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Crowey
12-09-2011, 23:58
Bit of guidance appreciated!!

Have just bought the Devolo system which is supposedly plug and play. Set up the home PC fine - cable plugged into Virgin Superhub, outputs to 2 x LAN (leading to hard wired PC and laptop when in study) and 1 x Devolo dLAN 500 Homeplug (all lights lit).

The problem is that when I plug the 2nd and 3rd homeplugs into wall sockets, whilst I have run the Cockpit program (which sees the other 2 homeplugs) there is no connectivity on the 2nd and 3rd homeplugs - power light, home light, but no network light - so when connecting to laptop elsewhere in the house via Cat5 cable and Homeplug, no recognition of LAN.

Is this a firewall issue or have I set something up incorrectly? Not a technophobe but neither am I a techie!!

Anybody?!!!

Sephiroth
13-09-2011, 01:17
Have you read page 20 of the Devolo PDF? (Adding additional dLAN adaptors)

May be a different section inb your PDF but that's the starting place, I reckon.

Crowey
13-09-2011, 01:33
Yes, added the other 2 by inputting their IDs, hence the fact that Cockpit sees all three from my home PC. So clearly they are connecting over the electrical circuit. But no network connectivity light on the 2 satellites, only the one directly connected to the Superhub

Sephiroth
13-09-2011, 11:00
Have you connected just two?

Have you connected just two in adjacent wall sockets?

Have you pressed any of the security buttons on the Devolo and thus could have an encryption mismatch?

Are all the devices now at factory default?

Does the Cockpit software show green arrows between the devices and display speeds at each device?

Crowey
13-09-2011, 11:19
No, I have tried with two and three connected.

I have not tried them in adjacent wall sockets but different sockets in the same room and also in other rooms.

I tried without pressing the security buttons initially, and when that failed I pressed the security buttons (more than 1 second and within 2 minutes of each other).

I have also tried resetting to factory defaults, without success.

Yes, the arrows appear green (not lime green, an aqua green - unfortunately I am colour blind...) but there are not speeds, they simply say "ON" (or possibly 0M)

Sephiroth
13-09-2011, 11:27
The Cockpit image for a working system should look like the image I've attached.

Crowey
13-09-2011, 11:34
I see. No, the arrows are not that colour, they are the colour of the horizontal line across the top

---------- Post added at 10:34 ---------- Previous post was at 10:32 ----------

But it can clearly see the other units as they disappear if I turn the power off, and reappear when powered back up

pearl
13-09-2011, 11:55
Have you got the up to date firmware version on all of the plugs? Shouldn't make much difference but mine started working better when they all had the same firmware version.

Crowey
13-09-2011, 12:04
Firmware version is 5.0.1

Sephiroth
13-09-2011, 13:29
... and the firmware was update using a PC directly connected to the Devolo device?

Crowey
15-09-2011, 11:46
Hi Seph

Yes, and I have updated again to version 5.2.0 - connected each Devolo device to the PC and updated it, so now all 3 are on 5.2.0.

Here is copy email from Devolo and my reply:

[I]You are using a devolo dLAN 500 AV networkkit. All three devolo dLAN 500AV display a green "house". This means: 1 or more adapters in your power grid do share the same password and can send or receive data. To make sure that a l l adapters use the same password and can exchange information, please do the following:

To encrypt a dLAN 200 AV network, in which all associated devices are equipped with an encryption button, simply press the encryption button that is located on the device. Pressing this button will encrypt your dLAN200 AV network with a randomly generated password.


Once both dLAN AV adapters have been successfully connected, press each encryption button for 1 second within two minutes of one another.

If you have already secured your existingdLAN 200 AV using the encryption button, use the same method to integrate other adapters.

Once you have successfully connected the new dLAN 200 AV, first press the encryption button of one of your network’s existing adapters (1 second), then press the encryption button of your new dLAN 200 AV (1 second) within two minutes.

MY REPLY

The dLAN 500 connected to my PC and the Virgin Broadband Superhub (router and internet access point) has power light, home light and network light lit. The first additional adapter has power light and home light - no network light.

When I have done what you say, the following happens:

If I press the encryption button on the PC/router dLAN 500 plug for one second, the power light starts flashing but the home and network light stay on. The PC then warns me that no adapter has been found. When the light stops flashing it again sees the the dLAN 500 plug again.

If I press the button on the PC/router dLAN 500 plug for one second and then immediately on the first additional adapter, the first additional adapter power light flashes. The home light remains on - but still no network light. The computer displays that there is no adapter again...

Sephiroth
15-09-2011, 12:12
Apart from your technical problem, tyhis is also a case of difficulty with remote prolem solving.

Can I be sure of what you've implied?

1/
One dLAN 500 is connected to the SH & network light is lit

2/
A second dLAN 500 is elsewhere and a PC is connected to it. The network light is lit.

3/
The PC works in the above constellation.

What is warning you that "no adapter has been found"? Cockpit?

Crowey
15-09-2011, 13:13
Hi Seph

No, perhaps I have not explained well enough.

1/ One dLAN 500 is connected to the SH by ethernet cable & network light is lit.
2/ The PC is connected to the SH by ethernet cable - this is a tower PC and does not need to be relocated.
3/ The PC works and has full internet access.

Cockpit (on the above PC) warns me that no adapter has been found when pressing the encryption button for more than 1 second. When I do this the power light on the dLAN flashes.

the second (and third, when I get the second one working!) dLAN 500 will be elsewhere and will be used for a laptop. However, the second dLAN has power and "home" light lit, but no network light.

Does that explain it better?

I attach a diagram that might explain the current set up. Thanks for your help, much more prompt than the Devolo helpdesk!!

I was going to attach it but I can only insert a URL link - if you tell me how to insert a thumbnail like you did to me I will send it :)

Crowey
15-09-2011, 13:19
ah, worked it out...

Sephiroth
15-09-2011, 13:36
So, to be sure, the additional dLAN has Power/Home green.

When you plug the laptop into the dLAN, the network lamp is not lit (it's supposed to be dark till then).

When you plug the same laptop and ethernet cable into the SH, the ethernet works.

Right?

Crowey
15-09-2011, 15:09
Spot on

Sephiroth
15-09-2011, 15:23
Presuming your dLANs are interchangeable with green lamp lit from the SH, is your LAN card on the laptop set to Autonegotiate? Like it's not set to force Gbit?

The ethernet light is supposed to be lit when the dLAN sees another ethernet device.

What about the PC? Would that work with a second dLAN?

Short of getting the dLANs in my own hands, I'm running out of ideas.

Crowey
15-09-2011, 16:08
That's what I thought (that the ethernet light is supposed to be lit when the dLAN sees another ethernet device)...

I will try ringing the helpline number - I have found one on devolo's site - although it is difficult as I am working when the offices will be open and am therefore not at home!! I will try when I am next off. Their response to email is very slow...

Thanks for your assistance, however, it is appreciated despite the fact that we are still no further. When I find the solution I shall post it so you know should you ever come across the situation again :)

liquidsunlight
26-09-2011, 21:54
Hi guys

Was following your discussion. I'm trying to work out what the white line means in the cockpit? I have green mostly but on one connection I have the white line and cannot work out what this means?

Regards

Sephiroth
26-09-2011, 22:00
The greeen lines show what can be seen from the PC to which the dLAN is attached. The white line indicates logical connectivity between the nodes.

Crowey
26-09-2011, 22:43
Well, Devolo said mine was broken, so I returned it and have a new one. Same problem, still unresolved... Ready to return this one and give up to the whole idea.

BenMcr
27-09-2011, 00:15
What does Cockpit say when you run it on the Laptop rather the the PC that's connected directly to the SuperHub?

Crowey
27-09-2011, 00:28
It doesn't see anything at all..

BenMcr
27-09-2011, 10:56
Ok stupid question, how is your house wired i.e what fuse box do you have and how many circuits?

Crowey
28-09-2011, 00:31
Now seems to be resolved - after much cost on helpline. Had to plug laptop into dlan, then it recognised laptop, then reset the device, then reconnect pc to dlan, then reconnect laptop to remote dlan - all seemed a bit experimental (so much for the plug and play) but pleased to say that it now seems to be working - for the time being at least :)

Nobody at devolo seems to know how or why - they just kept saying that everything I did at their instruction, and the results it gave, was not logical...!

But all's well that ends well - sorry I can't help by telling you what the problem was or how to fix it properly, just spend money ringing Germany!!

Sephiroth
28-09-2011, 09:26
Well done. I never had that problem. PnP worked out the box. I did have fun when it came to firmware updates and making sure I was plugged directly into each device. Once that goes out of step ....

Let us know how the 500 performs.