plconfig allows the configuration of HomePlug powerline bridges.
Plconfig is a software tool designed to configure HomePlug powerline bridges which have become increasingly popular lately. As a consumer, I purchased two "ZEUS" brand name bridges that are only available in Switzerland, and some speculate that it is actually a ZyXEL product, but it was hard to tell without opening it up. HomePlug Alliance, an industry association which promotes technology and the global standardization of HomePlug Powerline Communications, has only two manufacturers of powerline ICs, Intellon and Cogency Semiconductor. Fortunately, my bridges are equipped with the Intellon chipset (INT5130 integrated powerline MAC-PHY transceiver and INT1000 analog conversion IC), and Intellon's version is commonly known as "PowerPacket".
The only required configuration for these devices is to set up an encryption password, which can be done conveniently through the provided Windows program. This program can be hooked up to the bridge, and a 2-24 character encryption password can be entered and saved into the bridge's EEPROM, preventing others from reading your data. However, the Windows program can be a bit inconvenient, especially for non-Windows users. Also, the program looks unattractive and has strange daemons such as WinPlcMan.exe and BridgeDeCor.exe running, which can use up to 100% CPU at times. Furthermore, there are instances when the password cannot be set without power cycling the bridge first.
To circumvent these issues, I attempted to write a program that would allow me to set up the encryption key easily. I researched and found unofficial information on the web which gave me the knowledge to understand the communication between the PowerPacket setup software and the bridge. The program is available for anyone to try, but it falls somewhere between an ugly hack and a simple use-once-and-throw-away tool. I'm not sure if it works with other powerline bridges, but it should work with all Intellon-based products. If you've had success with a particular product, please let me know!
Additionally, the software can also capture and display powerline bridge management-related packets, as well as request statistics from the bridge(s). In the latest release, plaintext passwords are now hashed correctly based on the HomePlug specification, using a standard hash function as opposed to my previous homemade MD5 hash. This update ensures the compatibility of the passwords with the Windows setup software supplied by Intellon. One thing to note is that "s" no longer sets up the same key as in the previous version. However, "s0x" behaves in the same way as before.
The only required configuration for these devices is to set up an encryption password, which can be done conveniently through the provided Windows program. This program can be hooked up to the bridge, and a 2-24 character encryption password can be entered and saved into the bridge's EEPROM, preventing others from reading your data. However, the Windows program can be a bit inconvenient, especially for non-Windows users. Also, the program looks unattractive and has strange daemons such as WinPlcMan.exe and BridgeDeCor.exe running, which can use up to 100% CPU at times. Furthermore, there are instances when the password cannot be set without power cycling the bridge first.
To circumvent these issues, I attempted to write a program that would allow me to set up the encryption key easily. I researched and found unofficial information on the web which gave me the knowledge to understand the communication between the PowerPacket setup software and the bridge. The program is available for anyone to try, but it falls somewhere between an ugly hack and a simple use-once-and-throw-away tool. I'm not sure if it works with other powerline bridges, but it should work with all Intellon-based products. If you've had success with a particular product, please let me know!
Additionally, the software can also capture and display powerline bridge management-related packets, as well as request statistics from the bridge(s). In the latest release, plaintext passwords are now hashed correctly based on the HomePlug specification, using a standard hash function as opposed to my previous homemade MD5 hash. This update ensures the compatibility of the passwords with the Windows setup software supplied by Intellon. One thing to note is that "s" no longer sets up the same key as in the previous version. However, "s0x" behaves in the same way as before.
What's New
Version 0.2: N/A