TPPlc utility to use NPCap instead of WinPCap
@RD222 I'm creating this topic for you for discusstion in the forums.
Hi team, I saw today that my PC utlities to protect my PC is reporting that the WinPCap component used by the TPPlc utility (TPLink Powerline Utility) is a major security risk. This is mainly because it's no longer supported and also hasn't really been updated since Windows Vista so, although it works in Windows 10, it is not really compatible, certainly in terms of security. WinPCap themselves even recommend not using them: see winpcap<dot>org [slash] install [slash] default<dot>htm "WinPcap Has Ceased Development. We recommend Npcap. The WinPcap project has ceased development and WinPcap and WinDump are no longer maintained. WE RECOMMEND USING Npcap INSTEAD."
Any change of having this utility to use Npcap (or something even better)?
Regards
Hi @Solla-topee,
Sorry for the delay in replying. I didn't get a notification that there was a reply.
Yes, I had downloaded the latest version (Two point Three point 4344 point Six) of the TPlink utility on 27/03/2022.
The warning came from Norton 360's 'Software Updater' feature. Not about TPLink itself but about WinPCap that is installed by TP-Link, which I had to find out on the net somewhere. It's when I found out what WinPCap does that I knew it had to be TPLink that installed it, and I tested it by uninstalling TP-Link and WinPCap and then reinstalling the latest TP-Link utility, and WinPCap reappeared with the same installation date.
The 'Manual Update Required' link takes you to the 2nd screenshot.
FYI this is for a Win 10 machine (not compatible with Win 11). As far as I understand, it would be little point installing Npcap if the TPlink utility installed and was looking for WinPCap?
Thanks and regards
PS I had another complete nightmare again posting this, again because it thought there's a hyperlink in here somewhere. I had pasted in the screenshots. If this is the problem and it apparently needs to use the image icon in the toolbar to add screenshots (and it lets me submit this), then don't allow them to be pasted into the editor, or have a more meaningful error message. I have never come across such a chuffing awful, unhelpful user interface.
