Plug pulled, DSL questions later

By RICHARD WOOD

A Telecom Jetstream customer was shocked to find his connection cut last week after Telecom claimed he was endangering its network.

Telecom is defending its actions, saying that Aucklander Steve Herstell's DSL modem or router was putting the network at risk - and leaving him open to being charged for traffic he did not use.

Herstell uses Jetstream to connect a home PC to the internet using a Dlink DSL modem he bought from Dick Smith Electronics.

He mostly uses Microsoft Office software and has McAfee firewall and antivirus software installed.

"It's a bog standard home PC. The only things we use are email and web browsing."

He had been using DSL for six months when Telecom pulled the plug.

Herstell said he was surprised when his wife rang him at work to say Jetstream had been cut off.

Telecom told him he had a problem with an "open proxy" and that he had to sort it out.

"It took my breath away at the arrogance of it all. He did not put me on to a technician. He said it's your problem, you're a threat to the network, we've cut you off. I was livid."

Telecom spokesman Chris Thompson said that the way Herstell's router was configured would allow anyone to route traffic through it, use it for spam, or to conduct attacks on other internet users, and they would look like they were coming from him.

He said that with a serious security breach Telecom did not have any choice but to protect the network and the users on it by disconnecting the link.

"It is a harsh remedy but if we are unable to get a quick resolution we are forced to do it, unfortunately.

"There's a question of, can you wait to inform them or do you take action, and our policy is to take action."

Thompson said Telecom regularly checked its customers to find people with open ports that created a security risk.

He said most routers did not come configured like that and Telecom would not know why Herstell's was until one of its technical staff could walk through it with him.

Herstell was one of a very small number of people in this situation, he said. Telecom could not necessarily give technical advice to overcome the problem because of liability issues if that advice affected the customer's network.

Herstell said Telecom could have tried to contact him first.

Dick Smith Electronics had provided a technician for him to talk to, he said, and Jetstream had been reconnected.