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[mhop]

I got my 2540B back in April, and I've been happy with it's performance. The setup gateway is a bit intimidating, but I was able to navigate it without too much sweating. I'm a little frustrated, however, with my inability to figure out the firewall and the necessary settings, as the help available on the gateway is extremely limited, and there are NO DOWNLOADS on the support.dlink.com page for this unit (though there are links which leads me to think there were DL's at some point) outside of the firmware update , which I understand will brick the unit according to several forums I've looked through.

Can anyone explain, or point me in the direction of enlightenment for:
A) Rate and Burst settings for TCP DoS, Ping DoS and Port Scan, once I enable the Enable Attack Prevent on Firewall configuration in the gateway, and/or
B) where I can find the user manual for this unit, if, perchance, it will explain further the firewall.

Doing a websearch for this information is getting me nowhere. I'm particularly amused/bewildered by the "Helpful Hints" section in the gateway, which gives you a hotlink for "more", but when you click it, it takes you a window where there is no additional information on the subject that you clicked it for. Ha ha.

Thanks in advance for any leads.

[FurryNutz]

Link>Welcome!

• What Hardware version is your router? Look at sticker under router.
• Link>What Firmware version is currently loaded? Found on the routers web page under status.
• What region are you located?

[mhop]

Hi FurryNutz! I love that handle.  =)


Hardware version is T1.
Firmware version is NA_1.00
I'm in IL, US.

Thanks!

P.S. It just registered that my IP is being included with my posts (at least I can see mine), and I'd like it to be known that I'm currently using a VPN, if this matters in any way.

[FurryNutz]

Ya I see that there isn't any DLs and in other locations I'm looking as well has the QIG however no actual User Manual for this model modem. I wonder if the UI differs from Rev A or B models. Can you download one of those manuals and see if there is any differences and if they might have some information on what your looking for?

[mhop]

Oh, this is rich. Apparently the 2540A was cooked up in someones imagination, because there is no such model. I don't have much of a corporate head, but as imaginative as I like to think I am, I'm not entirely sure I can even invent an explanation as to why there would only be the B model. Anyway, the A model spec/DL page has some extra data DL hotlinks, the docs they point to do not exist any more than the B model DL's do, though there's older publication dates attached to a couple of them.

These kinds of things seem to happen to me all the time. NOW what do I do? Surely I cannot be the only one looking for this info? Is there a number I could call to talk to someone? I had an entertaining moment there with d-link's "chat support", which was entirely fruitless.

[FurryNutz]

Technical Support can be reached at:

Consumer/Retail Support
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
1 (877) 453-5465

Ask for Level 2 or higher support.

If you don't get the information you need here, come back and I'll have a alternative suggestion for you...

[mhop]

This is just getting funnier and funnier. I'm on hold right now, but I was talking to some guy a minute ago who claims that there are NO firewall settings for this router, when I'm plainly looking at a "Firewall Configuration" page in the gateway setup, that I described earlier. The only thing is that I cannot get to the firewall settings through the left side "tab menu", I have to get to them through the gateway site map.

I guess I forgot to ask for Level 2 support. I imagine that may be coming next.

[FurryNutz]

Keep us posted. I sent a email to my contact at D-Link, not sure what or if I'll get any feed back.

Ya, ask for level 2 or higher if you get the chance...

[mhop]

Okay, I got to level 3, but even after his explanation, I'm not entirely certain that I'm clear on what kind of firewall this modem/router has. What *was* explained to me is that this particular "Firewall Configuration" that I found in the 2540B gateway (picture below) is apparently to be used by people with online businesses that use a set number of rate and burst packets under the TCP DoS, Ping DoS & Port Scan when people go to shop on their site. Or something along those lines. Also, that turning this option on will slow down internet speeds because of this filtering.

(There's the 2540A in the search window, but that's not my model; I was only searching for the A before I learned that it didn't exist)


In trying to understand whether this unit has a "standard" firewall, I'm still not entirely certain. The fact that the above window is the only reference to a firewall that there is in the gateway, leads me to think... well, I just don't know. If they are providing this advanced firewall, why wouldn't there be a standard firewall? Am I overthinking this? Maybe that first guy was correct when he said there wasn't one. There was something during the explanation (parts of it were hard to discern because of accent) about ISP's providing something on the front end that may be considered a hardware firewall. This sounds like a vague assurance, and so not sure what to make of it. I find it hard to believe that AT&T is providing me with firewall service.

How much trouble would it have taken to supply a small bit of memory to explain all these options/settings when setting everything up in the gateway? I had a free day today, so this really was kind of interesting for me, as opposed to being hair-pullingly frustrating if I had zero time for it, and could not DL the imaginary user manual.

Also, I'd like to say that D-link's phone support was exceptional. Sure, it took an hour to get it figured out, but they were patient with my dimness on this subject, and they had to call me back after they disconnected me, but that only took about a minute. Thank you for providing that 877# Furry!

[FurryNutz]

Thank you for posting this information and your experiences. Glad you did get some information.

Ya, not sure how some of these DSL modems are getting into retail stores and if they were meant to be for businesses, there should be some market screening happening some where to maybe help home users get the right modem.

Ya, not sure what this model modem would have in regards to a basic firewall. From what I've seen in some others, they do, however this model maybe a specialized modem as the person from D-Link said, this model may be different in this regards.

I was waiting to hear back and now I can make my suggestion, if you decide to keep this modem, it's possible that this modem could be bridged and you could get into a DIR series home class router that does have basic FW and way easier to set up. Let us know what your WiFi and network needs are and we can make a suggestion in a model router for you.

[mhop]

Oh yes, I'm absolutely going to keep this modem/router; it took me weeeeeks trying to find a DSL modem/router for my home network (I tried two Actiontec models that didn't want to cooperate with my AT&T connection, but that's another story) after my aging Netgear entered it's death throes earlier this spring. I was surprised and more than a little dismayed to find that there is a very limited selection of DSL modem/routers on the market, and was more than thrilled to find one that finally worked well. Sure, this model does not have any wireless, but I actually prefer that it doesn't, so this was perfect. I dug through my boxes-o'-parts-and-stuff and found an older 2-wire modem/router, but it was an AT&T product, and I'd MUCH rather prefer not to use their gear, though it tided me over while I was shuffling through the **** that didn't work, and waiting for the D-link.

I did ask the Level 3 guy about daisy-chaining something between the wall and the modem/router and he said there shouldn't be any issue, but I have no idea what the heck I'm looking for at this point. I'm disappointed about the firewall aspect and not super-paranoid about intrusions, but having said that, I'll probably be nuked or something next week. That's how it rolls over here.

Please, any suggestions would be awesome. It's just me and the ol' man here, two, sometimes three wired computers, and possibly a VOIP connection in the near future that will take up the 4 LAN ports in the 2540B. I don't want to say money is no object, but for security, I'll pay out to a fair degree. If you can come up with a whole 'nother unit that looks peachy, maybe I can sell this one with little trouble, though likely it will become another backup in my boxes-o'-stuff.

I'm not a professional, but with my limited (self-taught) knowledge have somehow become the 'puter chick (there's no girls on the internets) for the household and extended family. I love myself a challenge, especially fix-it's, and this sounds like a good one!

Thank you again for your direction and suggestions!

EDIT: Ha, ha! The bad word editor took out the word crepe with an a and without the e. Too funny. I wonder if it will take shiat? By golly, it does! heee.

[FurryNutz]

Any need for 5Ghz support? Future support?