Billion BIPAC 640AE router firewall
This is the router we use between our three computers and the internet.
Feats:
- It is built around a Conexant CX84200 Network Processor which again is based on an ARM 75Mhz ARM7TDMI.
- 8MB (64Mbit) memory in the form of Hynix SDRAM (HY57V643220)
- OS/firmware is VxWorks
- Has a four port switch, a firewall with advanced filtering (by URL keywords, IP and MAC addresses etc), a DHCP server, RIP 1⁄2 and static routing, VPN - IPSec and a DDNS client.
- The administration is web-based, no SNMP or telnet options as far as I can tell.
Opening the case
To figure out what it was we had bought, I had to open the case. This of course broke the warranty, but I hope the shop won't notice if anything goes wrong later...
To open it, flip it over and unscrew the four screws in the corners. Then flip it back, and while facing the front, lift its right side. Leave the bottom label on. You are now in. As you can see from the bigger image, lots of solder-points are empty, which indicates that the router can be upgraded quite conciderably given enough knowledge... For instance, it should be possible to add a serial-port interface to it, and even a WAN interface! (If you read about the processor, you'll see it has all these things built in, and many of Billion's more expensive routers have all this.)
There is a reset button close to the WAN plug, marked in red on the big picture, which will reset the router to its factory defaults if you're unlucky somehow. Because this reset button is unsupported, I dug up some instructions for another bipac router, 740 GE;
Push the reset button for...- 1 to 3 seconds: restart router
- 3 to 6 seconds: no action (If you push it and change your mind in two seconds but not six?)
- 6 and more seconds: restore factory setting immediately
(Note that Billion has an app on their website called "Router finder" which can be used to reset the router too. I would use that first instead of opening it. Instructions on how to use it to reset the router are in the readme.)
Using Opera?
If you are using Opera 8, you will find this tool very handy if you also use this router. Its a new menu for Opera which gives you easy access to the most common places in the Router configuration. Click here and it will install automatically.
Insecure!
Out of the box, this router lets anyone using for example opera access the administration interface even if a password is set. Read this secunia advisory and upgrade your firmware.