"Asus Router" Android application / security

[MakeItEasy]

Hi,

I installed the application on my smartphone out of curiosity and it asked me to activate access from the outside (WAN) as well as DDNS.
I refused and luckily the settings do not seem to have changed in the router's configuration.
Suddenly, I am a little wary of this Android application even if it seems handy for viewing network traffic.
I would have been reassured to have an option to be able to launch the application in "read-only" mode.

I guess there is no need to enable HTTPS if I am using the app only inside my local network ? (of course using WPA2 with a strong password).

But what about if I use it by mistake outside of my LAN ...

 

[OzarkEdge]

Hi,

I installed the application on my smartphone out of curiosity and it asked me to activate access from the outside (WAN) as well as DDNS.
I refused and luckily the settings do not seem to have changed in the router's configuration.
Suddenly, I am a little wary of this Android application even if it seems handy for viewing network traffic.
I would have been reassured to have an option to be able to launch the application in "read-only" mode.

I guess there is no need to enable HTTPS if I am using the app only inside my local network ? (of course using WPA2 with a strong password).

But what about if I use it by mistake outside of my LAN ...

Good questions... an experienced Asus router app user here may answer them.

I avoid the app for router admin because I consider mobile platforms to be too fragile/insecure and subject to the concerns you raise. I never know what is really happening on my Android devices so I try to keep them as in the dark as is possible. Still, they constantly surprise me behind my back.

When the app first came out, it led the user to casually swipe and enabled WAN remote access to their router... to their network. Most users would choose to not do this to keep their router locked down. So, beware the convenience of the mobile app and touch interface, imo.

OE

 

[MakeItEasy]

That's also my feeling.
I probably haven't done the full tour of the app, but I don't think I really need it.
I will only miss the traffic visualization interface for each device which is missing from the web UI.

 

[drabisan]

It is fairly easy to click some not well documented options in that application. And that's not ideal.
But yes, real time monitoring the traffic is super-nice!

It had the option to use the second 5GHz radio way before the option to be available in firmware. Of course it did nothing when there was no support in the firmware for that option. So it kinda looks like it's developed by a different team than the one developing the firmware. Consequently options in the app that can't be traced back clearly to the options in the firmware.
I'm still using it. Only from LAN, as I don't want access from WAN or self-generated certs from the router.

 

[bbunge]

You can use the app outside of your LAN if you connect to the router over a VPN. I use OpenVPN on the router and Arne Schawbe OpenVPN client on my Android devices.

 

[princi]

Personally, I would just like to be able to select which VPN profile to activate on the router - from the app.

Without that, it serves no purpose for me.