the unit back to its factory defaults by pressing the Firmware Default Reset (FW RST) button for 1 second, then follow the procedure above. The use of the SECURITY (Network ID) button is optional. You may also use the application software described in the manual to set NEK's as well.
Warranty Asoka warrants that (a) the hardware components of the product will be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use from the date of purchase when used within the limits set forth in the Specifications section of the User Guide, and (b) the software components will perform substantially in accordance with Asoka's published specifications for lifetime from the date of purchase, but does not warrant that the software will be error-free or free of all defects.
product covered by the warranty. Prior to returning any defective product, the purchaser or the authorized merchant from whom the purchaser originally bought the product must obtain a Return Material Authorization (RMA) number from Asoka. All defective products should be returned to Asoka with shipping charges prepaid. Asoka will not accept collect shipments.
FCC Notice FCC Statement This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
Note: The manufacturer is not responsible for any radio or TV interference caused by unauthorized modifications to this equipment. such modifications could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.
Asoka USA Corporation 2620 Augustine Drive Suite 230 Santa Clara, CA 95054 USA USA Phone: (408) 550–8167 Fax: (408) 884–2390 www.asokatech.com 66-0379-01Rev.
