outbreak.ntli.net

ITGuyFromWales · 10-04-2005, 08:49

Hi All,

This is probably an old topic but I have recently experienced this problem for the first time (on my own pc), in that I keep getting re-directed to outbreak.ntli.net.

I have searched google and the NTLHELL, CABLE Forums for an idea as to what causes it.

Ok, I know NETSKY virus on a pc causes it but I am running LINUX ?
The other thing is My version of Linux is Knoppix which boots from CD and is therefore almost impossible to have a virus. (Everytime I reboot the pc it loads fresh from the CD again - which is nice ;-] )

The only thing I have done recently is upgrade my 750 connection to 2mb.

The NTL TechSupport Line's official answer to my problem is NTL dont support LINUX and they tell me to go and get a local IT GUY to sort it out - "Like Shall I ring Myself LOL "

I know as many others will know, that its not giving me this error because I am using Linux it is something else and I intend to get to the bottom of it!!

I would be interested at this point to hear anyone elses stories on their experiences of this problem.

Tomorow I shall get my WinXP PC on and run through their suggestions "JUST TO PASSIFY THEM" Then I will escelate the problem to their next level of support and keep you all posted!!

Paul K · 10-04-2005, 09:06

Might be an idea to see what ports your setup has in use to make sure that you aren't using ports that the virus would be causing activity on.

greencreeper · 10-04-2005, 11:11

NTL's flakey systems think your computer has a virus. I think there was a thread not long back where a poster got stuck in the walled garden and couldn't get out. NTL staff seem to have total faith in their company's systems - i.e. if it says you have a virus, you have a virus. I would check as Paul suggests that you have nothing sending/receiving on the ports commonly used by the various viruses out there, but most likey NTL has got it wrong, again. They don't even check if you have an OS capable of hosting the virus

Graham M · 10-04-2005, 11:44

Just phone em and tell em youve gotten rid of the virus and ask them to remove you from the Walled garden lol!

Richard M · 10-04-2005, 12:24

He's probably picked up someone's old IP which belonged to a computer that was infected.

Chris W · 10-04-2005, 13:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard M

He's probably picked up someone's old IP which belonged to a computer that was infected.

I thought the walled garden was done by modem mac address not ip....

anyway, if you download the patches from the walled garden site (yep i know you can't run them on linux but this is irrelevant) the system should then automatically release you after 4 hours.

Reboot the modem and if this doesn't happen, contact technical support and tell them that you have downloaded them and still stuck. It will then be sent off to a team to release you manually

BBKing · 10-04-2005, 19:16

Quote:

NTL staff seem to have total faith in their company's systems - i.e. if it says you have a virus, you have a virus

In defence of the people who came up with the system, I know them well and they're *very* smart - try defining how you'd identify who has a virus or not - it's not a 100% game by any stretch, and you eventually have to err on the side of caution and block people. It has been very effective in stopping viruses and other ISPs have been interested in the technique, so this is NTL being proactive and intelligent, OK? Given that the UK leads the world in PC trojan infection I think any effort to stop it has to be worthy of applause.

Toto · 10-04-2005, 21:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBKing

In defence of the people who came up with the system, I know them well and they're *very* smart - try defining how you'd identify who has a virus or not - it's not a 100% game by any stretch, and you eventually have to err on the side of caution and block people. It has been very effective in stopping viruses and other ISPs have been interested in the technique, so this is NTL being proactive and intelligent, OK? Given that the UK leads the world in PC trojan infection I think any effort to stop it has to be worthy of applause.

Worth noting too that they worked with MS, Symantec and other parties to come up with this system, and I also heard that other ISP's approached ntl about this.

Your always going to have false positives, but better a few mistakes than a whole network block due to virus propagation.

ITGuyFromWales · 10-04-2005, 21:47

They may be *SMART* But their system "Doesnt work"!!

It is getting too many "False Positives" and giving their customers a headache!

If you know them so well ask them what is the answer to fixing the problem for people who dont have WINDOWS installed, I am sure it dont take such *SMART* people to design an extra 2 webpages for LINUX and MAC users!

Does their system work on "Virus Patterns" in datastreams coming from a computer or just the amount of traffic on a particular port?

I'm running a packet sniffer and reviewing my log files to view the port activity on my network. Reports nothing unusual.

I think they have a *BUG* in their system.

When they contact me for not paying my bill I shall have my phone automaticaly divert them to an outbreak.lostmypatience.net message on my phone. They will be required to download an antivirus for their telephone and switch off their phone system for 4 hours then turn it back on. Then I might or might not allow them access to my telephone network in my home.
When they tell me their phone system cannot run this particular antivirus I might just tell them to ring local telephone engineer to sort it out as I do not support their phone system.

Anyway Ill keep you posted on how it develops!

gkhewitt · 10-04-2005, 22:09

I believe it runs on traffic on ports.

I have a mailing list of about 250 addresses and my main mailhost was down at one point so I sent through NTL's SMTP. I then landed myself in the walled garden for 36 hours with NTL insisting that I had Netsky. Wrong!

So yes, as others have suggested, check your ports.

simbr · 10-04-2005, 23:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by ITGuyFromWales

It is getting too many "False Positives" and giving their customers a headache!

How many false positives is this? Do you have numbers?

Quote:

If you know them so well ask them what is the answer to fixing the problem for people who dont have WINDOWS installed, I am sure it dont take such *SMART* people to design an extra 2 webpages for LINUX and MAC users!

The system was setup originally for the blaster virus, and later extended for netsky etc. by replacing the blaster tools with the more generic Stinger utility. Last I heard netsky was a Windows, not a Mac or Linux problem and ntl do not support Linux anyway. If you could provide a netsky removal tool for a Mac I'm sure there would be no problems getting it added.

slimshady · 11-04-2005, 09:07

The Problem here is not with the detection tool as BBKing said they can't be 100% accurate, the problem is with the process put into place by ntl for dealing with calls from customer with this problem. The issue is that they need to have a way of overriding it for customer who say they are running linux. I'm sure if they really wanted to they could pass it to a third line who could then port scan said machine with something like nessus to identify the host behind it.

Chris W · 11-04-2005, 12:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by slimshady

The Problem here is not with the detection tool as BBKing said they can't be 100% accurate, the problem is with the process put into place by ntl for dealing with calls from customer with this problem. The issue is that they need to have a way of overriding it for customer who say they are running linux. I'm sure if they really wanted to they could pass it to a third line who could then port scan said machine with something like nessus to identify the host behind it.

as advised earlier in the thread- downloading the files will result in automatic release from the walled garden within 4 hours.

greencreeper · 11-04-2005, 18:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBKing

I know them well and they're *very* smart - try defining how you'd identify who has a virus or not

Well first I'd start by identifying whether the OS is capable of hosting the virus

The high switching costs associated with moving ISP, plus the minimum contract period, allows NTL to get away with messing customers around. If we could change ISP at the click of a button, NTL would have a better walled garden. At the moment they're just using the system to score points as a "family friendly" ISP that takes its responsibilities seriously bla bla.

Matth · 11-04-2005, 22:11

Go through the motions, download what it says, and it'll probably release you