HUB 3 ISSUE TODAY

[ALF28]

My hub 3 rebooted this morning when I switched it on red lights flashing.

I had problems connecting to the hub on wifi and had to restart my laptop but got it working and used today.

Tonight I checked the setting page to find  someone else has it open, tried default password also but no access to settings page and it say's my password is wrong

strange entry on the network log critical 1970

I have a long password 27 digits so how was it hacked.

Rang 150 which did test and found something wrong and did a reset and later a helpful person checked my records ,but no info on hacking, told to reset the hub and change all password and monitor to see if it happens again see if the hub may be faulty and needing replacement and to run antivirus scan and read the virgin security hub

So would this be a faulty hub, dos attack on my Ip address, hacking, or someone has used a virgin default password to get into my hub and changed the password?

I have used several login passwords during  today, so concerned a hacker may be into my hub at this moment, so will now go and reset the hub 3 and start password changes tonight. I will also check for open ports on the hub3, they were OK yesterday and my hub settings page worked yesterday, the hacking happened at 8.00am approx  today 7/7/20201

alf28

[MOD EDIT: Subject title changed for clarity]

[ALF28]

HUB 3 SETTINGS

I have checked all my settings on my hub3 and changed some to maximise security by checking every setting option available is the most secure, but the mac filtering stopped connection so I did not use that. The firewall settings offer a few options.

As my hub3 is in a bedroom, I switch it off at night time as I do most electrical items or use timers, It usually works OK  but the updates may be lacking.

Some of the hub 3 default setting are not necessarily the most secure.

I am checking out routers and firewalls, but as these require setting up, I would not want to waste money if they did not work.

I am not using a vpn at the moment because when using a free vpn I had problems connecting to some websites.

I now routinely log into the hu3 settings page each morning to check that i can log into the page  and the password works.

There is no log in user name for the virign hub 3 settings page (used to be years ago older hubs), so this is less secure now, only needing a password. Most routers do have a "user name" and "password" such as the tp link router.

Trying out Tiny Wall firewall may help to protect computers-

see

TinyWall - harden the Windows firewall (snapfiles.com)

alf28

[ALF28]

hub setting page -new finding.-could be a hub 3 glitch.

If the setting page says already logged in by someone else, I have a solution to this now-

If using one browser (edge) to log into  hub settings it will eventually time out unless you log out, but if you close the browser with it still active and do not log out the hub then prevents you logging in again with the same browser.

The fix is to open the settings page 192.168.0.1 with a different browser  such as firefox and it allows you to log in.

This can also happen even if you use different laptops, it remembers the last browser and that you did not log out, so prevents another log in.

mac filtering

I managed to add 5 devices,  and turn on mac filtering, but it took ages, kept locking up and many failures before I finally managed this, it seems to be working and improves seccurity on the wifi, certainly one of the harder thing to set up. I have tried it before and had problems, so will see how it goes.

The guest channel has no mac filtering as it is designed to connect to unknown devices.

One problem was when 5 devices are all connected to 2g at the same time, the signal strength dips and the devices struggle to get signal, so I may split the devices between 2,4g and 5g to split the load, some will work on 5g, some will not.

alf28

[ALF28]

SOFTWARE FIREWALL

In addition to the hub3 firewall, I am using a firewall on my laptop, I was using Tiny Wall but have now switched  to Evorim as a trial.

I now use mac filtering  and wpa2 security. I have disabled the guest channel, it may not be as secure- no mac filtering or listing of connected devices and may be easier for hackers to attack.?

The "guest" wifi channel had stopped working yesterday, even after a pin reset  I could not connect devices to the guest wfi channel yesterday.

alf28

[ALF28]

SOFTWARE FIREWALL-laptop.

Having tried 3 different free firewalls on my laptop, they all caused to many issues and affected browser connection and ethernet connections and cause operation problems and require a lot of setting up.

One prevented firefox from working

(I tried -tinywall, evorim, windows firewall control-binsoft)

I used to use avs but it is no longer available, like many free ones, it is no longer supported. My acer laptop will not run zonealarm, may try that on my other laptop.

I did a free 7 day trial and there are some good ones that require subscription charges such as glasswire -lots of options and virus checking.

I tried free comodo firewall, but my antivirus blocked this (adtrustmedia) so I have not yet installed this.

The windows firewall blocks incoming but not outgoing which is a risk for trojans.

The windows defender firewall is a reasonable protections and switched on by default so using that only now but this is not very interactive but does ask for some permissions for browsers and printers. Many of the antivirus packages do not have a separate  firewall and integrate the windows firewall and perhaps enhance this. My own protection malwarebytes pro has no firewall built in.

The hub 3 has a firewall but does not have many settings or logs.

alf28

[ALF28]

FREE ZONE ALARM

I have installed zone alarm firewall on my asus laptop (but not the antivirus) and seems to work OK, I will test this out.

I will have to see if it clashes with my antivirus mawarebytes pro.

Zone alarm replaces windows firewall which switches off, so I hope zone alarm is better?

Zone alarm has been around for a long time, I have tried it before and had clashes, so will see how it performs.

Zone alarm has settings off, medium and high which means which means high protection can be selected and seems to block both incoming and outgoing connections.

Exceptions can be set in my antivirus for zone alarm firewall. (check point-zone alarm)

My acer laptop has windows light so will not run some software such as zone alarm and not much memory.

alf28

[gary_dexter]

Again a software firewall on a single laptop won’t protect the rest of your network

[ALF28]

Garry_ Dexter

FIREWALLS ETC

Thanks for the reply. I agree that network protection requires more than a laptop firewall and is complex.

My other laptop has the evorim (German) free firewall but this prevents the firewall browser from connecting, my tablet has antivirus but is not rooted and a no root firewall does not work (stops connection)

There are other solutions such as switches, hard firewalls, routers etc. that are available.

My more vunerable devices are probably printers, tv boxes (but no IOT devices) which I use on wifi.

I have set up the hub 3 to be "as secure as possible" by modifying some settings to my own paramaters/values/settings/choices

I have used  my own TP Link router in the past, in modem mode but it developed  connection problems, even with a new router returned to the shop, some expertise is needed to set them up and some may be incompatible.

One danger often mentioned in posts is IOT devices infected with DDoS/botnet software, so the devices are not protected by the hub?

I have a roku sky now tv  box which often has to be rebooted. I am using the now tv box for netflix, but could use the app on the virign V6 tv box provided I do not end up paying twice for netflix, would this be more secure?

The general advice is to split computer and IOT devices (segregate them) into 2 networks for better security, and that would require an extra router.

One simple  thing to do is switch off devices when not in use. 

The human operator can also  contribute to network security  by ensuring updates, strong passwords and virus scans etc. and checking the hub settings.

If in the future I have problems, I will perhaps buy a decent compatible router, but once in modem mode, virgin do not support third party equipment so that could be an issue, and is why I still use the hub3 router as I can get help is needed from virgin (or replacements- I have had a few)

alf28

[ALF28]

SMART DEVICES-not supported

I have 2 older smart devices around 5 years old that can not be updated with firmware and some  apps no longer work or are removed, so they are useless and abandoned   by the manufacturers, one device is a smart TV/DVD, the other is a smart blue ray DVD player, so they may not be secure and have limited  apps, some do work. I no longer use the smart functions and do not have them connected, but still use them for free-view and playing dvd's.

BLUETOOTH

Devices often have Bluetooth switched on, which could be a security issue. Hackers can use devices to hack Bluetooth from 300 feet away.

My laptop, tablet and my  all mobiles have Bluetooth, I switch this off yesterday, if hacked it would give access to the device and files/images and data.

In Windows 10, the Bluetooth setting is listed under devices or type Bluetooth into search Cortana

One of my printers has Bluetooth, I will check if it can be switched off.

Bluetooth is useful for pairing 2 devices like a mobile and a printer for example or transferring files and images and can be  used for keyboards and a mouse connection to a computer, tablet etc

EVORIM FIREWALL

It is now allowing the Firefox browser to work, it may block initially and then allow as it learns what is being used.

alf28

[gary_dexter]

This is moving into the realms of “tin-foil hats” now.

I think you just need to stop…

[ALF28]

This is moving into the realms of “tin-foil hats” now.

I think you just need to stop…

Thank you for your comment, I will stop posting on this . I do not have a tin foil hat yet.

Thanks to all the 6 members who replied on this subject, this is my last post on this thread, and as sugested I have complied.

Tin foil hat - Wikipedia

alf28