[bprice2]

This is a weird one.  I was sitting and listening to the SB3 and the router connection dropped out.  I'm using a Linksys WRT 54G.  I did all the resetting of the router and SB that I usually do when I have a drop out and nothing worked. 

I checked my notebook, which connects wirelessly, and it was not detecting to my router.  I took a look in the router's configuration and found that the security settings had been disabled.  I re-enabled it and now everything works fine. 

Does this sound weird to y'all?  Nobody in my house has changed the router config.  I'm the only one who would know how and I didn't do it.  Is this possible?

[bacobits1]

It sounds like the router went back to default settings?
Did you have to rename the network again?
Mine will only do that when I hit the small reset button on the back.
Even with power failures here it still stays.

Den

[bprice2]

It sounds like the router went back to default settings?
Did you have to rename the network again?
Mine will only do that when I hit the small reset button on the back.
Even with power failures here it still stays.

Den

Yes I did have to rename the network.  I forgot about that.  And I also hit the reset button, but I didn't think that would reset the configuration to default.  I thought it did the same as unplugging for a 10 count.

[TomS]

What do you mean by resetting the way you usually do?

What kind of security did you have turned on? 

Did you assign you own network name instead of default?

Worst case, perhaps a neighbor or passerby hacked you for grins?

I'm sitting here right now looking at about 12 of my neighbors' routers by using Netstumbler.  7 of them are not secured at all and probably most of those use defaults for the admin tool.  Type in 192.168.1.1, "admin" for the user, press return and you're in.  It's a simple matter to smack it all back to default setting and have your way with it.  Not that I would do that, but there are certainly those who wouldn't hesitate.

[bprice2]

What do you mean by resetting the way you usually do?

Unplug and replug the router and the SB.

What kind of security did you have turned on?

 
WPA2 Personal.

Did you assign you own network name instead of default?

Yes, I renamed it "Home" and it changed to something else I can't remember.

Worst case, perhaps a neighbor or passerby hacked you for grins?

Not that I understand how all that works, but yes, the thought that someone hacked me was my immediate concern.

[TomS]

Well, if you had WPA on it would be much more difficult, so I'm not sure what happened.  Usually to do a big time reset that wipes all your settings you have to power it back on while pressing the reset pin in.  Otherwise it just restarts the router with all the same settings. 

[bprice2]

Usually to do a big time reset that wipes all your settings you have to power it back on while pressing the reset pin in.

Yeah, I didn't think just pressing the reset button would change anything in the settings.  This is really weird.  I wonder if maybe my router is about to brick on me?   
I can't imagine my neighbors or passer byer would try to hack me. 

[TomS]

If the network is open you might be surprised who tries to get in.  It's happened to me, but I've locked it down pretty tight these days.  If it's losing settings all by its lonesome, perhaps it is headed south.  I had a Linksys WRT54GS fry it's little wall wart one day, probably from power glitches somewhere.

[bprice2]

If the network is open you might be surprised who tries to get in.  It's happened to me, but I've locked it down pretty tight these days.  If it's losing settings all by its lonesome, perhaps it is headed south.  I had a Linksys WRT54GS fry it's little wall wart one day, probably from power glitches somewhere.

Thanks for your help, TomS.  Everything is working fine now.  Guess I'll wait to see what might happen next.  Hopefully it won't involve flames.

[TomS]

Just in case, you might want to change the admin password to something else.  You never know who might be looking at it.  Good luck!  Tom

[WGH]

You might have been hit with the latest security attack:

According to security firm Symantec, it has seen the attack under way in the real world. And in order to get nailed with this, all you need is to have the factory-set password in place, and click on the wrong Web page, or simply view the wrong e-mail, since the attack is most often inflicted through specially crafted HTML or JavaScript. The attacker then reconfigures the targeted router's DNS server settings. Now, the attacker effectively controls the victim's Internet connection.

Read more here.

Time to change the default password.

[bprice2]

Thanks for the link. 

About a week ago I was sitting, listening and surfing the net.  I think I was reading the Dallas Morning News site when a new window popped up on the screen.  The window had a message that said it was scanning my computer for viruses and very quickly told me a virus had been detected with a request to click a button to remove it.  The site resembled the Windows XP Help Center, but you could tell it was not. 

I wonder if this is related to the problem I had with my router.

BTW...I've changed my password from the default.

[MaxCast]

I can't even find my router on my computer.
I am hardwired but am for sure I used default settings.

How do you find them (w2k)?

[WGH]

I can't even find my router on my computer.
I am hardwired but am for sure I used default settings.

How do you find them (w2k)?

Start / Run / cmd
or open a command window
then type "ipconfig /all" without the quotes

The Default Gateway # is the number you want if you connect to the internet through the router.
or
If you are running the default settings the router instruction book will have the default IP address, usually it is 192.168.0.1 with admin as the password.

Open a browser window and type in "http://192.168.0.1" or the Default Gateway number, whatever works.
Enter the password
Change the password using random letters and numbers like: DQUQuBaC3MyGA7BYjnfm, there are random password generators available on the web.
Write down the password
Save your settings.

Routers have a reset button if you get carried away changing settings, but you have to know how to use it. Download a manual before you start messing around just in case you can't get back online after securing your router. You will need it eventually.

Wayne