Wi-Fi and network troubleshooting

Why is my 2.4GHz Wi-Fi experiencing interruptions, and how can changing the channel to 1, 6, or 11 help?

Interruptions in your 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection are often due to interference. This frequency band is commonly used by various devices such as microwaves, cordless phones and baby monitors, as well as by many Wi-Fi networks. When multiple devices operate on the same or overlapping channels, it can cause interference, leading to slower speeds, connection drops and other performance issues.

To minimize interference, we recommend changing your Wi-Fi channel to 1, 6 or 11. These channels are spaced far enough apart to avoid overlapping with each other, which reduces the chances of interference from other networks and devices operating nearby. By selecting one of these channels, you can improve the stability and performance of your Wi-Fi connection.

To change the channel, access your Powerline Wi-Fi device settings through its web interface, go to WLAN Settings > Basic Settings and choose channel 1, 6 or 11.

1Connect to the Wi-Fi

Enter the SSID and password of the Powerline Wi-Fi adapter on your device.

2Enter the web interface address

Enter the following address in your browser: http://strong.500.ap

3Log in

Once on the login page, enter the username admin, then click Sign in.

4WLAN Settings

Click WLAN Settings, then Basic Settings.

5Select the network band and channel

Select the 2.4G or 5G network band. Then, select channel 1, 6 or 11 in the drop-down list and click Save.

Can I connect Powerlines of different brands and data rates to my network?

It is possible to connect powerlines with different data rates and brands, as our devices use the HomePlug AV2/AV standard, which makes any device compatible no matter the brand or data rate. For instance, you can connect a Powerline 1000 with a Powerline 1200 or 1300 as they have similar data rates. However, we strongly recommend not connecting a Powerline 1000 with a Powerline 500 or 600, whose maximum data rate is lower than that of the Powerline 1000. We also advise against connecting a Powerline 1000 with a Powerline 2000, as the data rate of the Powerline 2000 will be limited to the maximum data rate of the Powerline 1000. In addition, a Powerline 1000 can be connected to Powerline 1000 adapters of other brands, but we cannot guarantee that it will work properly, as there may be software differences.

Can I repeat the Wi-Fi network of the Internet box with the Powerline 1000 Wi-Fi?

No, the Powerline 1000 Wi-Fi is not a repeater. You should not try to connect it to the box by WPS: it is a Wi-Fi access point that has a different network name from the one of your Internet box.

Connect all your bandwidth hungry wired devices to the Internet using your existing electrical wiring!

Use the Powerline 1000 Duo Wi-Fi to connect all your bandwidth-hungry wired devices to the Internet, such as IPTV decoders, Smart TVs, Android boxes, Apple TV ®, media players, computers, game consoles, etc. The Powerline 1000 Wi-Fi adapter is equipped with 1 Ethernet port. Connect all of your network-compatible devices to the Internet in minutes! No system requirements! No software to install! Just Plug & Play.

Expand your Powerline network to any room of your home by adding Powerline 1000 adapters!

Congratulations! You managed to install your Powerline 1000 Kit. Now, you want to extend your network to other parts of your home to connect even more devices.

Just add a new Powerline 1000 adapter in the room of your choice. Then, connect your new Powerline 1000 adapter to the existing network in a few seconds by pressing the PAIR button. No system requirements! No software to install! Just Plug & Play.

How many Powerline 1000 can I connect to the same network?

You can have up to eight Powerline 1000 adapters in your home, within the limit of a single electric meter.

How to add a new STRONG powerline product to your existing powerline Wi-Fi network with High Security Level 1?

As your existing network has been set with the High Security Level 1 configuration, adding a product is simply Plug & Play. No action is required on the product: just plug in the new powerline product and it will be automatically added to the network.

Typically, powerline adapters are paired in sets of two or three, so if you need to add additional powerline products to your network configured with High Security Level 1, follow the steps below.

1Plug the new adapter into a socket

Plug the additional device(s) into a power socket.

2Connect the adapter to the Internet

Connect the device to an Internet router/gateway with an RJ45 cable.

3The adapter is set

After plugging in the new device, all the LEDs are green on all the devices.

How to choose the right high security level configuration for your powerline network?

When setting up your powerline network, you can choose between two different high security configurations: High Security Level 1 and High Security Level 2.

High Security Level 1 is the high security level that is natively implemented in our powerline products. The devices of your powerline network are protected by a default encryption key that is set up during the manufacturing of the product. This level provides a high level of security that is suitable for consumer usage of the product. All our powerline products share the same default encryption key, which enables you to use your powerline network right after plugging in your devices. You can also add new powerline devices to your existing STRONG network at any time, without any configuration.

With High Security Level 1, your powerline network is already highly protected, which ensures that even your neighbour cannot use your connection. How is that possible? To connect to your powerline network, someone must be directly in your flat or house. Your powerline network is more secure than any Wi-Fi network as it only uses your existing electrical wires, which completely limits radiation and the chances of your network being hacked. Even if your neighbour is also equipped with the same powerline devices that have the same default encryption key, there is not even a slim chance for them to access your network due to all the signal losses encountered between the two flats/houses. Indeed, the signal must go through the two electrical meters (yours and your neighbour's), which causes a loss of 20 dB on each side.

High Security Level 2 offers you an enhanced security experience by pairing your devices and generating a new unique encryption key for your powerline network. That is why it is the perfect solution to comply with high security requirements when working from home. This security level is easy to configure on your STRONG powerline products: you just need to press the pairing button on each device for 2 seconds, one after the other, after installing all your devices. Please make sure that the RJ45 Ethernet connection is working on each device that you want to pair, to prevent your powerline devices from switching to standby mode.

Moreover, your devices not only use one of the two high security levels defined above, their communication is also secured by 128-bit AES data encryption. In other words, if you want a high-performance, stable and reliable network, you can use our powerline products with their high security levels. The only decision you must make is whether to go with High Security Level 1 or configure High Security Level 2, which is up to you!

How to configure new powerline products with High Security Level 2 on your existing powerline Wi-Fi network?

If you want to add more than one new powerline product, each product must be configured one after the other by following the same process, not simultaneously. Typically, powerline adapters are paired in sets of two, so if you need to add new powerline products to your network that is configured with High Security Level 2, follow the steps below.

1Plug the new adapter into a socket

Plug the additional device(s) into a power socket.

2Connect the new adapter to the Internet

Connect the device to an Internet router/gateway with an RJ45 cable.

3Press the PAIR button (existing adapter)

Press the PAIR button on one of the existing devices of the network for two seconds.

4Press the PAIR button (new adapter)

Then, press the PAIR button on the new device for two seconds to add it to the network. You have up to two minutes to press the button.

5The home LED blinks

The home LED should start blinking green on the devices.

6The LEDs are green

After adding the new device, the home LEDs should be green on both devices.

7The encryption key is set

Your new unique encryption key is set on the device you just configured.

How to configure your powerline Wi-Fi network with High Security Level 1?

High Security Level 1 is the default high security configuration level implemented on all our powerline products. You just have to plug in your powerline devices and this high security configuration will be automatically implemented. Plug & Play: no action is required on the product.

How to set up High Security Level 2 on your powerline products?

1Put the adapters on a power strip

Take a power strip and plug all the powerline adapters into it.

2Connect the adapters to the Internet

Connect the adapters to the Internet gateway/router with an RJ45 cable.

3Press the PAIR button (first device)

Press the PAIR button on the first device for 2 seconds.

4Press the PAIR button (second device)

Press the PAIR button on the second device for 2 seconds. You have up to two minutes to do it.

5The home LED blinks

The home LED should blink on both devices.

6The encryption key is set

Your unique encryption key is now set, and all the LEDs of the devices should be green.

Now, install the adapters in the rooms where you need them. We strongly recommend not plugging the adapters into a power strip.

I receive Internet via fibre, is a Powerline 1000 suitable?

A Powerline 1000 is sufficient: it will allow you to benefit from all the potential speed offered by your Internet service provider. If you want a powerline network that matches your fibre optic speed, you must ensure that your electrical installation complies with standards and use powerlines equipped with Gigabit ports. Powerlines 1000, 1200, 1300 or 2000 are equipped with them.

The Internet speed is much lower at the output of the powerline network compared to the speed at the output of the Internet service provider's box. Why?

The data rate displayed on the Powerline 1000 (as on all Powerline 1000 products on the market) is the maximum data rate used for the transmission of signals on the link. The useful speed is lower than the maximum speed because the transmission of data always requires a significant use of the band, which reduces the available bandwidth.

The quality of your electrical installation can further reduce the available bandwidth and you will usually get less than 1000 Mbps.

An overly extensive or old electrical installation can significantly increase the data rate loss. Potentially disruptive electrical devices left plugged in unnecessarily (e.g., phone chargers, power transformers) can also significantly increase throughput losses.

For information, 5 Mbps is sufficient to transmit an HD signal, and 20 Mbps is sufficient to transmit a UHD (4K) signal.