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Dial-up access and "theft" via modem
#19291 11/20/11 09:31 AM
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grelber Offline OP
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Curious and disturbing related situations:

#1: The other day, when checking my call logins as registered by my ISP, I noticed a number of calls/logins on my account which were not attributable to me (ie, they occurred at times during which my computer and telephone were not in use), generally around the midnight hour and for 40-80 minutes' duration.
The only explanation I can come up with — given that only I have access to my computer and telephone and knowledge of my account number and login password (PW) — is that someone at the ISP was taking advantage of knowing my account number and password (which I "had" to give on some occasion to troubleshoot online access) and was accessing my account for his/her purposes; why, I cannot fathom.
So I contacted the ISP to have the situation investigated (results not back yet) and was advised to change my login PW online so that it could not be viewed/used by anyone other than me (including ISP staff).

EDIT:
I think I've resolved issue #1: For some reason the ISP's call logs seem to be 2 hours out of synch with my time (which would put their server in PST). So issue #1 would seem to be no longer an issue. But issue #2 still is.


#2: I followed through, entering and applying the new PW as appropriate in the Network Preferences panel, waiting over 1.5 hours for the PW to be registered/activated and changing email and other applications requiring the PW. However, after resetting the Network Preferences dial-up information to the new PW, it resulted in authentication failing and access denied. Only the old PW will work to access Internet, but only the new PW functions in accessing my ISP account once online (ie, logged in).
This shouldn't be happening, and yet it is ... or at least seems to be.

Any ideas about what's going on?!

FYI: Access to Internet via USRobotics USB Modem, Model USR5637; regular dial-up (ie, no DSL) service.

Last edited by grelber; 11/20/11 04:16 PM. Reason: #1 resolved
Re: Dial-up access and "theft" via modem
grelber #19502 12/05/11 10:58 PM
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the isp's password storage for their email may not be in the same place as for your dialup. they may sync every 24 hrs, or never. (have to both be updated, possibly the dialup one manually by calling them)


I work for the Department of Redundancy Department
Re: Dial-up access and "theft" via modem
Virtual1 #19505 12/06/11 07:18 AM
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grelber Offline OP
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Merci. I did my "due diligence" when the problem first occurred. In order for the ISP to check it, they'd need my new and old password — which, of course, thwarts the reason for my having changed it in the first place.
That problem still exists, so I've just left it as it is (since the previously perceived problem doesn't, as noted earlier).

Re: Dial-up access and "theft" via modem
grelber #19511 12/06/11 09:51 PM
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This question is a blast from the past. It has been a long time since I have seen questions like this, but back in the days when dialup modems where reasonably common, this was a frequent question on the forums. It almost always ended up being caused by some application calling home, checking for updates, etc. The most common culprit was, of course, Mail, but antivirus apps, even Software Update were on the list. The quick cure for this was to turn off the auto-dial feature that automatically dialed out when there was a request for internet services and manually connect to the internet when necessary. The long cure was to identify the application that was requesting internet services, the Console logs helped in this, and somehow changing preferences or disabling the app so that it did not try to connect the internet.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Dial-up access and "theft" via modem
joemikeb #19513 12/07/11 10:14 AM
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grelber Offline OP
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Not sure how your commentary relates to my issue.
Gaining dialup access to the Internet requires dialing in to the ISP's authentication server which recognizes the old password. Once online, accessing account information and webmail via that account requires the new password. Therefore, the two systems which should be synched clearly aren't, and the ISP can't explain why something that shouldn't be is.

Re: Dial-up access and "theft" via modem
grelber #19514 12/07/11 03:29 PM
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Sorry, I completely misunderstood your problem. I think I needed another cup of coffee.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Dial-up access and "theft" via modem
joemikeb #19516 12/07/11 06:36 PM
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grelber Offline OP
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Pas de problèm.
First wine, then coffee. That always works for me (even without the coffee).

Re: Dial-up access and "theft" via modem
grelber #19558 12/09/11 04:07 PM
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grelber Offline OP
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Another oddity with regard to this issue:

If I click the "Connect" button on the Network Preferences panel, I am able to connect with my ISP (with automatic 'old' password authentication as given on the same panel).

However, when I try to connect via the modem status menulet in the menu bar (via which I usually open Network Preferences panel) by selecting Connect USB Modem, authentication regularly fails — meaning that it could be looking for the 'new' password. I tested this hypothesis by changing to the 'new' password on the Network Preferences panel, but it still would not connect due to authentication failure.

Perhaps this is where everything is bolloxed up, but I sure have no idea how it might be corrected (since both routes should be working 'off the same page').

EDIT: I set up another configuration to test, re this 'oddity'. Now the "Connect USB Modem" in the menulet works properly (ie, it connects) — but only with the 'old' password, just like before. {sigh} But at least the two routes are now on the same page.

Last edited by grelber; 12/09/11 04:45 PM. Reason: Further troubleshooting

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