Network management Toolkit

Story: Bulldog fixes broadband problems

Posted by: Anonymous (Friday 22 July 2005, 10:43 AM)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I read with dismay that the only way possible to obtain my password would be to contact my router manufacturer. As an IT Senior Consultant in a big 4 technology implementation company, it strikes me as worrysome that bulldog would not hold user access authentication details. This poses some interesting questions:

1) How is the user actually authenticated? This points at a very insecure transportation medium if access to your network is dependent only on the authentication of a host device, which could easily be compromised.

2) The support and maintenence of this model would be very precarious; bulldog would have to supply (potentially privileged) password information (potentially a breach of the data protection act) to a 3rd party. Every time passwords were updated (I assume and hope that bulldog has a password expiration policy!), all router manufacturers would have to be alerted.

3) The storage of passwords on a router is contrary to standards for routers (usually a restriction is performed at the MAC address host NIC adaptor end), this suggests that specific models of routers would be custom built for bulldog - this seems odd as bulldog claim that any router can be used to provide the service. If these passwords are stored on the router, under what authentication are they stored?

It has taken me nearly two months for this question to be resolved; I've tried phoning bulldog, over the months only to be greeted by a recorded message asking me to try later. Only today, after waiting an hour, did I manage to talk to a very helpful (I'm sure this must run contrary to Bulldog's customer service role description) customer representative - Helen Sharp who was able to provide this information to me within twenty seconds.

As I have been without access to your service for a month (bulldog have failed to provide me with a service despite my best endeavors to resolve this), please credit my account with one month of service charge.

Regards,

XXX XXXXXX

========================================
Message date : Jul 16 2005, 01:20 AM
From : "Bulldog Communications Customer Services Team"
To : XXXXX@XXXXXX.freeserve.co.uk
Copy to :
Subject : Re: Your Bulldog enquiry ref. XXXXXX
Dear XXX,

Thank you for your email. The user name and password for your router is not supplied by Bulldog. Please refer to the manual you received with your router or try contacting the manufacturer. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Should you require any further information please do not hesitate to reply back to us or call Customer Services on our free phone number 0800 404 8151.

Kind Regards

Matthew K
Bulldog Communications Customer Services Team

Contact:

General Queries: customerservice@bulldogbroadband.com
Technical issues: support@bulldogbroadband.com
Finance issues: finance@bulldogbroadband.com

Useful links:

Direct Debit Form: http://www.bulldogbroadband.com/support/dd.asp
Network Status: http://status.bulldogdsl.com/news.php

Bulldog Communications Ltd
http://www.bulldogbroadband.com

----- Original Message -----

From: "XXX XXXXXX"
Date: 08 July 2005
Subject: Re: Forgot Password For Bulldog My Account

REF: XXXXXXX
Dear Sir/Madam,

I have been unable to access broadband as my router tells me that my usename and password is not recognised. I am using the username XXXX-XXXXX@bulldogdsl.com. However, I do not have a password. Please can you send me my password today as a matter of priority (lack of network access will cost me a day of consultancy chargeable time).

Regards,

XXX XXXXX

========================================
Message date : Jun 08 2005, 09:04 PM
From : "Bulldog Communications"
To : "XXX XXXXX"
Copy to :
Subject : Forgot Password For Bulldog My Account

Dear XXX XXXXX

Bulldog My Account Detail
login name : XXXX
password XXXXX
You allow to login with the above detail to view orders and change your personal details.
E