Forum Discussion
Hidden Network
This is probebly crazy, but I'll ask anyway. Is the Gen5 modem-wifi creating a hidden network? I've been noticing it every time that I turn on wifi on my Wondows 10 Surface Pro 3. When I unpl...
Yes the signal is coming from your HT2000w... You wont be able to connect to that signal, and the signal is disabled if you disable the Wifi on the modem.
It's kind of like the USB port on the back of the HT1100... It's there for "future use", but, we have no idea when or if that future will ever come. :)You'll pardon my "clueles banter", but tone is as tone does.
First question asked about hidden network. After thinking about it I asked 2 more questions.
I do not believe that Hughesnet is being transparent. I do not buy that they can do what they want and we have no choice.
When members ask specifically about the "Hidden Network" no explaination is given.
The "supposed experts" on this forum also have no answers as to the "hidden network". They chose to attack members wanting to know what is going on. WHY?
I'll just leave it at that.....
Just to make note.... I currently have ALL WiFi radios TURNED OFF in my HughesNet modem (always have). The HiddenNetwork is still being Broadcasted. So it seams like there is no way to get it to NOT show at all.
I attempted to connect to it by typing my HughesNet modem SSID and Password and it would not connect. I tried to connect to it using my own router's SSID and Password and it did connect.... Humm very strange.
Just to be clear, these two checkboxes are unchecked for you?
I think the other settings (SSID Enable, SSID Broadcast) found elsewhere don't necessarily turn off the wifi radios, they just disable the individual channels and/or hide the SSID from discovery; not neccesarily turn off the actual radio itself.
Again, not saying this isn't the case, just want to make sure we're all on the same page.
I think we could have taken a better tone to lake_woman
There is certainly nothing wrong in questioning the security of our networks.
I have always felt that my Router held the "keys to my Network Kindom". My Network, My Router, My Rules.
While I have don't believe that Hughes has anything up their sleeve AND we are all behind a CGN server I still like to have as much control over my network as I can muster.
While I am still, and shall remain on Gen4, I would not enable the wireless portion of the HT2000w.
I will continue to use my Asus RT-AC3100
Guys... Just chill... please?
This issue has been marked by the OP several times as being solved.
Think it needs to be locked down and stowed by the admins (if that's still possible) so it can't continue to feed on itself.
Excellent idea, Mark.
Hello
So I am still getting the same information as before - this SSID is attributed to the latest .35 software update (which everyone with a HT2000W should have now). It has been included to provide support for a future service from HughesNet. This will not affect your normal service or usage. If it is causing any connectivity problems somehow, please let me know.
Thanks
Amanda
1. Right now, no one can access it. It's apparently not operational. Even if someone could access it, only Hughes knows the hidden SSID.
2. Again, it can't access other wifi connections. And even if Hughes were to do so, they'd have to be within radio range of it. Considering that they are routing your data within the satellite network and could access the modem remotely, driving to your house to do something nefarious with your modem would be unfeasible, if not practicable.
3. They've provided the explanation that it's for future use. They don't have to be more specific if they're not charging you extra for something that wasn't there before. Right now, it's just an undocumented innocuous feature that's most likely just being tested before they roll something out later.
As I've mentioned elsewhere, I still don't understand what the furor over this is. It's completely inert and harmless. Unless it's impacting the service you're paying for (which it isn't) there is absolutely zero need for concern, nor to imagine it impacts your security.
When they are ready to tell us what it is they will tell us, but there's no point in describing a potential feature if they've not even decided it's feasible to implement it. Then they'd be accused of bait n' switch: "So where is this such-n-such you promised us....", "you said we'd have this-n-that...", "you didn't produce...."
See my point?
MarkJFine wrote:As I've mentioned elsewhere, I still don't understand what the furor over this is.
People get kind of edgy when something pops and they not only don't know what it's for, but can't control it, either. And, many people tend to immediately jump to the worst possible scenario, or what is worst to them, at least. Perhaps thinking it's there so "someone" can spy on them or their habits, or even glean personal information. Perhaps thinking it's there so their data can be secretly drained (you know that one's coming). Some people just get jumpy when it comes to things like this. That's nothing against those people, of course, just the reality of something like this. People take new things different ways.
With that said, it doesn't bother me.
I also checked my laptop today. Sure enough, it's there now that I have the new modem software. Whether every radio box is checked or unchecked, including the two under the main Advanced Wireless page, it's there.
Who knows, maybe it will enable them to offer some type of remote access tech service in the future, sort of like Microsoft is able to do if your system is having a hiccup and you enable them to do so. It could even be some future special radio access that only on site techs can utilize when troubleshooting the system. For those settings that customers shouldn't be tooling around in, or even looking at. Normally, I tend to imagine the beneficial possibilities instead of the others. :)
I just want that fancy popcorn machine that was promised. :) :p
lake_woman wrote:We were not notified that there would be an update that would give us an Hidden Network. It just showed up out of nowhere, no explaination at all.
No one was notified because it's a modem update, not a service update. Hughesnet isn't required to let you, nor anyone else, know. Nor are they required to tell you what it's for, nor anything else about it. About the only thing they may answer is..."Is it a security concern?" I'm sure the answer will be, "no."
As has already been stated..."It has been included to provide support for a future service from HughesNet. This will not affect your normal service or usage."
lake_woman
While you may dislike that there is a "hidden" network (it's only named that because the devices you are using don't know the name, it's not actually hidden), it doesn't harm you having it there in the slightest. If you want to be notified of future changes, I suggest becoming a major stakeholder in Echostar, then you will be notified of future changes.- The network in question is secure
- The network in question has no SSID visible, only devices that know the SSID could begin a connection.
- The network in question is most likely using a passphrase that no one could guess, nor crack, and that's if they could first figure out the SSID
- The network in question doesn't change your service in the slightest, it's not part of your "account".
The simple truth is, it's there, for future uses, if Hughesnet really wanted to spy on you, they wouldn't do it in any manor that you could detect, nor never know. They haven't made a change to your account, they have made a change to the modem, a change that removes absolutely nothing from your service.
I uncheck the two boxes in Advanced Setup and the Hidden Network still showed, I restarted my Laptop and it wasnt showing. I went back in and checked the 2 boxes and the Hidden Network showed up again right away. Then I unchecked them again and restarted my Laptop and it was still showing. But it does not come up on my tablets. Kinda strange it wasnt showing one time then the next it did. Maybe I didnt wait long enough for it to show up the first time.
I dont see any problem with it showing really as long as no one is able to connect to it. Which when I tried you need to know and manually type the SSID plus know the passcode for the network to connect to it. So its just as secure as any other network.
Amanda wrote:Hello
So I am still getting the same information as before - this SSID is attributed to the latest .35 software update (which everyone with a HT2000W should have now). It has been included to provide support for a future service from HughesNet. This will not affect your normal service or usage. If it is causing any connectivity problems somehow, please let me know.
Thanks
Amanda
"It has been included to provide support for a future service from HughesNet."
I bet it's the popcorn maker.
I still want it to deliver my coffee. Breakfast Blend or Pikes Place... either one will do.
Popeyes is a bit heavy for me.
Closer in to DC there are a lot of Chilean and Peruvian chicken places and they are awesome. You haven't lived until you've had half an Andean chicken breast with fried plantain.
Not as awesome as that, Gainesville is now one of the few places in the US to have a (cheeky) Nandos.
I can assure you, they are not using that hidden network to hack into your private network, if that is what you are worried about. There would be HUGE legal consequences if they did that.
They're watching!
OK, so, multple scans until Cthulhu popped in to tell me to quit it. No hidden network shows up, even though it shows up on the list of networks on my Windows machine. I guess the Mac is not picking it up.
lake_woman wrote:It is a problem when asking Hughesnet about changes that are seen and no explanation has been made.
No. It's not a problem asking about changes that are seen and no explanation has been made. Not at all. You asked. You were answered. You accepted the answer as a solution, and thanked the person for answering the mystery.
You then proceed to post that you are not only owed further explanation, but wouldn't even accept the explanation you received from an official rep, nor from anyone else basically telling you the same thing.
You just don't like the explanation you are receiving, and seem to be demanding to know just exactly what the hidden network is, and what it's for.
They aren't required to notify you of an update, nor anything about it, unless it directly affects your service. It didn't. They aren't required to tell you what the hidden network is, nor what it's for, beyond the explanation that has already been given, and that was most likely a courtesy that wasn't required, either. You immediately assume that it could be something nefarious. First, it can't be accessed by anyone. Second, there are laws governing what can and can't be accessed by a provider, and this hidden network isn't something to circumnavigate those laws. They aren't spying on you.
That you don't like the answer you received is just something you're going to have to deal with. No one is having fun with "clueless banter." That you turn it off? Fine. I have it turned off, too.
Being cautious is fine, and even good. Demanding more information because you don't like the answers you have already received is another story. You are in no position to demand anything regarding this hidden network, nor the update that contained its implementation. It's there. It's for a future service. It's not spying on you. No one can utilize it at this time.
With that, I will comment no more regarding your posts. Good day to you.
To add: At least with me, the tone is basically due to demanding further explanation. That's all. Asking is one thing. Demanding is another.
Or use a third party router as I would do if I ever did go to Gen 5, problem solved. I like having a router that shows usage by device, the HT2000W does not.
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