Category: Computing, Internet
Tags: HSBB, Router, Security, TMNet, UNIFI
Things To Do Immediately After Getting Your TMNet UNIFI (HSBB)
Posted June 1st, 2010 by nazhamLittle Introduction:
On March 2010, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) launched its High Speed Broadband (HSBB) service, called ‘UniFi‘. TM’s UniFi high speed broadband packages comprises services of high speed Internet, video (IPTV), and phone, with speeds of 5 Mbps, 10Mbps and 20Mbps.
Upon sign up, the customer will receive 4 pieces of equipment:
- Fiber Broadband Termination Unit (BTU), ie. where you connect the fiber optic cable into.
- WiFi router (D-Link, D-615 with custom firmware), which is plugged into the fiber BTU.
- Set-Top box for IPTV and VoD, which will plug into the WiFi router.
- DECT phone plugged into the Fiber BTU.
I’m not going to rant about the UniFi or TMNet’s services, nor speed, nor the much debated bandwith cap that TM said they’re going to impose.
I’m going to talk about the security (or the lack thereof) of the default WiFi router setup.
Once the customer signed-up for UniFi services, the TM’s technician will do all the equipment installations in your premises/homes for you. Nice, BUT, the default WiFi router setup done by the technicians has very low security features:
- The router is not configured to drop ICMP packet, making an attacker able to ping those unprotected routers, telling him it’s alive and connected to the internet.
- The firewall is disabled.
- The router has remote access enabled. Making it worse, it has no authorised IP filter (has default config of 0.0.0.0, meaning anybody, anywhere, can log in to your router web interface). The web interface port number are also set to default.
- And the BIGGEST, BADDEST flaw: The router’s Administrator password is still the default ones!!
With the default configurations as above, even a child with a web browser sitting miles away could go into your routers!! I’ve done this personally, where I can easily scan a range of UniFi’s IP addresses, and log on to their routers.
I understood if the above setup is to ease TM’s effort to do some troubleshooting/support remotely for their customers. However, The least they can do is change the default administrators password for the WiFi routers! Change the password to something unique for each customer. They still can keep records of the users router’s password if they need to do troubleshooting/support purposes remotely.
Not all TM’s customers are technically savvy to secure their own home networking. So, the purpose of this article is to share/educate/guide some basic protection for your home network.
Secure your home network:
Login in to your router’s web interface. Open a web browser, go to http://192.168.0.1 . You will be prompt for admin username and password. Open your D-Link Router manual for more info.
1. Change your Router’s Administrator password.
- Go to ‘Maintenance’ tab, under ‘Admin Password’ section. Rename your password there.
2. Rename your Wireless Network Name/ SSID.
The default SSID has the customer’s name, i.e.: myfirstname@unifi. This possible could leads to privacy issues, as outsiders knows who’s using what ISP services (UniFi, Streamyx, etc).
- Go to ‘Setup’ tab, click ‘Wireless Setup’ menu on the left.
- Under ‘Multiple Wireless Network Name (SSIDS)’ section, click ‘Multiple Wireless Network Name Setup’ button.
- You will be taken to a page with ‘Wireless Network Name’ section. Rename your existing Wireless Network Name/SSID there.
3. Disable Remote Access to your router.
- Go to ‘Maintenance’ tab, under ‘Remote Management’ section. Un-check ‘Enable Remote Management:’ check box.
4. Enable Firewall
- Go to ‘Advanced’ tab, click ‘Firewall & DMZ’ menu on the left.
- Under ‘Outside Firewall Setting’ section, checked the ‘Enable WAN to LAN Firewall :’ check box.
- Then, checked all the check box inside the rows of ‘DOS ATTACK’, ‘POST SCAN ATTACK’ and ‘SERVICE FILTER’.
- To find out what all these settings do, feel free to Google each of the check box descriptions.
Few suggestions to TM, I strongly recommends that the technicians doing the UniFi’s installation, increase some level of customers home networking security. The very basic they can do is to change the WiFi routers default administrator’s password upon installation, and keep that password if they need to do troubleshooting/support purposes remotely.
Be safe.
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Comments
I googled on how to change the wireless network name and found your page. Thank you so much for this piece of information. I’ve followed through all the steps you listed. I should be secure now.
Glad we could help
Nice and basic guide for the average Unifi newbie.
Just thought you should also mention the guide posted by Rivzan @ http://unifi.athena.my/index.php
The guide is to setup so that you can use your own router hardware to do the actual routing, whereas the DIR-615 router that was provided free when you subscribed to unifi, would only be used to do the vlan tagging.
@Moogle: Nice info.
Just notice another problem with Unifi HSBB service. When subscribing to the service an email address is given out with a password. You can login to the email using the given password but you are not allowed to change the password! This means that anyone along the way from the person who took your order to the installer and probably lots of system people know your email id and password. Anyone of them could pass this information along and someone out there could be using your email id to send out malicious emails without your knowledge. Do not be surprise is the police come knocking on your door to arrest you for sending seditious emails even though you did not do it.
I just got off the line with the unifi support. Spent a long time waiting for someone to pick up the call and when someone finally picks up, they just dish out crap, lies and nonsense. According to their helpdesk operator and also his supervisor the user cannot change the password because of the following: -
1. User has not paid for the service – implying that additional charges for using email
2. No additional charges for email but must paying something first – pay for what? they do not know!
3. No system in place to allow user to change password!
4. System to change password is not ready yet
5. Will allow user to change password after unifi makes announcement – on what? nobody knows.
6. After 1st July can change password
7. After 1st July can change but must pay something first – pay for what? – they also do not know?
8. User cannot change because unifi needs to control the user and have the password to help the user!
9. Cannot suspend email account because we do not have the system to do so!
10. Lots more crap from them!
Just pick any on the above reasons if you can trust them.
Right now they cannot guarantee that email id will not be used by anyone.
Looks like unifi is being run by a bunch of clowns who does not know or care about security and accountability.
Must be true when people say Malaysia Boleh, TM Tak Boleh!
Thanks for the tip on securing ‘our home network’, as I am technically illiterate. I had my unifi installed today and had changed as per your instructions. Yes, I cannot change my email password as yet, hopefully I’ll get some news tomorrow (from a friend in tm)….but at least I managed to set-up the email account on my windows mail (the installer did not know how though).
Thanks again. JL
I just installed Unifi in my house (ground floor), after installing, I was not able to access to internet via my Aztech USB adapter which I used to use for my PC at first floor. What should I do
TQ
There could be tons of reason why you’re unable to access the internet. Giving details, or googling might help.