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JRVS
join:2001-06-01
Houston, TX

JRVS

Member

DUN connectoid for AT&T?

A friend has AT&T mobile broadband on his Windows 7 notebook. AT&T's antique dialer software posts a UAC message every time he connects.

With Verizon Wireless Broadband, one can create a Windows Dialup Networking connectoid that dials #77, using the wireless modem. VZW's software still has to be installed, but you don't have to use VZW's dialer. (Never used it on Vista or W7 so I don't know if it has UAC problems.)

Is there a way to create a DUN connectoid for AT&T in order to bypass their dialer and (hopefully) the UAC prompt?

Mike_
join:2003-06-24
Philadelphia, PA

Mike_

Member

Why not disable uac? (Start, run, msconfig) launch uac settings and drag the slider bar all the way down.
JRVS
join:2001-06-01
Houston, TX

JRVS

Member

Thanks for your reply. I have a different take on UAC. An analogy:

I have a security system in my home. I enable it every night when I go to bed, even though I don't like the sound it makes if someone tries to break in.

I also have a security system called UAC on my computer. I leave it enabled it on every computer I use, and on Windows 7, I turn it up to Maximum, where it should be by default. On enterprise systems I support, I enforce it with Group Policy. And I don't disable it, even though I don't like the sound it makes if malware (or a poorly written WISP dialer) tries to break in.

No, the last thing I'm going to advise my non-computer-savvy friend to do is disable UAC. This same guy has replaced one computer after another in the past because of malware. UAC is a Windows user's best friend, and the best reason to upgrade to Windows 6.x.

Back on-topic: Anyone know if there's a way to create a DUN connectoid for AT&T wireless? (Which may or may not solve the UAC problem, depending on what's causing it.)

Mike_
join:2003-06-24
Philadelphia, PA

Mike_ to JRVS

Member

to JRVS
I know you didn't mean it the way you say it.. Comparing your alarm system to UAC is not a comparison... But I do know systems in both corporate and consumer level environments too. I know what UAC does, and how it works.. It is one of the lower levels of windows protection against malware.. If that is the sole software you are using to keep your systems secure, you're missing a whole lot of vulnerabilities.. While UAC does help a lot of user initiated breaches, there are several programs out there which protect systems in many other ways than UAC's elevating privilege approach. They do it proactively and efficiently.

One fantastic attempt Microsoft has introduced for not only Malware, but for Spyware and Viruses, is Microsoft Security Essentials. It has earned a very high place in the rankings of protection software, and works very well in my experiences. I would recommend this as well.

Also, with your maximizing UAC settings - this will almost always cause a security warning at any program/file execution.

If this friend replaces computers because of malware - he may have some mis-understanding issues. He would also truly need more than just UAC from what you are describing.

Back to topic - AT&T registers/authenticates with the network much differently than Verizon/Sprint CDMA2k which "dials" via #777 with the ESN. AT&T's GSM/W-CDMA network utilizes a username/password approach which may or may not be proprietary and authenticates with a SIM card. You may think it is "antique" software, but it is just a matter of different technology on the network and how it registers with it.
JRVS
join:2001-06-01
Houston, TX

JRVS

Member

Thanks for your reply.

You gloss over what makes it a bad analogy, and I'm hardly the first to use it. Regardless, turning it off is not a recommendation I could ever make. And I didn't say it was all the protection that was necessary! Where did you get that from? Of course it isn't. Neither is my alarm system.

My experiences with W7 UAC at maximum or Vista with UAC on most certainly do not include security warnings at ANY program or file execution in Vista or W7. You'll have to take my word for that, but it's absolutely true.

And my friend reports he doesn't see UAC prompts either, at W7's default, weakened setting...except with AT&T's dialer.

Like many non-technical users, it took a while for my friend to understand the importance of AV, paying the subscription after the trial period ends to keep it updated, principle of least permissions (he won't ever get that, but UAC helps protect him from himself to some degree--he DOES get that), and that you can't just click any link that comes your way. And since reinstalling Windows is not how he wants to spend his weekends, he tends to replace computers more or less annually when they finally grind to a halt.

(And I'm glad I didn't send him the link to this thread to read what I'm saying about him.)

Most types of connections require authentication...VPN, analog dial-up, WiFi. I've used all of them on W7 without UAC prompts. I'll have to take your word for it that AT&T can't function without raising a UAC prompt. That it's not something as dumb as writing to an INI or log file in the program directory. And that a DUN connection can't be made to avoid their dialer, which is a more credible position.

But if that's true...

VZW is available here, too, and coverage-wise, a better choice. I guess I'll check in their forum to see if their dialer triggers UAC prompts...I've never used it myself on anything more recent than XP.

And if it's true that AT&T is inherently incapable of making a connection without triggering UAC, that's good to know. It's a great reason to choose another WISP, in my opinion.

Mike_
join:2003-06-24
Philadelphia, PA

2 edits

Mike_ to JRVS

Member

to JRVS
As to your inquiry. This will help you setup the connection for AT&T. This seems to be a simple method as well.

A Google search has provided me with the following regarding your inquiry. See the steps to setting it up manually here.

»www.wireless.att.com/ans ··· =KB48391

And another user's site has also provided some information..
»www.gruups.com/cingular_ ··· nternet/

It would be IL-advised to try VZW. The speed simply does not compare. Sub-par 400-900 kbps is achieved on VZW. AT&T's HSPA on average for me achieves between 1.5 - 4mbps and is only going to get faster soon as HSPA W-CDMA has a lot of growth ahead of it.
JRVS
join:2001-06-01
Houston, TX

JRVS

Member

AT&T's theoretical advantage doesn't matter when you're out of range, and with AT&T, as we all know, that happens a lot. He uses it mostly for web browsing & RDP to the office system; bandwidth is nice, but isn't a big deal for him. Coverage matters more. He has Wi-Fi and wired when he needs it. Heck, I'm a computer geek with 20 years in IT, and find VZW more than adequate for the times I need mobile Internet.

Glad to see DUN is possible with AT&T after all and doesn't "utilize a username/password approach which may or may not be proprietary and authenticates with a SIM card". Odd that the one way to connect that people actually USE with Win 7 isn't documented by AT&T...click the Connectoid on the Connect To menu and click Connect (or Disconnect). They make it sound so complicated!

If you're correct that it's not possible to make an HSPA connection without raising UAC's attention, of course, it won't make any difference. But if I'm correct, there's a good chance it will (as long as the driver isn't doing something naughty). And it's certainly a cleaner, more integrated user experience.

My Google search was more goal-oriented: "AT&T UAC". I was (and am) discouraged that at least in the first dozen pages, I found no relevant hits. And at AT&T support, both "UAC" and "User account control" searches came up empty. DUN was an afterthought after I got here but I wish I had thought of it at the time. Hence my post here. Thanks for your help finding it.

I'll post what I find when I get a chance to set it up for him for future Google searchers. If we can keep AT&T users from disabling UAC en masse, you and I will have done a great service for computing humanity.

Thanks!
Landin_CH
join:2003-02-04
Fredericksburg, VA

Landin_CH

Member

Besides using my SW881U connection, a quick connect is for me to BT my phone and the Laptop MSIE seems to browse via mobile web access.
JRVS
join:2001-06-01
Houston, TX

JRVS

Member

That works well, too, though off-topic. Or www.wmwifirouter.com. But my friend has mobile broadband built in to his notebook and wants to get rid of the UAC popup that AT&T's dialer causes. (I've never circled back to him on this to try it, though!)