HomePlug to Ethernet Bridge User Manual (GHPB31/GHPB32)
Welcome Thank you for purchasing one of the most user-friendly networking devices on the market. IOGEAR’s HomePlug to Ethernet Bridges and the Homeplug Networking Kit are first-class networking devices designed to network your computers at home (or in your small office). This device allows you to set up your home network via the most pervasive medium in your house – the home power lines. It is easy to set up, and it doesn’t require any additional wiring in the house.
Table of Contents ○ ○ ○ 02 Frequently Asked Questions ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ 03 Technical Support Requirements ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ 04 Specifications Introduction ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ 05 Limited Warranty Installation ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ 07 Radio and TV Interference ○ ○ 11 Overview ○ ○ Features ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Installation of the Utility Software Homeplug Configuration Utility Network Configuration Networking
Overview IOGEAR’s HomePlug Ethernet Bridge allows you to network your home computers through the most pervasive medium in your house - the electric power lines - and share Broadband Internet connections, printers, transfer files, play games, and more. This unit can be used to HomePlug-enable one computer with a 10/100Base-T adapter, or to make a group of computers HomePlug-ready through either a network switch or router.
Features • Extend your WiFi network through existing powerlines • Network your gaming devices through powerlines to play games with a remote partner • No extra wires required to create a network, simply use the most pervasive medium in your home – powerlines • Very easy and intuitive to install and set up • HomePlug Powerline Specifications 1.
Requirements System Requirements • • • • • Available AC power outlets in the room. Standard home power line wiring. Computers with 10/100Base-T adapters, or 10/100Base-T switch/hub. When used as a node: Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP. When used as a bridge: any operating system (OS transparent).
Introduction IOGEAR's HomePlug to Ethernet Bridge allows you to network your computers via your existing home power lines. It offers a data transmission speed of up to 14 Mbps, and reaches up to 990 feet through standard power lines.
Introduction Front View: 1. Powerline LED – lights up in green when other Homeplug devices are detected on the same powerline 2. Link/ACT – blinks when data is sent through the Homeplug connection 3. Ethernet port- connecting to the Ethernet of the computer or the devices (router, wi-fi access point, gaming box, etc.) 1 2 3 Back View: 4.
Installation There are several ways to network your computers using the HomePlug Bridge.
Installation 5. There are several ways to see whether the Homeplug bridge is functioning. One way is the observe the LED, the Link/ACT LED should start blinking after you plug the bridge in the wall outlet. For most of the Windows machines (as this Windows 2000 machine used to create this manual), you should see a message being prompted on the tool bar: “Local Area Connection, Speed XX Mbps”. (Speed is determined by the Ethernet port speed of the computer.
Installation 6. You can also go to “Control Panel”, select “Network and Dial up and Connections. ”Click the “Local Area Connection” icon.
Installation 7. You can see the network connection is already established. At this point, you can start communicating with the other computers or devices on the powerline. Please refer to Network Configuration section in how to set up networks for various purposes. In order to add security and other utilities, you will need to install the utility software. Please refer to the following section for details.
Installation of the utility software 1. Make sure that your HomePlug bridge is NOT CONNECTED TO THE COMPUTER before you install the driver. 2. Insert the installation CD. If CD does not automatically load, run (CD Drive Letter):\setup.exe. 3. Click Next.
Installation of the utility software 4. Read, understand and accept the License Agreement and continue by clicking Next.
Installation of the utility software 5. Enter a username and organization name, and continue installation. (Username and Organization have no importance in device operation. This window might look slightly different on other platforms.
Installation of the utility software 6.
Installation of the utility software 7. The following message may be prompted to ask you to connect the bridge to the powerline, do it and then click OK. The following window will be prompted to indicate that the installation is successful.
Installation of the utility software 8. Restart your computer now for all the changes to go into effect. To uninstall the driver, simply go to your Add/Remove programs control panel and remove the IOGEAR Homeplug Utilities. Then restort your computer to complete the uninstall.
Homeplug Configuration Utility After restarting the computer, you can see the HomePlug utility icon. 1. Double click the icon to start the HomePlug Configuration utility. The utility is used to configure the HomePlug.
Homeplug Configuration Utility 2. Once the utility starts, it will display the MAC address of the device your computer is connected to as well as the signal strength. The Link Quality line shows whether the link is good or bad. A green line all the way to the right is good. A short red line is bad connection. You will have to do a troubleshooting, if you see a short red line.
Homeplug Configuration Utility 3. The Network tab displays the additional HomePlug devices on the network. Click on the “Scan” button to scan for additional devices on the HomePlug network.
Homeplug Configuration Utility 4. The Security tab will allow you to change the Network Password to the unit that is currently connected to this computer. This network password encrypts all data that is sent from this unit using 56-bit data encryption standard (DES). Note: Every unit on your home network MUST have the same Network Password for connectivity to be established throughout your home. The default network password is “HomePlug”. To change the password, type the password and then click Set Local.
Homeplug Configuration Utility 5. The Advanced Tab will allow users to use one primary computer to control the Network Password of all units on the powerline network. First Find the DEK (Device Encryption Key) Key located on the bottom of each device. Enter this Key into the Device Password area. Click Add. This Device Key will then appear in the Remote Passwords Box. Add all the DEK Keys for each unit in your house. You can then change the password remotely from one computer.
Homeplug Configuration Utility 6. This screen displays the version number of the utility. Click OK to complete the configuration.
Network Configuration Networking Terms What is a node? A node is any given device that resides or is connected onto an existing network. A computer with a network card connected to a switch is a node. The same thing applies to a Mac connected to a hub. What is a bridge? A bridge is used when connecting one side of the network with another network. Previously, connecting every computer together with the other network would mean having cables all over the place.
Network Configuration Can I use both in the same network? Yes. It is perfectly right to have both nodes and bridges on a network as long the maximum is not exceeded. It is also fine to have USB nodes on the same network with Ethernet nodes. How do I decide whether I need a USB adapter or Ethernet bridge as a node? It should be determined by the available connection on the computer that you plan to connect to the HomePlug network.
Network Configuration a.
Network Configuration b.
Network Configuration c. Using the HomePlug Ethernet bridge to make a sub network HomePlug ready to communicate with the other HomePlug nodes.
Network Configuration d. Using the HomePlug Ethernet bridge to extend the WiFi network and eliminate dead spots.
Network Configuration e. Using Homeplug bridge to share Broadband Internet access through the whole house.
Network Configuration f. Using the HomePlug Ethernet bridge to play game remotely.
Networking Basics Prior to installing HomePlug, you may have had some ideas about using your new network. This section will help you get started on those ideas or even give you some new ones. It will go through the process of sharing files, printing from any computer on the network, or accessing the Internet on multiple computers with one connection. Please note that this section is just an outline of a few networking basics and not intended to be a comprehensive guide to networking.
Networking Basics 1. Click "Next" in the window(right) for the Network Setup Wizard.
Networking Basics 2. Read and follow the instructions in the following window and then click "Next".
Networking Basics 3. In the following window, select among the 3 options which best describe this computer and then click "Next". If your computer connects to a broadband router/gateway, select the second option.
Networking Basics 4. Fill in the information in the following window as you desire and then click "Next”.
Networking Basics 5. Enter the Workgroup name as you wish and then click "Next". (Very important: All computers on your network should have the same Workgroup.
Networking Basics 6. Review the setting in the following screen, and click "Next" to continue. If you want to change any settings, you need to click "Back" and start over again.
Networking Basics 7. Please wait while the Network Setup Wizard applies the changes and configures the computer.
Networking Basics 8. When the configuration is done, the following screen will come up. Select one of the 4 options according to your needs. (In this example, the last choice was selected.) Click “Next.
Networking Basics 9. Then click "Finish" on this next window.
Networking Basics 10. The new setting will take effect after you restart the computer. Click "Yes" to restart the computer. Congratulations, you have completed configuring this computer! After setting up networks on all your computers on the network, you will be able to use your HomePlug network to share files, printers, and Internet connections.
Networking Basics Topic 2: Checking IP addresses in Windows XP/ 2000 Go to Start>Programs>Accessories> Command Prompt.
Networking Basics 1. Type "ipconfig" at the prompt, then press Enter. You will see the IP address of this computer.
Networking Basics Topic 3: Assigning a Static IP Address (Note: If you use DHCP-capable gateway/router, you don't need to assign any static IP addresses because the gateway/router will automatically assign IP addresses to the computers on the network.) Go to Star t>Settings>Control Panel>Network Connections>Local Area Connection Right click on Local Area Connection, then double click on Properties, you will see a window similar to this: Select “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)” and then click on Properties.
Networking Basics 1. At the following window, select "Use the following IP address:", and fill in the desired IP address and subnet mask (it is recommended to use the default subnet mask as shown in the following window. Subnet mask must be the same for all the computers on the network.) If you need to enter DNS address, you must enter the address of the default gateway. Click on "OK".
Networking Basics 2.Click "Close" on the Local Area Connection Properties window. You have completed static IP address assignment.
Networking Basics Topic 4. Sharing Disks/Folders Once the network has been checked / configured, you can access other systems via "My Network Places". To allow other systems to access data on your disks / in your folders, you have to give permission to share your disks and/or folders. 1. Select the disk (or the folder) to be shared (for example in "My Computer") and right-click on the icon of the disk to get the Context / popup-menu; select "Sharing and Security.
Networking Basics Once you have selected the folder to be shared, right-click to select “sharing and security.
Networking Basics 2. In the following window, click to select "Share this folder". Then click on "Permission".
Networking Basics 3. Please note that by default, all users defined on your XP Professional system will have full permissions. You can reduce the permissions (for example to allow only Read-access) and/or you could add a different group of users to have access permission (but then you should delete the group "Everyone" from this list). In the following Permission settings, make sure you are giving the right permissions and then click OK to accept the settings.
Networking Basics 4. Click OK on the original Sharing and Security window to conclude the process. 5. Once a disk or folder is shared, the icon will show it via the "holding hand.
Networking Basics Topic 5. Share Printers You may now share any installed printers connected to this computer with other computers on your network. 1. Using the computer that has the printer already connected to it, go to: Start > Control Panel > Printers and Faxes. Click on the printer you want to share with others on the network and select "Share this printer".
Networking Basics 2. In the following window, click on "Share this Printer" and type in the share name you would like. After this is done, click on "Apply" and then "OK".
Networking Basics Now when you go to "Printers and Faxes" in the Control Panel, you will see the supporting hand underneath the printer, which means that the printer is being shared in the network.
Networking Basics For a computer to access a Network Printer, the device driver or software for that printer must be installed and pointed to the proper location of the printer. This is done similarly to the way you installed the printer on the computer it is connected to. 1. Go to a computer that is not connected to the printer and select "Start" from the Task Bar "Control Panel" then "Printers and other Hardware".
Networking Basics 2. Click on "Add a printer".
Networking Basics 3. Select the network printer option and click Next.
Networking Basics 4. Find the printer you would like to share and click Next.
Networking Basics Decide if you would like to choose this printer as a default printer and click Next.
Networking Basics You have now added the printer to your computer, click Finish. Now you may use the Network Printer as if it was directly connected to the computer. Make sure that the computer which is directly connected to the printer is on.
Sharing Internet Access Topic 6. Sharing Internet Access So how can the Internet connection be shared among other computers on the HomePlug network? Since neither the HomePlug Bridge nor USB Adapter are capable of routing at this time, a router is necessary in order to share an Internet connection. Future versions of the HomePlug Bridge or USB Adapter may feature built-in routing capabilities.
Sharing Internet Access Please follow these steps for setting up Internet Sharing: 62
Sharing Internet Access a. Make sure that the DSL/Cable modem is connected to the Router (using the WAN port on the router.) b. Connect the HomePlug Bridge to the Router (using the Uplink port on the router.) c. Check the link light on the HomePlug Bridge. It must light up green. d. Make sure that the computers that need access to the Internet via the HomePlug network are each connected to a HomePlug Adapter or a HomePlug Bridge and reside on the same power grid.
Sharing Internet Access Checking Router Settings: Please make sure that the following settings on your router are set: (The setup windows will depend on the router manufacturer's software.) A) The IP should be obtained automatically; B) DHCP must be enabled; C) Release DHCP and then Renew DHCP to reset the IP Addresses. It is recommended that you verify that IP Addresses are obtained. Once all the above steps have been completed, all HomePlug connected computers will be able to access the Internet.
Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions/Troubleshooting 1. Will HomePlug work in my house or apartment? If the house or apartment was built under U.S. building standards using copper wiring, then it will work. 2. What types of security problems will I be facing? If your house is on the same power grid as your neighbor, then there is a potential for a hacker to get in through your neighbor's house. However, this is easily remedied by activating the encryption key on the HomePlug device. 3.
Frequently Asked Questions Node mode operates by connecting the HomePlug USB adapter (GHPU21) or Ethernet bridge (GHPB31) to one computer (ONLY) and installing drivers onto the computer, allowing it to set the device into Node Mode. The advantage with Node Mode operation is there is no limitation to the number of nodes that can operate on a HomePlug network. 5. Will HomePlug operate on different Circuit Breakers? Yes.
Frequently Asked Questions 7. What OS does the HomePlug utility software fully support? Windows 98SE, ME, XP, and 2000. Windows NT and Mac are only supported by the HomePlug Ethernet Bridge (Without installing the HomePlug software with default operating mode as BRIDGE, not NODE) 8. What is the Range of HomePlug? Approximately 990 feet (300 meters) in wall power lines. 9. How does 56bit-DES compare with Wireless 802.11b 128bit-WEP encryption? 56bit-DES is superior because of its DES type Encryption.
Technical Support To help IOGEAR® customers obtain the highest level of performance from their HomePlug devices, the IOGEAR® Service Support team is available to answer your technical questions. Do not hesitate to call if you are having trouble getting your device to work correctly.
Technical Support 1) What is the purchase date and serial number of the product? 2) Were any messages displayed on the screen when the error occurred? If so, what was the exact wording of the message? 3) What type of Computer are you using? 4) When does the problem occur? 5) Can the problem be reproduced? If so, what are the steps necessary to reproduce the problem? 6) What version of the OS are you using? 7) Are you on a network? If so, what type of network is it? 8) What have you already tried to get the
Specifications 70
Limited Warranty IN NO EVENT SHALL THE DIRECT VENDOR'S LIABILITY FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THE PRODUCT, DISK, OR ITS DOCUMENTATION EXCEED THE PRICE PAID FOR THE PRODUCT. The direct vendor makes no warranty or representation, expressed, implied, or statutory with respect to the contents or use of this documentation, and especially disclaims its quality, performance, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose.
Radio & TV Interference Statement WARNING!!! This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause interference to radio communications. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B computing device pursuant to Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC Rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference when operated in a commercial environment.
Contact info. 23 Hubble • Irvine, CA 92618 • (P) 949.453.8782 • (F) 949.453.8785 • www.iogear.
