Just installed new Router and now getting email probs!

[wannabgeek]

Hi hope you can Ps help me out! I just installed a Netgear DG834 wired Router and as i am a noob i let the router Auto detct my settings and did not have to do anything else but just add my Aol user name and Password...oh and i changed DHCP client to Auto from disabled via services and renamed the routers default passwords. But now i am getting these 'Mailer Daemon' emails 6 in total from somebody at onetel who is trying to contact me and also one apparently from me! All have appeared since router was installed. But i am also recieving some of my usual emails without trouble! Can i have your thoughts on this Ps?
Ps also can you give me any Security tips with this Router,by the way i am running Kerio free FW along side this hardware!

[icq3800846]

Most routers act as a DHCP server, this means that internally, within your house, they issue IP addresses to any device which attaches to them.

By doing this they act as a kind of firewall, as the router is the only device that is attached to the internet directly and has an internet IP address. Your computer is attached to the router, when you ask for a page from the internet, your computer is asking the router, the router goes and fetched this page and gives it to yoru computer.

Consider it as being a kind of middle man, like a body guard, that stands in between your computer and the internet.

This setting of DHCP AUTO is unlikely however, to be your problem, if you have a problem at all..........

The most obvious things to check after installation of a new router are that any software firewalls you are running on your computer "know" about the router and trust it.

In Norton Firewall there is the option to run a networking wizzard, which will scan for a router or other device attached to your network and allow you to make the new device TRUSTED, in other words your software firewall will allow you to connect to it, and allow full communications. With Norton without running this, the Norton firewall will attempt to block your own router and see it as an alien device which might be a security risk.

I have no experience of Kerio, but assume there is probably something similar in that package too.

My concern is that you can receive some e-mails with no problems. If you can send yourself an e-mail and pick it up, then this proves that your "connection" with AOL is working fine and your e-mail problem must be something perculiar to particular e-mails and not your e-mail setup in general.

The most obvious questions are:-

1) How many firewalls have you got running altogether? USe of multiple firewalls can sometimes really screw things up.
2) What antispam software is running?

You could try the following:-

1) Run the Network set up in Windows again.
2) Try turning off both Windows and Kerio firewalls and send a few test e-mails to yourself to see if you get any error messages
3) If you have the option of reading your e-mails online in AOL (I am not an AOL user) then for a few days log onto AOL and check your e-mail that way. If the Mailer Daemon errors are sitting there at AOL before they even come to your computer, then it suggests the problem is not with you but with the sender.

Also, perhaps there is a solution which is unique to AOL, I don't use it, so hopefully someone who is an AOL guru will also answer your query with more information.

[wannabgeek]

Hi thanks for your kind reply! I have 1 software FW (kerio) and whatever the routers protectiion is. Also there is no other pc's connected to the router! I only have Aol's email which can only be opened via Aol, Aol also has a spam detector but that never shows as a 'Mailer Daemon' it only shows via the Spam folder in the email program! What i do have running is Spy Sweeper but i am unaware of it detecting Spam. I also have the usual Adaware/Malaware progs (6 in total)! Kerio has detected the routers ip address via local connection, at the moment the trusted box is unticked so i will tick it and see if it cures the problem. If this does not cure the email prob should i leave it trusted or should i untick/untrust the box? ...Oh i also have Norton AV (2003)

[icq3800846]

Hi, if you don't trust your own router then you will almost probably have problems with internet access. One job of a software firewall is to prevent unauthorised access to your computer, and unless you tell your software firewalls to "trust" your router then genuine information from the internet, which you requested yourself in INternet Explorer or Outlook or AOL browsers might be blocked.

Again, I am led to believe that the problem might be with the "other" guys. If you can send/receive almost all e-mail then this pretty much proves the set up at your end is OK.

I would consider e-mailing a few people you know as a "Communication test" and ask them to send you back an acknowledgement.

[wannabgeek]

Hi i have succesfully emailed another aol member and they too mailed me back so that seems to be ok i am awaiting other replys! I just noticed there is another FW on the Routers cd,its called Freedom! As i remember hearing Hardware FW's are better than their Sw,so does this mean that the router comes with a Hardware FW thats built in to the Router and the one on the CD is just another Software FW? If so do you think maybe i should install the Freedom as it probally works better than my Free Kerio? Sorry for all these Silly Qs as you nodoubt guessed i am new to Networking! Also as the 'Local network' ( 2 telly thing in taskbar) is always on would it be ok to turn off my AV and FW, say when i am installing a new prog?..."Hope so as ive been doing this! I really do appreciate you taking the timeout to help me icq!

[icq3800846]

Don't go and install too many firewall applications! Ideally in my opinion, one software firewall is essential.

A lot of routers advertise that they have "Hardware Firewalls" but what this means in a lot of cases is that the router is just sitting as middle man, between your PC and the Internet, so that if someone tries to "hack" your internet IP address, all they will get through to is your router, which as it's a fairly dumb piece of virtually hardwired hardware is nowhere near as vulnberable to hacking as your computer is.

It's a bit like living in a really rough estate and always sending your mate down to the shops for you. Someone could always rough him up and extract your home address from him and come round and give you hassle, but why bother when there's always some dumb schmuck that has no protection at all?

Being fair, if the National Security Agency in America wanted to definitely "get into" your computer, no amount of firewalls is going to stop them (in my opinion).

I would be tempted to use the software forewall which came with the router as it probably will work best with it. Probably a good idea to scan the Google and see if anyone has had horrific experiences with it just before you do, but bear in mind nearly any internet security package will have "some" disgruntled users.

Turning off your Firewall when installing new programs isn't always completely necessary, but it's a good idea to turn off the antivirus as some programs, like nVidia drivers, don't always install properly if an anvitvirus program is running.

Of course, it's best not to sit there and use the internet when your antivirus program is turned off, especially any dodgy sites that might have come up with attractive thumbnails on Google searches!

If you're worried about turning your security programs off while you install, simply right click the little "Local Network telly thing in taskbar" and select DISABLE. This will disable the network connection to your router, so effectively your internet access will be disconnected. Remember to re-enable it after you restart your internet security programs when your installation is finished.

[wannabgeek]

Great explaination icq made it really easy for me to understand! I will give the freedom FW a shot,it seems a lot less CPU intensive than Kerio. I have done a thourough test via Shields up which gives me thumbs up on all sides,but i was not too sure it was my ip that was being scanned as it started with 172 and not 192 which i thought my ip started with! Sorry if i am confusing you!