Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product GHPB31 IOGear
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HomePlug to Ethernet Bridge User Manual (GHPB31/GHPB32).
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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).
Table of Contents Overview Features Requirements Introduction Installation Installation of the Utility Software Homeplug Configuration Utility Network Configuration Networking Basics - Network Setup W.
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.
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.
• A vailable A C 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: Windo ws 98SE, ME, 2000, XP . • When used as a bridge: any operating system (OS transparent).
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 6 Front Vie w: 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.
Installation There are several ways to network your computers using the HomePlug Bridge. Before we get started, please NOTE: Do not place HomePlug devices under direct sunlight or near high heat emitt.
5. There are several ways to see whether the Homeplug bridge is functioning. One way is the observe the LED , the Link/A CT LED should star t blinking after y ou plug the bridge in the wall outlet.
6. Y ou can also go to “Control P anel”, select “Network and Dial up and Connections. ” Clic k the “Local Area Connection” icon. Installation 9.
Installation 10 7. Y ou 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.
1. Make sure that your HomePlug bridge is NOT CONNECTED TO THE COMPUTER before you install the driver. 2. Inser t the installation CD . If CD does not automatically load, run (CD Drive Letter):setup.
4. Read, understand and accept the License Agreement and continue by clicking Next. 12 Installation of the utility software.
5. Enter a username and organiza- tion name, and continue installa- tion. (Username and Organization have no importance in device op- eration. This window might look slightly different on other platforms.
6. Click Install to start the Installation Wizard: 14 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.
T o uninstall the driver , simply go to your Add/Remov e programs control panel and remov e the IOGEAR Homeplug Utilities. Then restort your computer to complete the uninstall.
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.
18 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 connec- tion.
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.
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).
5. The Adv anced T ab 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.
6. This screen displays the version number of the utility . Clic k OK to complete the configuration. 22 Homeplug Configuration Utility.
Networking T erms What is a node? A node is any given de vice 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.
24 Network Configuration Can I use both in the same network? Y es. It is perfectly right to have both nodes and bridges on a network as long the maximum is not exceeded.
a. Using the HomePlug Ethernet Bridge (Node Mode) (Several HomePlug Bridges can be used) 25 Network Configuration.
26 Network Configuration b. Using the HomePlug USB Adapter AND Ethernet Bridge (Node Mode).
c. Using the HomePlug Ethernet bridge to make a sub network HomePlug ready to communicate with the other HomePlug nodes. 27 Network Configuration Powerline.
28 Network Configuration d. Using the HomePlug Ethernet bridge to extend the WiFi network and eliminate dead spots..
29 Network Configuration e. Using Homeplug bridge to share Broadband Internet access through the whole house..
30 Network Configuration f. Using the HomePlug Ether net bridge to play game remotely ..
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.
1. Click "Next" in the window(right) for the Network Setup Wizard. 32 Networking Basics.
2. Read and follow the instructions in the following window and then click "Next". 33 Networking Basics.
3. In the follo wing window , select among the 3 options which best describe this computer and then click "Next". If your computer connects to a broadband router/gatew ay , select the second op- tion.
4. Fill in the information in the following window as you desire and then click "Next”. 35 Networking Basics.
5. Enter the Workgroup name as you wish and then click "Next". (V ery impor tant: All computers on your network should have the same Workgroup.
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.
7. Please wait while the Network Setup Wizard applies the changes and configures the computer. 38 Networking Basics.
8. When the configuration is done, the following screen will come up. Select one of the 4 op- tions according to your needs. (In this ex- ample, the last choice was selected.
Networking Basics 40 9. Then clic k "Finish" on this next windo w ..
10. The new setting will take eff ect after you restar t the computer. Click "Y es" to restar t 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.
T opic 2: Checking IP ad- dresses in Windows XP/ 2000 Go to Start>Programs>Accessories> Command Prompt. Networking Basics 42.
1. T ype "ipconfig" at the prompt, then press Enter. Y ou will see the IP address of this computer. Networking Basics 43.
T opic 3: Assigning a Static IP Ad dress (Note: If you use DHCP-capable gate wa y/router , you don't need to assign any static IP addresses because the gateway/router will automatically as- sign IP addresses to the computers on the net- work.
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 f or all the computers on the network.
2.Click "Close" on the Local Area Connection Properties window . You have completed static IP address assignment. Networking Basics 46.
Topic 4. Sharing Disks/Folders Once the network has been checked / configured, you can access other systems via "My Network Places". T o allow other systems to access data on your disks / in y our folders, y ou hav e to give permission to share your disks and/or folders.
Networking Basics 48 Once you have selected the folder to be shared, right-click to select “sharing and secu- rity . ”.
Networking Basics 49 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).
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 52 T opic 5. Share Printers Y ou may now share any installed print- ers 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.
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 54 Now when you go to "Printers and Faxes" in the Control Panel, you will see the sup- porting 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.
2. Click on "Add a printer". Networking Basics 56.
Networking Basics 3. Select the network printer option and click Next. 57.
4. Find the printer you would like to share and click Next. Networking Basics 58.
Networking Basics Decide if you would like to choose this printer as a default printer and click Next. 59.
Y ou have no w 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.
T opic 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.
Please follow these steps for setting up Internet Sharing: 62 Sharing Internet Access.
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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions/T roubleshooting 1. Will HomePlug work in my house or apartment? If the house or apartment was built under U.
66 Node mode operates by connecting the HomePlug USB adapter (GHPU21) or Ethernet bridge (GHPB31) to one computer (ONL Y) and installing drivers onto the computer , allowing it to set the de vice 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.
7. What OS does the HomePlug utility software fully support? Windows 98SE, ME, XP , and 2000. Windo ws NT and Mac are only suppor ted by the HomePlug Ether net Bridge (Without installing the HomePlug software with default operating mode as BRIDGE, not NODE) 8.
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 ques- tions. Do not hesitate to call if you are having trouble getting your device to work correctly.
T echnical Support 69 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 mess.
Specifications 70.
Limited Warranty 71 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.
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.
23 Hubble • Irvine, CA 92618 • (P) 949.453.8782 • (F) 949.453.8785 • www.iogear.com Contact info..
An important point after buying a device IOGear GHPB31 (or even before the purchase) is to read its user manual. We should do this for several simple reasons:
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However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with IOGear GHPB31. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device IOGear GHPB31 along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center
