Internet service question for ya. - The Bear and Badger

Wookienopants

So the last two days I've had no home broadband connection at all. I call up EE today and they talk me through all the usual turn it off and turn it on again stuff.
Then the advisor talks me through accessing my router settings and sure enough, they somehow have been changed and are no longer working.
So we go through updating these settings and sure enough it starts to work.
The customer advisor then says that this is an expensive call from a mobile so he'll call me back in a moment.
Ok, no problem so far.
He calls me back then proceeds to talk me through the firewall options and requests that I turn off the all firewall settings, then asks me to disable the Ping to WAN (or is it WAN to Ping) settings, he asks me to basically shut down all the security settings.
When I query this he advises me that they advise all customers do this as it will speed up the connection.

So sure enough I do this then finish the call.
A few moments later I decide that it's too risky and I think he's wrong so I log back on and enable all security settings and firewall again.

Does this seem suspicious to anyone else? Would you disable your routers firewall settings for the sake of speed? Does this even have any impact on your connection speed at all?

adkm1979

How long did each call take?

Wookienopants

About 15 minutes for the first and 6 minutes for the second

IanHamlett

If he was doing something dodgy and calling you from his phone, they won't have a recording of the second call but EE will have a recording of the first. That whole "may" be recorded shit is bullshit. They record everything.

Wookienopants

Well if he was attempting something dodgy within a few moments of shutting down the call I reactivated all firewalls and security so I'm not sure what he could do if he in fact did do anything.
Maybe I'm just being a bit paranoid

adkm1979

It strikes me as odd that he'd suddenly want to save you money for the end of the call.

Is it expensive? Can you contact them again and ask someone else?

IanHamlett

I've had call centres call me back before. I can't think of a time anyone has asked me to switch my security settings.

I doubt there's anything he could do thru your connection but if he's getting details off customers and telling them to switch their firewall off, EE need to know.

Wookienopants

An 0844 number from my mobile.yea, kinda.

Might call them again even so, find out from a supervisor if it is in fact all above board

Wookienopants

After going round their useless automated call systems I finally speak to a supervisor who tells me that disabling the routers firewall and intrusion detection systems will not have any negative impact on my networks security and that its usual practice for their advisors to suggest we turn them off to improve speed.

Hmm. Thoughts?
I'm still leaving it turned on though

Diluted Dante

Disabling the firewall will have no negative impact on your security? Network security is the entire purpose of a firewall!

Wookienopants

Yep. That's what I argued.
I've just come to the conclusion that EE are all a bunch of useless chancers

davyK

From my experience as a corporate customer of theirs I have to say I was less than impressed with them.

[Deleted User]

Did you know that if you are too hot in summer you can cool down by walking around bollock naked?

RamSteelwood

it will depend on the kind of router and what the 'firewall' on it is doing. if disabling it just sets it to 'allow everything out and block everything in' then you should be ok really*, if it removes any restrictions and therefore allows access to the router from the internet then you are more at risk of someone hacking the router and fiddling with settings etc. disabling 'ping from WAN' would just make it a little bit harder for people to tell if your router is connected or not.

*in the sense of not much different to having the firewall 'on'

Wookienopants

Ah, now I was under the impression that the routers firewall basically blocks incoming traffic unless it's requested.
That by disabling it and the intrusion detection built on to the router that I would basically be allowing it to be accessed by anyone with a bit of basic know how.
My knowledge on the subject is limited if I'm honest so Im sure some of you on here may be know more than I and be able to advise me.
You speak a lot of sense Ram

davyK

That's my understanding too - it should only allow responses to requests through as incoming traffic. Switching that feature off wouldn't be advised.

Thing is with security is that it's all about having redundant , overlapping measures in place. Switching off one thing may not be a big deal as it may be covered by another measure - but it could also just give someone the purchase they require.

Jimmy The Lips

You should disable ping from wan or respond to ping on Internet port or whatever your make calls it. it would stop a fairly unlikely but still possible DDOS on your home internet

Howdy, Stranger!

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