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Suspicious activity on network

jamzmjamzm Pittsburgh, PA, USAMember Posts: 113
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Robin and KL,  thank you for all your help.  Everything looks stable to me.  However, I did get this security warning this morning.  Is this a generic warning or something I need to look into?  Says "router has  a public internet address and can be probed by anyone on the internet".  I did a vulnerability test on the network which came back with no open ports  and port forwarding enabled.  Is that a sufficient "look into"? 
I used to be fat.
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kltaylor

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  • kltaylorkltaylor Moderator, Beta Tester Posts: 1,231
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    Hi @jamzm glad to hear things are looking up with your network setup.
    I guess technically anyone can 'probe' a public IP address, the question is whether or not you allow that scan to produce any results.  If you have faith in the router firewall to protect you from outside intrusions, I'd (for the time being) disregard the warning and just monitor as you normally would.
    If you have no open ports, why is port forwarding enabled?  If you do not have a need to open ports in the firewall to allow an internet application to come through into your network, turn that feature off.
    "There's a fine line between audacity and idiocy."
    -Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain
    Bnelms
  • kltaylorkltaylor Moderator, Beta Tester Posts: 1,231
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    Since it's a recent Linksys, I can say that in my opinion it's not worth a hill of beans.  Cisco sold their consumer rights to Belkin, which is crap imo, but I digress.
    You're saying that wireless AP's actually disable/turn off if you disable UPnP?
    "There's a fine line between audacity and idiocy."
    -Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain
  • kltaylorkltaylor Moderator, Beta Tester Posts: 1,231
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    I'm biased as to what I incorporate into my own network.  I've used ASUS brand routers for several years, which if you have a need can also be good when you want to implement a mesh network as well.
    Netgear is also good, and Ubiquiti as well.
    "There's a fine line between audacity and idiocy."
    -Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain

Answers

  • jamzmjamzm Pittsburgh, PA, USAMember Posts: 113
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    I'm sorry, I confused APPS & Gaming port config (Disabled) for general port settings.  So far, I've been unable to find any other port settings.  I'll google it or go to linksys for info.  Thanks again.
    I used to be fat.
    kltaylor
  • SteppedFlowerSteppedFlower Member Posts: 1
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    I’m guessing the port forwarding thing is that you have upnp enabled on your router. It’s potentially insecure. Better have it disabled if not needed.

  • jamzmjamzm Pittsburgh, PA, USAMember Posts: 113
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    I have had UPnP disabled, but my WiFi stops working. Any suggestions? Thanks for the input.

    I used to be fat.
    kltaylor
  • kltaylorkltaylor Moderator, Beta Tester Posts: 1,231
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    If your router continuously stops working like that, it may be time for you to consider purchasing a new one.  Consider a new one around ever 3-5 years depending on how much traffic (client connections) it routes.
    "There's a fine line between audacity and idiocy."
    -Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain
    [Deleted User]
  • jamzmjamzm Pittsburgh, PA, USAMember Posts: 113
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    It only stops working when I disable UPnP. The router is only 2 or 3 years old. It's a Linksys WRT1200AC. I'm certain it's not malfunctioning. If disabling UPnP isn't supposed to turn off WiFi, then there must be some other setting or operation telling it to do so. IDK, your thoughts?

    I used to be fat.
  • jamzmjamzm Pittsburgh, PA, USAMember Posts: 113
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    Sorry, pressed the wrong button. Yes, wifi goes out if UPnP is disabled. Thank you.

    I used to be fat.
    kltaylor
  • kltaylorkltaylor Moderator, Beta Tester Posts: 1,231
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    I've never heard that happening before, that's quite odd.  Since you need Wireless it's making the decision to better secure your LAN environment a bit more difficult.  Turn UPnP on, but if there is a way to disable Port Forward, let's try that and see if you still receive the same message about the router being probed.
    "There's a fine line between audacity and idiocy."
    -Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain
  • jamzmjamzm Pittsburgh, PA, USAMember Posts: 113
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    Well, port forwarding is not enabled.
    I used to be fat.
  • kltaylorkltaylor Moderator, Beta Tester Posts: 1,231
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    Mind.  Blown.
    Do you have a budget to consider replacing your router, then?
    "There's a fine line between audacity and idiocy."
    -Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain
  • jamzmjamzm Pittsburgh, PA, USAMember Posts: 113
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    Sure, can you recommend one?  Thanks
    I used to be fat.
  • jamzmjamzm Pittsburgh, PA, USAMember Posts: 113
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    WiFi turns off at night?
    I used to be fat.
  • kltaylorkltaylor Moderator, Beta Tester Posts: 1,231
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    SteppedFlower said:

    I’m guessing the port forwarding thing is that you have upnp enabled on your router. It’s potentially insecure. Better have it disabled if not needed.

    Right, we covered that earlier in the discussion.  When he disables UPnP, for some reason his WiFi goes offline.
    "There's a fine line between audacity and idiocy."
    -Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain
  • kltaylorkltaylor Moderator, Beta Tester Posts: 1,231
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    5263P3 said:
    Personally, I am using a Netgear AX (AC1800) with good (not perfect) success.  It doesn't  do the WIFI radio take down as it should; otherwise it's fine.  I have it on a timer so it's a hard take down at night (not good, but it's working).  
    Netgear is a good brand to go with, and taking down broadcasted SSID's is a good idea if you're not actively using them.
    "There's a fine line between audacity and idiocy."
    -Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain
  • kltaylorkltaylor Moderator, Beta Tester Posts: 1,231
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    I completely agree @5263P3, believe me.
    Especially with learning about your outside camera and how it still records without WiFi, I think it's a smart thing to do.
    "There's a fine line between audacity and idiocy."
    -Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain
  • jamzmjamzm Pittsburgh, PA, USAMember Posts: 113
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    What do you guys think about this one?

    NETGEAR Nighthawk X4S Smart WiFi Router (R7800) - AC2600

    I used to be fat.
    kltaylor
  • kltaylorkltaylor Moderator, Beta Tester Posts: 1,231
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    The Nighthawk is definitely a good router to have and use.  If your budget allows, I would seriously considering purchasing that one.
    "There's a fine line between audacity and idiocy."
    -Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain
  • jamzmjamzm Pittsburgh, PA, USAMember Posts: 113
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    Or this one?

    NETGEAR Nighthawk Smart WiFi Router (R7000) - AC1900

    I used to be fat.
  • jamzmjamzm Pittsburgh, PA, USAMember Posts: 113
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    ASUS RT-AX56U AX1800 WiFi 6 Dual-Band WiFi Router,

    I used to be fat.
  • jamzmjamzm Pittsburgh, PA, USAMember Posts: 113
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    ASUS RT-AX3000 Dual Band WiFi Router, WiFi 6, 802.11ax

    I used to be fat.
  • kltaylorkltaylor Moderator, Beta Tester Posts: 1,231
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    How big is your LAN?  Meaning, how many devices will connect to it and obtain an IP address?  How many concurrent users/devices can you estimate to have on any given time?
    "There's a fine line between audacity and idiocy."
    -Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain
  • jamzmjamzm Pittsburgh, PA, USAMember Posts: 113
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    2 to 6 users and 25 devices, 5 or 6 of which are wired.

    I used to be fat.
  • kltaylorkltaylor Moderator, Beta Tester Posts: 1,231
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    Then the Nighthawk may be a literal 'overkill' for your needs.  I don't have the ability to look up the models here at work, but look for a mid-level router, around $100 or so.
    "There's a fine line between audacity and idiocy."
    -Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain
    jamzm
  • jamzmjamzm Pittsburgh, PA, USAMember Posts: 113
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    I agree, however I prefer to leave more wiggle room.  Thanks

    I used to be fat.
    kltaylor
  • wengker9wengker9 United KingdomMember Posts: 1
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    Support Fing

  • jamzmjamzm Pittsburgh, PA, USAMember Posts: 113
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    Too, I like it, but already got this one:

    NETGEAR Nighthawk X4S Smart WiFi Router (R7800) - AC2600 Wireless Speed (up to 2600 Mbps) | Up to 2500 sq ft Coverage & 45 Devices | 4 x 1G Ethernet, 2 x 3.0 USB, and 1 x eSATA ports

    The coverage area and number of devices were deciding factors. WiFi 6 would have been nice.

    I used to be fat.
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