How to set up a home powerline network in Windows XP?
1. Insert the CD that comes with your HomePlug adapter into each
PC that will be networked to install the necessary software and
copy the device driver before plugging the adapter into a PC USB
or Ethernet (RJ45) port for the first time.
2. Assuming a wall mounted USB or Ethernet HomePlug adapter is used, plug
the USB or Ethernet cable ends to a USB or Ethernet port on the adapter and
on each computer that will be networked. Plug the power prongs of your
HomePlug adapter to an AC wall power outlet.
3. Windows XP will detect the new hardware and the Found New
Hardware Wizard appears. Follow the instructions in the wizard to
install your HomePlug adapter driver.
4. If you have installed your HomePlug adapter driver correctly, it will
appear on the Device Manager under "Network adapters" and a Local Area Connection will be created on the Network Connections folder
under LAN or High-Speed Internet.
5. If you already have an Internet connection on one computer
running Windows XP and
other computers will connect to the Internet through it, run the
Network Setup Wizard on this computer first (i.e. the ICS host).
6. Follow the instructions in the wizard to name your computer and
your workgroup, share the Internet connection, and turn on/off
file and printer sharing. You must insert a blank formatted floppy
disk when prompted if you have computers running Windows 98, 98 SE, or ME and want to connect those computers to your
home powerline
network.
7. Insert the
floppy disk on computers running Windows 98, 98 SE, or ME.
Double-click a file named "netsetup" to run the Network
Setup Wizard on each
computer.
8. If you have completed the network setup, you can check whether your HomePlug
network has been working from My Network Places. Under Network Task,
click "View workgroup computers". On the right pane, you will see
all connected computers - each with a name that you have assigned to
it through the Network Setup Wizard.
9. If you turn on file and printer sharing in the Network Setup
Wizard and have specified shared folders or printer, when you
double-click a computer name you will see shared folders or
printer on that computer.
10. To connect to the Internet, go to the ICS host (i.e. the
computer with direct Internet connection). Double-click the
Internet connection icon in the right-pane of Network
Connections folder. Type in your user name and password and click Dial.
If your ICS host has an always-on broadband Internet connection using DSL or cable modem, you
are on the Internet as soon as you turn it on.
11. On other computers that will connect to the Internet through
the ICS host, just open an Internet browser, type in your favorite
web address in the address bar and you are ready to surf the
Internet. You can do any Internet activity independent of the ICS
host as long as the ICS host is on.
12. If you use a broadband router (a.k.a. residential
gateway) to connect to the Internet, you must use a router which
supports HomePlug. If your router doesn't have a HomePlug interface,
put a HomePlug-to-Ethernet bridge between your router and one
available wall power jack.
Connect the bridge to the router's Ethernet socket and to the
power jack. On every computer, choose "This computer connects to the Internet
through another computer or residential gateway" in the Network
Setup Wizard.
13. If you have an existing LAN using other
technology (e.g. Ethernet or Wi-Fi), you can use a network bridge
to connect your HomePlug network to this network. You can create
a (software) bridge on Windows XP from the Network Setup Wizard or
manually via Network Connections folder.
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