OXANCE PLA200 Owner's manual

May 10, 2004

PLA200 Powerline adapters plug into an electrical

outlet to convert the power system into a LAN or

WAN network.

The PLA200 adaptor creates a smart access

point providing Ethernet access at speeds of up

to 14 Mbps with an automatic repeater function,

and offers advanced administration features and

greater security.

PLRP Automatic Repeater Mode

(PowerLine Routing Protocol)

Oxance has developed a powerful routing algorithm

specically for powerline communications, which

enables the PLA200 to act in automatic repeater

mode in transmit and/or receive, guaranteeing

optimal bandwidth and increasing the coverage

of your powerline network.

Advanced Administrative Functions

Managing your powerline network is easy with

the PLA200, which includes an HTTP server,

making the conguration interface compatible

with all operating systems.

An SNMP V1, V2c and V3 agent with trap control

ensures compatibility with other network

administrators.

A Syslog daemon logs system events. An integrated

network performance utility displays the powerline

network performance in real time.

Upgradable rmware in the PLA200 can be

updated via the network.

Enhanced Security Level

MAC address ltering means you can eliminate

the Network Neighbourhood on Windows PCs,

enable or disable PLA200 use or conguration,

control network access, and control the bandwidth

allocated to users.

The AES 128 bit encryption protocol guarantees

the integrity and security of data transmissions.

Optionally, it may be used with the DES 56 bit

security protocol included in the HomePlugTM

1.0.1 protocol.

The PLA200 offers two-layer data security without

sacricing performance.

For optimal use of your PLC modules, we recommend

that you read this manual carefully.

For more information on our products, please

visit our website : www.oxance.com

PowerLine Communication

PLA200

CONTENTS 2

Contents

1 Safety Instructions 4

2 The Powerline Communication Network 5

3 The Most Common Architectures 6

3.1 Your business network via electrical outlets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

3.2 Schools, government ofﬁce, museums, hotels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

3.3 Industries, services, stores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

4 The Advanced Features of the PLA200 9

4.1 Dynamic Routing (selecting the best route) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

4.2 Automatic Repeater (improving distances) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

4.3 MACAddressFiltering .............................. 10

4.4 ManagingBandwidth ............................... 11

4.5 Communications Counter (kbytes) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

4.6 Complete information about the status of the powerline network (best

routes, noise, network quality) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

4.7 DES 56 bit and AES 128 bit Security Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

4.8 Conﬁguration by HTTP Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

4.9 SNMP V1, V2, and V3 Agent with Trap Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

4.10Locating a Remote PLA200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

5 Product Presentation 13

5.1 PackageContents ................................. 13

5.2 RequiredConﬁguration.............................. 13

5.3 Description of the Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

5.3.1 Lights .................................... 14

5.4 Features and Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

6 Installing the PLA200 16

7 Conﬁguring the IP address 17

7.1 New Network or Existing Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

7.2 Example of IP address assignment (auto_ip mode) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

8 Graphic Conﬁguration 19

8.1 HomePage ..................................... 19

8.2 GlobalNetwork................................... 22

8.2.1 Global Network - Products List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

8.2.2 Global Network - Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

8.2.3 Global Network - Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

8.2.4 Global Network - Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

8.2.5 Global Network - Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

8.2.6 Global Network - Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

CONTENTS 3

8.2.7 Global Network - Save Conﬁg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

8.3 PLASelection.................................... 41

8.3.1 PLA Selection - Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

8.3.2 PLA Selection - System Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

8.3.3 PLA Selection - Route . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

8.3.4 PLA Selection - LAN/PLA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

8.3.5 PLA Selection - Save Conﬁg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

9 PLA 220 (Bridge) 51

9.1 PLA200 Compatibility with HomePlug 1.0.1 devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

9.2 Segment a Powerline Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

9.3 Examples of how PLA bridges are used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

9.3.1 A Powerline Network with 15 PLA200s and 15 PL100s . . . . . . . . 58

9.3.2 A Powerline Network composed of 21 PLA200s . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

9.3.3 A Powerline Network composed of 75 PL100s . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

9.3.4 A Powerline Network composed of 75 PLA200s . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

9.3.5 A Powerline Network composed of 21 PLA200s and 30 PL100s . . . 62

10 Speciﬁcations 63

11 Troubleshooting 64

12 Mounting Kit 65

13 Data Sheets 66

13.1How do I ﬁnd the MAC address of a network device? . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

13.2UpdatingthePLA2xxs............................... 68

13.3Setup and optimize a PLC network with a PocketPC . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

14 Glossaire 78

15 Note 80

1 SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 4

1 Safety Instructions

This device is intended for use in alternating current (AC) electrical systems.

Please take the following precautions :

Read and follow all of the safety instructions and warnings appearing on the device and in this manual.

Your electrical system must be equipped with a circuit breaker to prevent short circuits.

Make sure that your electrical outlets are equipped with fuse or circuit-breaker protection with a maximum

current of 16 Amps.

Slots and openings on the case are provided for ventilation.

To ensure reliable operation of the device and to protect it from overheating, never block or cover the slots or

openings.

Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be stepped on or pinched by items placed

on or against them.

It should not be installed in a location exposed to direct sunlight or heat sources.

Never use liquid or aerosol cleaners.

If necessary, unplug the device and clean it with a damp cloth.

Never use this device near a source of water, for example, a bathtub, sink, washing machine, a damp cellar

or near a swimming pool.

The device should be operated only from the type of power source indicated on the device’s electrical ratings

label.

Do not overload wall outlets and extension cords as this can result in a risk of ﬁre or electrical shock.

Do not attempt to service this device yourself.

Opening or removing covers may expose you to dangerous voltage or other hazards, and cancels the

warranty.

None of the internal parts can be replaced except by qualiﬁed service personnel, so you should not open the

device.

If your device needs servicing, contact an authorised service provider.

Unplug the unit from the wall outlet and have it repaired by qualiﬁed service personnel under the following

conditions :

If the power-supply cord or plug is damaged.

If liquid has been spilled into or onto the device.

If the device has been exposed to rain or water.

If the device does not operate normally.

If the device has been dropped or damaged in any way.

If the device exhibits a distinct change in performance.

2 THE POWERLINE COMMUNICATION NETWORK 5

2 The Powerline Communication Network

Powerline Communications (PLC) technology uses the existing power system to communicate

without the need for additional or speciﬁc wiring. PLCnetTM devices use the existing electrical

wiring to transport information. The technology consists of overlaying a higher frequency (4.3

to 20.9 Mhz bandwidth), low-power signal on top of the 50 Hz signal. This signal travels over

the electrical wires and is then received and decoded by all the PLCnetTM devices on the power

system.

The power system is an environment subject to varying levels of interference. The distance bet-

ween outlets, the number of connections and the load are very hard to predict. To optimise this

media, Oxance has designed devices using PowerPacketTM technology, developed by IntellonTM.

This technology is the basis for the HomePlugTM speciﬁcation.

PowerPacketTM operates with OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) modulation

that is used in digital terrestrial television and the 802.11a standard. OFDM is a broadband wi-

reless transmission technology capable of overcoming obstacles on the transmit-receive system.

OFDM solves the problem of transmitter-receiver alignment. For a very fast broadband connec-

tion (several megabits per second), the transmitter and the receiver must be perfectly aligned

which is rarely the case in an urban environment where there are many buildings. With OFDM

devices, this is not a problem, since the system transmits a signal on several frequencies at once.

Even if only one weak signal passes, the receiver can reconstruct the message, regardless of any

obstacles encountered on the other frequencies.

The protocol used is CSMA/CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance), similar

to 802.11, as well as priority classes and latency control. The frequency bandwidths range from

4.3 Mhz to 20.9 Mhz for a transfer rate of 14 Mb/s, or roughly 6 Mb/s effective data rate.

The communication distances are approximately 200 m, with the communication distance and

the transfer rate theoretically proportional to the SNR (Signal to Noise Ration) and dependant on

the quality of the network connections. Anything that reduces the SNR (switching power supplies,

halogen lamps, dimmer switches, etc.) or that modiﬁes the impedance of the network (extension

cords, power strips, etc.) is likely to decrease the communication distances and/or the transfer

rates.

PowerPacketTM adjusts the transmission rates and times by forcing segmentation of frames that

exceed a certain duration to provide the best quality of service (QoS). The PowerPacketTM privacy

mechanism creates a logical network in which all stations share a common encryption key.

A 56-bit DES algorithm encrypts each frame. By using several different keys, several secure, in-

dependent logical networks can be created.

On the three-phase network, the high frequency coupling of the phases in the input cable may

be sufﬁcient to allow PLCnetTM units plugged into different phases to communicate with each

other. For systems with long wiring or a band-stop ﬁlter, we recommend installing an Oxance

capacitive coupler (CPL3PH) for better performance.

3 THE MOST COMMON ARCHITECTURES 6

3 The Most Common Architectures

Multiple combinations are possible. Below we provide a few concrete examples.

3.1 Your business network via electrical outlets.

(1) Your DSL internet access is limited to one computer or located in just one

room : Connect a PLA200 to the Hub/Switch where the router is plugged in and you

have instant, simultaneous internet access for all the computers in your company.

(2) and (5) Some rooms in your company are not wired to the Ethernet network :

Connect your computers to the powerline network via the PLA200 units, and access all

network applications, shared ﬁles, and the Internet.

(3) You need to connect an Ethernet network room to the other ﬂoors in your

company : Plug in a PLA200 to the Hub/Switch and access all of the other PLA200s

(computer, router, printer, etc.).

(4) You need to isolate a noisy machine to improve working conditions : Connect

a PLA200 to your photocopier, printer, or other Ethernet unit and place it in an out-of-

the-way location.

3 THE MOST COMMON ARCHITECTURES 7

3.2 Schools, government ofﬁce, museums, hotels

(1) Your lobby is not connected to the computer network :

Connect a PLA200 to a multimedia terminal and get all the beneﬁts of a network (com-

pany presentation, free internet access).

(2) You have many rooms that are not wired or do not need Ethernet access at all

times :

As the need arises, plug in the PLA200 to get an instant access point (hotel rooms,

ofﬁces, training rooms, etc.)

(3) You want to control a location or monitor a parking lot or sensitive are at a

lower cost :

Connect the PLA200 to an Ethernet-enabled video camera and you can conduct your

video-surveillance over the powerline.

3 THE MOST COMMON ARCHITECTURES 8

3.3 Industries, services, stores

(1) You want to add or move a point of sale in your store :

Connect the PLA 200 to your cash register, bar code reader or payment system and you

have an instant network with no special wiring.

(2) You want to control industrial equipment via the Ethernet network (control-

lers, sensors, maintenance systems, access control, etc.) :

Connect the PLA200 to your unit and place it where you want, without wiring or rewi-

ring.

4 THE ADVANCED FEATURES OF THE PLA200 9

4 The Advanced Features of the PLA200

4.1 Dynamic Routing (selecting the best route)

•At 10 :00 AM : Communication between A and C is direct ; there is no interference.

•At 11 :30 AM : Electrical interference between A and C results in lower performance.

The data is automatically relayed via B in order to optimise transmission rates.

•At 12 :15 AM : The electrical interference is resolved and direct communication is

once again the best choice, so the relay via B is eliminated.

4 THE ADVANCED FEATURES OF THE PLA200 10

4.2 Automatic Repeater (improving distances)

Example of the relay feature : PLA200s A and C are too far apart to be able to communi-

cate with each other. PLA200 B is automatically used as a relay to create a connection

between A and C.

4.3 MAC Address Filtering

You can restrict data trafﬁc on the Ethernet network.

The principle is similar to a ﬁrewall, in which the data are ﬁltered between a source and

a destination.

Example :

All of the rooms in a hotel have internet access, but for security reasons, access between

the rooms is impossible.

4 THE ADVANCED FEATURES OF THE PLA200 11

4.4 Managing Bandwidth

Since the bandwidth on the powerline network is not inﬁnite, it may be wise to limit

communications between the PLA200s.

Incoming or outgoing bandwidth can be limited (in kbits/sec) via the Ethernet connec-

tion.

Example :

In a hotel, you want to distribute high-speed internet access evenly.

So you limit the bandwidth for each room.

4.5 Communications Counter (kbytes)

For statistics or invoicing purposes, you can count the number of bytes sent and re-

ceived by the PLA200s. The counters are saved to ﬂash memory and can be reset only

by the administrator. Just plugging in or unplugging the PLA200 does not reset the

counters.

4.6 Complete information about the status of the powerline net-

work (best routes, noise, network quality)

The powerline network status is analysed in real time. Colour graphs show information

on quality and interference for quick and easy diagnostics.

4.7 DES 56 bit and AES 128 bit Security Protocols

By default, data transmitted over the powerline network are DES 56 bit encrypted.

For sensitive networks, security can be reinforced by activating the AES 128 bit protocol

on top of the HomePlug DES 56 bit encryption.

4 THE ADVANCED FEATURES OF THE PLA200 12

4.8 Conﬁguration by HTTP Server

The PLA200s can be fully administered via a Web interface.

No external software is needed (no need to install software on your computer), you

already have the software you need to administer the system a web browser such as

Internet Explorer 6 1or Mozilla 1_4. You can also setup and manage your Powerline

Network with a PocketPC.

Computer PocketPC

4.9 SNMP V1, V2, and V3 Agent with Trap Control

This protocol allows you to manage the PLA200s using management utilities such as

HP-OpenView, etc.

4.10 Locating a Remote PLA200

It is possible to locate the remote device by activating the ﬂashing Locate light.

1Internet ExplorerTM is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

5 PRODUCT PRESENTATION 13

5 Product Presentation

5.1 Package Contents

Check that the package contains the following items.

If any of the items is missing, contact your dealer.

5.2 Required Conﬁguration

Any Ethernet-enabled device (computer, controller, cash register, card reader, video/webcam,

router, terminal server, etc.).

To conﬁgure and set up a PLA200:

●1 computer with network card and TCP/IC protocol conﬁgured.

●1 web browser2(Internet Explorer 6.0.28 minimum or Mozilla)

2The web browsers are included on the Oxance CD ROM.

5 PRODUCT PRESENTATION 14

5.3 Description of the Device

5.3.1 Lights

Heartbeat

Green ﬂashing light (ﬂashes every second) : The PLA200 is powered on and operating

correctly.

Locate

Red : The light ﬂashes during a restart or when the user wants to physically locate a

device via the HTML interface.

PLA Link

Orange : The PLA200 indicates the presence of another HomePlug device on the pow-

erline network.

PLA activity

Flashing Orange : The PLA200 is receiving or transmitting data over the powerline net-

work.

Ethernet Link

Green : The PLA200 is connected to an Ethernet-enabled device.

Ethernet activity

Flashing green: The PLA200 is receiving or transmitting data over the Ethernet network.

Reset (Reset Factory Conﬁg)

Reset : press the button until the red Locate light ﬂashes to reset to factory conﬁgura-

tion.

5 PRODUCT PRESENTATION 15

5.4 Features and Recommendations

•The PLA200 can relay the signal and transmit over long distances (repeater function)

only if each PLA200 is no farther than 200 meters away from the next closest PLA200.

The repeater function is automatic and does not required any special conﬁgura-

tion.

•If you have more than 15 PLAs on the same network, performance may be affected. To

achieve a balanced network, you need to work with groups of 15 devices. Each group

is linked to the others by PLA Bridges (see explanation and conﬁguration on page 51)

•Whenever possible, use one PLA 200 adaptor per wall outlet. If this is not possible,

use a single-to-double T-shaped adaptor and plug in your PLA200 and your power strip.

•You must use the 30 cm power cord provided, since a longer cord will affect the

powerline network performance.

•Never plug the PLA200 into a lightning or surge protector, as these devices ﬁlter out

certain frequencies and affect the performance of our products.

•Never connect several PLA200s on the same Hub/Switch, as this can create loops and

prevent the powerline network from operating.

6 INSTALLING THE PLA200 16

6 Installing the PLA200

The PLA200 Ethernet adaptor enables you to connect any Ethernet device (computer,

router, controller, card payment system, video/webcam, network printer, etc.)

No driver or special conﬁguration is required to use the PLA200.

Advanced conﬁguration (security, ﬁltering, analysis) is done using a common web browser.

●Plug in the PLA Ethernet adaptor to an electrical outlet.

●Connect the Ethernet cable to the PLA200 and to the Ethernet interface on your

device or to your Ethernet Hub/Switch.

The auto MDI/MDIX function simpliﬁes the installation process in that there is

no need to worry about what type of cable to use (straight-through or crossover).

The port adjusts automatically to the peripheral (Hub/Switch or devices) to en-

sure a good connection without manual intervention.

7 CONFIGURING THE IP ADDRESS 17

7 Conﬁguring the IP address

7.1 New Network or Existing Network

To conﬁgure a PLA 200, you must connect to its IP address from a web browser. By

default, PLA200s have IP address 192.168.1.251 and are in automatic IP mode.

New Network or Unknown MAC

address

Factory-default IP

–Simply assign you computer a Class

C network IP address. For example :

192.168.1.1l

–You can then directly access the

PLA200 via your browser by entering

192.168.1.251 in the address bar.

Existing network

Automatic IP address

“auto_ip”

–Auto_ip mode assigns a network IP

address based on the MAC address.

–Find the MAC address of your

PLA200 printed on the label, star-

ting with : 00-0c-3a

–This MAC address must be linked

on the computer to the selected free

IP address (add a static entry in the

ARP table).

–C :\> arp -s [IP adress] [MAC adress]

–The ICMP protocol (ping) is then

used to supply the IP address to the

PLA200.

–C :\> ping [IP adress]

Once the PLA200 is accessible via your browser, you can access the other PLA200s

through the power system to conﬁgure your powerline network.

FTo keep the IP address, you have to enter it again on the graphic interface

of the PLA200 (see page 30 “Global Network - Setup - Network”).

7 CONFIGURING THE IP ADDRESS 18

7.2 Example of IP address assignment (auto_ip mode)

Existing Conﬁguration :

A Windows 2000 computer with Ethernet card and TCP/IP protocol installed and con-

ﬁgured. A Class C Network (for example: 192.168.1.0/255.255.255.0)

FYou must have administrator privileges on the computer and be able to add an

ARP entry, otherwise you will receive an error message such as: "The ARP entry

addition failed".

1. Connect the PLA200 on your Ethernet network or directly to your computer.

2. Determine which free IP address you want to assign to the PLA200 (for example:192.168.1.200)

3. Identify the MAC address of the PLA200 (for example: 00-0C-3A-01-01-01)

4. Open the command prompt (Start - Run - Cmd)

5. Add a static entry in the ARP table of your Windows 2000:

C:\> arp -s 192.168.1.200 00-0C-3A-01-01-01

6. Run the "ping" command on the free IP address

C:\> ping 192.168.1.200

7. As of the second request, the PLA200 is conﬁgured and should respond.

You can now enter this IP address in a web browser to access and conﬁgure the PLA200.

8. Once the IP address is assigned, remember to set the IP address in the HTML conﬁguration

and disable the auto_ip mode : "Global network - Setup - Network" page 30.

8 GRAPHIC CONFIGURATION 19

8 Graphic Conﬁguration

8.1 Home Page

Once the IP address is assigned to your PLA200, you can access it from a web browser.

Enter the IP address of the PLA200 in the address bar of Internet Explorer 6 or Mozilla

1.4)

The device’s Home page comes up :

No authentication is required for the ﬁrst connection. However, you must change the

default passwords for the PLA200, to make your network secure.

Browser password : This password authenticates you on the PLA’s web server. This

password is also used as an authentication key and encryption key for SNMPv3 re-

quests.

Once the password has been modiﬁed, authentication is needed to access the Web

server. The user login is "admin" in lower case.

PLC password : This is the encryption key used by all of the PLAs present on the power

system.

FThe passwords must be between 8 and 16 alphanumerical characters in length.

Until your passwords are changed and saved, a warning message will appear each

time you connect.

8 GRAPHIC CONFIGURATION 20

You can access detailed online help about the current page at any time by clicking on

the question mark (?).

Click on the ﬂag to switch the conﬁguration interface to English.

To update all the ﬁelds, you have to close and re-open you browser, or refresh the page

by clicking on refresh or update in your browser).

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OXANCE PLA200 Owner's manual

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