Switcher Rust

A dead simple, minimal Rust CLI for Switcher Power Plug devices. No bloat, just working code.

Features

🔍 Discovery & Detection

• Smart Discovery: UDP broadcast on the correct port (10002) with intelligent caching
• Cache System: Automatic device caching with configurable timeouts (default: 1 hour)
• Cache-Only Mode: Skip network scanning and use cached devices only
• Auto-Cleanup: Old devices automatically removed from cache

🔗 Device Pairing & Management

• Device Pairing: Pair devices with friendly aliases for easy management
• Alias Control: Control devices by memorable names instead of IPs/IDs
• Persistent Storage: Paired devices saved in unified configuration
• Device Renaming: Update device names directly on the device
• Pairing Management: List, add, and remove paired devices

🎛️ Device Control

• Power Control: Turn devices on/off via IP, device ID, or alias
• Real-time Status: Check device state and power consumption
• Multiple Control Methods: Support for IP address, device ID, or paired alias
• Instant Feedback: Clear status indicators and error messages

💾 Configuration & Storage

• Unified Config: Single switcher_config.json file for all settings
• Version Safety: Config cleared automatically when tool version changes
• Last Seen Tracking: Track when paired devices were last discovered
• Auto-Migration: Seamless config updates between versions

🎯 Device Compatibility

• Power Plug Focus: Optimized for Switcher Power Plug devices (Type 01a8)
• Protocol Compliance: Proper Switcher protocol implementation
• Network Discovery: Automatic device detection on local network

Quick Start

# Build
cargo build --release

# Find your device (with caching enabled by default)
./target/release/switcher-rust discover --timeout 3

# Quick discovery using cache only (no network scan)
./target/release/switcher-rust discover --cache-only

# Pair a device for easy control
./target/release/switcher-rust pair --device-id 9c4f22 --alias "Living Room Plug"

# Control by alias (no need to remember IP addresses!)
./target/release/switcher-rust on --alias "Living Room Plug"
./target/release/switcher-rust off --alias "Living Room Plug"
./target/release/switcher-rust status --alias "Living Room Plug"

# Or use traditional IP/device-id method
./target/release/switcher-rust on --ip 10.0.0.24 --device-id 9c4f22

# Manage paired devices
./target/release/switcher-rust list-paired
./target/release/switcher-rust unpair --alias "Living Room Plug"

# Clear device cache
./target/release/switcher-rust clear-cache

How It Works

• Discovery: UDP broadcast on port 10002 (Power Plugs only)
• Control: TCP connection to port 9957 with CRC-signed hex packets
• Authentication: None! Any device can be controlled by anyone on the network (no device key needed)

Device Caching

The tool automatically caches discovered devices to speed up subsequent operations:

• Config Location: switcher_config.json next to the executable
• Default Timeout: 1 hour (3600 seconds)
• Auto-cleanup: Old devices are automatically removed from cache
• Version Safety: Cache is cleared when tool version changes

Cache Options

# Disable caching completely
./target/release/switcher-rust discover --no-cache

# Set custom cache timeout (in seconds)
./target/release/switcher-rust discover --cache-timeout 7200  # 2 hours

# Use only cached devices (no network scan)
./target/release/switcher-rust discover --cache-only

# Clear the cache
./target/release/switcher-rust clear-cache
./target/release/switcher-rust clear-cache --force  # No confirmation

Device Pairing & IP Change Recovery

The most powerful feature! Pair devices once, control them by alias forever - even after power outages change their IP addresses.

How Pairing Works

1. Discover devices to find their current IP and device ID
2. Pair with a friendly alias for easy identification
3. Control by alias - the tool automatically resolves current IP addresses
4. Automatic IP updates when devices are rediscovered

Pairing Commands

# Discover and pair a device
./target/release/switcher-rust discover
./target/release/switcher-rust pair --device-id 9c4f22 --alias "Living Room Plug"

# List all paired devices
./target/release/switcher-rust list-paired
./target/release/switcher-rust list-paired --verbose  # Show detailed info

# Control paired devices by alias
./target/release/switcher-rust on --alias "Living Room Plug"
./target/release/switcher-rust off --alias "Living Room Plug"
./target/release/switcher-rust status --alias "Living Room Plug"

# Remove pairing
./target/release/switcher-rust unpair --alias "Living Room Plug"
./target/release/switcher-rust unpair --alias "Living Room Plug" --force  # No confirmation

IP Change Recovery Scenarios

Scenario 1: Power Outage → Router assigns new IP

# Before outage: Device at 192.168.1.100
./target/release/switcher-rust on --name "Living Room Plug"  # ✅ Works

# After outage: Device now at 192.168.1.150 (new DHCP lease)
./target/release/switcher-rust on --alias "Living Room Plug"
# → 🔍 Detects IP change
# → 📍 Updates pairing: 192.168.1.100 → 192.168.1.150
# → ✅ Executes command successfully

Scenario 2: Device temporarily offline

./target/release/switcher-rust status --alias "Living Room Plug"
# → Tries last known IP (fails)
# → 🔍 Scans network for device ID
# → 📍 Updates IP if found
# → ✅ Retries command
# → ⚠️  Falls back to last known IP if device not found

Scenario 3: Discovery shows pairing status

./target/release/switcher-rust discover
# Output shows:
# 📱 Discovered 2 device(s):
#   • Living Room Plug (192.168.1.150) [PAIRED as 'Living Room Plug'] ✅
#     ID: 9c4f22, Key: a1, MAC: 00:11:22:33:44:55
#
#   • Kitchen Plug (192.168.1.151) [NOT PAIRED]
#     ID: 8b3e11, Key: b2, MAC: 00:11:22:33:44:66
#
# 💡 To pair unpaired devices:
#    switcher-rust pair --device-id 8b3e11 --alias "Kitchen Plug"

Config

• Location: switcher_config.json next to executable (contains both cache and pairing data)
• Persistence: Paired devices remain until manually unpaired
• Auto-updates: IP addresses updated during discovery
• Version safety: Config cleared when tool version changes

Testing

Run the comprehensive interactive test suite:

# Interactive test with device selection
cargo test comprehensive_test_suite -- --nocapture

The test will:

• ✅ Discover devices on your network
• 🤔 Ask permission before testing on real devices
• ✅ Test all functionality (discovery, status, control)
• ✅ Restore device state after testing
• ✅ Test error handling with fake devices

Supported Devices

• ✅ Switcher Power Plug (Type 01a8) - the common one

Technical Details

• CRC Signing: Implements CRC-CCITT with 0x1021 initialization
• Session Management: Login with dummy key (any hex value works)
• Packet Format: Hex-encoded binary protocol with checksums
• Timeouts: Smart timeouts prevent hanging on network issues

Limitations

• Power Plugs only - no other Switcher device types
• Local network only - no cloud/remote access
• Rate limiting - device may throttle rapid consecutive commands

Acknowledgements

• aioswitcher for helping me understand the protocol

License

MIT License - Feel free to use and modify as needed.