Padavan's Custom Firmware

[hagbard]

I put Padavan's firmware on my Belkin N750 DB router, asked in another site how I should set it up to make it secure and got a bunch of posts telling me that Padavan firmware (and basically all third party firmware) isn't going to be secure and will likely have a back door. Are they trying to scare me or is there some truth here?

 

[Guz]

I put Padavan's firmware on my Belkin N750 DB router, asked in another site how I should set it up to make it secure and got a bunch of posts telling me that Padavan firmware (and basically all third party firmware) isn't going to be secure and will likely have a back door. Are they trying to scare me or is there some truth here?

FUD.

There is a greater chance of having a backdoor with the manufacturers firmware. With Padavan's, DDWRT, etc. firmware one can go through the source code and look for anything that might be considered a backdoor or any other security issues.

But... with certain manufacturers firmware, it's closed source and you can't look inside. Those are the ones you need to wary of.

Asus is nice enough to provide the source code for their firmware so others can look inside and verify there are no security issues, or take it and modify it to make it better.

Do I personally read the source code? Nope, not a programmer. But others are, and they read the code. If they find something suspicious they generally let the world know about it.

 

[hagbard]

That's generally the way I view it, but after the recent heartbleed, not so sure.

 

[fsatsil]

I put Padavan's firmware on my Belkin N750 DB router, asked in another site how I should set it up to make it secure and got a bunch of posts telling me that Padavan firmware (and basically all third party firmware) isn't going to be secure and will likely have a back door. Are they trying to scare me or is there some truth here?

Did these people on the other site have any facts to backup these accusations? 3rd party firmwares can be dangerous but the Padavan firmware is open source and has been around for years so if there was anything malicious in it I think it would have been discovered by now. That being said if you are unsure then stick with the stock firmware and sleep well at night

 

[hagbard]

Here's the comments I've received:

"If you want a secure router you should get rid off the Padavan firmware!! Do you know who/she is ? Why did they make a free firmware? Who checked the code for security and backdoors ?"

"I haven't heard of any backdoors, but Padavan is Russian and his project not as popular as others, so who knows."

"You have to trust the developer when dealing with these 3rd party firmware. The same logic applies to stock firmware. Belkin vs Padavan, who do you trust more. I stick with Belkin for the time being."

 

[chalkdust]

What is the best practice to add more routers to expand network

Hi All,

I'm a very happy RT-N56U with Padavan's firmware (.8-081) which covers my 1BR apartment nicely. I'm moving to a townhouse which has 4 floors which i want to provide Wi-fi access for. What is the best approach to accomplish this? If i buy 1 router per floor (maybe less needed) how do i hook them all up to work seamlessly together? do they have to be hard wired to each other or can they be used wi-fi only?

What should i do?

EDIT: I found some info here: https://code.google.com/p/rt-n56u/wiki/CommonTips

 

[markm9]

Chalkdust,

I use this router and like you i live in a 3 storey town house, with router on the first floor, plugged into BT modem, into master socket, i get excellent wi-fi coverage throughout, my son who is on 3rd floor does use homeplugs to connect
wired to his pc, and xbox, and he achieves same throughput as my daughter does who connects her tablet and laptop wireless on the third floor, i use padavan firmware version 7-075.

 

[capy2008]

Anybody know who to change ttl (console command)?

 

[Guz]

Here's the comments I've received:

"If you want a secure router you should get rid off the Padavan firmware!! Do you know who/she is ? Why did they make a free firmware? Who checked the code for security and backdoors ?"

HE wrote it because he got fed up with the limitations/bugs in the stock firmware

"I haven't heard of any backdoors, but Padavan is Russian and his project not as popular as others, so who knows."

Let me guess, this person is ex military from the cold war era? As for popularity... The firmware is mainly limited to Asus routers, so it does have a smaller userbase compared to DD-WRT or Tomato. If you go to the Russian discussion form where Pavadan mainly hangs out, you will see there are several people going over his code to verify things. They are normal people like you and I, but in Russia, and they don't like backdoors as much as we do!

"You have to trust the developer when dealing with these 3rd party firmware. The same logic applies to stock firmware. Belkin vs Padavan, who do you trust more. I stick with Belkin for the time being."

Hmmm... didn't some factory firmware for a router recently discovered a HUGE backdoor it in? If I remember it was there for quite awhile till someone found it and reported it... Not good.

There is a good blog posting about software and security called Everything is Broken. I HIGHLY recommend everyone read it. And then just accept it that there really isn't such a thing as a secure 'computer'.

 

[korenisko]

Who may write these stupid words about great work from Padavan project? I highly trust padavans over stock...

 

[hagbard]

you can take it up with them here:

http://forums.redflagdeals.com/belkin-n750-wireless-db-padavan-firmware-1484201/

 

[hagbard]

I see they have new firmware out today, who wants to be the guinea pig?

 

[jeffbeck]

Hi Adamm,

Just wondering on what is the difference between the 3.4.3.xxxx version on your site and the 3.0.3.xxx version on Padavan's site?

Thanks.

 

[korenisko]

Is there new firmware to download? Because I can't see it. Only 81

 

[hagbard]

Padavan for the Belkin router.

 

[fsatsil]

Hi Adamm,

Just wondering on what is the difference between the 3.4.3.xxxx version on your site and the 3.0.3.xxx version on Padavan's site?

Thanks.

the difference is the Linux kernel that is used 3.0.3 vs 3.4.3. Does anyone happen to know why Padavan went back to 3.0.3 from 3.4.3?

 

[RMerlin]

the difference is the Linux kernel that is used 3.0.3 vs 3.4.3. Does anyone happen to know why Padavan went back to 3.0.3 from 3.4.3?

From the changelog:

3.X.3.7-079:
----------------------------------------------------------
<snip>
- Migrate to kernel-3.0.x by default (best performance). kernel-3.4.x still supported.
[RT-N65U]

 

[RMerlin]

Here's the comments I've received:

"If you want a secure router you should get rid off the Padavan firmware!! Do you know who/she is ? Why did they make a free firmware? Who checked the code for security and backdoors ?"

To this, I would answer:

"Why trust the advice of a random forum poster? Who is this guy? Why does he answers support questions on a forum? Who validated that what he said was accurate?"

"You have to trust the developer when dealing with these 3rd party firmware. The same logic applies to stock firmware. Belkin vs Padavan, who do you trust more. I stick with Belkin for the time being."

D-Link proved recently that manufacturers aren't any more trustworthy, as they shipped a few routers with a backdoor in the firmware.

So, if I had to decide who I trust more, I would say: "Whichever one that provides me complete source code".

Being a company does not make you more trustworthy than a lone developer IMHO.

 

[hagbard]

To this, I would answer:

"Why trust the advice of a random forum poster? Who is this guy? Why does he answers support questions on a forum? Who validated that what he said was accurate?"

Wasn't 'a' random poster, it five random posters who all said pretty much the same thing. Not agreeign with them, just passing what they said along. Check the link.

 

[RMerlin]

Wasn't 'a' random poster, it five random posters who all said pretty much the same thing. Not agreeign with them, just passing what they said along. Check the link.

Oh, I know. I was just making fun of one of the specific answers they gave you at the time by turning it on them.