HomeLink

™

Series

HomeLink

™

Phoneline

Network Card

Use this guide to install these

Linksys products:

HPN100

HomeLink Phoneline Network Card

HPN100SK

HomeLink Phoneline Network in a Box

User Guide

COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARKS

Copyright © 1999 Linksys, All Rights Reserved. HomeLink is a registered trademark of Linksys. Microsoft, Windows, and the

Windows logo are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

All other trademarks and brand names are the property of their respective proprietors.

LIMITED WARRANTY

Linksys guarantees that every HomeLink Phoneline Network Card is free from physical defects in material and workmanship under normal use for five (5) years from the date of purchase. If the product proves defective during this warranty period, call Linksys

Customer Support in order to obtain a Return Authorization number. Warranty is for repair or replacement only. Linksys does not issue any refunds. BE SURE TO HAVE YOUR PROOF OF PUR-

CHASE AND BAR CODE ON HAND WHEN CALLING. RETURN

REQUESTS CANNOT BE PROCESSED WITHOUT PROOF OF

PURCHASE AND BAR CODE. When returning a product, mark the Return Authorization number clearly on the outside of the package and include your original proof of purchase and bar code.

IN NO EVENT SHALL LINKSYS’ LIABILITY EXCEED THE PRICE

PAID FOR THE PRODUCT FROM DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL,

INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING

FROM THE USE OF THE PRODUCT, ITS ACCOMPANYING

SOFTWARE, OR ITS DOCUMENTATION. Linksys makes no warranty or representation, expressed, implied, or statutory, with respect to its products or the contents or use of this documentation and all accompanying software, and specifically disclaims its quality, performance, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. Linksys reserves the right to revise or update its products, software, or documentation without obligation to notify any individual or entity. Please direct all inquiries to:

Linksys P.O. Box 18558, Irvine, CA 92623.

FCC STATEMENT

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC

Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used according to the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which is found by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna

• Increase the separation between the equipment or device

• Connect the equipment to an outlet other than the receiver’s

• Consult a dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for assistance

903

Contents

Contents

Introduction

Hardware Setup

Installing the Hardware

Windows 98 Setup

Windows 95 Setup

Windows NT 4.0

Using WinGate Home

Changing the Card’s Settings

Appendix

Twisted-Pair Cabling

47

Important Modem Information

48

Troubleshooting

Removing the Installed

49

Components in Windows

Specifications

Customer Support

Notes

55

57

58

59

34

41

16

25

43

1

9

10

Introduction

Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of the Linksys

HomeLink Phoneline Network Card. This exciting new technology is being offered in compliance with the standards of the Home Phoneline

Networking Alliance (HomePNA). The Linksys

HomeLink Phoneline Network Card now offers instant connectivity to multiple PC's over a home's existing telephone lines. You can network any computer by connecting it to any phone line.

There's no need for a switch, a hub, or even any additional cables - the network runs on standard home-grade telephone wires just like the ones you use everyday.

The Linksys HomeLink Phoneline Network Card utilizes Advanced Micro Devices' (AMD ® )

PCnet™-Home technology. This new technology lets your phone line carry computer data as well as regular telephone voice service. You can also use feeds from broadband connections like cable modems or Digital Subscriber Lines (xDSL). You can talk on the telephone, download files from the

Internet, and share resources over a network all at the same time. Every standard telephone jack in the home is capable of hosting a PC - you can connect up to 25 computers, thus transforming the home's telephone wiring into an easily expandable network. Want to add more PCs? Just put a

HomeLink card in the computer and plug it into your phone jack. It’s that simple!

1

Introduction

How Does It Work?

The Linksys HomeLink Phoneline Network

Card utilizes a technology known as Frequency

Division Multiplexing (FDM) which essentially divides the data travelling over the phone lines into separate frequencies - one for voice, one for high-bandwidth net access such as DSL, and one for the network data. These frequencies can coexist on the same telephone line without impacting one another.

The 1 Megabit-per-second (one million bits-persecond) data rate is fast enough to run demanding home applications such as file and printer sharing, games, and email. Want to surf the web? No problem -- you can share one modem or high-speed Internet connection over the entire network using the WinGate software package. The HomeLink Phoneline Network

Card’s data transfer rate is 18 times that of the fastest analog modems available, which run at

56Kbps (fifty-six thousand bits-per-second).

Even high-speed modem, xDSL, and ISDN connections will perform at full speed on a home network. The HomeLink Phoneline Network

Card is the perfect tool to introduce the benefits of networking to your home or office.

2

Features

Features

• Build A Network Using Your Existing Telephone

Line - No Additional Hubs or Cabling Needed

• Internal PCI Network Card with 2 RJ-11

Modular Telephone Ports

• 1Mbps Transfer Rate - Perfect for File and

Printer Sharing, Email, Web Surfing, Multi-User

Gaming, and More

• Includes a 10BaseT RJ-45 port -- Migrate to a

10Mbps Ethernet at Anytime

• Share Interent Access and ISP Connection Over a Network With WinGate Home Interent Sharing

Software

• Each Card Comes with a Standard Telephone

Cable

• Connect Up To 25 PCs on One Network

• Data Transfer Rate is 18 Times Faster Than 56K

Modems For Scorching Downloads and File

Transfers

• Works With Windows 95, Windows 98,

Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 2000 (in beta, beta OSs are not supported by Linksys)

• Frequency Division Multiplexing for

Uninterrupted Simultaneous Voice Service,

High-Bandwidth xDSL Internet Access and

Network Data Transmissions

• HomePNA, UADSL, IEEE 802.3 CSMA/CD, and FCC Compliant

• Free Technical Support On the Phone and On the

Internet

• Free Software Upgrades

• Limited 5-Year Warranty

3

About Sharing

Package Contents

• 1 HomeLink Phoneline Network Card

(Network in a Box includes 2 HomeLink Cards)

• 1 Standard Modular Telephone Cable

(Network in a Box includes 2 telephone cables)

• Installation CD-ROM with WinGate Home

Internet Sharing Software

• User Guide and Registration Card

If any of the above contents are missing, consult your Linksys retailer.

Sharing Your Resources

The HomeLink Phoneline card brings the advantages of inexpensive networking to your home or office. Any device on the network, including CD-

ROM drives, hard drives, and printers, can be used by any of the PCs that you hook up to the network. The installation CD-ROM that came with your HomeLink Card will automatically set up your networked PCs so that all of their available resources can be shared. Of course, you have control over the sharing rights, so you will be able to isolate devices or drives that you do not want to be accessible from the rest of the network.

It is important to note that if you want to use a networked device on a PC other than the one that the device is attached to, you must configure the

PC to handle the device.

4

About Sharing

Sharing Your Internet Connection

The Linksys HomeLink Phoneline Network Card comes with a proxy server software package called WinGate Home. The WinGate Home software package allows you to share your Internet connection by setting up a proxy server - a computer that serves to hold the connection and route

Internet communications to the other PCs on the network. One of the PCs on your network will be the proxy server. You should pick the PC that has the modem that you usually use to connect to the

Internet already installed.

Important

: Keep in mind that your HomeLink

network will let you talk on the telephone and access the Internet at the same time only if you are using an xDSL connection. If you are using an analog modem or other device that requires you to dial out to your Internet Service Provider (ISP), then, obviously, your telephone line is already in use, and you can not talk on the phone. Your internal network data travels on a separate frequency, so your network communications will not be interrupted no matter what type of Internet connection you have or whether or not you are using the telephone.

America Online, Compuserve, Prodigy, and similar services are not ISPs since you have to go through their specific service and software to access the Internet.

See note on page 48 for important modem hints.

5

About Plug-and-Play

About Plug-and-Play PCI Technology

The HomeLink Network Card is designed to run in a 32-bit desktop computer equipped with PCI expansion slots.

Short for Peripheral Components Interconnect,

PCI is a technology that allows special Plug-and-

Play expansion cards to be automatically configured by a computer's BIOS (Basic Input/Output

System) once they have been installed. Refer to your computer's user guide for more information about its BIOS.

When a PCI card is used in a computer that supports Plug-and-Play, the card is automatically configured each time the computer is booted. The card's IRQ, I/O address, and other operating parameters are automatically assigned.

There is no way to change a Plug-and-Play card's

IRQ and other settings outside of the BIOS menu(s) that your computer provides. If the resources that are assigned to your HomeLink card seem to conflict with other devices in your computer, you will need to use your system's

BIOS to resolve the conflicts.

If you have problems configuring your BIOS or resolving IRQ or other hardware conflicts, consult your computer manual or contact your PC's manufacturer for BIOS setup and configuration directions. For a list of Plug-and-Play compliant BIOS systems, see page 8.

6

About Plug-and-Play

Here are some general guidelines to follow when installing a PCI card (like the HomeLink card) into your computer. Under normal installation proceedures, you won’t need to worry about any of these proccedures. However, you may find them useful in troubleshooting situations.

1. The HomeLink card should be used in a 32-bit

PCI slot that supports PCI Bus Mastering. It cannot be plugged into a PCI Bus Slave slot. Consult your computer or motherboard documentation for more information on master and slave slots.

2. If loading the EMM386.EXE program in your

PC's CONFIG.SYS, you MUST use version MS-

DOS 6.22 or above. If you load an older

EMM386.EXE program (below DOS 6.22), your

PC will hang up while loading the network driver.

3. When using NT, set your BIOS PCI settings to

MANUAL. NT is not a Plug-and-Play OS, and will not usually recognize LAN cards if they are set to be automatically detected and configured. If you need to configure your PC's BIOS in order to resolve an IRQ or other conflict with the

HomeLink card, there are a few possibilities:

No Changes Allowed

Your PCI may not allow you to change the IRQ value(s) of the PCI slot(s). In this case, you will

ONLY be able to use the IRQ and I/O values that have been pre-assigned to each slot. The popular

BIOS from Phoenix, for example, does not allow you to modify BIOS-assigned IRQ settings.

7

About Plug-and-Play

Jumper Changes

You may be able to change the IRQ & I/O values for a given PCI slot by setting jumpers on your PC mother board. Please refer to your PC's motherboard user guide for specific instructions.

Menu Changes

Your PC may allow you to change the IRQ & I/O values for a given PCI slot by accessing the PC's

BIOS setup menu. Please refer to your PC's user guide for specific details. The BIOSs from companies like AMI and Award are fully customizable from their BIOS menus, for example.

Note: Moving the HomeLink Network Card to a

different slot may change the settings for the card.

Plug-and-Play BIOS list

Generally, all computers with Pentium ® or

Pentium II (or compatible, such as AMD ® ’s K6) processors have a Plug-and-Play BIOS. Here’s a list for you to double-check or if you’re unsure:

• Pheonix 4.04 or higher

• Award 4.50 PG or higher

• AMI dated after 9/94

A Pentium (or compatible) motherboard and a

Pentium 90 processor or faster is recommended. If your BIOS is not on this list, it doesn’t automatically mean that your BIOS is not Plug-and-Play compatible. Consult the documentation that came with your PC or contact your PC’s manufactuer to be sure.

8

Hardware Setup

Hardware Setup

Before You Begin

The HomeLink Phoneline Network Card is equipped with two phone wire ports, also known as RJ-11 ports, for use with a Phoneline network that utilizes your existing telephone system. The card also has an RJ-45 10BaseT Ethernet port for use with 10Mbps Ethernet networks.

If You Want to Use Ethernet...

If you plan on connecting the HomeLink Card to a

10Mbps Ethernet network, only use RJ-45 twisted-pair cabling. 10BaseT cabling is available in a number of different grades. For best results, we recommend using 8-wire, category 5 unshielded twisted-pair for an Ethernet network, although category 3 can be used successfully. Category 5 is more reliable, and it is compatible with faster

100Mbps networks - a useful feature if you plan on upgrading to Fast Ethernet in the future.

Keep in mind that the RJ-11 and RJ-45 capabilities cannot be used at the same time. If one is in use, the other is automatically disabled.

Both Category 3 and Category 5 twisted-pair cabling can be purchased from most computer stores, or if you prefer, you can crimp your own cables. See page 47 for a wiring information.

9

Hardware Setup

Whether you're building a 10Mbps or 10/100 network, twisted-pair cabling should always be used with a hub, which is a box with a row of 10BaseT or 10/100 ports. Each PC plugs into the box with its own twisted pair cable. Because all of the PCs' cables converge at the hub's central location, a twisted-pair network is often referred to as a star configuration.

Do not connect PCs together with twisted-pair cabling without using a hub. Although your network may work, communication will be unstable.

The cable that runs from your computer's

HomeLink card to your hub should not exceed

100 meters (328 feet) in length.

Installing the HomeLink Card

1. Turn off your PC and any peripheral equipment attached to it.

2. Remove your computer's outside cover.

3. Open up your computer and locate the PCI expansion slot(s). Next, determine which of your

PC's PCI slots is the master slot (In newer PCs, the PCI slots are usually all master slots. Older

PCs may have both master and slave slots. The

HomeLink card must be inserted into a master slot). Your PC vendor can help you determine which slots are designed for 32-bit cards.

4. Carefully slide the

HomeLink card into your

PC's slot. Make sure that all of its pins are touching

10

Installing the Cabling the slot's contacts. After the card is firmly in place, secure its fastening tab to your PC's chassis with a mounting screw.

5. Replace your PC's cover, then turn on your computer. If your computer has a plug-and-play

BIOS and a Plug-and-Play operating system like

Windows 98 or 95, it will automatically recognize

the card and assign a unique IRQ ("interrupt") and

I/O address to it. If your PC isn't plug-and-play compatible, consult your PC's user guide to see how you should go about assigning a unique IRQ and I/O address to a new interface card.

Installing the RJ-11 (Telephone) Cabling

Attach one end of the telephone wire to the

HomeLink card's RJ-11 telephone port. There are two RJ-11 ports and only one RJ-45 port - the RJ-

11 ports are the smaller ones. Connect the other end of the cable into a telephone jack in your wall.

If you are using an analog telephone, you can either connect the device to a second phone jack

(recommended), or you can connect your telephone directly to the second port on your

HomeLink card.

If you have only one phone jack in your room and you want to use your modem or fax, it is recommended that you purchase a two-way adapter that can turn your single phone jack into a double phone jack. Plug your telephone or fax into one phone jack, and your HomeLink Network Card into the other.

11

Installing the Cabling

If you have two or three PCs in one room with only one telephone jack, you can connect several of the computers together using the Daisy Chain method. See the diagram below.

Plug your first PC with a Phoneline card into the phone jack in the wall, then use the other phone cable port on the card to connect to your second

PC. Continue to connect up to twenty-five PCs on one chain. If you want to use your telephone or fax machine, add a two-way splitter on your wall’s phone jack or connect the device to the open telephone port on the last card in your daisy chain. If you are daisy chaining more than 2 PCs, you should connect modem to a different wall phone jack, or obtain a 2-way splitter, (see page 48).

12

Add more

PCs to the daisy chain at any time.

Installing the Cabling

Cabling Installation

Take a look at the diagram below for help with connecting your PCs together to build a

HomeLink network.

2 PCs are connected through your home’s telephone line.

PC 1 and

Printer

PC 2

13

Installing the Cabling

Installing the RJ-45 (Ethernet) Cabling

Remember that if you choose to use the RJ-45 port on your HomeLink card, the RJ-11 Phoneline networking capabilities automatically become disabled. The two cannot operate at the same time.

Attach one end of an Ethernet cable into the

HomeLink card's RJ-45 port. Plug the other end of the cable into a 10BaseT or 10/100 switching hub.

If you plan to use both 10BaseT and 100Mbps network segments on the same network, you'll need a dual-speed hub or switch that allows segments of different speeds to communicate. For more information on 10/100 dual-speed hubs and switches, visit the Linksys web site or call (949)

261-1288.

14

Use the RJ-45 ports to connect the cards to a

10Mbps or

10/100 hub.

Software

Preparing to Install the Software

Setting up the HomeLink card's software involves installing a network driver onto your computer.

The driver will allow the card to communicate with your Windows software package. Before attempting to install a network driver for the

HomeLink card, Windows 95, 98 or NT should already be installed on your computer. The

HomeLink Phoneline Network Card driver setup program will not work properly under any other operating systems.

You will need a CD-ROM drive on every PC onto which you wish to install the network drivers.

Because there are several important questions about your PC that you must answer during the installation, we recommend that you read through the installation instructions for your operating system before continuing with the installation.

• Windows 98 instructions are on page 16

• Windows 95 instructions are on page 25

• Windows NT 4.0 instructions are on page 34

If you are using Windows 2000, also known as

Windows NT 5.0, the drivers for your operating system are included on the HomeLink CD-ROM.

If you received a CD-ROM without the Windows

2000 drivers, you can get them from the

Download Center on the Linksys website. Please note that the drivers and the operating system are still in development. When Microsoft officially releases the Windows 2000 operating system,

Linksys will provide updated drivers.

15

Windows 98

Windows 98 Setup

After installing the HomeLink hardware in your computer, follow these instructions for installing the network driver in Windows 98. The installation procedure for the network driver will vary slightly depending on the version of Windows you are using and your current system configuration.

In the type of network that we will be building, there are two kinds of computers - clients and

servers. Servers are the "mother" computers while

the clients are the "children". Servers handle all of the administrative duties on the network, while clients route all of their communications through the server. The server is usually the fastest and most powerful PC on the network, but it doesn't have to be. If you have a PC with an analog modem, cable modem, or other communications device, (see page 52 if you are not using an analog modem), you should use this PC as your server.

When your client PCs want to log on to the

Internet, they will be routed through the server.

Decide now which computer will be your server and which ones will be your clients. Make sure that the Internet connection through the modem on your server PC is configured and fully functional before installing the HomeLink or WinGate Home software.

See page 48 for important hints about connecting your modem.

16

Windows 98

To install the network driver:

1. Start up your computer and Windows 98.

2. Put the Installation CD-ROM into your CD-

ROM drive

3. Windows will display a "New Hardware Found" window. Click Next.

4. Windows will prepare to update its device driver database. Windows will give you two choices.

Choose Search for the best driver for your device

(Recommended), the first option.

17

Windows 98

5. In most cases, Windows will find the files it needs on the CD-ROM. However, if Windows fails to locate the files, click on CD-ROM and then click Next.

6. Windows will begin copying files onto your computer. If at any point Windows asks you the location of the files, direct Windows to your CD-

ROM drive. Windows will continue copying files onto your PC.

When Windows recognizes the Linksys HomeLink

Phoneline Network Card, click Next.

7. Next, a welcome screen will appear asking for your computer's name. Give your computer any name you'd like, (MikesComputer, Tardis, etc.).

Keep in mind that the name should be easy to remember, and it should be something that is distinguishable from the other PCs on the network.

Click OK. Choose any name between 2 and 15 letters long, and remember that blank spaces are not allowed.

18

Windows 98

8. Windows will now copy the network files onto your computer. This may take a few minutes.

When it's finished, click OK

9. Windows may ask you to supply your original installation files. At this point, you may have to insert your original Windows installation CD in your CD-ROM. You may have to swap between the HomeLink CD and the Windows CD several times. In many cases, the Windows installation files are stored on your hard drive in the c:\windows\options\cabs.

If you receive any "Version Conflict" or similar messages, and you are given a choice of over-writing any of your existing files, it is recommended that you keep the existing files. You may receive these messages many times, or you may not

19

Windows 98 receive them at all depending on your system configuration and software.

10. Next, you will see a window informing you that the card installation is complete. Click Finish.

When asked if you want to resart your computer, make sure that the HomeLink CD is in your CD-

ROM drive and click Yes.

11. Once you are back at the Windows desktop, the File and Printer Sharing window will appear

20

Windows 98

12. Highlight any resources that you want to make shareable. Click on the arrows [>>] to move the resources into the box on the right side of the window. Click Next.

13. The Server-Client selection window will appear. You must now choose to designate your

PC as the server or the client on your network. If you will be sharing an Internet connection through a modem, it is a good idea to designate the computer with the communications hardware installed as the server. If you are using another PC's modem over the network for Internet access or if you have already installed a server elsewhere, pick client.

For more information about the client-server relationship, see page 16.

21

Windows 98

It is best to install no more than ONE server on your HomeLink network.

Click OK to continue.

14. Your computer may give you a message that it is about to reboot. Let it do so. At this time, you will move on to the installation of the WinGate

Home software.

During the WinGate Home installation, your PC will reboot a few times. This is normal. Follow all instructions on your screen, as the setup process will vary from PC to PC depending your computers’ configuration.

You may experience periods of inactivity during the installation when it appears as though your PC isn’t doing anything. Do not reboot your computer if this happens. Be patient and follow the instructions on your screen. If you encounter any DHCP error messages, ignore them. Just click Yes to bypass the message and continue with the installation

After each reboot, the computer may ask you to log in. You may chose your username and password or you may click Cancel. You may continue to do this until the installation is completed.

15. Next, you will see the WinGate Home

Network Setup Wizard software installation screen. Read the information on the screen and follow the instructions by clicking Next

22

Windows 98

16. WinGate Home will provide you with an explaination of the license agreement and the changes it will make on your computer. To continue with the installation, answer Yes to both. If you click No, WinGate Home will not install on your system.

17. You will be asked to select installation directory. The default directory is c:\program files\wingate. We suggest that you leave it there. If you decide to put it somewhere else on your hard disk, make a note of it. Click

Next.

18. At the next screen, click Next to continue. You will see a screen prompting you to give the name of your computer. Be sure that the name is the same as the one you gave in step 7 and click Next.

19. WinGate Home will ask you if you are installing your first computer on the network or if you are adding a PC to an existing network. Select the correct statement and click Next.

The Wizard will take a few seconds to check the system, then it will reboot the computer.

20. After the reboot, the Wizard will go through the network detection process for a few seconds.

21. WinGate Home will show you a diagram of your network and it will run some performance tests on your HomeLink card. Read the instructions on the screen and click Next.

23

Windows 98

22. Next, you will be asked to select either the

Typical or Custom installation of the WinGate

Home software. It is recommended that you select

Typical. Click Next.

23. WinGate may warn you of an upcoming reboot and reboot your system.

24. WinGate Home will copy the remaining files onto your computer. When the installation is finished, click Finish.

Now, repeat the process on the other PCs. If you have designated your first PC as a server, be sure to install the other computers as clients. Be sure to pay extra attention to the question that WinGate

Home asks you in step 19.

24

Windows 95

Windows 95 Setup

After installing the HomeLink hardware in your computer, follow these instructions for installing the network driver in Windows 95. The installation procedure for the network driver will vary slightly depending on the version of Windows 95 you are using and your current system configuration.

In the type of network that we will be building, there are two kinds of computers - clients and

servers. Servers are the "mother" computers while

the clients are the "children". Servers handle all of the administrative duties on the network, while clients route all of their communications through the server. The server is usually the fastest and most powerful PC on the network, but it doesn't have to be. If you have a PC with an analog modem, cable modem, or other communications device, (see page 52 if you are not using an analog modem), you should use this PC as your server.

When your client PCs want to log on to the

Internet, they will be routed through the server.

Also, it's always a good idea to attach any networked printers to the server.

Decide now which computer will be your server and which ones will be your clients. Make sure that the Internet connection through a modem on your server PC is configured and fully functional before installing the HomeLink or WinGate Home software. See page 48 for important hints about connecting your modem.

25

Windows 95

To install the network driver:

1. Turn off your computer and install the

HomeLink Card in your computer’s PCI slot.

2. Start up your computer and Windows 95.

Windows will display an "Update Device Driver" window. Click Next.

3. Windows will try to find the sofware driver for your HomeLink card. If Windows locates the driver, click Finish.

If it fails to find the driver, insert your CD-ROM and click Other Locations. Direct the setup to

26

Windows 95 your CD-ROM drive. When back at the Update

Device Driver Wizard Window, click Finish

4. Windows may prompt you to insert your

HomeLink CD-ROM now. Make sure the CD is in the drive if you haven’t inserted it already. Click

OK. Windows will begin copying files onto your

PC.

5. In the Copying Files window, enter the letter that designates your CD-ROM drive. In most cases, the CD-ROM drive is either D:\ or E:\.

Enter your appropriate drive letter and click OK.

6. Next, a welcome screen will appear asking for your computer's name. Give your computer any name you'd like, (MikesComputer, Tardis, etc.).

Keep in mind that the name should be easy to remember, and it should be something that is distinguishable from the other PCs on the network.

Click OK. Choose any name between 2 and 15 letters long, and remember that blank spaces are not allowed.

27

Windows 95

7. Windows will now copy the network files onto your computer. This may take a few minutes.

When it's finished, click OK

8. Windows may ask you to supply your original installation files. At this point, you may have to insert your original Windows 95 installation CD in your CD-ROM drive. You may have to swap between the HomeLink CD and the Windows CD several times. In many cases, the Windows installation files are stored on your hard drive in the c:\windows\options\cabs.

28

Windows 95

If you receive any "Version Conflict" or similar messages, and you are given a choice of over-writing any of your existing files, it is recommended that you keep the existing files. You may receive these messages many times, or you may not receive them at all depending on your system configuration and software.

9. Next, you will be asked to restart your computer. Click on Yes. If you do not restart your PC, the installation will be incomplete.

10. Once you are back at the Windows desktop, the File and Printer Sharing window will appear

11. Highlight any resources that you want to make shareable. Click on the arrows [>>] to move the resources into the box on the right side of the window. Click Next.

12. The Client-Server selection window will appear. You must now choose to designate your

PC as the server or the client on your network. If you will be sharing an Internet connection through a modem, it is a good idea to designate the computer with the communications hardware installed as the server. If you are using another PC's modem over the network for Internet access or if you have already installed a server elsewhere, pick client.

For more information about the client-server relationship, see page 25.

See a picture of the screen on the next page.

29

Windows 95

It is best to install no more than ONE server on your HomeLink network.

Click OK to continue. The HomeLink Installer wil copy some files onto your PC.

13. Your computer may give you a message that it is about to reboot. This depends on your system configuration. If Windows 95 wants to restart your

PC, let it do so. At this time, you will move on to the installation of the WinGate Home software.

30

Windows 95

During the WinGate Home installation, your PC will reboot a few times. This is normal. Follow all instructions on your screen, as the setup process will vary from PC to PC depending your computers’ configuration.

You may experience periods of inactivity during the installation when it appears as though your PC isn’t doing anything. Do not reboot your computer if this happens. Be patient and follow the instructions on your screen. If you encounter any DHCP error messages, ignore them. Just click Yes to bypass the message and continue with the installation

After each reboot, the computer may ask you to log in. You may chose your username and password or you may click Cancel. You may continue to do this until the installation is completed. Some

Windows 95 users will require Winsock2 to be installed on their computers. The WinGate Home

Wizard will automatically install this software if your system requires it.

15. Next, you will see the WinGate Home

Network Setup Wizard software installation screen. Read the information on the screen and follow the instructions by clicking Next

16. WinGate Home will provide you with an explaination of the license agreement and the changes it will make on your computer. To continue with the installation, answer Yes to both. If you click No, WinGate Home will not install on your system.

31

Windows 95

17. You will be asked to select installation directory. The default directory is c:\program files\wingate. We suggest that you leave it there. If you decide to put it somewhere else on your hard disk, make a note of it. Click

Next.

18. At the next screen, click Next to continue.

You will see a screen prompting you to give the name of your computer. Be sure that the name is the same as the one you gave in step 7 and click

Next.

19. WinGate Home will ask you if you are installing your first computer on the network or if you are adding a PC to an existing network.

Select the correct statement and click Next.

The Wizard will take a few seconds to check the system, then it will reboot the computer.

20. After the reboot, the Wizard will go through the network detection process for a few seconds.

21. WinGate Home will show you a diagram of your network and it will run some performance tests on your HomeLink card. Read the instructions on the screen and click Next.

22. Next, you will be asked to select either the

Typical or Custom installation of the WinGate

Home software. It is recommended that you select Typical. Click Next.

32

Windows 95

23. WinGate may warn you of an upcoming reboot and then reboot your system.

24. WinGate Home will copy the remaining files onto your computer. When the installation is finished, click Finish.

Now, repeat the process on the other PCs. If you have designated your first PC as a server, be sure to install the other computers as clients. Be sure to pay extra attention to the question that WinGate

Home asks you in step 19.

33

Windows NT

Windows NT 4.0 Setup

After installing the HomeLink hardware in your computer, follow these instructions for installing the network driver in Windows NT 4.0. The installation procedure for the network driver will vary slightly depending on the version of Windows NT you are using, the service packs you have installed, and your current system configuration.

In the type of network that we will be building, there are two kinds of computers - clients and

servers. Servers are the "mother" computers while

the clients are the "children". Servers handle all of the administrative duties on the network, while clients route all of their communications through the server. The server is usually the fastest and most powerful PC on the network, but it doesn't have to be.

Please note that the NT installation does not automatically install the WinGate Home software onto your computer. When you are finished with the

NT installation, reboot your PC and run the

WinGate installation program on the CD-ROM at the path D:\wingate\wingate.exe.

Throughout the NT installation, it is assumed that the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive is D. If your CD-ROM drive is designated as any other letter, use the correct letter instead of D.

If, at any time during the installation, you are unsure about how to answer a specific question, consult your system administrator or NT 4.0 documentation before you continue.

34

Windows NT

To install the network driver:

1. From the Windows NT desktop, click on Start,

Settings, Control Panel. Double-click on the

Network icon. If you already have NT

Networking installed, click on Adapter, then click on Add and skip to step 3. Otherwise, a message will appear that says, “Windows NT networking is not installed. Install now?” Click Yes.

2. The Network Setup Wizard will appear. In the choices box, check Wired to the Network and click on Next.

3. Windows NT will now ask you to pick a network adapter. Click Select From List.

35

Windows NT

4. A new window will appear that shows a long list of adapters from different manufacturers.

Since the HomeLink card is a new product, it is not listed here. Click on Have Disk.

5. A message that says “Insert Disk” will appear.

Put the HomeLink CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive and type D:\winnt40. Click OK.

6. A window will appear verifying that the

Linksys HomeLink Phoneline Network Adapter has been detected. Click OK.

36

Windows NT

7. Now you will be back at the setup wizard. You will see the HomeLink card listed in the Network

Adapters window. Click Next.

8. Select your protocols for the card. If you are unsure as to how your protocols should be set up, consult your network administrator or your NT documentation. Click Next.

9. Verify that your network services are correct. If you are unsure as to how your services should be set up, consult your network administrator or your

NT documentation. Click Next.

10. The setup wizard will tell you that it’s ready to install your networking components. Click Next.

37

Windows NT

11. Windows NT may tell you that it needs to copy some NT system files onto your hard drive.

If this is the case, remove the Linksys HomeLink

CD from your CD-ROM drive and insert your NT

CD-ROM. Type D:\i386 and click Continue.

12. If you use TCP/IP, a window will ask you if you would like to use DHCP. If you are unsure as to whether or not DHCP should be set up, consult your network administrator or your NT documentation. Click Yes or No and continue.

13. NT will copy files onto your computer. This may take a minute. If you receive an error that says, “Unable to open the file

D:\winnt40\pcntn4hl.SYS” put the Linksys

HomeLink CD back in the CD-ROM drive.

Wait a few seconds and click Retry.

See a picture of the screen on the next page.

38

Windows NT

14. The Bindings window will appear. If you are unsure as to how your bindings should be setup, consult your network administrator or your NT documentation. If your bindings look correct, click Next, then Next again.

15. NT will ask you to enter a Workgroup or

Domain name. If you are unsure as to what your

Workgroup or Domain name should be, consult your network administrator or your NT documentation. Enter the correct information and click

Next.

39

Windows NT

16. Click Finish. You will be asked to retart your computer. Click Yes.

17. Your PC will reboot. Login to NT when the login window appears. The installation is complete.

Make sure your network is functioning

Once you have installed your server and at least one client, go to any computer on the network and click on the Network Neighborhood icon on the

Windows desktop. You should see the names of all of the PCs on the network. If one name or all of the names are missing, refer to the troubleshooting section in the back of this guide.

40

WinGate

Using WinGate Home

WinGate Home has been automatically configured to work with any Internet connection hardware.

(cable modems, ADSL, ISDN, etc.)

In a WinGate Home session, the server connects to Internet as normal. Once connection is established, any other networked clients can automatically access the Internet by launching their web browsers or mail programs.

The WinGate Home proxy server computer must be fully booted before any other networked PCs can get on to the network. We recommend that you leave the server PC powered on all the time while you are using your network. Turn it off only when you are ending your networking session or when you leave the house or go to bed.

When you log on to the Internet over the telephone line network, it may take a couple of minutes before your clients' Internet stream is clean and running smoothly.

If you would like to have multiple email accounts for different people on your network, first you must find out if your Internet Service Provider will allow you to have multiple mail addresses on one dial-up account. You can either call them, send an email from an existing account, or visit the

ISP's website for more information.

41

WinGate

After you have established multiple email addresses, you can then configure your clients' email programs to go to a specific email box when checking for messages on the Internet.

The copy of WinGate Home included on the CD-

ROM includes a limited user license. If you would like to purchase more user licenses, you can do so at WinGate Home's web site,

http://www.wingate.com. It is a good idea to

check back at the WinGate Home site every now and then to learn about updates and new features for the software.

WinGate Home's client support for Windows NT somewhat limited. Check the web site often for updated information.

For any technical support concerns, point your browser to http://www.wingate.com/helpdesk.

42

Card Settings

Changing the Card Settings

For most users, the HomeLink default settings will be perfect for both Phoneline and Ethernet networking. However, you can make any necessary changes to your system's network settings by clicking on your taskbar's Start button, then

Settings, then Control Panel, and then the

Network icon.

Note: Only change these settings if you know

what you are doing.

1. To access your HomeLink driver, click on the

Configuration tab, highlight Linksys HomeLink

Phoneline Network Card and click on Properties.

2. The Linksys HomeLink Properties window will open. Click on Advanced.

43

Card Settings

Ethernet Configuration

This option allows you to choose the duplex and speed performance of the HomeLink Card’s RJ-45

Ethernet port. In order to change the port settings, the Mode Selection option must be set at 10BaseT

Only, or 10/100BaseTX Only, or the mode must

be set at Auto Detect with a valid link on the

10BaseT Port.

• 10Mbps Half Duplex sets the 10BaseT port to half duplex mode. This is the default setting.

• 10Mbps Full Duplex sets the 10BaseT port to full duplex mode.

44

Card Settings

Mode Selection

You can set the HomeLink Phoneline Network

Card to default to either a 10BaseT connection or

Phoneline connection. Since there are three ports, the card is set to Auto Detect an active connection. Auto Detect will look first for a connection on the 10BaseT port, and if one is not found, the card will default to the Phoneline connection.

You can configure the card to use only one connection type.

• 10/100 Ethernet (External) mode will force the card to use a 10/100 connection if one is present.

• 10BaseT Ethernet (Internal) mode will force the card to use a 10Mbps connection if one is present.

• Phoneline mode will force the card to use only the 1Mbps Phoneline connection.

45

Appendix

Phoneline Configuration

You can set the Phoneline port to operate in several different modes. The phoneline port will default to Auto Config mode. This mode automatically sets the port to High Power/High Speed mode.

These port settings will only take effect if and when the Phoneline port is selected as the default port or if the card is in Auto Detect mode and the

Phoneline link is active.

• Setting the card in Low Power/High Speed mode will still allow full speed on the Phoneline port, but the card will operate at a lower power consumption rate.

• High Power/Low Speed mode will give you a

700Kbps transfer rate over the Phoneline connection, while still allowing the card to operate at full power.

46

Appendix

Twisted-Pair Cabling

There are different grades, or categories, of twisted-pair cabling. Category 5 is the most reliable and widely compatible, and is highly recommended. Category 3 is a good second choice. Straightthrough cables are used for connecting computers to a hub. Crossed cables are used for connecting a hub to another hub (there is an exception: some hubs have a built-in uplink port that is crossed internally, which allows you to uplink hubs together with a straight cable instead).

You can buy Category 5 cabling that is pre-made, or cut and crimp your own. Category 5 cables can be purchased or crimped as either straight-through or crossed. A Category 5 cable has 8 thin, colorcoded wires inside that run from one end of the cable to the other. All 8 wires are used. In a straight-through cable, wires 1, 2, 3, and 6 at one end of the cable are also wires 1, 2, 3, and 6 at the other end. In a crossed cable, the order of the wires change from one end to the other: wire 1 becomes 3, and 2 becomes 6.

The color code for the 4 wires should be as follows: Wire 1, white with an orange stripe; Wire 2, orange; Wire 3, white with a green stripe; Wire 6, green. The other four wires have to be connected as follows: Wire 4, blue; Wire 5, white with a blue stripe; Wire7, white with a brown stripe, Wire 8, brown.

47

Appendix

To figure out which wire is wire number 1, hold the cable so that the end of the plastic RJ-45 tip

(the part that goes into a wall jack first) is facing away from you. Flip the clip so that the copper side faces up (the springy clip will now be parallel to the floor).When looking down on the coppers, wire 1 will be on the far left.

Telephone Cable

The telephone cables you use can be either crossed over or straight-through. Standard telephone cables like the ones you use everyday in your home should do the job.

Note: If you are only sharing Internet access

between 2 PCs, you can connect your modem directly to your HomeLink Card using a standard telephone cable. However, if you are sharing

Internet access among more than two computers, it is strongly recommended that you obtain a twoway splitter for your phone jack, or that you find another wall phone jack for your modem connection.

Forcing the HomeLink Network Card to supply high-speed data from the Internet to multiple computers may result in an unstable or failed network connection.

48

Appendix

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting Hints for Windows

Problem 1: Windows doesn't detect new hardware

with the HomeLink Card hardware installed, or it continues to detect the card each time I restart the

PC.

Solutions

You might not have inserted the PCI card correctly or securely into the appropriate slot of your computer. Check that the card is securely inserted into the appropriate slot.

The motherboard in your system might not be

Plug-and-Play compatible, your PC's Plug-and-

Play settings may not be enabled, or the motherboard may have Plug-and-Play options not supported by Windows. If you are not sure, contact your PC's manufacturer.

Problem 2: Windows can't locate the driver for

the HomeLink Card device.

Solutions

You may have inserted the wrong CD-ROM into your PC's drive.

The CD-ROM may be defective or files may be missing, or you may be pointing Windows to the wrong directory or drive.

49

Appendix

Problem 3: The Windows Logon screen doesn't

appear after I restart my computer.

Solutions

Click on Start, Shut Down, then Close All

Programs and Logon as a Different User. If this

doesn't solve the problem, your PC's manufacturer may have disabled Windows' networking. Contact your computer's manufacturer for help.

Problem 4: In Network Neighborhood I can only

see myself and no other computers on the network.

Solutions

Make sure that the cables are connected correctly.

Make sure you are getting Link or Activity lights on both the HomeLink Card and your hub if you are using one. Try changing to a new cable that you know is working.

Verify that the HomeLink Card’s Phoneline configuration is set to Auto Configuration. See the chapter entitled Changing the Card Settings for instructions on how to do this.

Try connecting your PCs using only the phone wire provided with the HomeLink card.

Disconnect your PCs from any phone jacks and remove any telephone, modem, or other device that you have conencted to the HomeLink cards.

If the PCs are far away form each other, bring them close to each other and try connecting them

50

Appendix directly together. This test will determine whether your phone line or your HomeLink hardware is causing your network to malfunction.

Problem 5: I installed the WinGate Home client

software on all of my PCs, but I can’t gain access to the Internet

Solution

You must install the server component of the

WinGate Home software program first. After you have installed the server component on one of your PCs, install the client software on the remainder of your networked computers.

Your server must be fully booted and conencted to the Internet before you can attempt to gain access through a client PC. You may have to reboot your clients to gain access to the Interent through the server.

Problem 6: I’ve decided that I don’t want to share

a drive or printer anymore, or I have decided to physically remove a drive or printer from my network.

Solutions

You’re going to have to reconfigure your File and

Printer Sharing settings manually. To do so, double-click on your My Computer icon. Click on the Printers folder. A window of available printers will appear. Using your right mouse button, click once on the printer that you want to disable on the network. Click on Sharing, followed by the

51

Appendix

Sharing tab. Click on Not Shared. When you're

done, click on the Apply button, followed by OK.

You can disable drives in the same way. In

Windows Explorer, right-click on the drive you want to stop sharing. Click on Sharing, followed by the Sharing tab. Click on Not Shared. When you're done, click on the Apply button, followed by OK.

General Troubleshooting Tips

1. If you do not want to install the WinGate Home

Proxy Server software package, simply click I Do

Not Agree when the licensing agreement appears on the screen during the software installation.

2. Only use the telephone wires included in the package.

3. If you are conencted to the Internet through an

ISDN router or cable modem and you already have a network card installed in your PC, you must use WinGate Home to share the connection on your HomeLink network. In some cases, you must manually configure your routing tables if you want to use the HomeLink card to share the conenction. Linksys will not provide support or any information on configuring routing tables.

Contact your telephone or cable provider for assistance on this matter (if any is provided). It is simpler to purchase a hub and RJ-45 cabling and use the hub to share the Internet connection. Some

cable modems can not be shared.

52

Appendix

Multiple Network Cards

The following information is supplied to you for reference only.

Linksys does not provide technical support on the setup or troubleshooing of multiple network cards or enabling or setup of routing in an operating system. Please refer to the documentation of your operating system in order to find out more on how to setup two network cards in a PC to communicate with each other. The phoneline card can use either its RJ-45 ethernet connection or RJ-11 phone wire connection at any given time. Both connections can not be used at the same time.

Connecting to an Existing Network

If you already have an Ethernet network and would like to add the Phoneline card to this network, you need to use the card’s RJ-45 connector and connect the card to the existing ethernet network. It is not possible to connect the card via RJ-

11 directly to an existing Ethernet network. This can be done, but it requires the operating system to be able to route the packets from an Ethernet card to the HomeLink card. Two cards have to coexist in a PC (one Ethernet card and one

HomeLink card). The operating system has to be able to route packets between network cards, otherwise the two different segments will not communicate with each other. Cable modems are often an exception. See the next page for details about cable modem sharing.

53

Appendix

Using a Cable Modem and the HomeLink

Card

If you are currently using a network card with a cable modem, it is recommended that you connect your cable modem to a hub for faster access speeds. Keep in mind that some cable modems may not be connected to a hub and require a direct connection to a network card. Check with your provider if you have any questions regarding this matter.

You can also add the HomeLink card to a PC with an existing network card. The WinGate Home software that came with your HomeLink card is capable of sharing the Internet connection on the second card. For setup of two network cards in your PC, see the documentation with your operating system. Linksys does not provide any technical support in setting up multiple network cards in a PC. Linksys will support the installation of multiple cards, but is not responsible for setting up and configuring routing or filtering tables.

Some cable modem providers may prevent the use of proxy software to share the Internet. The best course of action would be to discuss the matter with your cable service provider, then consult your

PC’s documentation to find out what is required to install multiple network cards.

54

Appendix

Removing the Installed

Components in Windows

95 and 98

There may be cases when you need to remove the network card from the computer and make a fresh start. In order to do this, follow these instructions carefully.

1. Close any programs that you are running in

Windows. Click on Start, Settings, and Control

Panel. Double-click on Add/Remove Programs.

Close the Control Panel.

2. Highlight “Home Network Setup Wizard” and click Remove. Click OK.

During the removal, you will be asked to remove a series of shared files. If you aren’t sure if you should remove the files or not, keep them by clicking No.

3. Click on Start, Settings, and Control Panel.

Double-click on the Network icon.

4. Highlight the Linksys driver, and choose to

Remove it. If asked to reboot your computer, click

No.

5. Open My Computer, double-click on the

Windows folder, then double-click on the Inf

folder. In the list of files, delete

NETAMDHL

.

INF

.

Now Shutdown and Restart your computer.

55

Appendix

6. If you are using Windows 98, you are ready to start over and try re-installing the card. If you are using Windows 95, continue on with the next step.

If You are Using Windows 95 Only

7. When your PC reboots, you will see a window asking you if you want to install your HomeLink

Card. Press Cancel. Next, double-click on My

Computer and double-click on your C drive.

8. Double-click on Windows, then on the

ws2bakup sub-directory. Double-click on the file

ws2bakup.bat and let it run. When it is finished,

restart your PC. Now go to the Windows 95 or 98 installation instructions and re-install the card.

56

Specifications

Specifications

Model

Standards

Topology

Protocol

Speed

Ports

HPN100, HPN100SK

HomePNA, IEEE 802.3,

PC98, PC99, and NetPC

Star or Daisy Chain

CSMA/CD

1Mbps (Phoneline) or 10Mbps (Ethernet)

2 RJ-11, 1 10BaseT RJ-45

(Mutually Exclusive)

LEDs

Bus Type

Link and Activity

32-Bit PCI

Certification

FCC, CE

Cabling

Standard Copper RJ-11 and

Category 5 UTP or STP

Power

5W maximum

Dimensions

5.2" x 4.75" x .75"

Weight

3 oz.

57

Support

Customer Support

For help with the installation or operation of your

HomeLink Phoneline Network Card, contact

Linksys Customer Support at one of the phone numbers or Internet addresses below.

Customer Support

Fax

Bulletin Board

Email

Web

FTP Site

949-261-1288

949-261-8868

949-261-2888

(33.6K, 8-N-1) [email protected]

http://www.linksys.com

ftp.linksys.com

58

Notes

59

Notes

Notes

h t t p : / / w w w. l i n k s y s . c o m

© Copyright 1999 Linksys, All Rights Reserved.

Printed in the USA.