Verizon DSL Update

wrote in
:

Do you recommend I change the defaults Administrator, "admin" and
Password, "password", used to access the modem's internal settings,
to something else? This may prevent Verizon from access to the
modem(?), but also may prevent others access to the modem's "internal"
via the internet?


I never worry about the possibility of remote acess, I just change the
password on general principle so it doesn't matter even if it were possible.
I leave the name as 'admin' though, it's one less thing to have to remember
or write down.

wrote:

Do you recommend I change the defaults Administrator, "admin" and
Password, "password", used to access the modem's internal settings,
to something else?

Most people here will respond and say yes, because they're anal old
pharts.

I'm ambivalent about changing the password. For one thing, it's only
accessible from the LAN side (ie - your side of the modem) not the WAN
side (that's the side facing the internet). Now there might be some
settings that make the modem's setup menus available from the WAN side,
but those can be (AND SHOULD BE) disabled. I don't know what the
default is for your modem.

There is one other esoteric reason for changing the password. There
have been theories that some malware will attempt to access your modem /
router to make changes (probably open certain ports). This malware
would try the various standard default user-names and passwords. But
that's the theory. In reality, I don't think there's ever been any
malware in circulation that actually does this.

This may prevent Verizon from access to the modem(?),

No. Verizon will access the modem using a "virtual circuit" - something
that you modem has turned on by default. Only the ISP can use a virtual
circuit to talk to your modem. ISP's don't access modems via the
web-based interface that you (the customer) use to configure the modem.

About the only thing that telco's do with this access is to upload new
firmware to the modem. You really can't stop this - even if you go to
great pains to physically disconnect the modem from the phone line all
the time except when you're on-line. Your modem will eventually get
updated if they want it to be updated.

but also may prevent others access to the modem's "internal" via
the internet?

Again, like I said above, there is a setting for that, and I wouldn't be
surprised if WAN access to the modem's setup menu is permenantly
disabled with no menu option to enable it.

wrote:

Thank You in Advance, John

Fix your clock.

Your computer didn't properly execute today's time-change (the end of
daylight savings time).

My win-98 computer did. Many other win-98 systems probably did not.

Hi,

I have learned a great deal from this Win98 NG, but there is more I want
to know.

Everything went very well with the transition from Dial-Up to Verzon's DSL
service on Nov 4th.

I have a Westell 7500 DSL modem/router from Verizon.

Note: I have disabled Wireless in that modem and use a CAT5 cable
from my Win98 computer's NIC to the modem.

Do you recommend I change the defaults Administrator, "admin" and
Password, "password", used to access the modem's internal settings,
to something else? This may prevent Verizon from access to the modem(?),
but also may prevent others access to the modem's "internal" via the internet?

Thank You in Advance, John