Patent ID: 7616762

Claim:
An apparatus for securely communicating streaming media over a power line communications (PLC) network, comprising: a first streaming media device configured for connecting to a power line for the receipt of operating power; a power line communications circuit, within said first streaming media device, configured for communicating data over said power line operating as a PLC network, between said first streaming media device and at least a second streaming media device coupled to said power line; a scrambling circuit within said communications circuit which encrypts or decrypts data in response to a network key value; and means for securely sharing and storing a common network key value between streaming media devices, in response to establishing a private physical connection between said first streaming media device and said second streaming media device, through which said common network key is shared between said first and second media device without communicating the network key value over the physical PLC network; wherein said private physical connection is maintained for a sufficient period to share the network key, whereafter private physical connection can be disconnected and the first and second media devices coupled anywhere over the power line communications (PLC) network for securely communicating streaming media over the power line communications (PLC) network using said common network key.