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

By (Spork)
in Back Page News

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

(Spork)

Posted
Posted

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
Posted

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

Mentor

grik

Posted
Posted

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
Posted

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.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Posts

    • Google reportedly limited Meta's Gemini access over limited AI compute

      By KMilenkoski1202 · Posted

      Ooooooh, now we got the big tech corps fighting
    • Segra 1.6.3

      By Copernic · Posted

      Segra 1.6.3 by Razvan Serea Segra is a free, open-source OBS-powered game recorder offering fast gameplay capture, instant clips, AI highlights, deep game integration, and seamless uploads—perfect for gamers, streamers, and content creators. Lightweight, fast, zero bloat. Segra key features: Automatic Game Recording: Begin capturing gameplay the moment your game launches, with zero manual setup. Instant Clipping: Save important moments instantly using a customizable hotkey—perfect for highlights, montages, or quick shares. Segra AI Highlights: Let Segra automatically detect kills, assists, deaths, and key events to generate polished highlight reels without manual editing. Gameplay Uploads: Upload recordings and clips directly to Segra.tv for fast sharing and cloud access. Deep Game Integration: Enjoy advanced game-data tracking across hundreds of supported titles, enabling smart highlight generation and stat-informed clipping. High-Performance Capture: Record up to 4K at 144 FPS using OBS-powered technology with minimal performance impact, supporting NVENC, AMD VCE, and custom quality controls. Segra Editor: Edit recordings easily with timeline controls, segment management, and event-based navigation to build the perfect clip. Customization Options: Adjust hotkeys, output formats, storage paths, codecs, capture quality, and performance settings for a tailored recording experience. Segra 1.6.3 changelog: Recording: Reworked the whitelist/blacklist into per-game recording with individual setting overrides. Settings: Added Windows Game Mode and Startup window mode options. Audio: Improved noise suppression for microphone capture. Clips: Added a separate export mode for segment clips. Updates: Fixed pending update state not showing by replaying it when the frontend reconnects. Recording: Fixed an issue where audio could break or sources could linger between recordings. Stability: Fixed a rare crash that could happen when a game closed. Settings: Fixed settings not applying correctly on some non-English systems. Download: Segra 1.6.3 | 74.5 MB (Open Source) View: Segra Homepage | Github | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • The future of Samsung's AI-powered education system

      By KMilenkoski1202 · Posted

      So, recently, I saw on the news (yes, on this website) that Samsung is introducing features where it can provide education using AI-powered sets, and because of this, I got concerned about whether the AI gives out wrong info during education sessions, causing controversies in the process. What are your thoughts on this? 
    • TCL's Bang & Olufsen soundbar is 40% off on Amazon

      By Ivan Jenic · Posted

      TCL's Bang & Olufsen soundbar is 40% off on Amazon by Ivan Jenic The TCL Design Series A65K is currently $299.99, down from $499.99. That's 40% off and $200 saved on a soundbar tuned by Bang & Olufsen, which is not a combination you'd normally expect at this price point (purchase link below). Bang & Olufsen doesn't typically show up in the sub-$500 category. The Danish audio brand is known for speakers that cost several times more, so having their acoustic tuning on a $300 soundbar is very appealing. TCL handles the hardware, B&O handles the sound engineering, and the result is what the company calls "accessible luxury." Still, accessible luxury isn’t full-fledged luxury, so don’t expect wonders. But this is a decent soundbar, nevertheless. The A65K is a true 3.1.2 channel system with nine physical drivers, including genuine up-firing height speakers for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Many soundbars at this price simulate overhead effects through virtual processing, rather than actual hardware. So, you’re getting the real deal. The design is unusually slim for a system with Atmos compatibility. The bar is just under 2 inches deep and should fit beneath most TV screens. The wireless subwoofer is also compact at roughly 14 x 14 x 5 inches. Total output is 460W, and you can connect to the soundbar via HDMI eARC, Bluetooth 5.3, or USB. There are also eight sound modes through the TCL Home app and an AI calibration capability. Although it’s worth mentioning that AI capabilities in most of these devices are inconsistent, to say the least, and that shouldn’t be the biggest selling point. Still, at $299.99, the A65K is a strong buy for anyone who wants a soundbar that sounds and looks noticeably better than what this price range usually offers. And the Bang & Olufsen branding surely sounds nice - pun intended. TCL Design Series Bang & Olufsen A65K - $299.99 | 40% off on Amazon Good to know This Amazon deal is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Tidal won't monetize AI slop music, company says

      By Steven P. · Posted

      And he paid Joe Rogan $30M for podcasts. Terrible company.

  • Recent Achievements

    • Apprentice
      jahara21 went up a rank
      Apprentice
    • Reacting Well
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • Week One Done
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Year In
      BA the Curmudgeon earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Conversation Starter
      rosiecharles earned a badge
      Conversation Starter

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      529
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      263
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      148
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      96
    5. 5
      macoman
      60
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!