
CHAPTER 9
Configuration
The installation of a PLC network is rather simple. All you have to do is connect the
PLC devices to an Ethernet network or to a modem (ADSL, cable, STN, and so
forth) while taking into account the constraints mentioned in the previous chapter.
The configuration of the network PLC devices and the terminal interfaces (gen-
erally PC network interface cards) connected to PLC devices follows the network
installation. The configuration of the PLC devices and of the Ethernet boards of the
connected terminals are detailed in this chapter. The various functionalities pro-
vided by these devices according to the targeted use (domestic, professional, or
industrial) are also detailed.
The configuration of the terminal (PC) concerns the installation and the soft-
ware configuration of the network interface card, whether this is an external,
Ethernet or USB card. The board installation differs depending on the operating sys-
tem used. Its configuration is almost similar from one system to another since it is
based on the parameters of the PLC technology used (HomePlug, DS2, and so
forth).
The following sections describe the parameters to be configured according to
the main existing PLC technologies, even though the HomePlug specification is now
the de facto PLC standard, considering its prevalence on the PLC device market.
Once the network interface card is configured, the terminal is still not quite
ready to communicate with the network. It is still necessary to assign suitable net-
work parameters, such as IP address, mask, and so forth to it in order to set up com-
munication.
Configuring a HomePlug 1.0 or Turbo Network
Configuring a PLC network with HomePlug version 1.0 Turbo devices is relatively
simple, insofar as all the network devices have the same hierarchical function with
the network in peer-to-peer mode. For HomePlug AV devices, the network mode
used is a mode in which one of the devices is the central coordinator (CCo) and the
other is stations (STA). However, this is transparent to the end user who configures
all the HomePlug AV devices on the electrical network in the same way.
Devices on the market based on the HomePlug specification are configured in
the same manner and are compatible between themselves. Various tools are used for
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