Re: Port Scanners


"Spender" <Spender@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:5is432tl2jtlbtm45h6hspki38iasl2j3p@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Here's the situation. My sister has had problems with her web browsing,
and other services, running much slower lately. While over at her house,
I
decided to check the NetGear FR314 router I had given them years back.

When I tried getting to the web based config using the password I had
setup, I couldn't. But the factory default "password" worked just fine.
It
seems that the box has been reset to factory defaults.

Since her son is completely unsupervised on his own computer in the
basement (which is also where the cable modem and Netgear box reside), and
has an Apache web server loaded, my sister is suspicious about what he has
been up to. He says the Apache software is required for some game he
plays. I'm not a gamer, so I don't know. But since the Apache screen that
comes up after entering his IP in IE is the installation default, I don't
suspect that he is running a full web server or anything.

He has added Bittorrent forwarding to the router, which is no big deal.
But
he has also forwarded several ports with the label "recruit" which I don't
recognize.

The question is, are there any good/recommended port scanners that I can
use to scan her public IP and find out what ports may be opened and
forwarded to his computer?


What are you talking about? You are able to access the Admin screen of the
router and you should be able to see that information on the router's admin
screen if ports are being forwarded on the router.
to an LAN IP. You just said in a sentence above that you see what ports are
being forwarded.

Is there any way to disable the resetting of the Netgear box to the
factory
defaults? I realize that is something that can result in shooting yourself
in the foot. But perhaps I can take apart the box and disable the reset
button in such a way that I can easily re enable it when I need to.

You're going to far with this.


No doubt I would then need to get some of that tape that will show
evidence
of tampering if he figures out that he can open the box and reset it. Or
maybe just place such a piece of tape over the reset hole.

The fear is that this kid is young and extremely gullible. My sister has
had to change her phone number several times because the kid hands out his
phone number, real name, and home address all the time over the net.

Sounds like the kid needs a good talking to by you and his mother.


Hopefully not related, but the log on the NetGear box showed thousands of
outgoing hits to gay web sites. She wouldn't be devastated to find out
that the kid is gay, but with the world we live in and all the pedophiles
out there, she is concerned about him offering his personal information
freely.

Yeah, I know, she should just supervise him more or just take away the
computer altogether. I can't fathom why she doesn't, but she doesn't want
the hassle of him complaining.

It's called Tough Love and maybe she should implement it.

So I am just trying to find out what may be
going on and, at the very least, protect her computer from hack attempts
brought about by his fiddling with the router.

Install a personal FW on her machine and you configure it so that it blocks
all LAN IP(s) or disable MS File and Print Sharing and Client for MS on
the NIC and the machine won't be able to network.


Unfortunately, a software firewall on her system is too much of a hassle
for her also. I've tried to tell her nicely that the avoidance of too
many
"hassles" can spell disaster.

I think you can get another cheap $50 NAT router and just segment or
separate the two networks. Her network separated from his, using the
NetGear as the gateway. I have never done it but I know it can be done.

Duane :)



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