Fixed IP Address ? Getting Hacked ?

[Confused Newbie]

Hi, am Newbie to this and not at all technical either but thought I might see if any kind person can help.

We have a home PC with NTL broadband. We have Symantec Internet Security Suite (Anti Virus Edition) installed. In the last six months our Symantec has been turned off 4 times (it asks for the product code to be re-entered). Our local computer shop have said that its because NTL do not change their IP addresses even though they say they change them every two days and that, once the hacker has worked out most of our IP address, he only has to spent a short time before working out the rest! This is driving us bananas and is obviously very insecure. We are now seriously considering leaving NTL. However, I have read a lot of your forums which seem to indicate that people DO want a fixed IP address. I dont understand this when my computer bods state that we dont!. Any comments would be gratefully received. Many thanks. SAM PS Our computer states that the "lease" lasts only 2 days at a time. There only appears to be one DHCP Server.:confused:

[Graham M]

Im sorry but your local computer shop is talking complete rubbish!

[Confused Newbie]

Hi, Thanks for prompt reply. Are you then saying that I should have a fixed IP address and that NTL does provide them? Am truly confused now!

[Graham M]

The IP Address isn't truely fixed and can change for many reasons, it is fixed usually for a period of time but it's nothing to be worried about with a firewall protecting you.

[Confused Newbie]

okay, if that's the case then there must be something wrong with the Internet Security Suite 2006! May look into getting something else then! Did have Zone Alarm Plus but had terrible problems with the upgrade last year and eventually cut our losses, abandoned it, and installed Symantec. Looks like we are back to square one!

[Graham M]

I would never recommend Norton, to be honest ZoneAlarm I don't give much attention too but there are plenty of decent, free firewalls that I'm sure can be recommended.

[Confused Newbie]

Thanks for that. Will surf other "boards" within this site and make an informed decision (hopefully).

[Paul]

Im sorry but your local computer shop is talking complete rubbish!Yep, complete & utter rubbish.

I can't quite work out why Symantec would turn itself off for a fixed ip address (or indeed for a dynamic one either) - sounds broken to me.

Not many ISP's provide long term fixed ip addresses, ntl certainly don't - they can stay the same for months, but they will change eventually.

[Confused Newbie]

The computer shop said that the hacker himself was managing to turn off Symantec (because of the supposed "static" IP address) - must admit that I was surprised but dont know enough to question it.

[zing_deleted]

Buy a router and connect through that.The ip then terminates and the router and your allocated a local address

And seeing as noone else has ill :welcome: you to the forum :)

[Confused Newbie]

Thank you. You've all been most kind.

[Graham M]

Nope not possible, you said in your first post that Symantec was asking for you to re-enter your product code, a subscription to Symantec Software only lasts a year. Perhaps that could explain it

[Paul]

The computer shop said that the hacker himself was managing to turn off Symantec (because of the supposed "static" IP address) My advice - find another computer shop - because the one you are using don't seem to have a clue what they are talking about. :)

[Confused Newbie]

Re your thoughts:

The Symantec does not expire until Sept.

I will go to another local shop to see what they say!

Thanks again

[Graham M]

Just not PC World :D

[Gareth]

Zing has made a great suggestion - buy a router. The router will have a firewall built-in to it, and as it's the only device that is publicly visible, it'll protect the endpoints sat behind it.

[Quam256]

Found this on a site ,hope it helps.


Sussed it. Do NOT install the "Norton Internet Security Resource Updates" update - size 820.3KB. This is the one thats knocking off my activation.. Tested it twice. So heres what I did. Uninstalled, rebooted, went into regedit, removed the 2 reg keys (H Key Local Machine/Software/Symantec and HKEY Current User/Software/Symantec (If you dont do this, when you come to the activate by phone stage again it will tell you the 000999 code is invalid), removed all folders called Symantec from Hard Drive (makin sure I was searching for system & hidden files as well), reinstalled product whilst disconnected from internet, rebooted and activated product in normal way with the 000999 option, cancelled LiveUpdate when it came up then opened NIS and disabled LiveUpdate - then reconnected internet, went back to LiveUpdate (in interactive mode) and downloaded ALL available updates. Rebooted and then went to LiveUpdate again and this time the offending update I have put above was there (it isnt in the list when you do your FIRST LiveUpdate). DONT download it if you want your subscription to remain valid. Hope this helps everyone. I seem to recall that when it first went back in Feb, I found that you had to take Automatic LiveUpdate off and use it manually instead to avoid the downloading of this offending update. Looks like Norton clocked this and so yesterday (12th April) put this update also into the manual LiveUpdate. UP YOURS NORTON!!!!

[Confused Newbie]

Many thanks for everyones help. I think I will actually ditch Symantec (which expires in Sept anyway) as I'm reading that its not as good as its made out to be and it uses up a lot of space. May well go back to Freeware.

Best wishes and thanks again.

PS I did receive a Post which, although not a private post, has not appeared on this Board stating that you usually get a new IP address when you switch the modem off. We actually switch the computer off at the wall (thereby switching off the modem) every night but we've had the same IP address for the last two weeks now (since I've started keeping an eye on it). Hmmm.

[Diadem]

your ip does and will change and unless theres somthing on you pc that transmits your ip back to said hacker he cant find you again.

Also move this to the ntl thread please mod

[Confused Newbie]

Hello Diadem, thank you for that. However, I have noted that, over the last 2.5 weeks, my IP address has not changed at all - apart from one occasion when I had an error of 169.etc etc (i have been checking my IP address by typing ipconfig in Documents & settings.) As far as we are aware the computer is not set to deliberately show the IP address. Hubs is currently looking into using a wireless router (for his laptop and my PC) and hopefully this will solve my symantec problem. Thank you for your reply.

[Diadem]

try turning the modem off at the wall, it should change evry now and then becouse how ntl and telewests networks work ( dynamic IP addresses ) it tends to change when the ip address is freed up ie when the modem is turned off. try leaving it of for a 24 hour period.

theses payed for security software aint always what there cracked up to be.

[Confused Newbie]

Hmm methinks you may be right about "paid for software"!

We do turn the modem off every time we've finished using the computer. The PC is usually used most days but is turned off at least overnight. It was certainly turned off all last weekend (we were away) but it still has the same IP address!

[Quam256]

Going back to the original question you set .
Is the problem with the security software or do you think you are being hacked and if you do how can you tell.

[Andrewcrawford23]

Easy way to test if its the software or a hacker, force yoru ip to change to anotehr ip altogether, without knowing the OS the person has i would need to right up a explantion how to do it on NT version and ME and before version

Once teh ip is changed if it turns itself off again and ask for the code its the software (although going on a post from someoen els eit is the software) if its doesnt then it was a hacker, the best way to force teh modem to change it IP after that would to be turn it off for 3+ hours (again sounds like this might have been done ever night) and reboot, failign that try phonign NTL customer support and ask them to change ti fromt here end