Setup and Installation

Setup was accomplished through the use of the HomePlug AV Utility found on the included CD-ROM. You need to connect at least one HP-3000E to your home network as well as being plugged into an AC outlet; the other can simply be plugged into an AC outlet for now. Once you do that it will show up as the local adapter.

You will need to move to the encryption tab at this point and type in the name for your power line network. You will need to remember this if you want to add more adapters in the future. Next, choose an encryption key; it should be 24 characters (numbers, letters symbols) and this will be to protect your network. Make sure you check the "Set Encryption for the Remote Device" check box and click "set". From there you should now be able to see the remote adapter, set the same network ID and encryption password here and your network is up and running.

Firmware can be updated through the HomePlug application using the Upgrade Tab.

While I was working with the Air Live kit I noticed that the software used to setup both kits is basically the same. It was so similar that I began to wonder if I could combine the two into the same network.

(Click the above image for the large version)

As you can see, both applications report the devices in the same manner and both need the same network ID and encryption key. After much tinkering around I found that by setting up each of the four adapters as the local device, using the same network ID and a simple encryption key, I was able to get all four talking on the same power line network.

The adapters remember the network name and the encryption key for each new "local" device. Once you have all four set up you can adjust the encryption key to something stronger if you prefer.