Any Foneros out there?

kwikbreaks

If it doesn't show up in "My Fon" you will be losing access pretty soon I think. It must be close to the 30 days grace they give you.

Incidentally I was pretty sure the old public IP from the Fon hotspot was a BT one but it was ages ago I checked - either I remembered incorrectly or they changed it. I'm sure I did a tracert in the past too showing the routing was via BT - not that that means the IP was theirs and maybe that's what lead me astray - I maybe didn't check past the fact it wasn't mine.

Richard_T_

The odd thing is it does show up on the fon site, when logging in via fon.com, it's the router page at http://192.168.10.1 that shows register now. It's even on the fon map.

As for the ip address issue, I feel that fon cs don't understand the issues, or the difference between an internal ip address given by the router to a computer, and external ip address given by the internet service provider to the customer.

kwikbreaks

I think I'd be inclined to do a reset on it although if it's showing in your Fon profile and on the map it probably doesn't matter.

Another ting I found is that access through the FON AP seems to be limited to ~ 1Mbps down. I tried to increase that limit through the "Customise your AP" link but it still goes no faster. The private AP runs far faster - close to 50Mbps when I tested it on my phone.

I don't hold out much hope we'll either get an answer or a fix to the use of our public IPs for the Fon AP.

kwikbreaks

Another nonsense response from Fon support..

Rim (Fon Support)
Dec 09 16:56

Hi Mark,

Indeed, the Fonera FON2412A/2B is a model that offers a WiFi mode which enables to extend your WiFi coverage and clones your own WiFi signal. Instead of displaying its default IP address (192.168.10.1.), it will show your own WiFi signal's because they are cloned.

In anycase, the logs of your visitors are registered in our database and it will be easy to identify them if they use your hotspot to illegal means. However, if you do not feel comfortable with this, and as it is not possible to set up the Fonera in WiFi mode without cloning a signal, you will be able to change the configuration connecting it via cable.

To do so, please first perform a factory reset:
https://support.fon.com/hc/en-us/articles/200390842-How-do-I-restore-the-factory-settings-on-my-Fonera-#FoneraSimpl

and then follow the instructions provided in this article:
https://support.fon.com/hc/en-us/articles/200535272-How-do-I-set-up-my-device-via-the-Utility-App-

We hope this information was useful. Do not hesitate to come back to us if you need further clarification or assistance.

and my response to it...

Hi,

The private signal is not my concern it is the public IP used by the Fon hotspot as I explained.

The issue is not whether you log visitors to the Fon hotspot but the fact that to the outside world they are indistinguishable from my computers because they are using the SAME public IP. This was not the case with the previous router.

If you do not understand this concern please pass the query on to someone who will.


Regards

kwikbreaks

Hey ho...

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your kind email.

I fully understand your inquiry. As explained in my previous email, this is due to the extender mode which clones your home WiFi signal's IP.

As it is not possible to set up the Fonera in WiFi mode without cloning your home signal, you will be able to change the configuration connecting it via cable.

To do so, please first perform a factory reset:
https://support.fon.com/hc/en-us/articles/200390842-How-do-I-restore-the-factory-settings-on-my-Fonera-#FoneraSimpl

and then follow the instructions provided in this article:
https://support.fon.com/hc/en-us/articles/200535272-How-do-I-set-up-my-device-via-the-Utility-App-

This way your Fonera public signal IP will go back to its default, which is 192.168.10.1.

We remain at your disposal for any additional explanation or clarification if needed.

my reply

My Fonera router is set up perfectly well as an independent AP without cloning the WiFi.
This was done through the normal interface which is fortunate as your app force closes on Android version 5 (Lollipop).

It is obvious from your original and follow up response that you do not understand the issue - the IP you mention 192.168.10.1 is a local (private) IP and is not related to the problem in any way. I am talking about the IP allocated to me by my ISP.

Please pass this query up the line.

Thank you.

I think I am losing the will to live trying to communicate the issue to these dipsticks (Rim has indeed passed to problem over to Matt)...

Hi Mark,

First of all, we comply with the legislation of all countries where we sell Fonera's. Otherwise we wouldn't even exist.

Second, if someone uses your hotspot for illegal means, the authorities will have to contact us for detailed information about the origin of the data they're looking for (as the IP address will indeed be the same): the private WiFi channel or the public one.

Kind regards,

Matt

Fon Customer Care

and my reply..

My point is that any use of the Fon connection is using the public IP address issued to me by my ISP. If there is any questionable use of the internet from my IP then nobody is going to even be aware that I run a Fon hotspot and that usage may have been by a Fon user - it will be my computers that get bagged up and taken away. The previous router used a separate public IP for the Fon hotspot. I'm running short of ways to keep explaining the exact same thing.

Getting closer to an admission that there is an issue...

Hi Mark,

I'm sorry, but I've told you exactly what would happen that case: the authorities would have to contact us to get the exact information they're looking for. I can't say whether they will take away your hardware first as we've never had a case like this before (we've been around since 2006).

So I've responded with...

There is something I don't follow here - given none of the traffic on the Fon hotspot passes through Fon servers other than an initial login how can you provide the authorities with any information on which machine - Fonero or Fon user was responsible for the traffic being investigated?

Might it not be the case that this has never cropped up is because with previous Fon routers the Fon hotspot traffic is tunnelled through the parter national ISP (ie BT in the UK)?

In how many countries does the Fon hotspot share the same IP as the hosting Fonero?

I think I've carried the torch on this one long enough now. If anybody else fancies trying further with Fon I'll wish you good luck.

####

Fon support clearly got as frustrated with me as I did with them. No answer to that last question and if I try to log in to the support account I get a message saying the account is suspended....

So the answer is clear enough - if somebody decides to use your free Fon hotspot for some nefarious activity it's you that will be getting the police raid and your equipment bagged up and take away. Not good.

Richard_T_

Fon appears to have died again, try and log in here https://corp.fon.com/en/login

this form the facebook page

"Login is still broken it seems as I have the same problem and if I try to request my password I am told my e-mail address is invalid.

This is frustrating, I just replaced my Fonera+ with a SIMPL (after being told I had to continue using the service) and I can't register that either as fonglobal.userzone.fon.com is not responding when I submit the form.

I only got THAT far by manually putting https:// in front of register.fon.com as if I didn't, the registration page didn't load at all.

The registration link from the SIMPL web control panel itself doesn't load at all either.

It seems that FON is well a truly broken right now."

Gloomendoom

It lets me log in but https://fonglobal.userzone.fon.com/uz/MyFonRouters shows an Oops! I'm broken message.

https://register.fon.com/ works for me from the ink on the Oops! page

Gloomendoom

https://fonera doesn't work for me. I just get an "Unable to access the network" message.

gjchester

kwikbreaks wrote: »

I think I've carried the torch on this one long enough now. If anybody else fancies trying further with Fon I'll wish you good luck.

This was as far as it ever got in the past. As my boxes were before the BT tie up this was always the problem (but then the internet wasn't considered such an issue legally here ).




Ultimalty this was part of the reasons I gave up having a router on, Fon would not give any assurances they would know who used an access point, other than the "We will work with the authorities" line.


What didn't help (and I don't think happens now) was before the BT Tie up you could simply watch an advert sent to you by the router, and get 30 mins free without any form of validated logon at all. Simply enter any old email address, watch an advert and do what you liked.


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/29/fon_network_disruption/

kwikbreaks

I have no problem logging in at https://corp.fon.com/en/login#

which takes me to..

https://fonglobal.userzone.fon.com/uz/MyFonRouters

which is now rather different from the old My Fon and looks like...



There is no longer any offer to alter the router settings or bandwidth allowed just links to tablet/phone apps with the links reversed. The Android one force closes with Lollipop 5.0 but does make an attempt to work on earlier releases although with me either finger trouble or a problem lead me to having to reset it as I couldn't log in after changing the private AP password.