Panasonic Hd-plc Ethernet Adaptor Bl-pa100a Operating Instructions

							Introduction
Introduction ................................................................................................ 2
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS.................................................... 3
Electrical environment information ............................................................. 4
Security information ................................................................................... 5
Main unit..................................................................................................... 6
Installation
Registration ................................................................................................ 7
Placing the adaptors .................................................................................. 8
Connecting adaptors to network devices ................................................... 9
Useful Information
Testing a terminal’s network speed.......................................................... 10
Understanding the indicators ................................................................... 11
Resetting an adaptor ................................................................................ 12
Troubleshooting ........................................................................................ 13
Specifications ........................................................................................... 15
FCC and other information ....................................................................... 17
Copyright information ............................................................................... 18
Limited warranty ....................................................................................... 27
Customer services ................................................................................... 29
Operating Instructions
HD-PLC Ethernet Adaptor
Power Line Communication
Model No.
  BL-PA100A
Add-on Adaptor for BL-PA100KTA
Please read this document before use and save this document for future reference. IMPORTANT NOTES:
For best results, connect this product directly to a wall outlet.
This product may not function normally in certain electrical environments.
See page 4 for more information.
Table of Contents
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Introduction
Introduction
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing a Panasonic HD-PLC product.
Included items
Confirm that the following items are included with this product.
Additional items can be ordered by calling 1-800-332-5368.
Abbreviations
 This product is referred to as “the adaptor” in this document.
Trademarks
Linux® is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other 
countries.
 All other trademarks identified herein are the property of their respective 
owners. BL-PA100A........................................ 1AC Cord............................................. 1 
Order No.: PSJA1069Z
- Operating Instructions
(this document)............................... 1
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							3[For assistance, please call: 1-800-272-7033]
Introduction
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
When using this product, basic safety precautions should always be followed to 
reduce the risk of fire, electric shock, or personal injury.
1.Read and understand all instructions. Keep this document for future 
reference.
2.Follow all instructions in this document and heed all warnings.
3.Do not install this product near any heat sources such as radiators, heat 
registers, stoves, or other devices (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
4.Protect the AC cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, 
convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from this product.
5.The AC cord is used as the main disconnect device. Ensure that the AC outlet 
is located/installed near the product and is easily accessible.
6.Use only the included AC cord.
7.The AC cord must remain connected at all times. (It is normal for this product 
to feel warm during use.)
8.To prevent the risk of fire or electrical shock, do not expose this product to rain 
or any type of moisture.
9.Do not touch the product or the AC cord during lightning storms.
10.Unplug this product when unused for a long period of time.
11.Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when 
the unit has been damaged in any way, such as when the AC cord or plug is 
damaged, the unit does not operate normally, or after the unit has been 
dropped.
12.Do not use this product outdoors.
13.Unplug this unit from power outlets if it emits smoke, an abnormal smell or 
makes unusual noise. These conditions can cause fire or electric shock. 
Confirm that smoke has stopped and contact an authorized service center.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
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Introduction
Electrical environment information
HD-PLC adaptors send data to and from each other over the existing electrical 
wiring in your home, and may be affected by electrical noise or the length of your 
home’s wiring. Keep the following in mind when placing each adaptor.
AC outlets
For best results, we recommend connecting the adaptors directly to a wall outlet. 
Avoid connecting high power-consuming appliances to the same wall outlet. 
Additionally, connecting an adaptor to a uninterruptable power supply (UPS) or 
backup power supply device is not recommended.
While connecting the adaptors to a wall outlet is recommended, keep the following 
in mind if you must connect an adaptor to a power strip:
 Make sure the power strip does not have a noise filter or a surge protector, 
as these features may interfere with the performance of your adaptors.
 Do not connect the adaptor to a power strip that receives power from 
another power strip.
 Use a power strip with an AC cord that is as short as possible.
Electrical interference
Certain electrical devices emit electrical noise. If this noise is passed on to the 
electrical wiring in your home, it may interfere with the performance, speed, and 
reliability of your adaptors. For best results, we recommend connecting an 
electrical noise filter to noise emitting appliances.
The following appliances are more likely to produce noise:
 Battery chargers (including cell phone chargers)
 Hair dryers
 Vacuum cleaners
 Lights or lamps which have a dimmer switch or a touch-sensitive on/off feature
 Power drills
Additionally, this product may interfere with the following appliances:
 Short wave radios
 Lights or lamps which have a touch-sensitive on/off feature
Electrical wiring
HD-PLC adaptors send data to and from each other over the existing electrical 
wiring in your home. If 2 wall outlets are separated by a great length of electrical 
wiring, the adaptors connected to those outlets may not be able to communicate 
with each other.
For more information, refer to the troubleshooting section (see page 13) or access 
the Panasonic PLC Support Site at: http://panasonic.co.jp/pcc/products/en/plc/
After you have placed the adaptors where you plan to use them and plugged them 
into the wall outlets, test the terminal’s network speed (see page 10).
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							5[For assistance, please call: 1-800-272-7033]
Introduction
Security information
1.With any network connection, security is a concern. The BL-PA100A provides 
security to prevent unauthorized access to your network.
 Only terminals that are registered to the master adaptor can 
communicate with the network.
 A terminal may be registered to the master only if the SETUP buttons 
on the master and terminal are pressed within 5 seconds of each other.
2.Data sent and received over the PLC network employs AES 128-bit 
encryption, however we cannot guarantee that data will not be intercepted by 
a third party.
3.For security, we recommend resetting your adaptors (see page 12) in the 
following situations.
 If for some reason you are concerned that another adaptor may have 
been accidentally registered to your master (for example, the adaptor of 
someone who lives in the same apartment building as you), reset each 
of your adaptors and register them again.
 If you discard an adaptor, give an adaptor to someone else to use, or 
have an adaptor serviced, reset the adaptor first.
 If you lose an adaptor, reset each of your adaptors and register them 
again.
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Introduction
Main unit
(1) PLC Indicator
Lights to indicate that the adaptor is connected to the HD-PLC network. For 
more information, see page 11.
(2) LAN Indicator
Lights when a LAN cable is connected to the adaptor, and flashes when 
data is being sent or received. For more information, see page 11.
(3) MASTER Indicator
Lights when the adaptor is configured as the master. For more information, 
see page 11.
(4) SETUP Button
Used to register the adaptor (see page 7) or test the terminal’s network 
speed (see page 10).
(5) Mode Selector
The position of this selector during registration (see page 7) determines 
whether the adaptor is used as the master or as a terminal.
(6) AC IN
Connects the adaptor to AC power as well as to the HD-PLC network.
(7) FACTORY DEFAULT RESET Button
Used to reset the adaptor and erase its registration (see page 12).
(8) LAN Jack
Connects the adaptor to a network device, such as a broadband router, hub, 
computer, etc. (see page 9).
(1)
(2)
(3)(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
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							7[For assistance, please call: 1-800-272-7033]
Installation
Installation
Registration
Use the procedure below when you want to:
 Add an additional terminal to your HD-PLC network.
 Re-register the master and terminal after resetting the master.
1.Confirm that the mode selector of the master adaptor is set to MASTER.
2.Confirm that the mode selector of the terminal adaptor that you want to 
register is set to TERMINAL.
3.Connect the AC cord of each adaptor to each adaptor’s AC IN jack.
4.Plug the AC cord of each adaptor to the same wall outlet.
 Registration may not be successful if the adaptors are connected to 
different wall outlets during registration.
5.Reset the terminal by pressing the FACTORY DEFAULT RESET button on the 
terminal for about 3 seconds (see page 12).
 Check the position of the adaptor’s mode selector (see page 6) and 
make sure that you reset the terminal adaptor (not the master).
6.Press the SETUP button on both adaptors for about 1 second. The order in 
which they are pressed does not matter.
 The PLC indicator of each adaptor will begin to flash in blue.
 Make sure you press the SETUP button on each adaptor within 5 
seconds of each other.
 If you are registering an additional terminal, communication between all 
other adaptors may be disrupted for about 10 seconds.
7.When the PLC indicator of each adaptor lights in blue, registration was 
successful.
 If the PLC indicators do not light in blue, see page 13.
8.Wait 30 seconds, then unplug the AC cords from the wall outlet and place the 
adaptors where you plan to use them (see page 8).
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Installation
Placing the adaptors
Refer to the information on page 4 when selecting a location to place your 
adaptors.
Note
 If you have purchased additional adaptors, make sure you have registered 
them to the master (see page 7) before placing them where you plan to use 
them.
1.Connect the AC cord of each adaptor to a wall outlet near where you plan to 
use it.
2.Confirm that the PLC indicator of each adaptor lights in blue when you plug 
the adaptors into the wall outlets.
 If the PLC indicators do not light in blue, see page 13.
After you have placed the adaptors where you plan to use them and plugged them 
into the wall outlets, test the terminal’s network speed (see page 10).
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Installation
Connecting adaptors to network devices
Once you have placed the adaptors where you plan to use them and are satisfied 
with the network speed test results for your terminals (see page 10), follow the 
procedure below to connect your adaptors to your network devices (broadband 
router, hub, computer, network printer, network camera, etc.). This will integrate 
your HD-PLC network with your home network.
1.Confirm that each adaptor’s AC cord is connected to the adaptor and plugged 
into a wall outlet.
2.Connect a LAN cable (sold separately) to each adaptor’s LAN jack.
 The LAN indicator of each adaptor turns green.
 If an adaptor’s LAN indicator does not turn green, see page 13.
3.Connect the other end of each LAN cable to a network device.
 Avoid connecting more than one adaptor to the same hub or router.
You are now ready to use your computers, network printers, network cameras, etc.
To wall outlet
To network device
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Useful Information
Useful Information
Testing a terminal’s network speed
Once you have connected the adaptors where you plan to use them, use the 
procedure below to test the speed of each terminal’s network connection to the 
master. Make sure that the terminal has already been registered to a master (see 
page 7).
1.Press and hold the terminal’s SETUP button for about 1 second.
 The indicators on the terminal light one at a time in succession for a few 
seconds.
2.The indicators light for a few seconds. This indicates the network speed test 
result.
3.Refer to the chart below to determine the network speed.
4.If you are not satisfied with the speed test result, connect the terminal to a 
different wall outlet and repeat the test.
Note
 At least one indicator (“Good” network speed) must be lit in order to use the 
terminal.
 If you are not satisfied with the speed test result and have tried connecting the 
terminal to different wall outlets, refer to the troubleshooting section (see 
page 13).
 If the electrical conditions in your home changes after performing the speed 
test, network speed may also change.
Once you are satisfied with the terminal’s speed test result, you are ready to 
connect each adaptor to a network device (broadband router, hub, computer, 
network printer, network camera, etc.; see page 9).PLC
LAN
MASTER
PLC
LAN
MASTER
Network 
speedNo link Good
Less than
10 Mbps*1
*1 Approximate data transmission speed when transmitting data using the UDP protocol.
Better10 Mbps to 
30 Mbps*1
BestMore than 
30 Mbps*1
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