Netgear DG834G V2 - security issue

For those thinking of purchasing the Netgear DG834G V2. Note that there
is a security issue. Before I go into this I should say apart from this
it has been rock solid. I have had a Netgear router for a couple of
years now and have been and am very happy with it.

Well happy except for when it died. I had a V1 which was rock solid, on
23/7, until it stopped connecting to the (asdl) internet. But and an
important but, Netgear were very good on replacing it. I was sent a V2
but this also did not connect to the internet! They then sent me
another V2 which has been rock solid.

Security issue (btw I have XP SP2) :

Login as Admin and

1. Go to : Maintenance, Attached devices - this does not show all
attached devices connecting to the router. At the moment I have 1 PC
connected via lan cable and 3 via wlan. Only 1 of the wlan PCs can be
seen as being attached and that is intermittent ie just did a refresh
and it has gone.

2. Go to : LAN IP Setup : Address Reservation - if you reserve an IP
address for a given PC ie it's MAC you will find that it does not work
ie I have a PC connecting to the router via WLAN but it did not get
the IP address reserved for it (it's MAC - checked and it's the
correct MAC). And worse still a second PC subsequently connecting via
WLAN obtained that reserved address! Again security issue.

Are Netgear aware? Yes I have been waiting for a fix now since, wait
for it : 11/2/2005 7:55:00 PM. I have tried all their suggestions.
They even closed the case once without resolving the issue (Netgear,
"please note that Online Technical Submissions are closed automatically
after sometime.") But they have reopened it - Monday, November 14,
2005.


I assume at some point there will be a fix.

drjon <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
: For those thinking of purchasing the Netgear DG834G V2. Note that there
: is a security issue. Before I go into this I should say apart from this
: it has been rock solid. I have had a Netgear router for a couple of
: years now and have been and am very happy with it.

I'm sorry but I don't think your problem should be classified as a security
issue!

Also is does not happen to me...perhaps it is WLAN only. A PC connected
via a RJ45 cable has a reserved address which is has *NEVER* missed getting
correctly.

"drjon" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> For those thinking of purchasing the Netgear DG834G V2. Note that there
> is a security issue. Before I go into this I should say apart from this
> it has been rock solid. I have had a Netgear router for a couple of
> years now and have been and am very happy with it.
>
Can you cut out the technical descriptions and just say what the security
problem is?
Just a line or two describing the actual security issue will do. The main
problem with wireless setups is others connecting to them due to lack of
knowledge by the owner.

On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 22:20:34 GMT, "Dennis" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Can you cut out the technical descriptions and just say what the security
> problem is?

The only "risk" I see is that any special firewall or port forwarding
privileges granted to one particular LAN IP address may be made available
to the wrong client hardware which acquires that reserved address.

Tony

Both of the following to me are security issues:

1) I wanted to restrict access to the router using MAC addresses. This
feature is offered by the router but does not work.

2) Another feature offered is to be able to monitor devices attached to
to the router. This does not work.

So I cannot restrict access to the router using MAC address - one of
the top security tips for home Wi-Fi networks - and in addition I
cannot see who is connected to my router. Both security issues to me.

Sorry if I didn't make it clear but - for me - this has only been a
WLAN problem.

On 27 Feb 2006 10:57:35 -0800, "drjon" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Both of the following to me are security issues:
>
> 1) I wanted to restrict access to the router using MAC addresses. This
> feature is offered by the router but does not work.

That claim greatly surprises me and nothing in your first post indicates
that to be true.

> 2) Another feature offered is to be able to monitor devices attached to
> to the router. This does not work.

How does that amount to a security issue?

> So I cannot restrict access to the router using MAC address - one of
> the top security tips for home Wi-Fi networks - and in addition I
> cannot see who is connected to my router. Both security issues to me.
>
> Sorry if I didn't make it clear but - for me - this has only been a
> WLAN problem.

Tony

"drjon" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> For those thinking of purchasing the Netgear DG834G V2. Note that there
> is a security issue. Before I go into this I should say apart from this
> it has been rock solid. I have had a Netgear router for a couple of
> years now and have been and am very happy with it.
>
> Well happy except for when it died. I had a V1 which was rock solid, on
> 23/7, until it stopped connecting to the (asdl) internet. But and an
> important but, Netgear were very good on replacing it. I was sent a V2
> but this also did not connect to the internet! They then sent me
> another V2 which has been rock solid.

You do know that v1 and v2 of the DG834G use the same firmware? (i.e. if
there is a problem in v2, it will be the same as in v1)

btw what version firmware are you running? There are several different
versions available..

Regards
Sunil

drjon explained :
> 1) I wanted to restrict access to the router using MAC addresses. This
> feature is offered by the router but does not work.

I have one with the latest firmware installed. This feature works here
in as much as if the MAC address is not included in the list, then the
PC will not be able to connect via WiFi.

>
> 2) Another feature offered is to be able to monitor devices attached to
> to the router. This does not work.

Obviously I can't watch the list of connected devices 24/7, but on
those occaisions when I have checked, all connected devices have been
correctly listed.

I have no use for the section which allows you to schedule when devices
are allowed to connect, but I tested that briefly a few months ago and
it worked correctly at that time.

--

Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
"Harry Bloomfield" <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:
> drjon explained :
> > 1) I wanted to restrict access to the router using MAC addresses. This
> > feature is offered by the router but does not work.
>
> I have one with the latest firmware installed. This feature works here
> in as much as if the MAC address is not included in the list, then the
> PC will not be able to connect via WiFi.

Same here.

> > 2) Another feature offered is to be able to monitor devices attached to
> > to the router. This does not work.
>
> Obviously I can't watch the list of connected devices 24/7, but on
> those occaisions when I have checked, all connected devices have been
> correctly listed.

Same here.

> I have no use for the section which allows you to schedule when devices
> are allowed to connect, but I tested that briefly a few months ago and
> it worked correctly at that time.

Never noticed that---not that it would be of any use to me.
--
SAm.

Harry Bloomfield wrote:
> drjon explained :
>>
>> 2) Another feature offered is to be able to monitor devices attached to
>> to the router. This does not work.
>
> Obviously I can't watch the list of connected devices 24/7, but on those
> occaisions when I have checked, all connected devices have been
> correctly listed.
>

It doesn't *always* show all connected computers.
This post might help explain why:
http://forum1.netgear.com/support/vi...148&highlight=

But it's certainly not a security issue!