Netgear XAV5001 User Manual - Page 10

XAV5001 Powerline AV 500 Adapter User Manual Understanding Powerline Network Security A Powerline network consists of two or more Powerline adapters using the same network encryption key. Securing your network is crucial. By encrypting the information you send over the Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter, you help to keep it secure from hackers. If you do not set up security on your network, anyone nearby with a Powerline network can potentially use their connection to gain access to your network and information you send over the Internet. This is especially relevant in settings such as apartment buildings, office buildings, dorm rooms, and other more populated areas. Powerline devices connected to the same network must use an identical encryption key. The security used by Powerline AV Ethernet Adapters is similar to the SSID and encryption keys used in wireless networks, but you do not need software to configure Powerline AV Ethernet Adapters. There are two ways to secure your Powerline network. • Use the Security button located on the adapter to automatically generate a random encryption key. See Set the Encryption Key . • Use the XAV5001 Powerline Utility to configure your Powerline network with an encryption key that you specify. If you are already using Powerline or HomePlug devices then you will need to use the Powerline Utility. If not already installed, the Powerline Utility should be installed on your computer. See Installing the XAV5001 Powerline Utility on page 12. For information about using the XAV5001 Powerline Utility to configure Powerline security or to prioritize Powerline network traffic using the Quality of Service (QoS) feature, see Chapter 2. Note: To return the XAV5001 Powerline AV 500 Adapter to its factory default settings, see Reset a Device to Factory Settings on page 17. Set the Encryption Key You can use the Security button to change the default encryption key and set a private encryption key instead. The default encryption key is HomePlugAV. Note: Before you change the Encryption key, you need to install the Powerline adapters and get them up and running. Otherwise, they might not be able to communicate with each other. 10 | Chapter 1. Installation and Basic Configuration