ZyXEL Communications PLA-402 v3 User Manual Download Page 72

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Chapter 8 PLA Compatibility

PLA-402 v3’s User’s Guide

For PLA v1 models (for example, PLA-400, PLA-401, PLA-470, PLA-491 and so on)
upgrade the firmware version from

1.4.5

3.0.5

. Refer to the PLA-4XX series

User’s Guide for instructions on how to do this.

For PLA v2 models (for example, PLA400 v2, PLA402 v2, PLA401 v2, PLA470 v2
and so on) make sure the firmware version is

3.0.5

Note: The PLA v2 models can be upgraded to firmware version 3.3.4.

At the time of writing, PLA-402 v3 can only work with firmware version

3.3.4

Use Configuration Utility version

3.3.4

to manage PLA v2 and PLA v1 models with

firmware versions

3.0.5

Note: You cannot downgrade the PLA-402 v3’s firmware to a version earlier than

3.3.4.

This diagram below shows a Powerline network where two PLAs have an earlier
firmware that cannot be managed by the 3.3.4 Configuration Utility. You should
upgrade the firmware of these PLAs.

Figure 50

Wrong Firmware in a Powerline Network

Summary of Contents for PLA-402 v3

Page 2: ......

Page 3: ...er in the toolbar in Reader then press ENTER to jump directly to that page Type CTRL F to open the Adobe Reader search utility and enter a word or phrase This can help you quickly pinpoint the informa...

Page 4: ...ch for the latest product updates and documentation from this link Read the Tech Doc Overview to find out how to efficiently use the User Guide Quick Start Guide and Command Line Interface Reference G...

Page 5: ...ontact your vendor then contact a ZyXEL office for the region in which you bought the device See http www zyxel com web contact_us php for contact information Please have the following information rea...

Page 6: ...oduct labels screen names field labels and field choices are all in bold font A key stroke is denoted by square brackets and uppercase text for example ENTER means the enter or return key on your keyb...

Page 7: ...s Guide 7 Icons Used in Figures Figures in this User s Guide may use the following generic icons The PLA 402 v3 icons used may not be an exact representation of your device PLA 402 v3 Computer Intern...

Page 8: ...device Connect the power adapter or cord to the right supply voltage for example 110V AC in North America or 230V AC in Europe Do NOT allow anything to rest on the power adapter or cord and do NOT pla...

Page 9: ...and Your Network with the PLA 402 v3 16 1 3 Ways to Manage the PLA 402 v3 17 1 4 Security 17 1 4 1 Passwords 18 1 4 2 Setting Up Security 18 1 5 Multiple Networks 19 Chapter 2 Installing the Utility 2...

Page 10: ...rview 47 6 1 1 System Requirements 47 6 1 2 Start the Configuration Utility 48 6 1 3 Add a Device 48 6 1 4 Change Network Name 48 6 1 5 Change Nickname 49 6 1 6 QoS Settings 50 6 1 7 Set HomePlug Ligh...

Page 11: ...ty Compatibility 71 Part III Appendices and Index 75 Chapter 9 LEDs and Troubleshooting 77 9 1 LEDs 77 9 2 Power and Light Problems 79 9 3 Configuration Utility Problems 81 9 4 Powerline Coaxial Probl...

Page 12: ...Table of Contents PLA 402 v3 User s Guide 12...

Page 13: ...13 PART I Introduction Introducing the PLA 402 v3 15 Installing the Utility 21...

Page 14: ...14...

Page 15: ...as the powerline coaxial network The HomePlug AV standard specifies how network devices communicate using coaxial cables The PLA 402 v3 plugs into a coaxial cable outlet to easily extend a DSL broadb...

Page 16: ...e PLA 402 v3 refer to Section 5 6 on page 41 prioritizes voice video and data traffic such web browsing file transfer and e mail The figure below illustrates the advantage of implementing QoS Figure 2...

Page 17: ...ons on using the SETUP feature Use the PLA 4xx Series Configuration Utility or utility for short to manage the PLA 402 v3 See Section 2 2 on page 21 for instructions on installing the utility Use the...

Page 18: ...ption your information is accessible to anyone using a coaxial adapter on the same coaxial circuit In some cases a circuit can be shared by more than one household To prevent compromising your network...

Page 19: ...irst Ethernet network and assign a Network Name for example Password1 to this coaxial adapter Add additional coaxial adapters to your network by plugging them into your coaxial cable outlets and assig...

Page 20: ...Chapter 1 Introducing the PLA 402 v3 PLA 402 v3 User s Guide 20...

Page 21: ...rsion operating systems can go to Microsoft s website to upgrade their systems to NET Framework version 2 0 so it can work with the utility To check for your Windows operating system version right cli...

Page 22: ...ely this can also be done manually by double clicking the setup exe file on the CD A prompt appears asking you to install the NET Framework version 2 0 Review Microsoft s License Agreement select Acce...

Page 23: ...4 If you want the utility to be only available to the currently logged in user select Only for me Otherwise click Everyone to allow all users to use the configuration utility Click Next to install the...

Page 24: ...Ethernet connection When you plug the PLA 402 v3 into an electric socket it waits for an Ethernet connection When no connection is detected after 120 seconds the Power LED blinks indicating that it i...

Page 25: ...25 PART II Managing the PLA 402 v3 Firmware Tool 27 The SETUP Button 29 The Configuration Utility 35 Powerline Coaxial Network Setup Tutorial 61 PLA Compatibility 71...

Page 26: ...26...

Page 27: ...ade your firmware using the Firmware Upgrade Tool 3 2 Firmware Upgrade Tool Use the firmware upgrade tool to upgrade your PLA 402 v3 s firmware to the latest version You can use this tool to upgrade t...

Page 28: ...Chapter 3 Firmware Tool PLA 402 v3 User s Guide 28...

Page 29: ...can use the SETUP button on only two devices at a time 1 Place a coaxial device close to another coaxial device so you have time to set up each one After you set up the first coaxial device you have...

Page 30: ...le the devices are connecting Several times all lights blink simultaneously and the HomePlug light also shows red Wait for about one minute while your coaxial devices connect If the power light does n...

Page 31: ...re 10 Adding More Powerline Adapters to Your Network 9 If you disconnected your computer or modem or any other networking product connected to your coaxial device in step 1 of this section you can now...

Page 32: ...eparate powerline coaxial network connection from your laptop to your printer C Figure 11 One Existing Powerline Network 1 Click the SETUP button on A for more than 10 seconds until the power light fl...

Page 33: ...eparate Powerline Networks Congratulations You now have two separate powerline coaxial networks as shown above If the HomePlug lights on both coaxial devices do not light up the coaxial devices are no...

Page 34: ...BEHAVIOR less than 3 seconds The device joins a network It shares the same network name as other devices on the network The power light blinks until the device is connected This may take a minute The...

Page 35: ...u also have the option to use coaxial cables B to expand your network Figure 13 Example Network Setup All HomePlug AV compliant coaxial adapters within range can join your network The range varies dep...

Page 36: ...al adapters on your powerline coaxial network you must enter the adapters password in the PLA 4xx Series Configuration Utility This password is called the DAK Device Access Key password This password...

Page 37: ...n LABEL DESCRIPTION Network Topology Use this to select which powerline coaxial network information is displayed Different powerline coaxial networks are identified by the Ethernet interface network c...

Page 38: ...ord value exactly as it is printed on the label all caps and with dashes Network Name The default network name sometimes called a network password or network membership key NMK of the PLA 402 v3 is Ho...

Page 39: ...power up and how to load the firmware You can check the ZyXEL website for firmware upgrades for your PLA 402 v3 Note To upgrade to the latest firmware use the firmware upgrade tool available from the...

Page 40: ...tly to the PLA 402 v3 Typically there is only one connection however if your computer has two network cards and both are connected to a PLA 402 v3 then you have two powerline coaxial networks Central...

Page 41: ...ote if it is a PLA 402 v3 in your powerline coaxial network but not directly connected to the computer running the configuration utility MAC Address This field displays the MAC address of your coaxial...

Page 42: ...ws The figure below shows an example powerline coaxial home network connected to the Internet Device A is a printer and does not handle traffic with high importance so the coaxial adapter connected to...

Page 43: ...s audio or movie files it does not send a lot of traffic so the coaxial adaptor attached to it can be set to a low priority Figure 18 Priority Settings Use this screen to configure priority settings f...

Page 44: ...r computer has two network cards and both are connected to a coaxial adapter then you have two powerline coaxial networks Site This field displays Local if it is the PLA 402 v3 directly connected to t...

Page 45: ...version of the device you selected in the Device Selection field of the Configuration screen In the example firmware version given in the screen 3 3 3348 the firmware version is shown by the numbers...

Page 46: ...Chapter 5 The Configuration Utility PLA 402 v3 User s Guide 46...

Page 47: ...ge varies depending on the quality of your home s wiring In the case of coaxial cable this can extend beyond the boundary of your home such as your neighbor s house or apartment for example Use the Ma...

Page 48: ...r Network Membership Key NMK is a password that identifies a powerline coaxial network All coaxial devices with the same NMK are in the same powerline coaxial network The default network name of the P...

Page 49: ...a nickname for example bedroom and then click OK Figure 23 Change Nickname Table 8 Change Network Name NMK LABEL DESCRIPTION Network Name The network name may consist of 8 to 64 letters numerals and...

Page 50: ...9 Priority Settings PRIORITY LEVEL APPLICATION Highest Voice Application High Video and Audio Applications Mid Data Applications Low Data Applications Table 10 QoS Settings LABEL DESCRIPTION IP Port...

Page 51: ...ect one of the following FTP HTTP E Mail Telnet User Defined If you select User Defined then enter the port number that defines that traffic type such as 1823 for MSN traffic See the commom services a...

Page 52: ...ally slow and speeds above 50 Mbps are good then enter 15 in the first text box and 50 in the second The maximum possible speed 100 Mbps in our example is detected automatically by the device you do n...

Page 53: ...ate may not necessarily result in a poor connection as PBs with errors are discarded and the coaxial device adjusts the signal to a frequency level where fewer errors occur Avg Source PB CRC Error Rat...

Page 54: ...electrical interference A cell mobile phone recharger which rapidly alternates between on and off can also generate noise Poor cable quality and installation can also cause noise To identify causes o...

Page 55: ...mware Detection Tool to detect the firmware version of the coaxial devices on your network All coaxial devices of the same type should use the same firmware version Use the Firmware Upgrade Tool to up...

Page 56: ...efaults Before upgrading write down your current settings After you upgrade the firmware you need to reconfigure your device using the utility Table 12 Firmware Detection Tool LABEL DESCRIPTION Site T...

Page 57: ...he coaxial device to be upgraded to your computer 2 Close the Configuration Utility and Firmware Detection Tool if either of them are open 3 Open the Firmware Upgrade Tool application Click Next to be...

Page 58: ...following screen Make sure you upload the correct firmware for your region as different regions have differnt firmware characteristics Figure 31 Firmware Upgrade Tool Start 6 The firmware upgrade may...

Page 59: ...n appears Click OK then Finish to close the application Your device automatically restarts Figure 33 Firmware Upgrade Tool Finish 8 To check if your firmware is successfully upgraded run the Firmware...

Page 60: ...Chapter 6 The OS X Configuration Utility PLA 402 v3 User s Guide 60...

Page 61: ...e a new network separate from your existing network with new coaxial adapters How to make a new separate powerline coaxial network with the coaxial adapters you have The tutorial uses the PLA 4xx Seri...

Page 62: ...r 4 Open the PLA 4xx Series Configuration Utility on your computer Go to Start All Programs ZyXEL PLA 4xx Series Configuration PLA 4xx Series Configuration Utility or click on the icon on your desktop...

Page 63: ...ers 7 0 4 Adding a Coaxial Adapter This section shows you how to add a new coaxial adapter to expand your existing network The figure below shows the family computer with Internet access on a powerlin...

Page 64: ...A Check the Local adapter s MAC address B It should match the MAC address listed on the label on the back of your coaxial adapter Figure 38 Adding a New Adapter 3 Select your adapter by selecting Loc...

Page 65: ...adapters that you want to add to your existing or new powerline coaxial network 7 0 5 Setting Up a New Network with a New Adapter This section shows you how to use your new coaxial adapters to set up...

Page 66: ...ach coaxial adapter on your new network to devices for example a computer or a games console 7 0 6 Splitting a Network into Two Networks This section shows you how to split your existing network into...

Page 67: ...re listed as Remote Figure 43 Local Remote Adapters on a Powerline Coaxial Network 3 To set up a new powerline coaxial network type the DAK Password and change the Network Name on all coaxial adapters...

Page 68: ...AK Password field Figure 45 Incorrect DAK or No DAK If you have correctly entered the DAK Password click OK on the pop up Figure 46 Correct DAK 5 The settings for the adapter will now grey out and the...

Page 69: ...Utility change the Network Name on your local adapter to the network name for the network you want to access The adapters on that network will then display in the adapter table allowing you to select...

Page 70: ...Chapter 7 Powerline Coaxial Network Setup Tutorial PLA 402 v3 User s Guide 70...

Page 71: ...tibility The following table shows a quick summary of firmware and utility versions compatible with the different PLA models Powerline coaxial connection PLA 402 v3 PLA 402 v2 PLA 402 v3 can connect t...

Page 72: ...0 5 Note The PLA v2 models can be upgraded to firmware version 3 3 4 At the time of writing PLA 402 v3 can only work with firmware version 3 3 4 Use Configuration Utility version 3 3 4 to manage PLA v...

Page 73: ...s User s Guide 73 The diagram below shows a Powerline network where each PLA has the correct firmware Use Configuration Utility v 3 3 4 to manage the PLAs in this Powerline network Correct Powerline...

Page 74: ...Chapter 8 PLA Compatibility PLA 402 v3 s User s Guide 74...

Page 75: ...75 PART III Appendices and Index LEDs and Troubleshooting 77 Product Specifications 85 Legal Information 89 Index 93...

Page 76: ...76...

Page 77: ...ggestions to solve problems you might encounter 9 1 LEDs The following sections describes the lights on the PLA 402 v3 The following figure is the front panel of the PLA 402 v3 Use the lights to deter...

Page 78: ...s not receiving power HomePlug Green On The PLA 402 v3 detects another coaxial adapter The data transfer rate is greater than 40 Mbps Amber The PLA 402 v3 detects another coaxial adapter The data tran...

Page 79: ...If the problem continues contact the vendor The ETHERNET light does not turn on 1 Check the hardware connections See the Quick Start Guide 2 Inspect your cables for damage Contact the vendor to repla...

Page 80: ...electrical wiring without interfering with each other 5 Make sure that the coaxial adapters on your network are all on the same electrical wiring Connect another coaxial adapter into an outlet close...

Page 81: ...lier versions of the firmware Go to Section 5 4 on page 38 for instructions on installing the latest firmware Check you are using the latest version utility Earlier version utilities cannot communicat...

Page 82: ...release the connection The POWER light does not blink when I press the SETUP button Check the device is on Press the SETUP button again making certain you have pressed the button for more than one sec...

Page 83: ...ces finished blinking but only one device s HomePlug light is on One device may have connected to a third coaxial device To check device A is connected to device B and not another device disconnect de...

Page 84: ...Chapter 9 LEDs and Troubleshooting PLA 402 v3 User s Guide 84...

Page 85: ...seconds resets the device to factory default settings Network Name becomes HomePlugAV SETUP Pressing this button in for less than 3 seconds begins the connection setup process Pressing this button in...

Page 86: ...onnected bridged to single coaxial adapter is 64 The maximum number of coaxial devices on a single network is 64 The maximum number of powerline coaxial networks on a single electrical circuit is 4 Ho...

Page 87: ...PHY Supports up to 200 Mbps in half duplex mode Throughput over UDP Supports up to 150 Mbps over in house power coaxial lines LAN port limits to 100 Mbps Number of devices in one powerline coaxial ne...

Page 88: ...uide 88 Cable Pin Assignments RJ 45 Connector Pin Assignments Figure 52 RJ 45 Connector Pins Table 19 RJ 45 Connector Pin Assignments PIN NO RJ 45 SIGNAL ASSIGNMENT 1 RxD 2 RxD 3 TxD 4 Not connected 5...

Page 89: ...s patent rights nor the patent rights of others ZyXEL further reserves the right to make changes in any products described herein without notice This publication is subject to change without notice Yo...

Page 90: ...vice pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation This device generates uses and can radia...

Page 91: ...product of equal or higher value and will be solely at the discretion of ZyXEL This warranty shall not apply if the product has been modified misused tampered with damaged by an act of God or subjecte...

Page 92: ...Appendix A Legal Information PLA 402 v3 User s Guide 92...

Page 93: ...connections overview 16 copyright 89 D DAK 35 37 DAK Data Access Password 18 Data Access Password see DAK 18 dimensions 85 disclaimer 89 E electrical and cable wiring 35 electrical circuit boundaries...

Page 94: ...tion Block 38 plug and play 35 power specification 85 priority settings 41 application type 42 50 priority levels 44 private network 18 problems and solutions 77 product registration 91 PWR LED 77 R r...

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