Username and password from old router?

[Isitme]

You know, if somone just had access to that special system, we could just put in your usernames and find the passwords in seconds....

It is and we do

I understood the password was visible to CST but could not be given out to users?

[fuzzy logic]

Dunno about it using the same algorithim as i always heard that the algorithim used was created by netgear as it was the netgear routers, i know its skys firmware but apparently a guy from netgear thought it would be a good idea to leak the algorithim and generate a way to determine the password from the username.

No that was James, a member of this forum, not a Netgear employee. He reversed engineered it out of the router.

I always heard that you could flash the router, or you could use a packet sniffer to find the packets being sent back for PPP and obtain login details from it, but to be honest this is too much hassle.

PPP sends a hash of the password as I recall, with only the username in plain text. I'm not sure how you'd hook a packet sniffer up to the adsl output of a router, unless you happen to own your own dslam, although you can see the PPP output from the dg834gt range of netgear router's (including the sky one) by putting them in PPP_debug mode => Mel's Notes: Netgear DG834G

[buddbuttocks]

I understood the password was visible to CST but could not be given out to users?

Yes, we can see everything, but we don't give the details to customers over the phone under any circumstances. Some advisors have done this (and should be shot).

[I_Hate_Sky_Awnsers]

It is and we do

I understood the password was visible to CST but could not be given out to users?

Tier 1 can see the details as well. If you know were to look.

It is just that it is a sackable offense to give them out.

[Isitme]

Yes, when returned routers are refurbished they are given a new MAC address, but the old MAC address is still in Sky systems (albeit suspended)

That's interesting, I didn't think that was possible and that the MAC was burned in by the OEM and could not be changed. You learn something every day

[Scubbie]

Yes, we can see everything, but we don't give the details to customers over the phone under any circumstances. Some advisors have done this (and should be shot).

I appreciate that it is Sky's intention to have everyone one their own branded routers, but I believe it would be a lot better if they could open up this and realise that they are holding users back.

Many will argue the support issue, I would argue that the basics aren't too difficult to comprehend for most support staff with the correct training.

If it were made very clear that only limited support could be offered to those who use their own routers, I am sure that people would quickly come to terms with this.

[I_Hate_Sky_Awnsers]

I appreciate that it is Sky's intention to have everyone one their own branded routers, but I believe it would be a lot better if they could open up this and realise that they are holding users back.

Many will argue the support issue, I would argue that the basics aren't too difficult to comprehend for most support staff with the correct training.

If it were made very clear that only limited support could be offered to those who use their own routers, I am sure that people would quickly come to terms with this.

I agree that people should be allowed to use their own routers with limited support.

The only problem is that if it was implemented chances are they would get no support regardless of the issue.

I will happily troubleshoot any issue regardless of the router.

[buddbuttocks]

That's interesting, I didn't think that was possible and that the MAC was burned in by the OEM and could not be changed. You learn something every day

Not sure if it's done for each and every one, but on a couple of occasions when I've looked up a router MAC there's been a note stating to the effect that it's been returned & refurbed and gives the new MAC address. This might be because when a router is issued, the MAC is then associated to the customer's account.

[buddbuttocks]

I appreciate that it is Sky's intention to have everyone one their own branded routers, but I believe it would be a lot better if they could open up this and realise that they are holding users back.

Many will argue the support issue, I would argue that the basics aren't too difficult to comprehend for most support staff with the correct training.

If it were made very clear that only limited support could be offered to those who use their own routers, I am sure that people would quickly come to terms with this.

I completely agree actually, but at the end of the day we're all there to do the job the business requires of us, and it doesn't help if there are advisors who are a law unto themselves doing things like that which can potentially open up a whole big can of worms.

[Scubbie]

I completely agree actually, but at the end of the day we're all there to do the job the business requires of us, and it doesn't help if there are advisors who are a law unto themselves doing things like that which can potentially open up a whole big can of worms.

I'm not asking those on the phone to go against the wishes of the bosses.

I realise that this would need to be a policy decision made higher up in the chain.

I also advocate training staff to be able to operate all the present systems which they have access to and suitable training to allow them to assist customers with basic settings for non-Sky branded routers.

Anything more complex than setting up PPPoA or PPPoE, enabling WiFi protection and entering the Sky login details could be referred to their manual or on-line forums such as this.