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WMS Pro Comm Path Failing to connect - Encryption Key Mismatch

  • Updated

Issue Description - Comm Path Failure/Offline 

 

From CTPlus V3.6, if a comm path contains an encryption key, and the comm path is sent to panel with no encryption key change, the encryption key will be sent as 0's. 

This will ensure that the current encryption key used by this comm path will remain unchanged.  This will only work for ChallengerPlus V10-07 and Discovery. 

Challenger V10-06 does not support this, and the encryption key will need to be reset again after making changes to the comm path.

 

This is because the encryption key is only used for the initial connection establishment between the panel, and WMS Pro.  As soon as the connection is established, WMS Pro then switches this over to using a rolling encryption key, and so whatever key is initially set for the initial connection establishment, is only valid at the initial establishment of the connection.

 

For example:

  • ChallengerPlus Comm path 5 is programmed in CTPlus V3.6 with encryption key "123456"
  • Comm path 5 has connected to WMS Pro with this encryption key, and the encryption key has then been auto updated by WMS Pro to it's rolling encryption key. (i.e. it is no longer using the initial "123456" encryption key)
  • Let's say that the operator wishes to change the Comm path 5 has a message ack time for this comm path, and so the operator uses CTPlus to change the message ack and resave the comm path.  Historically, this would also send the "123456" encryption key back to the panel as well, since it is part of the comm path data.  However this would then no longer match the rolling encryption key that WMS Pro is now using, so the comm path would go offline.
  • In CTPlus V3.6, Comm path 5 will be sent to panel with 0 encryption key.  This will tell the panel (V10-07 and Discovery) to leave the encryption key unchanged.  WMS Pro will now remain online via this comm path and will now be using the new message ack time the operator set.

Note: If you need the encryption key to be sent back into the panel, you will need to edit it, save it, set it back to correct key and save it again.

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