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Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20

Premium Member

[Wired] BEFSR41 v3 password suddenly rejected

I've had this BEFSR41 v3 router since Nov 2003. When I first got it, I changed the password. I have never had any problems with the password until yesterday. I typed it in and hit "ok" and the screen refreshed with nothing in the password field. I tried over and over and it never accepted the password. I know it was the correct password and that I typed it correctly.

Has anyone here enabled UPnP in this router and then had their password rejected? I ask because I enabled UPnP for the first time in the router a few days ago so I could try Microsoft's Folder Share. After I did this, the password no longer works and there is another person with this same router and version who has posted in the Linksy forums at Linksy with the same problem but he was unable to get the router to enable UPnP but after he tried to enable it, his password was also rejected.

For that user, a factory reset and fresh flash of the latest firmware on the Linksy site for this router fixed his password rejection problem but only for one hour. Then his password began being rejected again. I don't want to do a factory reset and then hassle around with installing the latest beta firmware (thank goodness I have a copy on my hard drive as the site where it is hosted I can't reach) only to have that not fix the password rejection problem for me like it didn't fix it for him.

Anyone with ideas as to what might be causing the password rejection ...does it make sense that enabling UPnP could cause a problem like this? Any suggestions as to how to proceed other than doing a factory reset and reflash of the 1.06.05 firmware?

Lanik
Lab-nik

join:2001-06-25
San Francisco, CA

Lanik

•Disable UPnP and see if the problem goes away. And I hope you're doing this on your host machine and not through a VM.
•Aside from a factory reset and re-flash I don't believe there is a way to reset the password if its being rejected.

If all else fails consult the manual: »www.linksys.com/servlet/ ··· 76500B30
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20

Premium Member

Thanks. I should have thought to try disabling UPnP in the firewall. Yes, I'm doing this on the host machine.

I gather Linksy did away with phone support? I found a simuated live person help tool at the Linksy site that was cute but actually slowed me down trying to find any help in the knowledge base. I guess the chat is in place of phone support? I haven't needed any help in a long while and the last time I did there was still phone support. I didn't even know Linksy has forums now until yesterday.

I think I have only used that reset button one time and that was just a few months after I got the router.

Lanik
Lab-nik

join:2001-06-25
San Francisco, CA

Lanik

There is a "Contact Us" link at the footer of the page which takes you to: »www.linksys.com/servlet/ ··· 91212F38

Here is what you were looking for:

Technical Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Phone: (800) 326-7114

•Have you considered trying this in a different browser? I'm assuming you're using Fx, I know you have Opera and IE6, have you tried any of those, same result?
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20

Premium Member

Ahh...so that phone number still works! I thought I looked good for it but obviously I missed it. I have it on the the insert instructions that came with the router but since I didn't see it at the Linksy support area, I thought it wouldn't work if I called it. I never did have a manual. I looked at the manual you linked to...sort of wish I had seen that before..better than the help in the router browser interface. Thanks again.

I disabled UPnP in the firewall and for good measure, I shut down my virtual machines and the host, unplugged both router and modem from the UPS, waited a few minutes, booted up, plugged back in and tried the password...still rejected.

I tried it yesterday in Opera and still rejected...but that was a good thought..Fx has been acting a bit odd lately...I wonder if I'm getting corruption in the profile. I don't remember if I tried it in IE but I have some serious IE problems of all of which I think stem from when I beta tested IE7 and then didn't keep it. I could try SeaMonkey as it is working fine and is in some ways different from Fx.

I just read another thread at Linksy forums...a third person now with the BEFSR41 (but they have ver1) reporting that the password doesn't work after enabling UPnP. I just wanted the support phone number if nothing works including reset, etc. as that would indicate a possible bug in the firmware and Linksy would need to be alerted. They could create a beta firmware just for those with this problem.

I think for the time being that BEFSR41 users (all versions) should not enable UPnP in the router interface unless they really need to do so.

Lanik
Lab-nik

join:2001-06-25
San Francisco, CA

Lanik

Trying accessing the router with Seamonkey wouldn't hurt.

As for UPnP I've always disabled it. IMO there are too many security issues with M$ implementation. I can figure out how to forward ports for all my applications no need for UPnP here since I don't even use any programs that support it.

I've had a BEFSR41 v2 a while back and I forget what exactly made me stop using it, I think I got frustrated with the same issues as you're having. I kept resetting the router and I couldn't access the GUI thats all I can remember.

Are you clearing your cache and temp internet files when you're trying different browsers? Might help, just a thought.
skornn
join:2002-01-13
Cleveland, OH

skornn to Mele20

Member

to Mele20
I ran into this problem a few days ago, and like you, I couldn't figure it out. After a few resets, I figured out that when you enable or change anything on that page, you must retype your password before you click the save button. Otherwise, the password resets every time.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20

Premium Member

How do you retype the password before you click save? How do you get the password box to appear without first exiting the interface?

I've made other changes a number of times and never once had a password problem. I think this is just a problem with UPnP.
Mele20

Mele20 to Lanik

Premium Member

to Lanik
said by Lanik:

As for UPnP I've always disabled it. IMO there are too many security issues with M$ implementation. I can figure out how to forward ports for all my applications no need for UPnP here since I don't even use any programs that support it.

I've had a BEFSR41 v2 a while back and I forget what exactly made me stop using it, I think I got frustrated with the same issues as you're having. I kept resetting the router and I couldn't access the GUI thats all I can remember.
I recall not too long ago, I think in the Security forum (I have to try and find it), we had a discussion about UPnP and security. I too always had that disabled and recall the discussion about security issues if we enable it...I think I posted in the thread so I should be able to find it...I still wanted to use Folder Share if I could have gotten it to synch the Fx profile. That didn't work and I uninstalled FolderShare and now these problems.

I recall reading somewhere about a problem with older routers and UPnP.
skornn
join:2002-01-13
Cleveland, OH

skornn to Mele20

Member

to Mele20
For some odd reason, you have to do both steps 1a and 1b before you click the save settings button, even if you are enabling or disabling UPnP. Otherwise, the password gets reset and you cannot do anything until you reset the router. The newest firmware still does not resolve having to retype the password before clicking the save settings button.

Lanik
Lab-nik

join:2001-06-25
San Francisco, CA

Lanik to Mele20

to Mele20
I remember some time ago the password problem has become a big issue with BEFSR series I've even created a FAQ: »Linksys FAQ »Why do I get a password prompt when making changes on the router? not sure if it helps but if you ever get back into the router GUI it may be something to check.

I haven't found any application that I couldn't get working without checking what ports are required for it to function. With UPnP disabled I've have pretty good success getting things working. So I have no reason to enable it, and not sure what good having "Internet Gateway" in Network Neighborhood will bring aside from the geek factor.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20

Premium Member

Sure, there's a "geek factor" to installing FolderShare...it's new and free for the moment because Microsoft wants to get folks hooked on it and then charge for it. Who will try it first? Geeks. I posted about trying it to use it to synch Fx profiles to all my computers...extremely neat idea! ...over at Mozillazine and asked why I couldn't get the synch to work. I got only one reply that was vague. I think that is because it is so new (and thus geeky) that no one had tried FolderShare for synching the profiles except the person who posted about it last week and had the steps as to how to do it. Fx users would love to be able to keep bookmarks, history, etc all in synch between their computers all the time so I expected a bunch of replies but didn't get them.

When I set up FolderShare Microsoft has a list of all routers and whether they support UPnP, etc. but there is something about BEFSR41 series and it not handling UPnP. I know I read that somewhere not too long ago and read I could try enabling it but there would be too many problems although I don't recall mention of password problems. I recall I thought at the time, good thing I don't need UPnP as that will mean I need to buy a new router. The irony now is that I uninstalled FolderShare and am happy to turn off UPnP and just want the password problem fixed. Later sometime, if I want to again try FolderShare, I guess I'll have to buy a new router.

I read your FAQ. I had never tried it in IE. I made sure to uncheck the "automatically detect proxy settings" in IE and then tried. It gave me a password box...little thing...totally unlike the one in Fx and that is how I knew I had never tried it with IE before as I had never seen that box before. It didn't work.

I sure hope that if I do a factory reset that I don't make things worse. I wonder if reflashing the latest firmware might fix it?

Lanik
Lab-nik

join:2001-06-25
San Francisco, CA

Lanik

If I was in the same shoes I would do 2 things:

•Reset the router hold down the rest button about 10-15 seconds or till you see the diag light turn red and start to flash, whichever comes first.
•Re-flash the current firmware you're using if the problem persists try the newer version posted on Linksys site (if you want I'll dig up a link).

As to FolderShare, I haven't looked into it or attempted to share Fx profiles across my machines. I like to keep each profile separate just in case I screw something up on one of them. I tend to do that a lot trying different themes/extensions/tweaks etc. To each his/her own I guess.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20

Premium Member

I don't think Linksy site has any firmware later than the last official version and that version cannot be used with Ping Plotter Pro and the TCP engine that was new to the Pro version. I finally found a copy of the latest beta firmware that I currently use on my disk. I guess I didn't search right for it the first time. So, I'll use that. As far as I know, Linksy never made any of the 1.06+ beta firmware official.

I screw up my profile fairly regularly but I just wanted to synch one of them...even then you have a good point...why risk screwing that one (the one most used) up on all computers? It would be so nice though to have bookmarks and history synched.

With no new beta firmware since early 2006, I think this router is going to need replacing in the not too distant future. It would be nice to have one that handles DHCP properly.

Lanik
Lab-nik

join:2001-06-25
San Francisco, CA

Lanik

I didn't check the Linksys site before posting my last message latest firmware listed is 1.05.00.

I've given up and replaced mine with WRT54GS v1.1 now days they are also available: »en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WRT54G I would suggest WRT54GL. It allows you to install 3rd party Linux firmware on the router which has some pretty rich list of feature. Most of the 3rd party versions fix the GUI bugs in the original version have a better DHCP implementation and everything else depends on features/firmware flavor you choose. If you don't want Linux revisions you can go with WRT54G or WRT54GS version 5 and up (I think) which runs VxWorks and has some 3rd party support but the routers have less memory and it makes things more difficult. They run pretty well if you look through this forum however the v5 and up have a lot of issues if you ask me, mixed bag some say theirs works great others have no problems. As usual YMMV.

Food for thought.
skornn
join:2002-01-13
Cleveland, OH

skornn to Mele20

Member

to Mele20
The problem of not being able to log back into the router after enabling UPnP is because of the way Linksys implemented the Administration Management page. Every time you access that specific page, change an option, and click the save settings button, without typing in the password you want into the router password textbox and re-enter to confirm textbox, the router's password gets reset to something else causing you to not be able to log into the router.

Try the following password if you haven't reset the router yet:
d6nw5vlx2pc7st9m

Lanik
Lab-nik

join:2001-06-25
San Francisco, CA

Lanik

Ahh thats exactly what it was, now I'm starting to remember, another case of not well QA'ed firmware or poor coding or something not right in it.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20 to skornn

Premium Member

to skornn
I haven't reset it yet so I'll try that. Someone over in the Linksy site forums said the same thing about what causes this problem.

This is stupid. How would a user know that the password gets reset in a situation like this if they don't reenter it? It must not get reset for ALL changes a user makes because I have made changes, although not recently, and never had this password problem. It is ironic that I discovered the problem because I wanted to get in there to make a change! Someone in the RR forum was insisting that I can force a new IP address by cloning the MAC address in the router again. I can't though...or couldn't about a year ago when I was desperate for a new IP because my IP got banned from my favorite Shoutcast radio station for ripping streams. The router wouldn't let me change the MAC address but this poster in the RR forum was insisting I could do that so I went to see if I could and found the password problem.

Do I want another Linksy? I'm not too sure now learning of this idiocy with the Administration Management page. I've read here about the WRT54GL so already knew it was popular. And if I recall correctly people like Tomato third party firmware?

Lanik
Lab-nik

join:2001-06-25
San Francisco, CA

Lanik

From my experience most cable providers even some DSL providers bind your MAC address to the IP you currently hold thats how they determine if there is another machine on the network. Yes its true in some cases by forcing a different MAC address you can force an IP change. I can do it with my provider and have done so many times. I can confirm the poster in RR forum is right. I'm sure once you'll get access to your router and if you're able to clone the MAC address you'll see same behavior possibly. Not familiar at all how RR or for that matter Hawaii RR operates, just guessing.

As for Tomato, yes its quite popular: »www.polarcloud.com/tomato IMO the main reason for its popularity its stability and simplicity of use while keeping all of the basic/advanced features most users want and need intact. The other popular one is DD-WRT: »www.dd-wrt.com I've had some issues with this one, perhaps because I was running beta v24 or may be just needed to be reset, but I had problems with getting the router to hand out IP leases to my clients via DHCP. I could force it and/or set static DHCP which made it work but in my environment Tomato seems to be the most stable.

Owlbet
Ignite the Ice
Premium Member
join:2002-09-24
Palmer, AK

1 edit

Owlbet to Mele20

Premium Member

to Mele20
said by Mele20:

With no new beta firmware since early 2006, I think this router is going to need replacing in the not too distant future. It would be nice to have one that handles DHCP properly.
Mele20 See Profile, I retired my BEFSR41 v 3.0 three weeks ago because of DHCP issues and because I had a need for a router with more than four ports.

I'm pleased to report that I no longer have DHCP errors in the Event Viewer.