Numpty Security Question

Hi all

Daft question - all routers of a particular brand have the same setup
instructions and the same ip address.
Doesn't selling thousands of these things with the same address etc make
life easy for hackers?

Phil

On 13/08/2007 11:24, TheScullster wrote:

> Daft question - all routers of a particular brand have the same setup
> instructions and the same ip address.
> Doesn't selling thousands of these things with the same address etc make
> life easy for hackers?

Assuming you refer to use of RFC1918 addresses for the router's LAN
side, then it can't be routed to across the internet.

If you refer to some malware being installed on your PC being able to
locally see the router then it would be able to find it via your default
gateway easily enough, setting a decent admin password is your security.

On Mon, 13 Aug 2007 11:24:06 +0100, "TheScullster"
<(E-Mail Removed)> mused:

>Hi all
>
>Daft question - all routers of a particular brand have the same setup
>instructions and the same ip address.
>Doesn't selling thousands of these things with the same address etc make
>life easy for hackers?
>
Only if you leave everything at the factory default settings.
--
Regards,
Stuart.

On 13-Aug-2007, "TheScullster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Daft question - all routers of a particular brand have the same setup
> instructions and the same ip address.
> Doesn't selling thousands of these things with the same address etc make
> life easy for hackers?

No, there are 3 IP address ranges for private use, that should not
broadcast to the Internet.
10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255
192.168.0.0. to 192.168.255.255
172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255
Most routers use the 192.168 set, and themselves
192.168.1.0 or similar, though this can usually
be changed in the control panel.
Each user connected to the internet gets an IP
address from the ISP's pool, this can be
fixed static, or dynamic and subject to change.
Subnet masks are used in the mapping process,
between the private range, and the remainder, public
range of IP addresses.
Properly set up the routers firewall should make your
local network invisible to hackers, by not responding
to echo requests (pings) or port probes.
Go to
http://www.grc.com/default.htm
Scroll down to Shields Up and click on the red title.
Now test your own setup.
Make the necessary changes until tests show
Congratulations you are completely invisible,
it's as if if your PC doesn't exist.

TheScullster wrote:

> Hi all
>
> Daft question - all routers of a particular brand have the same setup
> instructions and the same ip address.
> Doesn't selling thousands of these things with the same address etc make
> life easy for hackers?

It's only the same address on the LAN side ( your computer). The WAN side
(internet) IP address is allocated by your ISP.

Graham

"Eeyore" wrote

> It's only the same address on the LAN side ( your computer). The WAN side
> (internet) IP address is allocated by your ISP.
>
Thanks Eeyore

I don't remember entering an IP address into the modem!
Is this handled by the ISP and can I view this address?

Phil

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote

> Properly set up the routers firewall should make your
> local network invisible to hackers, by not responding
> to echo requests (pings) or port probes.
> Go to
> http://www.grc.com/default.htm
> Scroll down to Shields Up and click on the red title.
> Now test your own setup.
> Make the necessary changes until tests show
> Congratulations you are completely invisible,
> it's as if if your PC doesn't exist.

Thanks ato I'll give that a try!

Phil

TheScullster wrote:

> "Eeyore" wrote
>
> > It's only the same address on the LAN side ( your computer). The WAN side
> > (internet) IP address is allocated by your ISP.
> >
> Thanks Eeyore
>
> I don't remember entering an IP address into the modem!
> Is this handled by the ISP and can I view this address?

You can often view stuff like your modem/router's statistics by entering the
relevant IP address.
http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/frogstats.htm

This IP address is set by the modem/router manufacturer.

Graham

TheScullster wrote:
> "Eeyore" wrote
>
>> It's only the same address on the LAN side ( your computer). The WAN side
>> (internet) IP address is allocated by your ISP.
>>
> Thanks Eeyore
>
> I don't remember entering an IP address into the modem!
> Is this handled by the ISP and can I view this address?

http://whatismyip.com/

Rgds,

--
|Bob Pullen Broadband Solutions for
|Support Home & Business @
|PlusNet plc. www.plus.net
+------ PlusNet - The smarter way to Internet! -----

"TheScullster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed). uk...
> Hi all
>
> Daft question - all routers of a particular brand have the same setup
> instructions and the same ip address.
> Doesn't selling thousands of these things with the same address etc make
> life easy for hackers?
>
> Phil
>

No they are in a range - each one should be different, otherwise there is
chaos when they are connected up / together.