Linksys PLEK500 Powerline Network Adapter

 

Somebody has suggested me to go for powerline network adaptor for my network and I am planning to purchase Linksys PLEK500 powerline network adaptor. But I do not know too much about powerline adaptor. Can you please explain various aspects related to PLEK500 Powerline network adaptor?

User is always advice to go for networking device as per the requirement of their network. So if your network’s requirement is power line network adaptor then you must go for it. You will be required to buy two powerline adaptors so that to create a power line network. Out of them one power line adaptor will be connected to your router and other one will be connected to any WiFi device such as computer or laptop.

Before proceeding further, user must know basic functioning of Linksys powerline adaptor. This will help in understanding other aspects related to Linksys powerline adaptor better.

 

What is PLEK500 Powerline adaptor? How does it work?

 

Powerline network adaptor can be break up into three parts for sake of understanding i.e. Power+line+network. Powerline network works by taking power from your home’s wiring line to connect your wired network devices. That means powerline adaptor uses your home’s electrical wiring to function.

User needs at least two powerline adaptor to establish powerline network. Though one powerline adaptor is connected with network router but other one is used to connect any wired Ethernet device to powerline network. Connection between these two powerline adaptors is established through your home’s electric wiring. This is reason why it is said that powerline adaptor network is like adding new Ethernet port in your network.

Installing Powerline network

 

Before moving forward to install powerline network, there are some pre requisites which you should have to check. That includes

• Home network should have to be in working condition.
• You have to share your internet access with powerline network.
• User is advice to install powerline adapter in that vicinity where he/she want to connect his/her wired network device.

 

After checking these pre requisites user may proceed further for installing powerline network. Steps involved in this process are:

• Firstly, connect your network router with powerline adapter.
• Then put second powerline adapter on power outlet. Make sure it should have to be placed as near to network devices which you want to connect with, as possible.
• In this second powerline adapter powerline LED will flash and stays on when connection between these two powerline adapters get established through electrical wiring of your home.
• This is time to connect your network device through Ethernet cable with this second powerline adapter.

 

Advanced Configuration

 

If in case user is facing any trouble while installing powerline network following above given steps, then he/she is advice to follow advanced configuration utility. Steps for the same are:

• First of all, user need to download the utility from linksys’s official website’s support page. It will be Linksys.com/support.
• After downloading, do run setup file. Follow simple instructions get displayed on your screen.

 

Now comes how to use advanced configuration utility? Answer to it is given in following steps:

• Once utility gets installed your options will vary as per your operating system. If you are using Windows Operating System then you need to click on START, ALL PROGRAM, CISCO PROGRAM and at the end on CISCO POWERLINE AV2 UTILITY. If you are user of MAC Operating System, then double click on CD icon available on your desktopand then click on Setup icon.
• Then view powerline adapters that are connected to your network. This can be done by clicking on Network Status tab.
• At Security tab you can change network key as per your requirement. If in case, you want to stick to default security key then do click on Restore Default Key.
• Through Administrator tab you can restartyour adaptor, restore factory default or can also upgrade your adaptor’s firmware.

 

After ding desired modification you can exit from the utility.

 

Troubleshooting

 

What if you encounter with an issue either during installation process or even after installation process? In some situations, such issues get resolved by following standard steps while in some scenario it does not. Some of such standard issues and their standard troubleshooting steps are discussed below:

1) What if no LED get lit up even after your powerline adapter is installed?

In such scenario user is advice to follow following given steps:

• Firstly, put the adapter out from power outlet.
• Then remove Ethernet network cable. By this connection between adapter and your network devices will also get lost.
• Then wait for a while.
• After waiting for some time do establish connection between network device and adapter using Ethernet cable.
• Then again put your adapter on power outlet.
• Most probably this will solve out your problem. But in case your issue does not get resolved then you are advice to check whether electrical outlet is working or not.

 

2) What if Ethernet LED does not lit up on your powerline adapter?

In normal scenario Ethernet LED lit up when local network connection is established. But if in case it does not then user is advice to follow following given steps:

• Firstly, confirm whether Ethernet cable is working or no. This can be confirmed by using any other Ethernet cable.
• Check whether Ethernet port of your network device is in working condition. Because in some cases it can also be faulty.
• Also make sure that Ethernet cable is properly connected with adapter.

 

By this you can troubleshoot these issues yourself. But if in case issue still persist then you are requested to contact on Linksys’s support service.

We had tried to explain about Powerline adapter as well as its installation procedure. We hope this will be helpful for those who are struggling to know about basic functionality of powerline adapter. We had used as simple language as possible. But if in case user still get stuck at any point then he/she is advice to visit Linksys’s official website for further support. We hope your query and doubt get resolved soon!!!!!!!