A few weeks ago I posted an overview on the ZyXEL NBG-318S Powerline Ethernet switch / router with WiFi. After several weeks using the ZyXEL as my main entertainment room hub (both the PlayStation 3 and my set-top satellite box are connected to it, and it also serves as an access point), I can say the only thing I can give it a thumb down is the name. NBG-318S... who invents things like that? Nevermind... I can live with the name as long as the product shines.So... the NBG-318S is a HomePlug AV device. That means, at least in theory it should work in tandem with any other HomePlug AV device. That includes for instance the PLE200 from Linksys. But that is the theory. In practice when I did a simple test plugging both the ZyXEL and the Linksys to the wall, they did not see each other. Digging here and there I found the PLE200 with factory installed firmware was not fully HomePlug AV compliant. Upgrading it to the latest firmware ultimately did the trick. The upgrade process was not as straightforward as it should be. First, there are different versions of PLE200 firmware on different Linksys.COM servers. I succeeded using the one from the US site. Here is the link. Version 3.3, with release date May 23rd, 2008. The upgrade process is done via the PLE200 client utility, but it has problems with Windows Vista, so I had to find a Windows XP machine, and disable the firewall on it (the Windows firewall prevented the upgrade too). And that is all the PLE200 utility can be used for, as I did not succeed linking to the ZyXEL using it.
On the other hand the ZyXEL web-based management interface allowed me to add the upgraded PLE200 to the Powerline Ethernet network. You do that simply by entering a MAC address and a device password, both printed on the back of the PLE200. Once the Linksys adapters were upgraded to the 3.3 firmware, the HomePlug AV network runs without any glitch. The average link speed exceeds 100mbps (see the side picture) and I have already watched a ton of movies streamed from my NAS server to the DLNA - enabled Sony PlayStation via the power line.
Hi, once I loaded the new client utility I could no longer see my 2 PLE200s, much less upgrade them? My current firmware is
ReplyDeleteINT6000-MAC-1-4-1424-531-20060918-FINAL-B. Can I upgrade?
Hi, you may want to go back to the old utility and upgrade the firmware first. Your firmware is definitely the old one. The new one is dated 2008-03-10.
ReplyDeleteMake sure you use Windows XP as the upgrade host, and your firewall is turned off.
HTH
Hi, I tried updated the firmware with the old utility. It's telling me that the .bin file is the wrong type. I guess I need an .nvm file?
ReplyDeleteAny suggestions?
Hi, I'll try to re-check this on Friday, will post here the results.
ReplyDeleteHi again... I was able to repeat the upgrade process using the 2.0 version od PLE200 utility. There is a catch I forgot to mention. While starting the utility EXE, you should have only one network adapter enabled in your system. So turn off any wireless, wifi, bluetooth or anything but the Ethernet port you hook your PLE200 to. Then it will see the device and let you upgrade with the .BIN image downloaded from the Linksys USA site.
ReplyDeleteHTH
THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!! It worked pefectly and the update was pretty fast too. I can't tell you how many places I posted my problem and no one could help me. Linksys needs to make things a little easier and clearer. Once again, THANKS !
ReplyDeleteHi I'm glad it worked... :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your info. Unfortunatly I think I may have seen your info too late.
ReplyDeleteI have 2 PLE200's. I used the 3.3 software as upgrade. The software DID upgrade the PLE200 that was attached locally. I tried to update the remote PLE200 as well. (Since it was visible in the software i could easyly 'attach' or 'connect' to the remote PL200.
There the upgrade process failed.
Since then that remote PLE200 does only light up with the blue POWERLINE led.
The power and Ethernet LED stay dark.
I think that my remote PLe200 is now toasted is it?
Neither the old utility or the new utility software can 'see' the PLE, also not when i do connect this ple with a utp wire.
Any way of reviving the toasted device?
Rene
Unfortunately I don't know how to recover PLE200 from a bad flash... But knowing many other embedded products, there must be a way...
ReplyDelete