• To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:

    Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

    To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.

    The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.

    For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

Kenwood ADP/ARC4 Encryption

tweiss3

Is it time for Coffee?
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 24, 2020
Messages
1,369
Location
Ohio
The Kenwood opens squelch and you hear digital hell. Some of my radios (XPR, NX5k, PD982, AT578, Alinco) are software keyloaded while my VP8000 is KVL hardware keyed. The NX5k is only one to fail through a specific repeater (5700 ? Motorola) and that is with decode only (it seems to encode fine). With hardware/KVL you have the matching of CKR as well as KID which made me worry my VP8000 wouldn't play well with software keyed radios but so far seems fine.
I haven't tested on different repeaters since there is only the one DMR PS repeater nearby, the rest are amateur. My NX5K does not have a hardware module installed--only software.
I had an issue where NX3320 did not like hardware loaded ARC4 on the VP8000. It decoded most of the time, but at times would garble, but switching to software loaded for ARC4 DMR resulted in zero issues.
 

RRR

OFFLINE
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 6, 2005
Messages
2,099
Location
USA
My NX5200 can be heard by the Mototrbo's just fine, through the Mototrbo repeater, and simplex. But it will not "decrypt" the Mototrbo's ARC4 ("Enhanced Encryption") even with the proper KID ("1") in the proper slot (1) I have turned it every which way but loose, and am about to give up, and disable Enc altogether. Interestingly enough, I can sometimes hear the first word or so in the clear, then the "digital hell" comes through for the rest of the transmission. Meanwhile, the XPR's are just as clear as can be.
No RAS, just a single Enh. Enc. code (ARC4) that is entered exactly the same in the Mototrbo's as it is in an NX5200.
 

kayn1n32008

ØÆSØ Say it, say 'ENCRYPTION'
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
7,187
Location
Sector 001
Yes, first and only slot. Urrgh! 😆

What if the repeater is set for Motorola "Advantage"?
Read the repeater(assuming it's a Motorola repeater) in the codeplug tree, General, Security, make sure you have selected Enhanced and not basic or none.
 

kayn1n32008

ØÆSØ Say it, say 'ENCRYPTION'
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
7,187
Location
Sector 001
My NX5200 can be heard by the Mototrbo's just fine, through the Mototrbo repeater, and simplex. But it will not "decrypt" the Mototrbo's ARC4 ("Enhanced Encryption") even with the proper KID ("1") in the proper slot (1) I have turned it every which way but loose, and am about to give up, and disable Enc altogether. Interestingly enough, I can sometimes hear the first word or so in the clear, then the "digital hell" comes through for the rest of the transmission. Meanwhile, the XPR's are just as clear as can be.
No RAS, just a single Enh. Enc. code (ARC4) that is entered exactly the same in the Mototrbo's as it is in an NX5200.
Just want to confirm, the key is 10 unique Hex(1-0, A-F), and all spaces are filled. If not 10 digits, the unused digits are filled with zeros, in the same positions.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RRR

AM909

Radio/computer geek
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 10, 2015
Messages
1,479
Location
SoCal
Just want to confirm, the key is 10 unique Hex(1-0, A-F), and all spaces are filled. If not 10 digits, the unused digits are filled with zeros, in the same positions.
I don't think there's any requirement for uniqueness. It's a 40-bit key, which is entered as 10 hex digits (0-9, A-F). What happens when you use fewer digits probably depends on the software, though a rational result would be 0-padding on the left.
 

RRR

OFFLINE
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 6, 2005
Messages
2,099
Location
USA
I have a feeling the checkbox "Advantage" that you have to pay Mot to uncheck may be the culprit
 

kayn1n32008

ØÆSØ Say it, say 'ENCRYPTION'
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
7,187
Location
Sector 001
I don't think there's any requirement for uniqueness. It's a 40-bit key, which is entered as 10 hex digits (0-9, A-F). What happens when you use fewer digits probably depends on the software, though a rational result would be 0-padding on the left.
I worded it poorly. If the entered key is A3D84 in each radio, the remaining 5 digits are padded with 0's automatically, are they padded on the same 'side' in both?
 
  • Like
Reactions: RRR

kayn1n32008

ØÆSØ Say it, say 'ENCRYPTION'
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
7,187
Location
Sector 001
I have a feeling the checkbox "Advantage" that you have to pay Mot to uncheck may be the culprit
What is this 'Advantage' you are speaking of?

I don't think I've seen that in any if my 6 Motorola DMR radios when programming them for both conventional and Cap+.

I do have Encryption in use in all of themboth RC4 and AES256(those that are capable of it)

I have XPR:
3300
3500
6550
7550
7550e
5550

@RRR Still wanting to know if you selected 'enhanced' for security on the repeater codeplug.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RRR

RRR

OFFLINE
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 6, 2005
Messages
2,099
Location
USA
Enhanced was set up from the start. Trbo Repeater to KW? No dice.

"Advantage" is in your programming at a certain FW, it basically tells the Repeater to not like non-Mot radios. And effective it is. You have to pay to have this option "un-checked" to be able to play nice with non-Motorola radios. That's the way the Mot rep I spoke with explained it.

Anybody else have issues getting a Kenwood DMR capable radio, with ARC4 (IE; "Enhanced Encryption") enabled, and set up the same, to be able to properly and clearly decode Mototrbo Enh. Enc. like the Motorola radios do?
 

otobmark

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 19, 2003
Messages
583
Location
NC
No Joy for anyone?

Am I right in understanding that NO ONE is receiving/decoding ADP from repeater with NX5K (or other Kenwoods)? Is this only a motorola repeater issue or is it universal? I have no non-motorola repeaters around me except for a Hytera backpack repeater which is set up for SFR.
 

RRR

OFFLINE
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 6, 2005
Messages
2,099
Location
USA
No Joy for anyone?

Am I right in understanding that NO ONE is receiving/decoding ADP from repeater with NX5K (or other Kenwoods)? Is this only a motorola repeater issue or is it universal? I have no non-motorola repeaters around me except for a Hytera backpack repeater which is set up for SFR.
I only have an issue with a Mototrbo repeater, with Enhanched Encryption (ARC4), programmed with 2.0 (Not my doings) with forced "Advantage" checked. No RAS,
 
Top