I have installed the new router in my home network. The ActionTec router from Verizon is somewhat of a disappointment, first of all it only has 100MHz Ethernet even though the user manual says it gets 1GHz. Second, it has a port open to the world which from my readings is not there because "Verizon's servers will poll the address and update the software in the router"; it seems to be there because Verizon has a direct connection to a facility down south which is an internal intelligence gathering organization. Not only that but it apparently a web based server, undocumented in the router user manual, which is only protected by username and password. I consider that a security breach into my home network.
I will be attempting to close this port down in the near future. If I am not able to do that, I will be putting all of my network behind my other router and DMZing the connection to it from the ActionTec. If the organization down south needs to see what I have in my network they can contact me directly. Conspiracy theories aside, I just don't trust something that I know nothing about and is well known across the internet. The port is also the same port that is used by at least two botnets for their control. Also the username and password combo is subject to attack. That is why I don't allow management of any router I have directly from an Internet connection. Hopefully Verizon will understand.
Update: [12/2/2012] it would appear that I may be completely wrong here. The ActionTec router has a TR-069 capability which allows it to be controlled as part of a larger scale system for remote management of end-user devices. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TR-069)
- LW
This is a blog mostly about techie things, what I am doing to my apartment network on the cheap, IOT, 3D Printing, Raspberry Pis, Arduinos, ESP32, ESP8266, Home Automation, Personal Weather Stations, Things That Go Bump in the Night, and some side issues that need discussing. Remember, sometimes the journey to an end is as much fun as the goal achieved!
