Linksys BEFSR11 and NAT setting.

[aarhus2004]

Hello,

I have employed this router for 6 years. Its firmware upgrade is 146.2.

The changes I have made to the settings:
In the past - To the Password and under Forwarding Port113St...

Yesterday, in response to reading this post, here

(see gif for indication of which post) and I quote part of it:

I have no knowledge of how you connect to the internet but if using ADSL or cable the very first thing I would do would be to use a router even if only using a single PC. Enable NAT (Network Address Translation) on the router and this will provide a very effective firewall, so good in fact that this no longer becomes a major issue with the OS

I enabled NAT (under Filters).

I believe I detect a slowing down of the system's response and in order to check that I attempted and failed to Disable the NAT.

Questions:

Why is this setting irreversible (as I have read in this forum)?

Would changing the firmware update to the original have any bearing in changing that setting?

Why doesn't it change when the 'restore defaults' procedure is used?

Is it possible that the enabling of NAT may have degraded my OS response time?

Thanks.

Ben.

 

[JohnWill]

If you disable NAT, your router ceases to be a router. You don't want to do that, and it won't help performance any.

 

[aarhus2004]

If you disable NAT, your router ceases to be a router. You don't want to do that, and it won't help performance any.

Thanks John,

I am astonished, since this means the default settings on the router (as purchased) were such as to render the router useless. And there are so many settings. How many of these are incorrect I wonder?

I would like to make and post images of each page but presumably some of the settings, if shown here, would open my system to risk. If I knew which are the settings that shouldn't be shown I could remove them from the GIFs. What do you think, John, is it a worthwhile exercise? Or is there a better way?

Or how I can I prove my router is working correctly?

Thanks.

Ben.

 

[aarhus2004]

Hello,

These questions remain unanswered:

Why is this setting irreversible (as I have read in this forum)?

Would changing the firmware update to the original have any bearing in changing that setting?

Why doesn't it change when the 'restore defaults' procedure is used?

And these also:

I would like to make and post images of each page but presumably some of the settings, if shown here, would open my system to risk. If I knew which are the settings that shouldn't be shown I could remove them from the GIFs. What do you think, John, is it a worthwhile exercise? Or is there a better way?

Or how I can I prove my router is working correctly?

Ben.

 

[JohnWill]

There are no security sensitive settings in your router, except perhaps your encryption code and the administrative password.

To really reset the router to factory defaults, try holding the reset button down for 15 seconds or more with power on the router. This should clear it's mind. If it doesn't, it's probably broken.

 

[aarhus2004]

There are no security sensitive settings in your router, except perhaps your encryption code and the administrative password.

To really reset the router to factory defaults, try holding the reset button down for 15 seconds or more with power on the router. This should clear it's mind. If it doesn't, it's probably broken.

Thanks, John, for the move and your response.

I couldn't find the word encrption on the router webpage and the password in a GIF would show those *****. So may I upload GIFs, and of which pages, for the checking of config? The complete pages are these:

SetUp Gif
Status GIF
DHCP GIF
Log
Security
Help
Filters 2 GIFS
Port Range Forwarding
Dynamic Routing
Static Routing
DMZ Host
MAC Address Clone

The Password page offers the reset and it is now working so that is not a problem. I will try the manual you wrote of when the dust has settled!

Is it true that once enable in a NAT router the cofiguration 'Filter Internet NAT Redirection' cannot be reversed? Can't remember where I read this in these forums. I am loath to use the restore defaults option until I have confirmation that I have optimised the damn thing - with help

How or where can we test our routers?

Cheers.

Ben.

 

[aarhus2004]

Hello,

I attach the remaining gifs of the perhaps relevant pages of this router.

Port Range Forwarding.
Dynamic Routing.
Static Routing
DMZ Host
MAC Address Clone

Thanks.

Ben.

 

[hewee]

If you disable NAT, your router ceases to be a router. You don't want to do that, and it won't help performance any.

On mine where it says "Filter Internet NAT Redirection:" the default has always had the "Disable" boxed checked.
So are you saying that my router is not working as a router?

I got the Linksys BEFSR41 version 2. Same Firmware as aarhus2004 and that is the last firmware update.

 

[aarhus2004]

hewee,

Good question.

All the years using it with NAT diabled and still Steve Gibson's ShieldsUP test was all green once the Port 113 was stealthed.

And enabling it was recommended by another MVP in MS Newsgroups.

Glad you are in on this, hewee.

Cheers.

Ben.

 

[hewee]

aarhus2004,

I just not sure I understand either. With the "Filter Internet NAT Redirection:" on or enabled may mean it is not a router or does disable mean it's not a router.
Because it sure seems to be acting like a router or I think it is and it passes all test Shield's UP test too. If I reset the router I have to redo the blocking of Port 113 that started after the one firmware update years ago. And that very same firware that open port 113 is not even listed at there site any more.

 

[aarhus2004]

If I reset the router I have to redo the blocking of Port 113 that started after the one firmware update years ago. And that very same firware that open port 113 is not even listed at there site any more.

Do you mean on Gibson's, hewee. Or on Linksys? I am not sure I understand you saying firmware not listed. I get that (1.46.2) from here.

Ben.

 

[hewee]

The firware I had before the one we got now that made it so port 113 was no longer blocked was 06/24/2004 06:15 PM, but I forget what the version was. So the one we have now came out a couple months later and at linksys site there no firware for 6/2004 so they took that one away.
Look at the history and I guess it was 1.45.11 or 1.46 I had before.
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Sate...1130777147633&ssbinary=true&lid=6407709974B01

Now look below the NAT part we are talking about and your see "Filter IDENT(port 113):" and read what it says in version 1.45.11. "7. Added Filter IDENT(port 113) to appear stealth when scanned"
Mine is disabled. I can't remember if I checked that before and ran a ShieldsUP test to see if it passed or not.

 

[JohnWill]

I'm glad someone has one of these routers, since I don't. I also realized that is a wired only router, I was thinking wireless for some reason.

I did a search for what "Filter Internet NAT Redirection" means. The response suggests it really doesn't disable the NAT.

This is primarily for testing servers on your network using their WAN addresses or names without using a computer that is separate from your LAN. Another name for this functionality is local loopback.

 

[hewee]

John,

So just what does the "Filter Internet NAT Redirection" do?


aarhus2004,

Ok later after I was here I did more test.
On "Filter IDENT(port 113):" I enabled it. and undid the blocking of Port 113 from the forwarding and I passed the ShieldsUP test.
I then redid the blocking of Port 113 from the forwarding and also keep the "Filter IDENT(port 113):" I enabled.

Then I reset my router and it keep all the changes and even my password.
I know when I tested on the last firmware if I reset the router I had to redo the blocking of Port 113. I did not have a password back then so don't know what effect a reset would of had.
But now even after a reset of the router it keeps the password I changed, Port 113 from the forwarding and "Filter IDENT(port 113):" I enabled.

Better make copies of the password in case it is ever needed because I sure don't know how to get pass it and thought doing a reset would let you get pass it but it will not.

 

[aarhus2004]

John,

So just what does the "Filter Internet NAT Redirection" do?


aarhus2004,

Ok later after I was here I did more test.
On "Filter IDENT(port 113):" I enabled it. and undid the blocking of Port 113 from the forwarding and I passed the ShieldsUP test.
I then redid the blocking of Port 113 from the forwarding and also keep the "Filter IDENT(port 113):" I enabled.

Then I reset my router and it keep all the changes and even my password.
I know when I tested on the last firmware if I reset the router I had to redo the blocking of Port 113. I did not have a password back then so don't know what effect a reset would of had.
But now even after a reset of the router it keeps the password I changed, Port 113 from the forwarding and "Filter IDENT(port 113):" I enabled.

Better make copies of the password in case it is ever needed because I sure don't know how to get pass it and thought doing a reset would let you get pass it but it will not.

hewee, hello,

John will probably have the answer to the NAT's purpose. I have been reading so much since this all began for me and I think the NAT feature (enable) is to check out a network.

EDIT Oops I see he gave it.

This is primarily for testing servers on your network using their WAN addresses or names without using a computer that is separate from your LAN. Another name for this functionality is local loopback.

As far as the reset you did which left your password, the Port 113 stealthing and the Filter IDENT (port113) intact there are two more things I am wondering about:

1. What would happen if the Reset was done on the Password page (see GIF) and with the NAT enabled as well as the others mentioned.

2. And would the firmware upgrade revert to the factory original one if one used that reset on Password.

I am reluctant to try it, hewee, in case that reset did remove the firmware upgrade(s) and, at this time, I am just overwhelmed with heat - we had 91F at 8PM PDT..

But your experiments add a lot to our understanding and I, for one, am grateful for them.

I will keep this thread open until all is resolved so others may benefit.

Take care, hewee.

Ben.

EDIT: I have been unable to reset my router either by using the webpage/password page option or the reset button. All configs remain as in my orginal GIFS. As JW suggests it maybe a question of wear and tear. If so it is regrettable that he made that irresponsible post #2, for I read that enabling NAT can cause performance degradation. See here.