Vodafone Router Issues/Security

[scwalkl]

Guys,

For far too long my browsers have refused to connect directly to my Vodafone router because the HTTPS was not trusted. I would get a load of warnings and have to push through "Trust it" and advanced setting. A few years back someone found a flaw in the algorithm and their firmware didn't keep up with the browsers.

I  reported this a couple of times to deaf ears but now it seems someone has sneaked a new version of Firmware in which seems to have fixed this but broken other bits that were working and the router as a whole is giving me lots of stupid issues and connection failures. Who knew?

1. Currently my laptop and Amazon Fire cannot keep up with the channel switching. I recall on previous firmware I could set the WiFi channel manually and I did to space it out from all the other WiFi channels here. Now I cannot. However, my lodger, using the App can just wander up to my router, press the magic button and gain FULL Admin control not just  connect via WiFi . He GETS FULL UNCHALLENGED ADMIN CONTROL! What is the point now of me having an Admin password?

What is the point of removing important features from the web interface?

Why have they removed my last bit of security?

Why do I have to load yet another App on my moby JUST to change the WiFi channel?

Where is the security?????

2. Per above my WiFi devices cannot keep up this this new firmware. It seems routine that I cannot even find my router.'s WiFi channel now.  Fortunately I have a WiFi repeater which keeps me connected. One key point I notice now is the router WiFi seems to camp on 2.4G Channel 13. Thought this channel wasn't approved in Europe or has BREXSHIT now allowed this.

3. For some reason and now I have two folk living off my now rubbish network, the Vodafone service/router is proving very ragged and I am getting complaints. Work flow is suffering

4. Another interesting problem is while I get a steady up-link of nearly 40Mb attempts to use a VPN return very poor connection speeds.

So guys, any suggestions?

[Jayach]

Brexit has finally allowed us to stick 2 fingers up to the EU, but it hasn't changed the 2.4 Ghz channels, there has always been 13 in Europe.

What firmware do you have mine is 19.4.0551-3269082 and it is still using HTTP, if the browser(s) flag it as insecure it hardly matters as you connect directly to it so it doesn't need to be secure. 

If all these problem are causing you grief, you can always get your own router, but you will (currently) lose the phone service if you are on FTTP.

[scwalkl]

Was watching ITV Dispatches last night and those two fingers are now a long way up the bum of UK small business forcing a lot of them out of trading with the EU, making them export UK jobs to stay in profit or just pack up because their business is no longer viable. Yeah! A result.

Anyway... my router firmware is currently: 5.4.8.1.291.1.41 (which might not help without also knowing its history and is very different in structure to your (above) firmware number)

What I remember is it was a HUAWEI  router. Seems the new firmware has erased the manufacturer detail, I guess to protect the guilty.

There is another thread here advising access to the manual WiFi channel is now lost from the web interface and only accessible through the App. So they broke it.

My browser originally refused to connect because the firmware was out of date (there was a bug fix to the SSL) and I had to push through a number of challenges. Now I don't so I assume they fixed it and without telling me.

Now with the App my lodger can not only get on to my WiFi, which I'm OK with, but also can take control of elements of my router which I am definitely NOT OK with. And as a general thing NO ONE SHOULD BE OK WITH.

I have now disabled the WPS button function but still have a troublesome Vodafone Router. It occurs to me that if the WiFi channel number is dancing around too quickly it is giving the sort of WiFi Drop-Out problems reported by others here. Maybe a manually set WiFi channel only possible using the App is the fix. Whole thing is a mystery to me.

Edit: Forgot to add... I am fibre to the box up the road then twisted pair to the router. Telephone works the old fashioned way.

[Jayach]

Ah, you have the old Huawei router, presumably the HHG2500. They haven't used that for about two years. I'm on the current router a Technicolor THG3000.

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@scwalkl wrote:

There is another thread here advising access to the manual WiFi channel is now lost from the web interface and only accessible through the App. So they broke it.

You can't access it even with the app, if you have the latest version. You would need to find an old version of the Android app. They didn't brake it, it is a deliberate move on their part.

As for the lodger, I wonder if you only allow him access to the guest channels, would he still be able to get access to the router?

Don't believe everything you see on TV, they always have their own agenda.

[scwalkl]

Guys,

Been with Vodafone since Demon imploded. Guess I need to give Vodafone a rant to fix me up with a router that doesn't routinely stuff my two workers.

Turns out the lodger is my daughter's partner and they now both work from here and are both suffering a poor return from my current Vodafone router.

He was quite helpful but they both need the printers so its full access for them both. He's the one that told me about the App. Still think that the access the App gives is a massive security faux pas and so simple to hack in.

[Jayach]

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@scwalkl wrote:

He was quite helpful but they both need the printers so its full access for them both. He's the one that told me about the App. Still think that the access the App gives is a massive security faux pas and so simple to hack in.

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It does seem poor security, but as it requires physical access to the router, it's not like its available to every passing hacker.

If you can't get the latest router from Vodafone (you should get one if you renew the contract) then getting your own router may be the best idea.