Cisco locks customers out of their own routers, only lets them back in if t

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Grand Master

(Spork)

Posted
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Owners of Cisco/Linksys home routers got a nasty shock this week, when their devices automatically downloaded a new operating system, which locked out device owners. After the update, the only way to reconfigure your router was to create an account on Cisco's "cloud" service, signing up to a service agreement that gives Cisco the right to spy on your Internet use and sell its findings, and also gives them the right to disconnect you (and lock you out of your router) whenever they feel like it.

They say that "if you're not paying for the product, you are the product." But increasingly, even if you do pay for the product, you're still the product, and you aren't allowed to own anything. Ownership is a right reserved to synthetic corporate persons, and off-limits to us poor meat-humans.

Joel Hruska from ExtremeTech reports

This is nothing but a shameless attempt to cash in on the popularity of cloud computing, and it comes at a price. The Terms and Conditions of using the Cisco Connect Cloud state that Cisco may unilaterally shut down your account if finds that you have used the service for ?obscene, pornographic, or offensive purposes, to infringe another?s rights, including but not limited to any intellectual property rights, or? to violate, or encourage any conduct that would violate any applicable law or regulation or give rise to civil or criminal liability.?

It then continues ?we reserve the right to take such action as we (i) deem necessary or (ii) are otherwise required to take by a third party or court of competent jurisdiction, in each case in relation to your access or use or misuse of such content or data. Such action may include, without limitation, discontinuing your use of the Service immediately without prior notice to you, and without refund or compensation to you.?

Since the Service is the only way to access your router, killing one would effectively kill the other.

Oh, and Cisco reserves the right to continue to update your router, even if you set it not to allow automatic updates.

http://boingboing.ne...s-out-of-t.html

well this is a dirty and low !

Veteran

jasondefaoite

Posted
Posted

nothing happened here, i tried to update it myself. Linksys e4200

From the original article, appears to only affect the E2700, E3500, or E4500, and then only when automatic fw updates are enabled for those routers.

Cisco has since retracted this and has provided a public link to the old firmware and a detailed guide on updating the router.

Stupid move by Cisco in the first place. Glad I don't have one of their routers.

Mentor

SharpGreen

Posted
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I'm waiting for the eventual lawsuit that will occur when someone does something against the terms and get's their lawfully purchased and owned router shut down for no good reason.

Grand Master

Detection

Posted
Posted
wish i could get DD-wrt on my belkin 750 DB :/

Looks like it is at least being worked on

http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=139046&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=75&sid=209e65a046a7ce8f6d4aac5adbf24dd0

Experienced

grik

Posted
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Wasent expecting this from a company like Cisco.

the E4500 was one of my candidates for some time but i jumped for the NetGear WNDR 3700 wich is alot cheaper and works extremely well with my Fiber 100/10 speeds.

This is a really noob mistake, they really though that no one would notice this? what are these highly paid gentlemen thinking?

Internet is here, the info gets around, Europe just declined ACTA its over done, its 2012 people e-read, and a decision like this will be in the newspapers also.

Really Cisco? lol

Proficient

Lord Zog

Posted
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ddwrt is your friend.

DD-WRT isn't available on the newer Cisco/Linksys routers since they moved from Broadcom to Marvell chipsets.. They may be supported later on but until then... :cry:

Grand Master

+Eternal Tempest MVC

Posted
  • MVC
Posted

I'm glad I have older linksys/cisco routers that no longer recive updates, was planning (dragging my feet) on updating them dd-wrt... his will spur me to do it faster now.

WRT110 / E2000.

Newegg also has this dual band N w/ AB router that's also tempting from Asus.

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