Have a Netgear Router? PLEASE READ!!

[Áedán]

Do you have a Netgear Router? If so, you need to ensure that it's got the most up to date firmware! The affected models are: RP614v2, RP614, DG814, MR814 and HR314.

Why? Well, Netgear carefully coded in a method for the router to get the time and date over the internet, to save them having to put a battery and clock in it. They did this by pointing the firmware at University of Wisconsin's internet time server. Unfortuantely, Netgear got it wrong, and have been flooding the University's Time server.

The affected Netgear Routers have been effectively trying to knock the University's time server off the internet by flooding it with over 150Mbits of traffic every second.

More details

[Daniel ~]

This sucks for Wisconsin!

[Áedán]

Yes, it does. Unfortunately, one of the workable solutions means that a block of 8000 IP addresses gets wiped off the internet.

[Daniel ~]

Any idea how many routers are out there in need of an update? Given that their users are most likely unaware of the problems their routers are creating for W.U., seems unlikely many of them will know to update, at lest if they haven't registered their product.

Does the inability to connect and download the time effect the routers in question performance?