Superhub Virgin Superhub & Devolo dLAN 500Plus

Crowey · 12-09-2011, 22:58

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, 00:17

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, 00:33

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, 10:00

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, 10:19

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, 10:27

The Cockpit image for a working system should look like the image I've attached.

Crowey · 13-09-2011, 10:34

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, 10:55

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, 11:04

Firmware version is 5.0.1

Sephiroth · 13-09-2011, 12:29

... and the firmware was update using a PC directly connected to the Devolo device?

Crowey · 15-09-2011, 10:46

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, 11:12

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, 12:13

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, 12:19

ah, worked it out...

Sephiroth · 15-09-2011, 12:36

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?