 |
 | | | Re: I smell a rat! If they were going to inject spying software into the firmware, then they wouldn't do it this way. They'd inject it into the stock firmware at the manufacturer. Or, better yet, they'd monitor the backbones. Oh yeah, they already are.
My guess is that they're going to get the data back from these things and then report that, although bandwidth isn't always up to what's promised, it's close enough. Then they'll ask the ISP's to do better, the ISP's will say they'll try, and not a damn thing will change. | |
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| | | | Re: I smell a rat! I'm fairly sure that a government that has compliance of all major phone companies to deliver data/voice wholesale to the NSA don't need to inject crapware into a piddly 20k routers being tracked by a UK monitoring firm. | |
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| | | |
| |  morboComplete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000 | said by ISurfTooMuch:Or, better yet, they'd monitor the backbones. Oh yeah, they already are.
Gotta love AT&T. | |
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| | | MadtownPremium
join:2008-04-26
Madera, CA | Re: I smell a rat! said by morbo:said by ISurfTooMuch:Or, better yet, they'd monitor the backbones. Oh yeah, they already are.
Gotta love AT&T. ......and NSA too. | |
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| | | |  dib22
join:2002-01-27
Kansas City, MO | Re: I smell a rat! said by Madtown:said by morbo:said by ISurfTooMuch:Or, better yet, they'd monitor the backbones. Oh yeah, they already are.
Gotta love AT&T. ......and NSA too. Technically its the NSA monitoring... AT&T just rolled over when asked to place a tap... and they got a great gift for it in return. They have immunity from ever being prosecuted for violating customer's rights. Imagine all the data they have collected that they can use without any worries of being held accountable for it. | |
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| | | | | morboComplete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000 | Re: I smell a rat! Correct. Qwest is a company that did not roll over and hand customer data to the NSA in exchange for financial gain. | |
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| | |  FBGuyPremium
join:2005-03-19
Evanston, IL | the government put the backbones in. amirite? | |
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|  Anonymous_AnonymousPremium
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1
kudos:2 | Nothing more then a wire tap. | |
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| | Reviews:
 ·WOW Internet and..
| Re: I smell a rat! you got that write, I sign up and my speed goes up 15% at the slowest server that I have ever tested, on dslreports java download to NJ. sum body looking at this real hard for that too happen, nothing like having your packets sniffed, least it ain't my socks. Then I'd be worried.
freaking tapped and don't even have the service yet. | |
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| | | Reviews:
·WOW Internet and..
| Re: I smell a rat! Now it's been a month and my speed is topping out at the level that is advertized, my fax over viop started working too. I just got notice that I'm good to go on the samknows program now waiting for the router to show up maybe.
Sum body jerking sum bodies chain and privacy is totally out the window. | |
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| | | if they want to spy on my boring habits then have fun with it. I could careless that they know I Netflix, go to DSLreports, XDA and ESPN daily. | |
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| MadtownPremium
join:2008-04-26
Madera, CA | Everything we do is traced. | |
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| | and those that applyd and where denied never know i applyd, did the speed test, and havent heard JACK from them. tryd to reapply since my speed upgrade and the stupid thing wont let me. | |
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| | | Re: and those that applyd and where denied never know I got the letter but never recieved the device. | |
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| | | Did you fill out the survey, respond to other emails?
I just heard yesterday and was told to expect the WNR3500L next week
--
- Bill | |
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| | | | Re: and those that applyd and where denied never know said by bgoodbody:Did you fill out the survey, respond to other emails?
I just heard yesterday and was told to expect the WNR3500L next week
i applyd, got an email thanking me. a few weeks later i got the email asking me to take the speed test. took it. that was it. nothing else since.
and yes ive checked spam. just silence. | |
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| | | | | Re: and those that applyd and where denied never know email them community@samknows.com
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- Bill | |
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| | | | | | Re: and those that applyd and where denied never know said by bgoodbody:email them community@samknows.com
yeah, the reply i just got
We are currently in the process of selecting panelists. Emails will be sent to update you on the status.
Kind regards,
Neil
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| | | | |
1 edit | Re: and those that applyd and where denied never know Today I got a UPS# for the router shipped, should be here Friday
--
- Bill | |
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| | | | | | | | Re: and those that applyd and where denied never know said by bgoodbody:Today I got a UPG# for the router shipped, should be here Friday
same here.
--
"It's always funny until someone gets hurt......and then it's absolutely friggin' hysterical!" | |
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| | | | | | | | | Re: and those that applyd and where denied never know Got it Friday. Installed & Configuered it,
After a while, got eMail from SamKnows confirming install (Its automatic).
You can get password for monitoring before the email by clicking on lost password and they will email a temp one. There will be no data yet, but showed up a couple hours after installed.
New firmware will be available through NetGear, but is available by emailing the community.
Firmware Version V1.2.2.40_34.0.30SK
GUI Language Version V1.2.2.40_2.1.9.1
Noticed that the router can be kept after test.
--
- Bill | |
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| | | | | | | | | | Re: and those that applyd and where denied never know yeap, installed mine, pretty nice to get gig e speeds now on my lan between the gig e switches 
any one else ticked off that going through the install had to be done ?
My linux box would not open the index.html so I had to run it through wine.
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"It's always funny until someone gets hurt......and then it's absolutely friggin' hysterical!" | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | Re: and those that applyd and where denied never know I did not use the Install Disk. Just the web interface at: 192.168.1.1. The configuration is just like any other router. The new Firmware offers an IPV6 page if you want it.
--
- Bill | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | Re: and those that applyd and where denied never know I had to, it would not connect to the internet without it !
Also does the new firmware have to be downloaded by the installer or can we force it up there ?
--
"It's always funny until someone gets hurt......and then it's absolutely friggin' hysterical!" | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | Re: and those that applyd and where denied never know It is loaded using the router interface.
--
- Bill | |
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| | | | | |  gerick
join:2001-01-17
San Antonio, TX | I got the UPS tracking number and it should have been delivered on Friday. Never showed up. 
UPS tracking shows:
Status: Delivered
Delivered On: 12/17/2010 5:29 P.M.
Location: PORCH
I have been home since 4:30 pm and could not have missed the delivery. Just checked the porch again. Nope, still not there. | |
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| FBGuyPremium
join:2005-03-19
Evanston, IL | my router is in the mail. I fully intend on intercepting the packets and analyzing them before they go out to the internet. | |
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 netwirePremium
join:2001-04-27
Shelby, NC
kudos:1 | Ironic It is ironic that the FCC partnered with a firm called SamKnows... | |
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|  dks7
join:2004-05-31
Omak, WA | Re: Ironic Screw the FCC just another way to SPY on everyone. | |
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| | | | Re: Ironic And you think they need these modded routers to do that??? If so, you haven't been reading the news for the past few years. Besides, as I said above, mailing out a relatively small number of routers isn't a very efficient way to do spying. You either inject your sniffer into the stock firmware at the manufacturer level, and/or you monitor the backbone (as they've been doing for at least a few years now). | |
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| | | dks7
join:2004-05-31
Omak, WA | Re: Ironic No they do not need these routers to do this, their incrementally garnering the publics support for their treason. You see to make treason work the average SHEEPLE must comply with it. It's just test after test after test. | |
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| | | | | | Re: Ironic Hitler, was right the bigger the lie the easier it becomes the truth. | |
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| |
| FBGuyPremium
join:2005-03-19
Evanston, IL | an idiot would turn this thing down. you can put dd-wrt on it. | |
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pbeaudetPremium
join:2005-03-02
Burney, CA |  I have it Running
It consistently gets higher uploads and downloads results that other tests don't.
--
Intel iMac / eMac 800 (weather station) / Mac OS 10.5.1 / Airport Extreme 802.11b,g,n / Safari 3.03 / FrontierNet DSL | |
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| mlelandPremium
join:2002-12-17
Westwood, CA | Re: I have it Running I am using Frontier DSL in Northeastern California as well and I did the speedtest\application at least 6 months before I heard they were even considering me.
I did just notice that 3 weeks after I setup the netgear box my dsl modem is now negotiating at a faster download and slower upload speed than it was before I setup the box. Hmm.... | |
|
 koitsuPremium,MVM
join:2002-07-16
Mountain View, CA
kudos:19 | Why do they need to provide a router? Why can't this SamKnows group work with existing consumer router vendors (Linksys/Cisco, Netgear, D-Link, Buffalo, etc.) and provide the analysis data collection/distribution capability in all products?
It seems a lot easier to tell a customer "if you want to participate in this analysis, please upgrade your router firmware. Below is a list of models and what firmwares offer the option / what to adjust in the router".
I'm not going to ask "why are they being so secretive?", but it just seems like they're going about this incorrectly. Just like how I don't use routers given to me by ISPs, I sure as heck won't replace my router with one given to me by the FCC. But I *would* like to participate in the programme regardless.
--
Making life hard for others since 1977.
I speak for myself and not my employer/affiliates of my employer. | |
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| | | Re: Why do they need to provide a router? For one, the incentive is the free router for many.
This is about broadband for all, not just techno geeks. J6P isn't going to know how to upgrade router firmware. | |
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| |
 leiboldPremium,MVM
join:2002-07-09
Sunnyvale, CA
kudos:6
 ·SONIC.NET
| Never received the box I did sign up when I heard of the program initially (seems like it might have been last year). Then earlier this year I got the message that the information I provided meant that I was qualified to participate in the program and gave me a link to do a performance test on my DSL line. At the successful conclusion of the test it stated something to the effect that a router would be sent to me. This was more than 6 month ago and I have yet to see a box. I have the feeling that SamKnows gets all the ISP performance data they need from the prequalification tests they ask users to perform. That is certainly cheaper for them then to actually send users a router.
If they send one now they are out of luck. I just switched to a different (cheaper, faster) provider this week and the new one is not on their list of ISPs.
--
Got some spare cpu cycles ? Join Team Helix or Team Starfire! | |
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| Reviews:
 ·DigitalPath
| Re: Never received the box Same here, I signed up, heard back that I qualified and they gave me another link. I was successful and they stated they were going to send a router out to me. I've heard nothing since. I get 1.5 Mbps on a good day, I'd love for them to include me in the testing. | |
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Reviews:
·Charter
| cant do it I received an email today that I was accepted but I was reading the requirements and this one pretty much killed it for me
"You are not a heavy downloader. We'd classify anything above 30GB per month as being too heavy for us to gather useful results."
Otherwise I was going to give it a try and be a tester for them. | |
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| Reviews:
 ·EPB Fiber Optics
| Re: cant do it said by jaymerkramer:I received an email today that I was accepted but I was reading the requirements and this one pretty much killed it for me
"You are not a heavy downloader. We'd classify anything above 30GB per month as being too heavy for us to gather useful results."
Otherwise I was going to give it a try and be a tester for them.
I signed up and then read the requirement of 30gb right after. They sent me an e mail a month or so a go but I just ignored it with that kind of requirement. I needed a new router but Netflix alone killed that requirement for me. | |
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 tstolzePremium
join:2003-08-08
O Fallon, MO
kudos:1 |  Operating as exptected.
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bizsar
join:2005-08-25
Beaverton, OR | everything nominal here...and no boogey-man I test wireless equipment for a living...there's no big scary Big Brother built into the firmware of the router...the conspirists can move back to the JFK issue or something...
Router working great, sending test data daily. I kind of wish it had been a D-Link .11n router instead of a Netgear, but oh well.
--
~BizSAR | |
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| BigVe
join:2005-07-15
Gulliver, MI | Re: everything nominal here...and no boogey-man How to hook up a router on dial-up | |
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| | leiboldPremium,MVM
join:2002-07-09
Sunnyvale, CA
kudos:6 Reviews:
·SONIC.NET
| Re: everything nominal here...and no boogey-man I'm not sure whether you are serious, but that is indeed possible. There are routers with serial interfaces that can be connected to a dialup or leased line modem and there are even routers with dialup modems built in.
It is even possible (and very cheap) to use an old pc and build your own router (any flavor of linux or unix will do).
The SamKnows generic broadband router would be installed between the dialup router and your inhome network (which could just be a single computer). However I'm not sure if dialup users would be qualified for this test program.
--
Got some spare cpu cycles ? Join Team Helix or Team Starfire! | |
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| | | FBGuyPremium
join:2005-03-19
Evanston, IL | Re: everything nominal here...and no boogey-man this would actually be a very fun project if I had a land line. | |
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| | | Way back when I got IDSL the company installer told me, when I asked how secure the router was, he said "there is no such thing as a secure router", so the NSA has a back door to that firmware no matter what you think about JFK. | |
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| | bizsar
join:2005-08-25
Beaverton, OR | Re: everything nominal here...and no boogey-man My point being, no moreso than any other router.
--
~BizSAR | |
|
Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS
| I got one of them thar new fangled routers too!! I got mine about 2 months ago.. had it running about 3 weeks.. then Verizon (FIOS) suddenly kept disconnecting me. router could not get an IP Addy unless I called the FSC and they had to do whatever it is they do in order for the router to once again obtain an ip addy. (actiontec bridged)
One of the FSC techs elevated the issue and I got a call back by level 3 engineer, seems they've had this issue with these blackbox routers before.. Vz reverse engineered one.. since the software is open sourced. just they way that the router sends data out in random bursts causes the backend to think it's a spam relay. the gentleman took my mac address, and did whatever it is he needed to do and I have had no more problems.
While I had him on the phone I asked if they had found any nefarious code that would violate privacy, send to the govt... etc..etc... he said no, just raw bandwidth data and usage.. but no signs of anything
that would indicate what, where and how often I visit websites, torrents.. or whatever. (not that I believed him).
I have FIOS 25/25 triple play.. | |
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| bizsar
join:2005-08-25
Beaverton, OR | Re: I got one of them thar new fangled routers too!! Have had the same exact service and setup (Actiontec bridged) for 2 months now with no issues...so far (crossing fingers).
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~BizSAR | |
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| | useless They state in requirements you cannot use more than 30GB per month because it is "too heavy" for their measurements. I use at minimum around 50 GB per month. Sometimes I go closer to 200 GB. No thanks! | |
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| Reviews:
·Charter
| Re: useless...not really they will make exceptions. They dont want you on your connections full capacity 24/7. I have 60mbps down and 5 up, and I can easily go over the 30gb, and I usually do. As long as the connection is idle for more than 1 minute, a test will start(and finish in less than 1 minute. the test that you did after you got the "your invited" email is the same one on the routers. 10 sec upload test, and 10 sec download test to a remote server). I have been accepted and I download 400 to 1000 gb per month of stuff, and they were okay with that. Faster speeds mean you use more data just because you can. Its very easy for me to download 30gb in a few hours, and easily in less than a day. | |
|
1 edit | Oops! Sent it to the spam folder Just got an e-mail today from them. Sent it to the spam folder!!
Edit:
Upon reading these posts, I went back and moved it back to inbox and went through with it. All I got at end was it saying your application has been submitted. | |
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| | Signed Up... got notified I clicked on the link they sent via an email only to find out my Road Runner Turbo connection with powerboost was acting like ISDN. I tried to resubmit the test once things were somewaht back to normal, but it wouldn't let me. I didn't hear anything after that. | |
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| | | Re: Signed Up... got notified Yeah, me too but haven't received a router as yet. Beginning to wonder if I will. Oh well. | |
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 dvd536as Mr. Pink as they comePremium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
kudos:4 | Are these routers Flashable like the free FON routers were? | |
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| | Do you.... get to keep the router after testing ? | |
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| Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS
| Re: Do you.... if I read the documentation correctly that I received - yes
nothing special - just a netgear WNR3500L router you can buy for about $89. | |
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|
1 edit | I just got the email this morning (and yes, I actually read most of the terms before agreeing).
It is indefinite whether you get to keep it. The terms say that it remains their property and they can ask you for it back at any time.
It says that IF they want you to return it, then you will ship it back to them and they will reimburse you some/all of the shipping costs. They left it open whether they may want them back. | |
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|  joakoPremium
join:2000-09-07
/dev/null
kudos:5 | I heard they were.
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PRescott7-2097 | |
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| | Got one Mine's been online for about 2 months, other than the periodic report of my speed test results I don't notice it. | |
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joakoPremium
join:2000-09-07
/dev/null
kudos:5 | DD-WRT Last time I checked these were dd-wrt compatible. Too bad they didn't send me one.
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PRescott7-2097 | |
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| |
Reviews:
·Mediacom
| Wow Tin foil hats anyone?
Seriously guys don't worry about the lack of privacy because privacy does not exist online. If the Government wants to spy on you they can do that easily. They don't need to have people volunteer for some project and ship custom routers to spy on them. Besides people with something to hide would never sign up for this anyway.
--
I speak for myself, not my employer. | |
|
| | Tests How can it be spying. I have been running the box(Linksys router with custom firmware) in the UK for the last few months. IT does not monitor your web traffic, it just carries out tests at certain times of the day. I can then go to a website(»reporting-uk.samknows.com/) and get reports on all aspects of my internet connection.
Also the company name is a coincidence. Samknows started out in the UK and the US FCC tests is a very recent thing.
Just to clear this up.
Thanks | |
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| | mine is in the mail, ups anyway it takes a while after you do the test to get selected, then get the email you were selected, then you have to accept the terms before they send it out.
I was considering buying a similar router anyway, so if it's free, the more the merrier! If they ask for it back, and I don't send it, what are they going to do? come knock on my door? send me a bill? let them! | |
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